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Blue Valley Underground - Part 02 - Wormfood

The carriage driver had made his own camp out of his carriage, pulling the cover over the back to make a tent. His horses were hitched to trees. He waited for his time to shine, but until then he was stuck here until the first immigrants were captured. Glen sat atop the watchtower, watching as the sun rose over the treetops. Inside, the others were awake and suiting up. Evan wore the heaviest armor, a suit made almost entirely of steel. Glen and Isaac's were a bit lighter: studded leather with steel plates on the chest, joints and shoulders. Abraham wore purely leather, light and easy to move in.

            The soldiers shared a breakfast of gruel, except Isaac, who just skipped the meal entirely. He watched Dolly eat grubs and fungus off the log again, feeling bitter and envious as his stomach gurgled. Afterwards, Evan stood before Isaac and Abraham at the fire pit and said,

"We're going to do some real slave-hunting tomorrow. Today, we just watch from the tower. I know you're familiar with all this, Abe, but I'd like to review for Isaac."

Abe simply nodded. Evan turned to the youngest soldier and explained,

"This is a border guard mission. Basically, people from Serkel want to cross that border," he pointed to the river, "and come through our kingdom to get to Folkvar's kingdom up north. They don't hold slaves there, but our Lady Evangeline certainly does." He slowly paced around the smoldering fire pit, "It's our sworn duty as subjects of our queen to catch these trespassers and punish them the way she dictates. That means human immigrants--if they don't have proper documents--are stripped of all belongings and sent back to Serkel. All inhuman immigrants are captured and held here until we send them to Kelvingyard. There, they become slaves of our kingdom. Any questions?"

            Isaac hesitated, then asked,

"Do we have to kill anyone?"

"Try not to," Evan frowned, "Unless a captive is endangering your life. Kelvingyard prefers if they get there in one piece." He paused for a long moment, staring at the young soldier. Isaac was fairly tall and lean, with dusky brown skin and short, straight hair as black as coal. His eyes were dark brown in color, large and round in shape. He had full lips and a nose with a gentle slope like the beak of a sparrow. Finally Evan queried,

"You're a Serkelite, aren't you Isaac?"

Isaac raised his thick eyebrows at the randomness of the question,

"I think so. At least half."

"Did you immigrate from Serkel?"

Isaac shook his had,

"No. I was born in Rivermere."

            "I take it you don't speak any of the languages from down there, huh?" Evan looked hopeful. Isaac shook his head again,

"No, Sir."

"Damn..." the master swordsman sighed, "Well, doesn't matter. Just would have been a bonus."

Abraham finally spoke up, telling Isaac,

"You're a lucky boy, you know. Your people are fleeing from Yerim-Mor kingdom in droves." He snorted and spit in the fire, "There's no water, no food, and they don't even have the sense to fix it. They just come up to Noalen and steal our resources like rats."

"It's not an easy fix," Evan interjected, "Matuzu kingdom's been bullying them for centuries. Poisoned their water and sacked their capital--what else are they going to do but run?"

            Abraham waved a dismissive hand,

"They can run elsewhere. Not up here, where we try to keep a decent standard of living. Our people work hard for what we have. They just steal."

Evan let out a little sigh,

"Alright, Abe." He turned to Isaac and mentioned,

"If you have any concerns, come see me." Then he disappeared inside the tower. Isaac sat there silently with Abraham for a long time while the older man poked the dead fire. After hearing all that, he didn't know what to say. He knew nothing about his native homeland, his race, culture, history...Only that he looked different from most other humans in Rivermere, but he never once thought his color was cause for concern. He'd never given it much thought until just now.

            "Like rats..." Isaac muttered to himself. Abraham apparently heard him and said,

"Don't take any of that personally, it wasn't about you. You were born here just like the rest of us; you didn't steal anything." He looked towards the river, "But your people--the ones in Serkel--they don't have the right to this land. They're taking from you too, you know. There's no room for Southlanders here."

Isaac stared at the glowing ash and slowly nodded. He wasn't sure he understood yet, but it was something he was going to think about...Whether he wanted to or not.

            Eventually it was Isaac's turn to play watchman. He replaced Glen at the top of the tower, feeling weak and queasy. He hadn't eaten since that awful porridge yesterday. He leaned his elbow on the parapet, head resting in his hand as he gazed at the river below. Evan visited him after a couple hours, clamping a hand on his shoulder,

"Doing alright up here?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir." Isaac droned with a thousand-mile stare.

