From Dawn to Dusk: The Caravan
Foreword
Hiiiii. Excluding the Ed, Edd, N Eddy review that went up last week, it's been awhile since I wrote for you. How have you been? Hopefully you've been taking care of yourself. The following story is another short fiction story that occurs in the From Dawn to Dusk series – the main series that all (probably more accurate to say most) my fiction stories take place in. The Caravan takes place near the end of the timeline. Before I treat your imagination to a fun, young adult fantasy story I would like to give an announcement of sorts.
As has been discussed over on my twitch channel (twitch.tv/BradicalRadical) I stated that I recently quit my regular 9-to-5 job in hopes of doing... well... this. Writing, streaming and online content creation has been a passion of mine ever since I was an awkward teen watching countless hours of 2010s YouTube. Now I'm awkward adult watching countless hours of 2020s YouTube but also with enough income to have my own recording/streaming/writing setup. I've written previously, particularly in my hiatus post, that juggling between my love for creation and my regular 9-to-5 was becoming quite overwhelming. After some long, deliberation that easily lasted me months – I made the decision to quit my job and put my sole focus into a content creation career. I'm still finding my feet and catching through some of my backlog, but I currently have a full week of live streams down and working through my second at the time of this writing. As stated above, I've once again started updating my blog and writing more regularly again. I've been making great strides towards my goals, one of the ultimate ones being a self-published author.
My first novel, A Collector's Debt, has gone through it's final edits. The only thing that remains to be done with it is that a cover needs to be made up for it and it needs to be publish. The most commercial route for me to go, as far as my research has determined, is to self-publish through the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing system. Though I understand the controversies that do surround Amazon as a whole – I would be a bit of hypocrite for allowing myself to stream on Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, while also boycotting the KDP system. Furthermore, I am a novice when it comes to both self-publishing and the KDP system as a whole. To familiarize myself with the system without dooming Collector's to a flop (this thing has been my baby since 2015. I'm kind of personally attached to it) I planned on releasing a collection of short stories called Declutter. Declutter will be a free short story collection that I will self-publish on Amazon Kindle and will contain original stories that I've featured here on the blog. Since they can be accessed here for free, it certainly would not feel right to charge for it on a separate platform.
So, while I'm finishing up on the few short stories that I want to include (I'm hoping for an early-mid May release), allow me to present perhaps my favorite short story I've written so far:
From Dawn to Dusk: The Caravan
The settlement of Babylon sat on the Northern point of Zion, the continent in the middle of the Ophelia Sea. The sliver of land ran nearly a thousand miles in length at its longest point. The village was home to a mix of mortals, with Dwarves being the largest demographic. A tribe of Dwarven miners took shelter underneath the Silver Mountain around 100 P.D., using the natural barrier of the rock to mine out a subterranean home. Inside their stone encased home, they found their most valuable resource - The Helios Gems. The crystalline mineral was a naturally occurring resource on the Dwarven home planet and was used as the main component in all laser weaponry and electricity. For the people of Babylon, it provided comfort and luxury while also serving as the settlement's main export.This export was the main reason why the trade caravan was finishing preparations. The dawn light had only begun to cast its rays against the shining snow and stone that sat atop of the Silver Mountain, but the trading party had been awake and working hours beforehand. The Caravan consisted of twenty members; ten mercenaries and ten salespersons. Five covered wagons pulled by three oxen each lined up outside of the wooden gate of Babylon. All persons gathered were veterans of their craft, excluding a young human named Thomas Halfthorn.
The boy was thirteen years old and stared at the twenty-foot-tall entrance with all the wonderment of a child. Babylon was nearly fifty squared miles large with half of it sitting outside of the cave's opening. Surrounding the outside area was a thirty-foot stone wall that squared off the settlement from the outside threats. A force of fifty guards stood atop of the wall armed with laser rifles manufactured by the Dusk scientists. The City of Dusk was where this Caravan was preparing to traverse to. They would exchange their Helios Gems for laser weaponry; along with the standard goods like produce, stone, wood and animals.
Thomas was joined by his father, a seasoned trader named Daniel. Daniel owned one of the covered wagons, his own being full of carrots, potatoes and turnips, along with four bags of seeds weighing twenty pounds each. The other four wagons belonged to a Dwarvish family, The Blackstones, carrying nearly a ton of Helios Gems; an Elvish family, the Morrisons, traveling about one hundred pounds of preserved meats; a second Dwarvish family, the Bronhs, transporting about a ton of stone, copper, tin and other metals; and a family of Werewolves, the Abertons, trading a wagon full of live chickens, rabbits and one hundred pounds of feed.
Each trader was donned in the official Trader's Guild uniform. A white, cotton collared shirt with light chain mail underneath, blue or black denim pants, brown leather boots, and a forest green hooded cloak with the guild's sigil printed on the back. The sigil was two silver hands with one dropping golden coins into a stack on the other. Alongside the traders were ten mercenaries from two different companies. Four men were from the Smithhold Company, a blacksmith family that decided to sell their expertise with their weapons. Each Smithhold member carried a silver sword with their sigil, a sword piercing an anvil, imprinted upon the guard.
The second company was the Sheepdogs. They were the largest of the Mercenary Guild companies, their numbers reaching fifty members. They carried a wide assortment of weaponry, this particular party having 4 swordsmen, a bowman, and a rifleman. The swordsmen consisted of four Elvish women, whilst the bowman and rifleman were Dwarven men. Every mercenary wore the guild crest proudly on their back, crossed sword and rifle stitched gold onto a black canvas. Each mercenary wore strong, black leather hide over top iron chain mail.
