Soul Caller 1 - Chapter 44 (Patreon)

The embers of the fire crackled and the soft red glow lit Merrick's face, highlighting the blood oath markings on his face, giving him a savage look. Nodding seriously, Sellie turned to the other two women who had been listening quietly.

"I'll go with him," she said, her voice matter of fact. "When you return south, please let our tribe know that you have seen us."

Merka and Essa both nodded.

"Of course," Merka said, her eyes bright as she looked between the two young spirit warriors. "I look forward to hearing the tale of your victory."

Joseph, unable to understand most of the conversation between Merrick and the others, had long since gone to sleep, and soon the others followed. Merrick, feeling slightly unsettled, took the watch until, early in the morning hours, Essa came to relieve him.

"Get some sleep," she said, her voice soft in the darkness.

Nodding, Merrick looked over the camp, his heart filling with happiness when he saw Sellie snuggling down in her blankets. He had missed his friends terribly, Sellie especially, and it was wonderful to see her again. After a hearty breakfast the next morning, the group parted ways, the two women heading south while Joseph led Sellie and Merrick east along the path that led to Coldwater. They didn't hurry, moving slowly down the road as they began to discuss the next steps. Merrick's goal was to find Gorgon, the group that had hired Joseph and the other prospectors, using the company as a way to trace Vale's path. Joseph, on the other hand, was concerned with letting the warden assigned to Coldwater know about the presence of the scaled beasts in the wilds. His main concern was that they wouldn't believe him, but Merrick assured him that he would support the prospectors' claims.

Sellie couldn't understand the men as they talked in common and just listened quietly as she trailed along, her eyes often going to the rifles that Merrick was carrying. Sellie was exceptionally interested in all of the human's things and asked him more questions than he could answer, making him wonder if he should increase the level of his Warrior’s Knowledge: Manatech skill in his next level up. During his hunts on the long trek from the mountains, Merrick had managed to gain another experience point and now combined with the eighteen that he had picked up from the prospectors, he was sitting within two experience points of leveling up once again. Though he was excited to see what the new level would bring him, he still felt as if he was getting used to his current level of strength and wasn't in any rush to grow faster.

He had found a cloak in one of the prospectors' packs and as they got closer to Coldwater, he took to wearing it, using it to conceal the spears and pistols he wore. He also fashioned himself a harness of sorts to better hold the two spears and pistols on his back, keeping them mostly out of sight. As they traveled, the air became warmer as the elevation dropped. Within a week, they could see the Great Plains stretching far into the distance, the green grass that covered it appearing almost golden under the sun's bright light. Though it looked almost perfectly flat, like the rippling water of a pond, Merrick knew that the plains were an intricate ecosystem of their own and the land rolled in hills, forming fascinating contours.

Long before they arrived at the town, they could see it in the distance. Coldwater sat at the point where two large rivers, carrying the fresh snow melt out of the mountains, met together and combined into a wide river that meandered its way across the plains. Named for the frigid water that fell from the mountains, Coldwater was like nothing that Merrick or Sellie had ever seen. A high wall surrounded the town, made not of wood like the palisade that had surrounded their tribe's village, but instead of thick blocks of stone cut from the very mountain itself. The wall was seven feet high and lined with sharp spikes that gleamed in the sun, a clear warning to any enemy who might have designs on the town.

From what they could see of the inside, things weren't so permanent and most of the buildings were made of planks hewn from the tall trees in the nearby mountains and tacked together with more speed than skill. Splashes of paint could be seen here and there, mostly on the weathered signs that hung in front of the buildings along the main street. The streets themselves were wide, wide enough that two carts could pass side by side, and even from a distance they could hear the clanking of wheels as the horses pulled them through the mud. Outside of the town was a small sea of tents and hastily erected buildings and the boisterous hubbub that rose from them could be heard almost a mile away.

A faint smell hung in the air, and Merrick heard a strange jangle in the song of the world as he approached Coldwater. It caused his heart to grow disquiet, and a glance at Sellie showed she felt the same thing. Joseph, on the other hand, seemed to grow happier the closer he got to the human town, and as they walked among the tents he let out a sigh.

