"At least the view is nice." Varma commented while sitting on the edge with her legs dangling over the edge.
"I'm sure it is." Yilka said disinterested while scouting from up there.
"Have I been a burden so far?" Varma asked out of the blue.
"Hm." Was Yilka's response.
"You all only took me along because of my heat sickness and had to stop by and waste money for my remedy, you and Vena have both had to fish me out of water, then you had to carry me for a while and you had to worry about how to hide me and my wings. And you almost got a bolt through your chest because of the attention I was drawing. I've just been in the way, haven't I?" Varma asked.
"Where is this coming from?" Yilka asked.
"Just crossed my mind while waiting here."
"If you feel like you're in the way, fly home." Yilka said and kept scouting.
"I don't know where home is! All I know is that we're in the south but I wouldn't know the right way home from here." Varma replied.
"Precisely. Whether you feel useless or not, you're in this with us now." Yilka told her.
"I guess you're right about that. I just... I don't know. I feel like a useless little kid who gets in the way and it's not a good feeling." Varma shared.
"This all stems from the famine year, does it?" Yilka quizzed.
Varma remained silent.
"We've all said. Don't blame yourself. Your father wanted to wither away so you could eat. So did my and Vena's mother and father. And none of us disagreed with their choi..." Yilka was explaining.
"Yeah yeah, I know. I've heard it enough already. But what do you all know about what they wanted? They're not around to tell us! If I was never born, they'd be alive..." Varma lashed out with.
"Where is this suddenly coming from?" Yilka asked baffled.
Varma went quiet again. Yilka knelt next to Varma and looked at her from the side while she was looking into the town.
"I lived in the same house as them before you were born, and I know that if they had survived but you had perished, they would have all hated themselves for letting it happen to you. Just like how you feel about yourself now. They wanted you to live, and we want you to live too. Don't even think that the world would be better without you." Yilka assured.
"Why suffer through that for me of all people?" Varma wondered.
"No parent wants to see their child suffer. Me and Vena didn't want you to suffer either. Even though mother and father told us to not sacrifice our share with you, we did so anyway if you remember. I couldn't see you suffer in hunger because the memory of the day you were born was still fresh. The memory of those first five years of your life when you followed me all the time. Even violently shook me awake every so often because you wanted to go collect fallen bird feathers with me. When we were all suffering in hunger, it was painful, but seeing the suffering of the silly girl who always followed me was painful in more ways. I couldn' watch it. If it ever comes down to that, I'll make the sacrifice again."
"You only say that because we're family. Not like I'm of any help." Varma insisted.
"You just saved me from the hands of two angry mobs down there! And earlier you helped us fight off those masked fellows by shooting one of them in the back, which was dishonorable as Vena said but it still helped. We'll all be celebrated as great tribe warriors and heroes yet. Paintings will be painted of all of us. Songs will be sung about the tribe warriors who knocked down the wall and oned the Uhmak once again." Yilka promised.
"Ha. Damn true! But why didn't we just knock down the wall with that enchanted cudgel of yours and be done with this?" Varma asked.
"Are you that shortsighted? That would have give then Crown of Vastusar a damned good reason to invade." Yilka answered.
"Oh. Of course. Shows how useful I am once again." Varma half joked.
"If you want to be helpful, find a spot where we could get down to the ground without being seen. Too crowded down there. We can't land there. And the door of this tower is guarded so we can't just walk down either." Yilka said while looking down.
"We could fly into the seawater and swim up shore from there." Varma suggested.
"What? So Blueberry would just fly me over the water and drop me?" Yilka asked.
"It shouldn't hurt." Varma replied.
"Have you ever jumped into the washpond from the tree by it and landed belly first or back first? Imagine that tenfold if Blueberry dropped me into the water from this height." Yilka explained.
"Well, land feet first then. Or head. Like this." Varma said and jumped over the edge.
She flew into the sea and when she was far enough away from the harbour, she did a nosedive into the water like a bird of prey. Yilka looked from the tower and saw Varma resurfacing and swimming towards the harbour.
"Well, Blueberry. Can you take me there and drop me?" Yilka asked Blueberry who was just standing on the ledge and not responding.
"Do you understand me?" Yilka asked.
Blueberry didn't react.
"How do you understand Nofa even when she speaks to you in the same language as me?" Yilka asked.
After no response, he stepped on the ledge and looked down. He put one foot forth and slowly started to lean forward.
"If even her butterfly doesn't respect me, then that must be a sign from the Sisters that I am not meant for Nofa! If that is the truth, then I have no more cause to live for!" Yilka whined overly dramatically and leaned forward some more.