"Thomas," Daniel called out to his son. The boy looked over to his father, who was standing next to their wagon. He had just finished fastening the reigns to his oxen. "I need your thoughts with me, son. Try to learn as much as you can and stay close."
"Yeah, sure, Dad," Thomas returned before making his way over to this father's wagon. They would lead the charge behind the rifleman and bowman, as well as the entirety of the Smithhold Company. Their wagon was the lightest and would have the easiest time traveling. Behind them would be the Abertons, Harald and his daughter Frey, with the second fastest wagon. Taking up the rear would be the Bronhs, Jurgen and Oscar, with their heavy cart of metals. In front of them would be the Morrisons, Clavette and Domison. To protect the most valuable resource the most efficiently, the Blackstones's, Maggie and Moggie, cart sat in the middle with two Sheepdog swordsmen on either side. The final two Sheepdog Swordsmen would take up the rear.
"Traders and Mercenaries!" the Sheepdog rifleman called out with a deep voice. "My name is Samuel and I will be heading this expedition. I've been guarding caravans for the better part of fifteen years now. The Wilds are dangerous and will not hesitate to devour you, sometimes literally. I need you all to closely follow the marching order and to call out to any of the mercs should you have any concern." The Dwarven man adjusted his stance slightly, swallowing and taking a deep breath. "And I do mean any concern. For whatever reason we need to stop, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, I want to know about it. Be it you are tired and need rest or that you need to take a piss, I want to know. Information and reaction is the only way to truly survive out there. Any concerns?" The group gathered in front of Samuel remained silent, with a few shaking their heads no. "Then we'll start the departure. Our first stop is Dusk Base, Button Town. We will make it there by nightfall. Our first break will be three hours from now, if things go smoothly. Let's move." Samuel turned around, his cloak swaying to and fro as he faced the wooden gate.
The sound of gears and creaking wood soon filled the entrance of Babylon. Thomas could see a few of the city guard standing atop the stone, turning huge wooden wheels. After a few moments, the timbers separated and the outside world became visible. Before the Caravan was a gravel path that stretch on for several miles. They would stick closely to this path as they made their way south. Dusk was a fifteen-day march away. The Caravan would take shelter in a Dusk forward operating base each night. It would take approximately ten hours to reach each base, accounting for two hour long breaks throughout. The glow of twilight would begin grasping the world by time they reached Button Town. The majority of the journey would take the Caravan over hilly plains and through the occasional wooded area. And with the low grumble of wheels crushing rock, they traveled.
Thomas couldn't help himself. He looked all around their caravan as the shadow of the gates blocked out the sun once they traveled through it. His father kept a stern focus on the reins in front of them. Daniel was used to being a lead carriage, considering his produce was typically lighter than most loads. He kept his oxen about 10 paces from the mercenaries, his eyes trained on the bowman and rifleman from the Sheepdogs. He only broke his gaze when he noticed Thomas leaning over the side of the wagon to see the giant gate close behind them.
"Thomas!" he called out, grabbing his son's cloak and pulling him back into his seat. "Sit down and try to act professionally. This is business - one day you'll have to lead this wagon on your own."
"But just look at it, Dad," the child argued, amazed by the greenery and trees that seemed to stretch on forever. "It's like discovering a new world out here."
"Hey," Daniel responded in his stern fatherly voice. "Whenever you are out here, this wagon is your whole world. It's the only thing you should be concerning yourself with."
"But you don't think this is exciting?" Thomas couldn't help but continue.
"I've seen enough to know that this is the wrong kind of excitement," he grumbled as he thought back to all the trips he has made, focusing particularly on all the lives that were lost. "Besides," he said with a throat clear. "It's time for you to learn some things."
"What's there to learn? We're just sitting in the caravan and riding along,"
"Oh, you think it's that easy?" the father chuckled. "I want you to take the reins."
"Really?" the teen asked, trying to sound cool to mask the apprehension he was feeling.
"Yes, really. I'd rather have you screw up on this gravel road instead of the dirt path later on," Daniel explained. "Now scooch over into the middle and grab the ropes."
"Okay..." the child said, a little quieter than he normally spoke. He slid his bottom across the bench and grasp the heavy rope with both hands. "Wow-" he blurted as he felt the force of the oxen pulling his arms straight.
"Now these beasts want to run. They've been cooped up for as long as you have," Daniel explained. "Pull back slightly on the reins whenever you feel them start to pull."
"Okay," the boy did as he was told and flexed his arms slightly. He could feel the ropes relax and sag slightly and the oxen's pace slowed by a small measure.
"Now, if you pull too hard, the oxen will stop completely. If you need to do that for whatever reason, you need to call out and stick your arm over the side," Daniel captured Thomas's attention and showed him a small demonstration. "Then you'll wanna show your palm to the driver behind you before making a fist. This will tell them you are making a full stop."
"Should I do that now?" Thomas asked. Daniel let out a belly laugh.
"Only if you want every person in this caravan to hate our guts," he explained. "If you don't have to stop, then never stop. Everyone here just wants to get to the drop off and back home as soon as possible. You understand?"
"Yes, sir," he answered.
"Now, try to keep the oxen about 10 paces from the mercs in front of us. And keep an eye out for anything suspicious," Daniel stood, crouched over, and made his way into the covered portion of their wagon.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm old now, Thomas. And old men need sleep. Just yell if you need anything, you're doing great,"
"O-okay," Thomas responded, doing his best to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath and tried his best to do as instructed. Instead of keeping his eyes on the rifleman, he kept them glued to the oxen's horns. A novice move- he was more concern with what his carriage was doing as opposed to those leading him.