"You know, I like the wilderness, but there's something about being surrounded by civilization."

There was something indeed, though Merrick wasn't sure it was positive. The tent camp stank of sweat and unwashed bodies, and Merrick almost turned around and left when he saw the crowds that filled the makeshift streets. He was startled to see a surprising number of his people, most of them wrapped defensively in blankets, as if it was armor that could ward away the stench of the muddy streets. They carried bows and spears, and occasionally led horses, the feathers in their hair marking them as part of the plains tribes. A few of them, upon seeing Merrick and Sellie, greeted them with bows of their heads, but most were too busy with whatever it was they were doing to pay any attention. Leading the way through the confusing maze of tents, Joseph brought them to a ramshackle building that looked like it might blow over in a stiff breeze.

"Come on in," he said, pushing the door open.

There weren't many people inside the dim room, and as his eyes swept over it, Merrick found himself subject to intense scrutiny from the hard-bitten looking prospectors that sat around the room. There was a hard-looking woman standing behind a bar made from a simple plank set up on two barrels, but her eyes were fixed on Joseph.

"Well, what do you know. Looks like he survived," she said, a wicked grin filtering across her face. “That’s the pot for me.”

Groans rose from a few of the other patrons, who were sitting on benches scattered around the room. All of them shared the same tough look that Joseph carried, clearly veterans of many worlds.

"That I did, that I did," Joseph said, walking over to the makeshift counter and slapping his hand on it. "In right fine form, if I do say so myself.”

“Though not without trouble, I see," the bartender replied, her eyes running over the three rifles that Joseph carried on his shoulder. "Guns go in the corner, you know that."

"Sure, but how about you serve up something for me and my friends here?"

For the first time, the bartender seemed to notice Merrick and Sellie. The ceiling was low enough that Merrick had to duck his head slightly, and Sellie stood behind him, half shrouded by his body.

"Friends you say? That's uncommon," the bartender replied, hesitating for only a moment.

"Sure, but it's the truth," Joseph said, a hard edge to his voice.

Lifting her hand, the bartender nodded. "I didn't say it wasn't. I don’t mean anything by it, just making a comment. Put your things down and I'll get you some soup.

“Drinks too,” Joseph said loudly.

"Ooh, big spender, huh? You must really have lucked out. Let me guess, you found the mine?"

A wry smile flashed across Joseph's face and he shook his head, "Not so much, but found something else instead, something more important."

All of the conversation in the bar stopped as everyone looked over at him. Having placed his things down in the corner and gestured for Merrick and Sellie to do the same, Joseph sauntered over to the bar, accepting the drink the bartender held out. Looking around, he seemed to appreciate the effect he had caused, and with a smile, tossed back his drink, coughing slightly as it burned his throat.

"So what was it?" one of the patrons asked, staring at Joseph with hard eyes.

Joseph's smile widened.

"That, my friend Stephen, is a secret," he said, eliciting groans from the crowd. "But don't worry, you'll hear about it soon enough."

Jeers and boos rained down on him from the crowd, but he ignored them, taking the bowls of soup that the bartender had served up and returning to where Merrick and Sellie sat. Handing them their bowls, he drank from his own. The soup wasn't great, but it was warm and had enough meat and vegetables to satisfy Merrick.

After he was finished, the bartender walked over to collect his bowl, shooting Joseph a hard glance.

"You know I don't like it when you play these games," she said in a low voice, but Joseph just smiled.

"Get ready for more business. You'll be seeing a lot of old faces around soon," was all he said.

That was enough, as the bartender seemed to pick up what he was saying, her face paling slightly before she stabilized her expression and nodded.

"That's what I was afraid of," she said with a sigh, returning to the bar with the collected bowls.

"You still have my room?" Joseph asked, as he and the others rose to collect their things.

The bartender nodded and jerked a thumb towards the back of the building.

"Yep, had to chase a squatter out a few days ago, but should be clear."