He looked at Blueberry with a side eye and saw that she was now getting ready to spring into to the air. Yilka took a deep breath, closed his eyes and stepped over the ledge. As he began to fall, his earlobe was grabbed by Blueberry, just as Yilka intended. Blueberry dragged him back up, but Yilka kept swimming in the air towards the sea and even pushed himself with his foot by putting it against the stone wall of the tower.
"To the sea! You understand?" Yilka asked Blueberry.
The gestures seemed to work, since Blueberry then started flying towards the sea. After she had flown Yilka far enough away from the harbour, Yilka started struggling as if he wanted to be released. Blueberry seemed to understand, and let go of Yilka who fell into the water feet first.
At the nearest pier Yilka climbed into the pier where Varma was sitting wrapped up in her own wings next to an elderly Venomfolk man holding a fishing rod. Yilka sat down on her other side and squeezed the water out of his long hair.
"I bet it's good to dry yourself with those." Yilka commented.
"It's nice." Varma answered.
"This old lad here doesn't seem to much care about your wings." Yilka commented.
"He said something to me but I don't know what so now he minds his own matters." Varma replied.
"How kind. Should we go look for the others?" Yilka suggested.
"No. I think They'll find us on their own." Varma said and looked up where she saw a red cloud above.
"But do you see that over there? The sail of that ship has the same icon as the tent where the soldiers went to. That ship has to be theirs. And chances are it'll depart to Kyrasar to hunt the Stormress." Yilka said when he saw a docked ship with a familiar icon in its sail.
"And if it goes somewhere else? Then we'd end up in a completely wrong place if we snuck in." Varma replied.
"You're right. Vena can understand their language so if he could get some knowledge about where that ship is going, that'd be great." Yilka said.
Yilka then saw Blueberry fly over his head and past him. He followed with his eyes where the butterfly was flying to, and saw that the other travellers were coming his way already. He stood up and eagerly went to reunite with them. Varma ran close behind and got the cloak from Nofa as soon as she could once the travellers were reunited at the midway point of the pier.
"Thank you, Nofa for sending Blueberry to my aid. Varma couldn't carry me far and without Blueberry I'd have been at the mercy of the angry mobs." Yilka said eagerly.
"I figured as much. That's why I sent her. And it looks like you've ended the bickering between the tribes in this town. So well done on that." Nofa replied.
"I also noticed that ship over there. You know that icon on the sail? Same one as the icon in the arrows we stole. That might be the ship that we need to get to Kyrasar, but we should find out if it's actually going there." Yilka told Nofa and Venamo.
"I reckon Bloodmist can find that out easily by just hiding and listening." Venamo suggested.
"I can do that." Bloodmist said in the Uhmak language.
Everyone looked at her baffled.
"You could understand us the whole time?" Varma asked.
"Been in this land for long enough and talked with enough of the servants and the feralfolk who speak the same language as you. Of course I understand." Bloodmist told them all.
"This'll make communication much easier." Nofa pointed out.
"Well then. Go to the ship and find any papers that might state its destination, or listen to what the crew or captain might say as you hide. Sound easy?" Venamo said to Bloodmist.
Bloodmist replied by walking to the very end of the pier where her only company was the happily fishing elderly Venomfolk man who wasn't even paying mind to her. She figured that transforming into mist was safe here, and that is what she did. She flew to the docked ship and squeezed in through the boards of the ship in her mist form and got inside the hull. She found herself in a space that was filled with barrels and lit with lanterns. At the back of the space was a vertical barrel with a logbook on top of it. Bloodmist turned back into flesh form and took a closer look at the logbook.
"The Pilgrim. Scheduled to deliver 30 barrels of tar to the southern port of Yumasar. Eleven crewmates have been recruited. Each crewmate will receive a payment of six crownsilvers after the ship has returned. The ship will depart on the seventh day of the summer calendar in midday." She read from the logbook.
"It's not going to Kyrasar at all. Bad news for the fellows. But why would an army ship be moving tar unless it's for war or another building project? Best I follow where this ship goes and see what they're using it for. Then I can destroy whatever this tar is meant for. If the ship is leaving tomorrow, I'd have to wait somewhere and hide until then. May as well tell those travellers that this ship is going to Kyrasar. If I disappear from their sight, they'll do something foolish to cause trouble again like they did earlier today." Bloodmist thought.
Then something unexpected happened. The door to the storage space was opened and a hooded person walked in holding a torch.. Bloodmist turned into her mist form and went behind the barrels to observe.