Despite his inexperience, Thomas was able to successfully pilot the carriage over the graveled road. After about fifteen minutes, he allowed himself to gaze upon the land more openly. His eyes were particularly interested in the river that flowed alongside the road. Every now and then he would see a group of ducks bobbing their heads into the water. He would only break his gaze from the riverbed whenever he heard a bird caw overhead. The teen could feel his nervousness leaving and his excitement once again returning. He was hopeful that the caravan would come across some of the rare species of animals that lived on the planets belonging to the other Mortals.
Despite the Great Reunion bringing the Mortals together, the majority of living things did not survive the trip. While it is impossible to know for a fact how many animals remained, nearly all that did not originate on Earth were endangered. Thomas heard stories of a creature called a Lamhygyn. It mostly resembled an Earthly frog, but significantly larger. They appeared to be the size of a small dog, with fleshy wings for forearms and a long tail that resembled a water reed. The end of the tail had a needle-like stinger that the creature used to inject prey with a painful venom. The creatures were certainly dangerous and did have the capabilities of killing a Mortal, but this did not deter Thomas's hope of stumbling across one.
Thomas was lost in his imagination at this point, his eyes almost permanently glued to the river in hopes that he could spot a Lamhygyn. So focused, that he didn't notice the gravel road was ending and a dirt path was beginning.
"Thomas!" Daniel called out, stepping out of the covered wagon and taking the ropes from his son. "We gotta slow the oxen down when we make the transition from gravel to dirt." Thomas shimmied over, giving his dad space to sit down.
"I'm sorry, dad - I was" he began to plead, embarrassed and worried that he was about to receive a scolding.
"You were just day dreaming," his father stated calmly. "Like children do." He saw his son breath a sigh of relief. "What are you so worried about? Did anything get broken? Did anything bad happen?"
"No, but..." Thomas took a deep breath and a gulp. "I don't know, you were yelling and I got nervous and-"
"Did you see anything fun on the river?" Daniel interrupted with a smile.
"No," Thomas gave a sly smile. "Nothing but ducks."
"Well, what can you expect?" his father shrugged as the oxen transitioned the cart from gravel to dirt. The constant sound of rumbling stone fell silent and only the squeaking of the wheels remained. "We're still close to the village. The interesting creatures know better than to travel too close to us."
"How many do you think there are? Have you seen anything magical?"
"Magical? Heh, Thomas, they are just animals. Not really any different from you, or me, or our oxen."
"You know what I mean," the child whined.
"I know," Daniel sighed as heavy thoughts penetrated his mind. "I've seen a ton of things. Some amazing and some awful... be patient... I'm sure you'll see something exciting."
With that, Thomas took back to surveying the area around them. His wonder filled eyes were nearly bulging at the possibilities of what he would be able to see. The caravan traveled unhindered for several hours. As originally planned, they stopped for a break after three hours of nonstop marching. The land remained mostly even. The dirt path was regularly traveled and was still bare of any foliage. The path they traveled went over hilly plains with a few trees that were on the outskirts. In the distance, about an hour away, was a heavily wooded area. The path would take them through this forest until they hit their next resting point.
The Caravan took a position next to the gently flowing river, allowing their oxen to drink from its cold waters. The traders stuck by their oxen, feeding themselves and ensuring the beasts did not get into any mischief. Encompassing the Caravan in a semi-circle were the mercenaries, who kept watch while refueling themselves. Thomas kept by his father, learning the proper technique to calm the oxen so that they peacefully drink and eat. Daniel spoke in between bites of jerky.
"Once they understand this is a safe place, they'll mostly ignore you and tend to themselves,"
"Okay, but what happens if they get startled or something?"
"Heh, there really isn't a plan to stop them if that happens,"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Have you ever tried to stop a charging ox before, Thomas?" The young boy gave a wide eye stare and shook his head nervously, curious but also frightful of what kind of chaos one of his animals could cause. "There's not much you can do besides either trying to get their attention or pulling on their reins."
"If you're feeling strong, you can try to wrestle one, haha!" a booming voice shouted over. The two humans looked over at Harald Aberton, the werewolf leading the cart behind them. The eight-foot-tall tower of muscle began to make his way over to the Halfthorn men. The wolf towered over young Thomas, easily doubling the young man's height. "I wouldn't suggest it, of course. These beasts are even a match for myself."
"How are you doing, Harald?" Daniel spoke, greeting the gentle giant as though they were lifelong friends. This was only their third trip together, however. The Abertons sold livestock, which took a bit longer to mature to selling age than the Halfthorn's produce, meaning the werewolf family typically only walked the trade route every two years or so. Regardless, the two men still shook hands and smiled warmly at each other.
"I'm doing well, Halfthorn. Is this your boy you were telling me about?" the man turned his gaze over to Thomas. The young lad had been taking in the werewolf's appearance. He, of course, wore the trader uniform, though it did appear to struggle to contain the man's mass. Harald had deep, brown eyes and a shaggy looking beard. His black hair was pulled back into a top knot.
"Yes, sir. This is my son, Thomas," Daniel gestured his open hands to son, as though he were presenting the boy. The child looked at the werewolf's eyes with a wide, almost frightened expression.
"Hello, sir," Thomas said meekly before extending a hand for a shake. The beefy gentleman took the boy's hand, which resembled a coin in the towering hunk's hand, and shook.
"Pleasure to meet you, Young Halfthorn. Was that you driving the wagon back on the gravel road?"
"Yes, sir,"
"Well done, lad. You did a great job," Harald dropped to one knee to speak on eye level with Thomas. At the compliment, the boy's eyes lit up and the fear quickly drained away. "I remember my first-time piloting one these; I nearly drove my oxen into the river, haha!" Thomas let out a polite smile while Daniel gave a hearty chuckle.
"Yeah, he didn't do too terribly," Daniel agreed. "Though, he needs to stop daydreaming about Lamhygyns and other beasts."
