Maiya nodded smugly. “Exactly. It’s intriguing, isn’t it?” Vir knew what was coming. Maiya never failed to educate him when she knew more about something.
Sure enough, what followed was a clear and concise explanation. “You see, Rani’s built trade networks that span the world. They single-handedly hold up the economies of several countries, including Kin’jal, who’d be their biggest threat. There are rumors that they even have relations with the Pagan Order, but that’s a little hard to believe. Nobody in their right mind would ever deal with those zealots.”
“Hmm…” Vir said. He was honestly not very interested in this topic, but he didn’t have the heart to tell his friend that.
Luckily, Rudvik spared him from having to play along. “Roll me in dirt ’n call me an Ash’va, Crimson! Your old man’s taught you well! Thas even more ’n I know!”
Maiya predictably turned crimson. She’d always been weak against compliments.
“I-it’s nothing. It’s not that impressive, really! Aha! Ha! Ha!” she said awkwardly.
Vir rolled his eyes. He’d lost count of the number of times this exact sequence had played out.
“There’s a small dock on the Viridian Coast west o’ da Godshollow. Merchants berth there sometimes. Ever seen foreigners come to the village through de forest? That be sailing merchants lookin’ to trade. Pray to Yuma that a ship bound fer Zorin picks us up ’afore those knights find us.”
Vir and Maiya exchanged a look. So many things had to go right for that to happen.
“How far is it to Zorin?” Vir asked.
“Week’s journey by boat. A few days less with a pranasail, though I don’t reckon we’ll happen across one’a those,” Rudvik said, passing around wooden bowls for Vir and Maiya.
Dinner was a simple affair, reheated lentil soup with a side of wheat bread. Vir relished the meal, tearing into the hard bread after dipping it into the soup. Neel, who’d grown bored of the fire, perked up when he realized it was dinnertime. Rudvik threw the bandy some dried meat, which Neel pounced on.
Maiya reached for a log to feed the fire, but Rudvik held her off. “Fire’s a great thing for stayin’ warm ’n keeping predators at bay. But you’d be amazed at how far a fire’s light travels, even ’ere in these woods. We’d best keep the fire as small s’possible.”
“Why take the risk at all, then?” Maiya asked.
Rudvik pointed to the dozen smooth rocks he’d placed near the fire. “Without heat, we’d freeze to death overnight. Don’t have much of a choice, really. Magic Heat’s good for startin’ fires, but a single orb ain’t enough ta keep all o’ us warm. The hot rocks will keep the heat. We’ll bury them under de tent for the night. With dat, the three of us all oughta keep the tent nice ’n toasty, eh?”
The lumberjack visibly calmed the nervous Maiya, but to Vir, it felt like his father had suddenly become a little nervous. It wasn’t obvious enough for most people to pick up, but Vir had spent more time with him than anyone in the village. He could tell.
“Crimson, sorry ta ask a favor of ya, but would you mind pitchin’ the tent? Think you know how…”
Maiya glanced at Rudvik, then at Vir, quickly grasping the situation. She set down her empty bowl and stood, dusting off her pants. “Leave it to me! C’mon, Neel. Let’s get to it.”
The bandy barked and wagged his long tail.
As Maiya rummaged through their packs several paces away, Rudvik sidled up to Vir.
“What’s going on? You’re never like this,” Vir said with narrowed eyes.
Rudvik laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. Then he fell silent. Vir grew even more suspicious.
“I… gotta tell ya somethin’. It’s… Sometimes a man has regrets so deep he buries them. Tries ta forget ’bout ’em. But then it all comes boilin’ up ’n overflows the pot.”
“Where’s this coming from?”
“Ah’v ne’er treated ya like my own son, Vir. I regret that, y’know? Truly do.”
“Huh? What in chal’s name are you talking about? You’ve done so much, taking me in. Even when…”
“Even when Ah’m dirt poor?” Rudvik said with a grimace.
“No! I mean, I know it was hard on you. I just wanted to help you. To pitch in, y’know? But now… I don’t even know where we’re going. I never planned for this.”
Rudvik chuckled. “Ne’er planned on Hiranyan knights huntin’ ya down, did ya?”
Vir realized how ridiculous his words sounded. Just yesterday, his entire world was the village. His greatest problem was how he couldn’t use magic, and how the village kids never included him in their clique. Everything was different now. He’d give anything to have those problems back.
“Anyway,” Rudvik continued. “Not makin’ excuses or nuthin’, but I just… Every time I think about this, Vir, I think back to the day I found ya, right here in these woods.”
Rudvik had, of course, shared this story with Vir before. “You found me in a basket, right? With a name card?”
Rudvik took a deep breath. “Not exactly…”
Vir waited for him to continue, but the lumberjack was tightlipped. Just when the silence grew awkward, the man continued.
“I… well, grak it, I’ll just come out ’n say it. I was deep in the Godshollow that day. Just me ’n the Ash’va. Then I hear this thunderin’. A deep rumbling in the woods. The beast, or whatever it was, was makin’ no attempt to be quiet. Could hear it a mile away, felt like. For a brief moment, I thought it was the Ghost of Godshollow…”
Vir leaned forward, eager to hear every word.
“An’ outta the woods he comes… a great red-skinned giant of a man. I’m pretty tall meself, and I only came up to his chest.”
A giant? Vir began to wonder whether his father was pulling his leg. This was the right setting for a campfire horror story after all…
“There’s more. This giant, he had four arms.”
“Four arms…” Vir deadpanned.
“Ye. Four great trunks. In two, he held a vicious-lookin’ greatsword. In another, a tower shield. And in the last… you. Thought I was done for, I really did. Stormed right up to me. Looked me up ’n down, like a predator eyein’ its next meal.”
Vir gulped. If Rudvik’s story was true—and he never knew the lumberjack to spread tall tales—then he’d been lucky to get away alive.
“The giant bares his teeth at me. The words he spoke next’ve haunted my dreams ever since. I burned them inta my head, I did,” Rudvik said, tapping his head. “‘Human. Be honored, for I have chosen you. Raise this boy as your own. Nurture him. Ensure he achieves his great potential. Protect him, even at the cost of your own life. One day, I shall return to retrieve him. If I find that he is weak and powerless, I will burn your village to the ground. Then I will cut off your head and place it on a pike for the world to see.’”
Rudvik paused. “Damn near pissed my pants.”
Vir found it interesting that this giant only cared that he was raised strong, rather than with love or anything else. Does that mean I’m weaker than I ought to be? Can I grow stronger? But how?
“What did you say to him?” Vir asked.
“Nuthin’. Just nodded as hard as I could. Dropped to my knees ’n prostrated.”
“You did what!” Vir couldn’t imagine his father bowing to anyone, let alone prostrating. “Did he control your mind or something?”
Rudvik shook his head. “No. Me thoughts were me own. But Vir, ya don’t understand. That giant… That being was not of this realm. It was a fearsome thing. Had a kind of aura. Merely bein’ in its presence, I could hardly stand. Like me weight had grown thrice over. It… he… he felt like a livin’ god. Like Janak or Adinat. He was all covered in strange tattoos that glowed.” He paused again. “I did the only thing a sane man would do.”