"Keeping watch on all sides?"

"Yes, Sir."

Evan grinned and sat beside him,

"Not very exciting, is it?"

"No, Sir."

There was a pause.

"Hey," began Evan, "I hope you're not hurt by that shit Abe said today. He's always running his mouth."

            "Is it true though?" Isaac finally faced him, "Are my people rats?"

Evan let out a long sigh,

"No, Isaac."

"Why are they stealing Noalen?"

"They're..." halting his words, Evan glanced around him, then quietly continued, "They're not. They're really not. Their kingdom had a huge war not long ago and it left their land devastated."

Isaac furrowed his brow,

"Why don't they just rebuild? Why do they have to come here?"

"They have nothing to rebuild with. Matuzu sacked their biggest city and destroyed their jobs--their biggest industries are gone. Those people are just trying to survive."

            Isaac looked back at the river. The current was calm, gentle. He asked,

"Then why does the queen treat them this way?"

Evan exhaled through his nose, shrugging hopelessly,

"Because of people like Abe, I suppose. People who...Who've only seen one side of the problem." He shook his head, "Anyway, I don't want you to worry about it, and I don't want this to cause problems for this troop down the road. We need to be willing to die for eachother, right?"

Isaac just nodded. Another long silence. It was very faint, almost inaudible from up here, but they could hear the river's babbling current and the song of birds. Isaac stared ahead and said sheepishly,

"Sir...? Do you think it's...that this is kind of..."

Evan looked at him expectantly,

"Hm?" 

"Do think this is...wrong?" Isaac winced as he said it. A leakage of verbal vomit, as always with him.

            Leaning forward on the parapet, Evan looked down at the river too.

"Isaac," he said flatly, "What we're doing here is the sickest, most crooked shit I've ever seen in my life." He side-eyed the young soldier, "Yes. It's very wrong."

Isaac gave a delayed nod. He replied,

"Why do you do it?" then decided to rephrase, "I mean, you're so high in the ranks. Because you..." Isaac swallowed and thought hard about what he wanted to say. He was well aware that he was not the best speaker, "You try really hard all the time. You're good at everything. You could be anything."

Evan softly chuckled,

"I'm not good at everything. But I do try." His expression straightened and he continued, "I didn't have many options growing up. Joined the military at eighteen and..." he shrugged, "Never thought twice about all the slaves in the kingdom or where they came from. They were always there. I spent most of my years just training apprentice swordsmen. Fought a few battles. Disaster relief, things like that."

Raking a hand through his hair, Evan paused. Isaac waited patiently. Then he continued,

"Got my first border guard mission just a few years ago. I think Glen mentioned it the other day. But, uh..." he nodded to himself, "That shit was rough. Lost some very good men and put a lot innocent people in chains. Women. Kids. Little babies--it didn't matter. Their lives don't belong to them anymore, and we made sure of that."

Isaac looked dumbfounded,

"Why? Why don't you quit?"

Evan scratched his beard, perhaps just nervously, "This kingdom is my home, Isaac. My family, my friends, they're all part of this land. Even if it's not perfect, even if it sickens me sometimes, I would gladly die to protect my people. It's not all enslavement. We do a lot of good and noble things, too."

            "Not for the immigrants..." mumbled Isaac.

"No. But for someone who needs it." Evan cracked a tiny smile, "That has to count for something, right?"

Isaac never responded. He didn't know what to say. Evan rose to his feet,

"The queen can make me capture immigrants," he said, "but that's not what I'm here for."

"Me either."

"We'll do what she says, then we'll get back to good deeds. Okay?"

Isaac nodded,

"Okay."

            Evan opened the trapdoor to the stairs. Then he closed it and turned back to the young soldier, still resting on the parapet,

"One more thing, Isaac." He said quietly, "Any opinions on these things are best kept to yourself. It could get you in some deep trouble around here. Understood?"

"Understood, Sir."

The next morning, Evan, Abe and Isaac gathered outside for their gruel breakfast. Isaac gave his last few bowls to Glen, but he was so desperately hungry at this point, he kept the bowl in his hands. Staring, contemplating if it was worth it. Dolly was at her log again, enjoying her grubs. Isaac's eyes weren't focusing. His hands were not steady. He raised a spoonful of gruel to his lips, then groaned and put it back down. Evan said to him,

"Eat up, Isaac. I need you in good shape for the mission."