"Oh, is that why I saw you wobble earlier," Harald gave Thomas a teasing smile. The boy could feel his cheeks burn. "Don't feel too embarrassed about it. The reason I almost drove my oxen into the river? I was too busy looking for a sphinx!"
"A sphinx?" the boy asked.
"Oh, are you unfamiliar?" Harald asked. The boy nodded. "Do you know what a rock golem is?" Thomas nodded again. "A sphinx is a rock golem but in cat form! They are about the size of a human lynx but have a stone coat!"
"Really!?" Thomas's eyes grew wide at the possibilities. "Have you seen one? Are they dangerous?"
"Dangerous? Young Halfthorn, my ancestors used to raise them! But... uh, no. I have not seen one on my travels."
"Oh," The boy's eyes diverted back to the river, still hopeful he might see something. "Have you seen any cool animals?"
"Did you not notice those water fowls an hour back?"
"Those were just ducks,"
"And yet I still get giddy every time I see them!" Harald let out another hearty chuckle. "What might be normal for you, child, might be wondrous to someone else. It's important to remember that the world you live in, despite it being one you are used to, is still beautiful and wondrous!" Thomas looked unimpressed by Harald's explanation and let out a quiet sigh. He understood the philosophy well enough, but that did nothing to quench his thirst for adventure and mysticism.
"Anyways," Daniel broke the silence, giving Harald a thankful glance for trying to impose good morals upon his son. "How is your daughter? I see her tending to the oxen,"
"Oh, studious as always. That's why she insisted she tag along instead of Bryce," Harald responded, looking over at his daughter with admiration. "That boy wants to be a merc anyways."
"Well, he certainly has the arm for it."
"Isn't that the truth! Though, I fear the brains my daughter has she stole from her brother!" The two men let out loud, fatherly laughs for a moment.
"You said Frey insisted to come along?"
"Correct, Halfthorn. She is desperate to trade a few of our rabbits for another book from the Dusk school."
"She finished that thick journal already?"
"The girl loves her stories! She was actually going to try and sell it back, though I doubt she'll get much for it."
"Oh really?" Daniel said, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Tell her to bring it over." Harald gave the man a knowing smile before spinning around and heading over to his daughter. Daniel turned to face his own child. "Pay attention, Thomas. This is the second half of what you'll be doing as a trader." Thomas gave a few gentle head nods and did his best to not get distracted.
"Head Halfthorn, you have already met Frey. Young Halfthorn, this is my daughter," Harald gestured to the teen with an open palm. She had long, golden hair that was neatly pulled into a French braid. A pair of crystal blue eyes politely regarded the two humans that stood before her. The bridge of her nose was dotted with a few freckles and a silver ring pierced her right nostril. The teenager was about a foot taller than Thomas, though they were about the same age.
"N-nice to meet you," Thomas stumbled over his words and slowly rose a hand for a shake. The girl returned the gesture and gripped the boys palm, her hand not much larger than the human's.
"You too, Halfthorn," she stated in a scratchy voice. "Head Halfthorn, it is nice to see you again,"
"You as well, dear," Daniel returned. "Harald here tells me you have a book you are looking to sell,"
"Yes, that is right," Frey showed the leather-bound journal to the two men. The cover was completely bare of text or markings but appeared to be hundreds of years old. "It's the Compendium of All Creatures, Both Mortal and Otherwise by Horace Brackett"
"That's a mouthful," Thomas said to himself with an unimpressed glance.
"Some call it the first Bestiary of the New World," Frey said with a hint of annoyance. A lover of arts and literature, she would not stand there and allow someone to tarnish the good name of Horace Brackett. The young lad's eyes lit up once he heard the word "Bestiary".
"How much were you looking to get for it?" Daniel asked quickly, stepping in front of the girl's gaze in an attempt to hide how excited Thomas appeared.
"I'm doing well, Halfthorn. Is this your boy you were telling me about?" the man turned his gaze over to Thomas. The young lad had been taking in the werewolf's appearance. He, of course, wore the trader uniform, though it did appear to struggle to contain the man's mass. Harald had deep, brown eyes and a shaggy looking beard. His black hair was pulled back into a top knot.
"Yes, sir. This is my son, Thomas," Daniel gestured his open hands to son, as though he were presenting the boy. The child looked at the werewolf's eyes with a wide, almost frightened expression.
"Hello, sir," Thomas said meekly before extending a hand for a shake. The beefy gentleman took the boy's hand, which resembled a coin in the towering hunk's hand, and shook.
"Pleasure to meet you, Young Halfthorn. Was that you driving the wagon back on the gravel road?"
"Yes, sir,"
"Well done, lad. You did a great job," Harald dropped to one knee to speak on eye level with Thomas. At the compliment, the boy's eyes lit up and the fear quickly drained away. "I remember my first-time piloting one these; I nearly drove my oxen into the river, haha!" Thomas let out a polite smile while Daniel gave a hearty chuckle.
"Yeah, he didn't do too terribly," Daniel agreed. "Though, he needs to stop daydreaming about Lamhygyns and other beasts."
"Oh, is that why I saw you wobble earlier," Harald gave Thomas a teasing smile. The boy could feel his cheeks burn. "Don't feel too embarrassed about it. The reason I almost drove my oxen into the river? I was too busy looking for a sphinx!"
"A sphinx?" the boy asked.
"Oh, are you unfamiliar?" Harald asked. The boy nodded. "Do you know what a rock golem is?" Thomas nodded again. "A sphinx is a rock golem but in cat form! They are about the size of a human lynx but have a stone coat!"
"Really!?" Thomas's eyes grew wide at the possibilities. "Have you seen one? Are they dangerous?"