"That mad destroyer came this way. What better place to hide than a ship that's leaving tomorrow. Well this ship won't go anywhere." The hooded person murmured alone and pointed the torch towards the barrels of tar.
Bloodmist knew that she had to stop the intentions of whoever this person was. She dashed towards the hooded person, assumed her flesh form, snatched the torch away from the person and ran out of the storage area where she tossed the torch into the water. She then ran back into the storage area where the same hooded person was already about to grab one of the lanterns from the wall. Bloodmist delivered a spinning kick to the back of the hooded person who fell face first to the floor. The hood came off the strange person who turned out to be a young bald woman with blemishes on her face.
"I'm taking this ship tomorrow. Whatever you're trying to do, stop it." Bloodmist warned.
"You're hiding him, aren't you?" The bald woman asked.
"I'm not hiding anything. I'm taking this ship tomorrow and that's all you need to know. Leave." Bloodmist warned and pulled out a dagger.
Against all warning, the woman charged at Bloodmist anyway. Bloodmist was prepared, and turned into her mist form as the attacker charged past. Bloodmist now found herself behind the attacker with her dagger on the attacker's throat.
"I told you to leave. So leave, and leave this ship untouched until it leaves. I'll remember your face. If anything happens to this ship, I'll find you even if you hide indoors." Bloodmist warned and released the attacker.
The blemished bald woman gave one last look to Bloodmist before running out of the storage area and a splash could be heard soon after.
"Fool." Bloodmist said and left the ship the same way she entered.
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"Good news." Bloodmist said to the travellers who were still waiting at the pier.
"The ship is indeed headed to Kyrasar, but it leaves tomorrow at midday. You'll need to wait somewhere until then." She then added.
"I'm not going into the town to stay at any inn. The townsfolk are now united in their fear of me." Yilka made clear.
"How about going back to the top of the tower?" Varma suggested.
"That'd work. But then we'll have to come back down the same way as last time." Yilka replied.
"It wasn't so bad." Varma said and shrugged.
"Not like I have any better ideas." Yilka admitted.
"Blueberry dear, carry me to the top of the tower and then bring Yilka there as well." Nofa said to her butterfly.
"And I'm meant to stay down here then?" Venamo asked and felt insulted.
"And bring Venamo up there too." Nofa then said to Blueberry.
Bloodmist and Varma flew up to the tower themselves and the others were carried there by Blueberry.
Up at the tower the rest of the day went very boringly. Bloodmist was there for very little of it, choosing to fly away and investigate the city instead. After the darkness had fallen, it was easy for the tired travellers to get sleep even on the hard floor of the top floor. Yilka however was not sleeping. He was sitting on the edge and leaning his side to one of the pillars supporting the roof of the tower. He looked down to the city where everything seemed to be calm by now. At the harbour some small fishing boats would occasionally head to the sea.
"Are we actually going to survive this? Easy to think that we're unbeatable when our weapons are enchanted, but so are theirs. We're outnumbered." Yilka whispered to himself and looked down where the glow from the weapons of the city guards could be seen.
"We failed to save the Father of waters. We don't know what we're doing. The Crown's forces have planned how to kill each of the Grand Beasts and the best we can do is turn up in time and fight them off. How's that worked for us? We're going to die on this journey if we keep going like this. Why not just go straight to the capital and kill the entire royal family? That's who is giving these orders to begin with. I have to talk Vena about this. Even he should know that this is hopeless." He then whispered to himself.
"What is hopeless?" Nofa's voice said from behind.
Yilka looked behind himself and saw Nofa getting awake on the hard floor.
"Sorry if I awoke you." Yilka said to her.
"I was barely sleeping as is." Nofa said and sat down next to Yilka on the ledge.
"I was just thinking how hopeless this all is." Yilka admitted.
"If you think it's hopeless, why are you still following along?" Nofa asked.
"I thought we'd do this differently. Then we went on a quest across the lands to save the Grand Beasts in a hopeless effort. That's not what I wanted, or how I wanted to do it. We could get this all done with quicker and easier." Yilka vented.
"I can understand that, but I've understood that your plan to just attack the capital city directly would be a deadly mission with the crew that we have. We need the help of somebody like Bloodmist and that genius who Vakevata mentioned." Nofa said.
"We already have Bloodmist. Why did we not return to the ship that we came from?" Yilka wondered.
"Well, if we let the Stormress die, the Crown will control the winds and thunder like they do the rains and rivers now. That would affect all of us. But I see what you're saying. If whoever is giving the orders is dealt with, we could end their ploy in one move." Nofa replied.