"Thanks."

As they left the bar, Joseph spoke to Merrick in a quiet voice.

"That's Kelly. She's an old hand and sharp as a blade, but as long as you stay on her good side, she's a solid one. She serves food, drink, and has rooms to let. Plus, she can speak your language better than anyone I know."

Leading Merrick and Sellie back around the building, Joseph brought them to a series of connected shacks that were little more than walls and a roof. The third one had a lock on the door that had been broken, and pulling it open, Joseph ushered them into the small, bare room. All it contained was a bed, a dresser, and a table with two chairs, but he grinned and spread his arms wide.

"Welcome to home sweet home," he said. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. It'll be a little bit tight, but we can give the lady the bed and bunk out on the floor."

Looking around, Merrick nodded. It would do just fine. In fact, it was much nicer than any place he had slept in months. Putting their things down, they settled down to wait for the next morning when the gates to the town would open, allowing people in and out. Not everyone was allowed into Coldwater, and only those with a pass or special circumstances would be admitted by the guards. That included merchants and the like, as well as prospectors looking to sell something. Joseph was interested in selling off the extra rifles they had gotten, and Merrick agreed. After selecting the best of them, he kept it to the side, and they bundled the other six rifles together to sell. Most of them were in rough shape, showing signs of heavy use, and were old models, but they figured they could get something for them at least.

The problem was, that wasn't enough to get them into town. When Merrick suggested that they tell the guards they had a message for the warden, Joseph just laughed and shook his head.

"That's not the way things work around here, kid. Unless we can show the gate guards some real value, we're not getting through."

After a moment of thought, Merrick nodded and pulled something from his belt pouch, revealing the gleaming glow of a brand new manastone. Staring at it for a moment, Joseph let out a low whistle.

"That's more than enough," he said, "but you better not flash that around, otherwise you'll be up to your ears in thieves."

Merrick slowly smiled, revealing his canines, and twitched the edge of his coat aside so Joseph could see the butt of one of his spears. Shaking his head, Joseph held up his hands.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. If anyone sees that stone, you’ll have the entire town on top of you in a heartbeat."

"Oh, I believe you," Merrick said, holding the stone out for Joseph to take. "Which is why you're going to take it. You're an official prospector, right? So tomorrow, you go and register the stone with the prospectors' guild. You can sell it, keep it, do whatever you want with it, but it should give you enough attention to get to speak to the warden."

Staring at the stone for a moment before he took it, Joseph looked at Merrick and shook his head.

"I can't figure you out," he said, his eyes narrowing. "Sometimes you talk like you don't know anything, and then you come up with plans like this."

Merrick could only shrug. He understood why Joseph was confused, but didn't know how to explain decades worth of a powerful warrior's memories lurking in his head.

"You can tell the warden that you know there's a mine in the mountains," Merrick continued, ignoring the implicit question in Joseph's words, "but that you got chased off by scaled beasts before you could explore it. I'll come with you. I'm sure they have a translator, so it shouldn't be too hard for me to explain what I saw."

"You gonna explain how you can use Manatech devices as well?" Joseph asked, causing Merrick to shake his head.

"No, we'll leave them here."

"What about her?" Joseph asked, jerking a thumb at Sellie. "I don't fancy leaving her alone in this shanty town. I'm sure she can take care of herself, but this is a dangerous area."

Thinking for a moment, Merrick called Sellie over. She had been sitting on the bed, meditating, but she jumped up and walked over to Merrick, looking at him with bright eyes.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow we need to go into the town, and I don't think you can come. I can either take you back out into the wilderness, or you can stay here. I have a feeling we're going to be in this town for a good while, so if you want, I'll take you back to the tribe first."

Shaking her head vehemently, Sellie practically snarled at him.

"Absolutely not. I am not missing this for the world."

A faint sense of relief trickled through Merrick's heart at her words, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Fine, but you're going to need to learn common if you're sticking around."

"How am I going to do that?" she asked, frowning as she looked between Merrick and Joseph.