"Dangerous? Young Halfthorn, my ancestors used to raise them! But... uh, no. I have not seen one on my travels."
"Oh," The boy's eyes diverted back to the river, still hopeful he might see something. "Have you seen any cool animals?"
"Did you not notice those water fowls an hour back?"
"Those were just ducks,"
"And yet I still get giddy every time I see them!" Harald let out another hearty chuckle. "What might be normal for you, child, might be wondrous to someone else. It's important to remember that the world you live in, despite it being one you are used to, is still beautiful and wondrous!" Thomas looked unimpressed by Harald's explanation and let out a quiet sigh. He understood the philosophy well enough, but that did nothing to quench his thirst for adventure and mysticism.
"Anyways," Daniel broke the silence, giving Harald a thankful glance for trying to impose good morals upon his son. "How is your daughter? I see her tending to the oxen,"
"Oh, studious as always. That's why she insisted she tag along instead of Bryce," Harald responded, looking over at his daughter with admiration. "That boy wants to be a merc anyways."
"Well, he certainly has the arm for it."
"Isn't that the truth! Though, I fear the brains my daughter has she stole from her brother!" The two men let out loud, fatherly laughs for a moment.
"You said Frey insisted to come along?"
"Correct, Halfthorn. She is desperate to trade a few of our rabbits for another book from the Dusk school."
"She finished that thick journal already?"
"The girl loves her stories! She was actually going to try and sell it back, though I doubt she'll get much for it."
"Oh really?" Daniel said, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Tell her to bring it over." Harald gave the man a knowing smile before spinning around and heading over to his daughter. Daniel turned to face his own child. "Pay attention, Thomas. This is the second half of what you'll be doing as a trader." Thomas gave a few gentle head nods and did his best to not get distracted.
"Head Halfthorn, you have already met Frey. Young Halfthorn, this is my daughter," Harald gestured to the teen with an open palm. She had long, golden hair that was neatly pulled into a French braid. A pair of crystal blue eyes politely regarded the two humans that stood before her. The bridge of her nose was dotted with a few freckles and a silver ring pierced her right nostril. The teenager was about a foot taller than Thomas, though they were about the same age.
"N-nice to meet you," Thomas stumbled over his words and slowly rose a hand for a shake. The girl returned the gesture and gripped the boys palm, her hand not much larger than the human's.
"You too, Halfthorn," she stated in a scratchy voice. "Head Halfthorn, it is nice to see you again,"
"You as well, dear," Daniel returned. "Harald here tells me you have a book you are looking to sell,"
"Yes, that is right," Frey showed the leather-bound journal to the two men. The cover was completely bare of text or markings but appeared to be hundreds of years old. "It's the Compendium of All Creatures, Both Mortal and Otherwise by Horace Brackett"
"That's a mouthful," Thomas said to himself with an unimpressed glance.
"Some call it the first Bestiary of the New World," Frey said with a hint of annoyance. A lover of arts and literature, she would not stand there and allow someone to tarnish the good name of Horace Brackett. The young lad's eyes lit up once he heard the word "Bestiary".
"How much were you looking to get for it?" Daniel asked quickly, stepping in front of the girl's gaze in an attempt to hide how excited Thomas appeared.
"One hundred stamps," The girl said without hesitation. She knew that price was steep, but, like a good trader, she wanted to make a profit.
"One hundred?" Daniel repeated and almost scoffed. He didn't want to appear as rude, but his bargaining mind was beginning to take over. "I know you want a return on your investment but you couldn't have spent nearly that much on that old thing."
"Of course not. But I don't mind digging into Dusk's coffers as deeply as I can,"
"How about I give you thirty stamps for it?"
"Thirty?" Frey scoffed less subtly than Daniel had. "I'm barely making a profit if I do that. You wouldn't want to rob me, would you?" she gave her most innocent and shy stare as she could. The gesture was lost on Daniel, who had been doing this for longer than she had been alive.
"That's why I offered you more than what you paid. I'm confident there is no way you paid more than twenty."
"It's a first edition, probably the only one of its kind. Surely you can see the value it has."
"Perhaps, but I know it's not that valuable to the people of Dusk. They have a school that teaches far more than what old Horace wrote over a century ago. His descriptions might not even be accurate anymore."
"Still," she said with a huff. She placed a hand on her hip and looked at Daniel with a defensive glance. The Halfthorn man stood openly, his hands folded in front of him. "I'm sure some historian in Dusk would love to have it back. I won't take less than eighty."
"I fear you won't sell it then," Daniel chuckled before exchanging glances with Harald. The towering hunk of muscle gave a polite smile but chose to not get involved with the trade. These were valuable skills his daughter needed to learn, after all. "Now, I appreciate you standing your ground. I'll give you forty for putting on a such a good display."
"You mean forty percent off?" Frey quickly asked with a sly grin. Daniel gave her a stern look for a few moments.
"Thomas, go grab the book out of the wagon," he said with a gentle smile. He extended a hand and shook on the deal, an act that was as legally binding as any contract in the Trader's Guild. The teen boy went over to where the wagon was resting and hopped inside through the back entrance. After a few moments, he returned with a book. Thin pieces of wood covered in leather hide acted as the books binding. Inside were pages upon pages of stamps with the Trader's Guild insignia inscribed on them. The young boy handed the book to his father, who opened up to the first page. Tuck into the binding was a thin and sharp blade.
"Sixty stamps, then," Daniel said to himself. Frey gave a head nod. The stamp book had one hundred stamps to a page, arranged in a ten-by-ten grid. The trader counted down six rows and carved out the currency with the knife. "Here you are, Frey."