"So you agree with me?" Yilka asked.
"I do." Nofa answered.
"Should we just... No, that'd be bad." Yilka said.
"Should we what?" Nofa asked curiously.
"I was about to suggest that we should just go to the capital ourselves, but I don't even know the way there. We'd have to return to Vakevata since he has the map. And I don't want to leave Varma and Vena out here. Selfish of me to even think of that." Yilka admitted.
"I wouldn't have agreed to that idea. If we are to change course, we should convince the others instead of abandoning them." Nofa said.
"I know. That's why I changed my mind right away. Vena is a very stubborn man and changing his mind is never easy. He always thinks that he's right and that his way is the only way. He wouldn't agree to change course, so I'll follow him. I don't want to lose any more family." Yilka admitted.
"We've survived so far." Nofa reassured.
"That is true, and it's also thanks to you. You saved me when one of the masked men was about to execute me on the ground, and when you sent Blueberry to pick me up from the hands of the mobs. I'll be ever thankful to you." Yilka admitted.
"And that is partly why I came along. To help you. And I'm glad that I did indeed save you. And I won't forget how you pushed me out of the way when the crossbow bolt was coming your way. You didn't know where it would hit, but you still shoved me out of the way and stood there ready to take it. And you stood in front of Varma too when you did it, ready to put yourself in harm's way to protect her too. You're a good man, Yilka." Nofa assured.
"You think the man at the top of the city's wall saw Bloodmist flying around and aimed at her? Just makes me think how much danger we've been in since we left home, and what risky company we keep. Do you see why I feel so hopeless? Any day might be our last. We can't know what will happen tomorrow. Will we even live long enough to have a talk like this next night?" Yilka wondered.
"That really does make me think. And if any day can be our last, I want to enjoy quiet evenings like this." Nofa said and leaned her head on Yilka's shoulder.
"And those quiet evening are better with you." Yilka said and looked into the dark and quiet city.
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In the morning Yilka and Nofa woke up in the same seated position where they had fallen asleep together. What awoke them was the gruff sound of a throat being cleared.
"Do you see what is ahead of you?" Venamo asked seriously.
"I can hardly see anything yet." Yilka said and rubbed his eyes as Nofa yawned next to him.
"Does that seem like the work of a good king to anyone?" Venamo asked and looked into the town where rain was falling on the side of town where the houses are made of stone and the roads are paved, but none was falling on the other side of the city.
"What in the..." Yilka said as he saw the situation.
"So this is how they use their new power..." Nofa commented.
"And look at that! The Venomfolk are pushing into the Vastus' part of town with buckets and barrels. Their side is not getting any of the rain! How low can the Crown get?" Varma commented as she looked at what was happening.
"This is surely not going to do good for the oneness of the townsfolk." Venamo commented as he saw city guards using spears to prevent the Venomfolk from entering the rainy side of town.
"It's not the Vastu folk that prevent the Venomfolk entering their side of town. The city guards are doing it themselves." Yilka noticed.
"We can't allow that to go on." Varma commented defiantly.
"Not worth the risk. Not our battle to fight." Venamo said.
"Once Pushkrilleri and the entire royal house is toppled, this will end." Yilka promised.
"Where's Bloodmist?" Nofa suddenly wondered.
"Damn. She can't become mist when it's raining. She must be hiding somewhere in there. We have to get her back before we depart." Venamo said.
"Well, now we have a reason to go down there. And we can kick around some of those bully guards while we're down there as well!" Varma said.
"But now I'm wondering what will we do when we find her. She's a wanted criminal and if we're seen escorting her, we'll be just as criminal." Venamo reminded.
"When we find her, I'll tell Blueberry to carry her to the dry part of town." Nofa suggested.
"Can Blueberry fly in the rain?" Venamo questioned.
"It'll be fine. Come on, all!" Varma said and jumped out of the tower.
"I think I should stay up here. I bet the folk down there still remember me." Yilka reminded.
"You're right. Those of use who go should split up. We'll find her faster that way. Nofa, if you find Bloodmist, only talk to her in the Wicked people's language. Also tell that butterfly to carry us down." Venamo said to Nofa.
"She'll have to carry you far away from the coast and drop you into the water." Yilka said.
"Why would she have to do that?" Nofa asked.
"We're not allowed to be in this tower. If the city guards see you coming down from here, they'll have questions. So safest to drop down into the water." Yilka reminded.
"Well. I'm not afraid to get wet." Nofa said.
"I'm glad to hear that." Yilka added.
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