Chapter 4
It took Will only a few minutes to explain the situation to Faun.
"So.....ye was in an armed conflict against my people???"
The situation was awkward. Will had thankfully not mentioned the fact that he had killed at least ten Yea'haa'weh in the previous battle.
"Well....I was just doin' ma duty. Helping ma people."
"Who do you think killed those Yea'haa'weh???"
"Wert they from ya tribe???"
"Nein. Those men were from the Cxomanch tribe. I'm from the Reyal tribe."
"Well....I'm pretty sure it wasn't the my people. Most commoners are Kristyans, they would never hurt a fly. And our peoples have had a pretty decent relationship over the years, we wouldn't want to tarnish it now. I think it may have been the some other group."
"You don't suppose the metal-men had something to do with this???"
"Of course not. Some of them are bad, but most of them are just neutral."
"Well.....I say we should find some place to rest and eat. We can discuss this later."
"True."
Will was wondering where he could go right now. Disra and Thetmis were a little far away. Perhaps they could stop in a nearby town.
Try Dirt
"What???"
Will had heard that voice again, the voice of the orb.
Go to Dirt. Ask the girl, she will know what I mean.
"Um...Will??? Are ye alright??? You look like you're speaking to someone."
"Do you know a place called Dirt???"
"Oh, yes!!! Dirt is small town right in the middle of the Heimish-Forests. Its where all races go. You can find people from all walks of life over there. And their hotels are fabulous. We should go to Dirt."
Normally Will wouldn't consider going to a place called "Dirt", but recently he had been doing a lot of things he thought he'd never do. So he simply nodded.
"Good. We still have 17 hours before nighttime. Let's make a move." The girl, Faun, turned around and set off. Will, seeing the orb hidden behind the nearby rock, quickly grabbed it and hid it in his hip-bag. Surprisingly, it fit. Will did not want anyone to know about this orb, not even this attractive Yea'haa'weh girl. He sensed that this orb would be having a much bigger purpose later on.
So, trying not to stare at her rear, Will followed her.
They walked until they reached a small road, barely visible under the sand and vines growing over it. Following the road, they could se a clear path to Dirt. Along the way, Will proceeded to ask Faun some questions.
"So...how did ye find me in this massive forest???"
"I saw some trees being knocked down from a distance, and I'd guessed someone had woken Him up."
"You mean the machine???"
"That machine you just saw was a Mech. Nobody has seen a fully-functioning one in nearly 20 years. A few tribes of Vedda had previously found this Mech buried near that little stream about 200 years ago, and had built a shrine for the machine. They consider him as the guardian of the Forests."
Will could now actually remember having spotted a few trees marked with symbols referring to some "Iron Beast of the Forests", which he had assumed was simply folklore. He knew better now. Some legends were based on fact.
"Well, now I'll ask ye some questions. Why did you wake Him up???"
"Well.....I tripped on a rock and knocked him. Maybe that woke him up," Will lied.
"I can smell hesitation in your sweat. You're lying. But maybe you will tell me the truth in time."
The two talked more after that. Will explained that he was born in Thetmis, but was raised in Disra for most of his life. Faun explained that she had never visited Thetmis, although her father had once taken her to Disra for the Poyya festival. Will asked her why she wasn't with her tribe right now.
"The tribe has sent me on a quest, a quest to prove my womanhood and become a true warrior."
"What's the quest???"
"The chieftains said that the quest involved fulfilling a prophecy that stated a "girl of Yea'haa'weh heritage, younger than 18 yet older than 14. Strong in spirit and clever in wit" must be selected to assist a "lone ranger, a wanderer covered with the blood of innocents" in completing his mission. I'm guessing this lone ranger, whether covered with the blood of innocents or not, must be you. So, what's your objective right now???"
"Let's get to Dirt first."
There was a period of silence after that. To be honest, Will didn't know where to go. He couldn't go back home, he would be called a coward and dishonored. He couldn't just stay with the Yea'haa'weh, that would be a betrayal. And he couldn't just stay in Dirt, he had to keep moving. But where could he go???
Just trust me. I'll show you.
It was the voice again.
Finally they made it to Dirt, and Will was a bit surprised.
The town was a simple place, full of old wooden houses. Each house was made of wooden planks nailed together to form walls, and lumps of cement and brick to form cornerstones. The roofs were tiled with clay discs. In total there were about 120 houses here, a really small town. People, mostly commoners and machines, were walking about, going on their daily business. Horses and peps could be seen drinking from water-troughs ,and black pigs in their little pens could be heard squealing like dying children. It was rather plain.
Most of the people wore stetsons, jackets and jeans. Will was wearing some jeans, but then relised he was without a shirt. He had left his jacket at the stream.
"Don't worry." Faun could see the look on Will's face.
"In Yea'haa'weh culture, going shirtless is an honor. It means you are not afraid of being attacked."
"I'd still prefer it if I had a shirt."
"Fine."
Faun pulled something out from a little bag Will noticed was hanging at her hip. He also noticed she had a lance, a useful weapon.
Faun handed Will a ball of fabric. It was his shirt. Will thankfully slipped it on, and the two made their way down into the town.
People payed no attention to them, as a commoner and Yea'haa'weh seen together was not frowned upon over here. Will himself could spot a few commoners holding hands with machines, and Yea'haa'weh with Vedda. Will could see carriages pulled by horses, most likely coming from the Harbor.
Will spotted a nearby saloon, "Rusty's Barren Tavern." He'd heard of the place from Cuthbert. Cuthbert. Cuthbert was dead. Cuthbert wasn't coming back. The memories hit Will like a flood.
Will gestured for Faun to follow him, and they entered the saloon.
It was a simple place. Chairs lined up at the nearby bar, round wooden tables where commoners and other races sat around and played cards. Florescent lights powered by refined Moona hung on the ceiling. An old machine was playing "An Ode To A Lump of Green Putty" on an even older piano. And at the corner of the room, Will could spot someone waving at him. It appeared to be an elderly commoner, grinning wildly and yelling.
"William Sully!!! I've been expecting you!!!"
How did this old man know his name??? And why was he calling him over??? Curious, Will walked up to the table and pulled himself a chair.
"What d'you want???"
"My dear boy, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
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