"And here is your book, Head Halfthorn. Pleasure doing business," She said with a victorious smile. Daniel took the book and quickly passed it and the stamps back to his son.
"I believe we should get back to our cart. Our hour is almost up," Harald announced to the group. "Head Halfthorn, Young Halfthorn - I appreciate our talk. I'm sure we'll speak again at the next rest."
"Of course, Harald. You know you are always welcome," Daniel responded, shaking the giant's hand once more. The werewolf also shook Thomas's hand and exchanged departures. The Abertons then headed back to their own wagon to pull the oxen away from the water and back onto the road.
"Did you learn anything, son?" Daniel asked, turning to face an excited looking Thomas.
"I think so," he responded, not looking up from the journal.
"Tell me what you learned then," his father asked, forcing the boy to look away from the book. Daniel had moved over to the oxen and grabbed hold of the reins. He managed to coerce the ox's head away from the water and he began to walk them back to the dirt path.
"To always ask for a lower price," he answered, unsure of himself.
“Ha! If that's the only way you are going to bargain, then you won't get very far. Think about how I asked for a lower price. What did I say?"
"You told her that she didn't pay that much."
"Correct, but what else?"
"That people in Dusk wouldn't pay that much?"
"Essentially," the dirt path was once again beneath the Halfthorns and their wagon. The two men climbed onto the bench and prepared to march on once the mercs gave the order. "I pointed out that she was still going to make a profit and that the offer I was making would be better than she would find elsewhere. I limited her options while showing her profit."
"Okay,"
"Now, I still overpaid but that is only because Harald is an old friend. Had they been strangers, I would've bought it only for twenty-five."
"Right," Thomas added, only half paying attention to his old man. His hands still stared down at the book in wonderment.
"Fine. Go ahead, son," Daniel said, patting the boy on the back. "I bought that for you anyways. Just... what I said is still true. The information in that book is over a hundred years old and probably not accurate. Don't believe everything you read in it."
"Thank you, dad," Thomas returned, hugging his father tightly before fully diving into the texts in front of him.
After a few moments, the mercenaries had return to their defensive positions and the call to "cast off" was relayed. The Caravan once again moved across the dirt path. As predicated, it only took them about an hour to reach the forest's edge. It was here, in the dense woods, where the forces that threaten Babylon would lurk. The entire time, Thomas did not look up from his book at all. He was absorbed in learning about all kind of fantastical and terrifying creatures. Some of it was knowledge he already possessed, such as information about the Mortals he shared a home with. It was information about the wild animals that interested him the most.
"Hey, dad," he suddenly said, picking his head up from his book. "Are there any deserts on Zion?"
"No, Thomas. Why do you ask?" his father pondered, looking away from the mercs in front of him and down at his son. He noticed that he was on the page that described the sphinx that Harald spoke of. The boy let out a disappointed mutter before flipping to the next page. The Caravan continued its march, now deep inside the forest. They had been traversing the woods for nearly an hour and a half. Thomas had finally sat the book down, his brain beginning to feel fried from all the information he attempted to absorb. He learned about sphinxes, Lamhygyns, and unicorns. He had stopped reading after a detailed description of how a banshee kills its prey. The boy was allowing his mind to wonder, his imagination becoming lost in the dense flora.
He then spotted something peculiar. About ten yards from the Caravan, on his left side, appeared to be a person. They looked like an adult human man and were facing a tree.
"Dad, look at that," he called out, pointing off into the trees. Daniel followed his son's point and noticed the person standing there. Being a seasoned traveler, Daniel was able to spot the threat.
"Hellspawn!" he shouted, hanging his arm over the side and bringing the Caravan to a halt. "Zombie! Ten yards!" He pointed into the dense trees as the mercs huddled around the wagons. The bowman nocked his arrow and took aim at the creature. The sound of steel and silver being drawn filled the area as everyone was put on high alert.
"Hold!" Samuel shouted, putting a gentle hand to his archer's back. "We have to confirm first." The creature slowly brought its head off the bark of the oak tree and turned to face the Caravan. Daniel was right, it was a zombie. While it appeared to be a human male, the creature was a pure Hellspawn. It was naked, and as it turned it was obvious it was bare of any sexual organs. It looked terribly malnourished, with dry and taut skin stretched over a skeleton. It didn't have much muscle mass and certainly didn't pose much of a threat by itself. Its lips were pulled back and it's sharp and bloody teeth were easily visible. White eyes, devoid of pupils, stared at the Caravan for a moment. It then opened its maw and let out a blood chilling groan that echoed through the forest. The call was cut short by an arrow piercing directly through the center of the Hellspawn's forehead. A thin, black mist evaporated off the zombie's body as it crumpled to the forest floor.
"That's not good, Sam!" one of the Elvish mercs called out.
"I'm aware!" The Dwarf shouted back. "Traders! Take a position inside your Caravans and do not come out until we give an all clear!" At his command, all the wagon drivers moved into their shelter. Thomas could feel an emotion he can't recall ever feeling. Dread. Fear. His heartbeat quickened with each breath. He huddled close to his more experienced father, who's face only displayed a furrowed brow.
"Dad..." he shakily called out. His father put a protective arm around his child as they crouched down next to their bags of produce.
"Thomas," his father returned, gaining his child's full attention. "We have a band of ten armed and trained fighters surrounding us. Zombies are usually slow; easy to deal with. No one is going to let anything hurt you." With a whimper, Thomas buried his head in his father's chest, trying his hardest to trust his words.
A tense silence befell the Caravan. Every tree branch snapping and leaf rustling echoed tremendously loud through the forest. The mercenaries stood at the ready, prepared to dispatch any possible threat that may come wandering through the foliage. A zombie's groan is its greatest weapon. In massive numbers, the undead Hellspawns are more than capable of tearing through the small Caravan. A hoard of thirty or more would be a reasonable threat. A threat, that the Babylonians did not have to face.
"One hundred?" Daniel repeated and almost scoffed. He didn't want to appear as rude, but his bargaining mind was beginning to take over. "I know you want a return on your investment but you couldn't have spent nearly that much on that old thing."
"Of course not. But I don't mind digging into Dusk's coffers as deeply as I can,"
"How about I give you thirty stamps for it?"
"Thirty?" Frey scoffed less subtly than Daniel had. "I'm barely making a profit if I do that. You wouldn't want to rob me, would you?" she gave her most innocent and shy stare as she could. The gesture was lost on Daniel, who had been doing this for longer than she had been alive.
"That's why I offered you more than what you paid. I'm confident there is no way you paid more than twenty."
"It's a first edition, probably the only one of its kind. Surely you can see the value it has."
"Perhaps, but I know it's not that valuable to the people of Dusk. They have a school that teaches far more than what old Horace wrote over a century ago. His descriptions might not even be accurate anymore."
"Still," she said with a huff. She placed a hand on her hip and looked at Daniel with a defensive glance. The Halfthorn man stood openly, his hands folded in front of him. "I'm sure some historian in Dusk would love to have it back. I won't take less than eighty."
"I fear you won't sell it then," Daniel chuckled before exchanging glances with Harald. The towering hunk of muscle gave a polite smile but chose to not get involved with the trade. These were valuable skills his daughter needed to learn, after all. "Now, I appreciate you standing your ground. I'll give you forty for putting on a such a good display."
"You mean forty percent off?" Frey quickly asked with a sly grin. Daniel gave her a stern look for a few moments.
"Thomas, go grab the book out of the wagon," he said with a gentle smile. He extended a hand and shook on the deal, an act that was as legally binding as any contract in the Trader's Guild. The teen boy went over to where the wagon was resting and hopped inside through the back entrance. After a few moments, he returned with a book. Thin pieces of wood covered in leather hide acted as the books binding. Inside were pages upon pages of stamps with the Trader's Guild insignia inscribed on them. The young boy handed the book to his father, who opened up to the first page. Tuck into the binding was a thin and sharp blade.
"Sixty stamps, then," Daniel said to himself. Frey gave a head nod. The stamp book had one hundred stamps to a page, arranged in a ten-by-ten grid. The trader counted down six rows and carved out the currency with the knife. "Here you are, Frey."
"And here is your book, Head Halfthorn. Pleasure doing business," She said with a victorious smile. Daniel took the book and quickly passed it and the stamps back to his son.
"I believe we should get back to our cart. Our hour is almost up," Harald announced to the group. "Head Halfthorn, Young Halfthorn - I appreciate our talk. I'm sure we'll speak again at the next rest."
"Of course, Harald. You know you are always welcome," Daniel responded, shaking the giant's hand once more. The werewolf also shook Thomas's hand and exchanged departures. The Abertons then headed back to their own wagon to pull the oxen away from the water and back onto the road.
"Did you learn anything, son?" Daniel asked, turning to face an excited looking Thomas.
"I think so," he responded, not looking up from the journal.
"Tell me what you learned then," his father asked, forcing the boy to look away from the book. Daniel had moved over to the oxen and grabbed hold of the reins. He managed to coerce the ox's head away from the water and he began to walk them back to the dirt path.
"To always ask for a lower price," he answered, unsure of himself.
“Ha! If that's the only way you are going to bargain, then you won't get very far. Think about how I asked for a lower price. What did I say?"
"You told her that she didn't pay that much."
"Correct, but what else?"
"That people in Dusk wouldn't pay that much?"
"Essentially," the dirt path was once again beneath the Halfthorns and their wagon. The two men climbed onto the bench and prepared to march on once the mercs gave the order. "I pointed out that she was still going to make a profit and that the offer I was making would be better than she would find elsewhere. I limited her options while showing her profit."
"Okay,"
"Now, I still overpaid but that is only because Harald is an old friend. Had they been strangers, I would've bought it only for twenty-five."
"Right," Thomas added, only half paying attention to his old man. His hands still stared down at the book in wonderment.
"Fine. Go ahead, son," Daniel said, patting the boy on the back. "I bought that for you anyways. Just... what I said is still true. The information in that book is over a hundred years old and probably not accurate. Don't believe everything you read in it."
"Thank you, dad," Thomas returned, hugging his father tightly before fully diving into the texts in front of him.
After a few moments, the mercenaries had return to their defensive positions and the call to "cast off" was relayed. The Caravan once again moved across the dirt path. As predicated, it only took them about an hour to reach the forest's edge. It was here, in the dense woods, where the forces that threaten Babylon would lurk. The entire time, Thomas did not look up from his book at all. He was absorbed in learning about all kind of fantastical and terrifying creatures. Some of it was knowledge he already possessed, such as information about the Mortals he shared a home with. It was information about the wild animals that interested him the most.
"Hey, dad," he suddenly said, picking his head up from his book. "Are there any deserts on Zion?"
"No, Thomas. Why do you ask?" his father pondered, looking away from the mercs in front of him and down at his son. He noticed that he was on the page that described the sphinx that Harald spoke of. The boy let out a disappointed mutter before flipping to the next page. The Caravan continued its march, now deep inside the forest. They had been traversing the woods for nearly an hour and a half. Thomas had finally sat the book down, his brain beginning to feel fried from all the information he attempted to absorb. He learned about sphinxes, Lamhygyns, and unicorns. He had stopped reading after a detailed description of how a banshee kills its prey. The boy was allowing his mind to wonder, his imagination becoming lost in the dense flora.
He then spotted something peculiar. About ten yards from the Caravan, on his left side, appeared to be a person. They looked like an adult human man and were facing a tree.
"Dad, look at that," he called out, pointing off into the trees. Daniel followed his son's point and noticed the person standing there. Being a seasoned traveler, Daniel was able to spot the threat.
"Hellspawn!" he shouted, hanging his arm over the side and bringing the Caravan to a halt. "Zombie! Ten yards!" He pointed into the dense trees as the mercs huddled around the wagons. The bowman nocked his arrow and took aim at the creature. The sound of steel and silver being drawn filled the area as everyone was put on high alert.
"Hold!" Samuel shouted, putting a gentle hand to his archer's back. "We have to confirm first." The creature slowly brought its head off the bark of the oak tree and turned to face the Caravan. Daniel was right, it was a zombie. While it appeared to be a human male, the creature was a pure Hellspawn. It was naked, and as it turned it was obvious it was bare of any sexual organs. It looked terribly malnourished, with dry and taut skin stretched over a skeleton. It didn't have much muscle mass and certainly didn't pose much of a threat by itself. Its lips were pulled back and it's sharp and bloody teeth were easily visible. White eyes, devoid of pupils, stared at the Caravan for a moment. It then opened its maw and let out a blood chilling groan that echoed through the forest. The call was cut short by an arrow piercing directly through the center of the Hellspawn's forehead. A thin, black mist evaporated off the zombie's body as it crumpled to the forest floor.
"That's not good, Sam!" one of the Elvish mercs called out.
"I'm aware!" The Dwarf shouted back. "Traders! Take a position inside your Caravans and do not come out until we give an all clear!" At his command, all the wagon drivers moved into their shelter. Thomas could feel an emotion he can't recall ever feeling. Dread. Fear. His heartbeat quickened with each breath. He huddled close to his more experienced father, who's face only displayed a furrowed brow.
"Dad..." he shakily called out. His father put a protective arm around his child as they crouched down next to their bags of produce.
"Thomas," his father returned, gaining his child's full attention. "We have a band of ten armed and trained fighters surrounding us. Zombies are usually slow; easy to deal with. No one is going to let anything hurt you." With a whimper, Thomas buried his head in his father's chest, trying his hardest to trust his words.
A tense silence befell the Caravan. Every tree branch snapping and leaf rustling echoed tremendously loud through the forest. The mercenaries stood at the ready, prepared to dispatch any possible threat that may come wandering through the foliage. A zombie's groan is its greatest weapon. In massive numbers, the undead Hellspawns are more than capable of tearing through the small Caravan. A hoard of thirty or more would be a reasonable threat. A threat, that the Babylonians did not have to face.
"Let's press on - quietly," Samuel said with a low voice. His mercs nodded and moved back into their original marching positions. A Smithhold man pulled back the curtain of the Halfthorn wagon, exchanging glances with a protective Daniel.
"We're moving on, as quietly as possible. Keep your voices down and try not to draw any attention," he ordered before moving back outside. Thomas and Daniel did as they were instructed. The young boy remained inside the cloth shelter while his father took over driving the wagon. He could hear the wheels squeak as the oxen pulled them forward. The Caravan didn't encounter any more zombies or other Hellspawns on their way to Button Town. It would appear that single monster was the only threat they would face.
A gangling beast still watched the Caravan with eyes as black as the abyss. The creature was eight feet tall, or at least it would be if it stood as tall as it could. The Hellspawn was covered in coarse, black fur. It had three-foot-long claws on each of its ten phalanges. Its black, evil eyes regarded the Caravan through an exposed pointed skull that could be easily mistaken with a deer skull. The teeth, that protruded down past the jaw of the Hellspawn, would be the only clear indicator that the skull did not belong to a mortal animal. The monster stalked the Caravan, hunting the feast of flesh that the zombie so generously pointed out.
"We're moving on, as quietly as possible. Keep your voices down and try not to draw any attention," he ordered before moving back outside. Thomas and Daniel did as they were instructed. The young boy remained inside the cloth shelter while his father took over driving the wagon. He could hear the wheels squeak as the oxen pulled them forward. The Caravan didn't encounter any more zombies or other Hellspawns on their way to Button Town. It would appear that single monster was the only threat they would face.
A gangling beast still watched the Caravan with eyes as black as the abyss. The creature was eight feet tall, or at least it would be if it stood as tall as it could. The Hellspawn was covered in coarse, black fur. It had three-foot-long claws on each of its ten phalanges. Its black, evil eyes regarded the Caravan through an exposed pointed skull that could be easily mistaken with a deer skull. The teeth, that protruded down past the jaw of the Hellspawn, would be the only clear indicator that the skull did not belong to a mortal animal. The monster stalked the Caravan, hunting the feast of flesh that the zombie so generously pointed out.
Backword
There it is for ya, folks. Perhaps my favorite short story I've written so far. This was incredibly fun to write, as is probably obvious since I do believe it is my longest short story as well. Ever since I played Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles with my brother and cousin over a decade ago, I've loved the idea of a traveling caravan in a fantasy world.
But what did you fine folks ultimately think? I would love to hear your feedback on this story as well as the other stories I have written on this blog. I'm excited to keep working towards the release of Declutter and can't wait to present to you all of you. If you have interest in what I write and want to stay up to date with my content creation my socials are:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradicalTweets
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradicalpics/?hl=en
And if you wanna keep up to date with the blog here or get personalized emails about my content, sign up for the mailing list via the sidebar on the main page or by emailing ragdollgamers.business@gmail.com.
I thank you all so very much for reading my stories and allowing me to entertain you. I hope you to write again for you soon. Happy Reading!
Comments
Post a Comment