"I'll be sick, Sir..." Isaac tried to keep the whine out of his voice and failed.

"You'll get used to it. The sooner, the better."

Isaac sighed and raised the spoon again. Before it touched his lips, he looked at Dolly. She seemed content. Just the smell of this slop was making him gag, reminding him of the gastrointestinal hell it put him through...

            Setting the bowl aside, Isaac got up and made his way to the hybrid.

"Hello, Master Isaac." She greeted.

"Hello," he sat on the log, "What are you eating?"

Dolly clutched a loose piece of rotting bark and tore it away, exposing a crawling, squirming mass inside. Beetles, worms, grubs, spiders...

"I am eating what Gaia intended for me to eat," she replied, then glanced at the soldiers at the fire pit, "Not...Poison."

"What are you doing, Boy?" Abraham called, then held up Isaac's full bowl, "Are you going to finish this?"

The young soldier looked at the bowl, then back at the log. Dolly picked up a worm and blew the dirt from it. She offered it in her thin palm,

"Please. Eat this instead. It will not hurt you."

"I'm eating this if you don't!" said Abraham. Isaac called back,

"Go ahead!" and hesitantly took the worm from Dolly.

            Abraham watched him as he inspected the worm.

"You're not really going to eat with Dolly, are you?" he asked.

"I'm not responsible for what happens to you this time, Isaac." Mentioned Evan, "Use good judgment."

Turning the wriggling creature around in his hands, Isaac brought it to his mouth, then faltered. It was this or the gruel. This or a rough night on the bucket. He glanced at Dolly,

"Are you sure it won't hurt me?"

She smiled,

"It's good for you. Eat."

Taking a deep breath, Isaac closed his eyes and shoved the worm in his mouth. He could feel it writhing and chewed quickly to put an end to it. It didn't work--now it was just writhing in more pieces. He gagged and clamped a hand over his mouth. He considered spitting. God, did he ever. Ultimately, the sensation of spitting this thing out seemed viler than swallowing it, so down his throat it went.

            "God damn it!" jeered Abraham, "You're filthy!"

"Well, how was it?" Evan asked. Isaac took a long moment to inspect the aftertaste. Once the wiggling was gone, it truly wasn't terrible. A bit like dirt. Slimy. Better than the gruel for sure. Finally he decided,

"I could eat another one."

Abraham shook his head and returned to his bowl,

"Asinine..."

Dolly clasped her hands together, looking overjoyed.

"Eat more," she told Isaac, gesturing to the hollowed wood, "Please."

Isaac picked up another worm and waited until Abraham was watching before dropping it into his mouth.

"Want one?" he offered with a grin.

"Fool...You're eating like the gaiafolk." Abraham scowled, "You might as well strip naked and live in the woods. Like a savage."

Isaac shrugged and popped a white grub in his mouth. Then he wished he didn't. Not the same as a worm; awful texture.

            "He'll be alright," Evan told Abraham, "Dolly's wise. She knows these things."

"If that boy vomits, I'll rub her face in it." The archer grumbled.

"Hey..."

"We shouldn't trust her, Sir."

"She's worked for the kingdom for centuries, Abe."

"She's still a fae," Abraham set his empty bowl aside, "are they not our enemies?"

Evan sighed,

"Whatever you say..."

"I just think t--"

The shrill ringing of a bell suddenly pierced the air. The soldiers whipped their heads toward the watchtower, where Glen was shaking a brass bell and pointing to the side.

"East! Large group in the river! East!" he shouted into a horn.

            "Let's go! You too, Dolly!" said Evan. The three soldiers on the ground dropped everything and began heading in that direction, with the fae woman close behind. Evan and Abraham pulled their helmets off their belts and quickly put them on their heads. Isaac struggled with the chinstrap and lagged behind a bit. Abraham rushed behind him and shoved him ahead,

"Shieldmen in front!" he barked.

Evan glanced back at them and added,

"No, he's still an apprentice. Stay behind me, Isaac. Don't do anything unless I give a command."

"Yes, Sir." The young soldier finally got his helmet buckled and stayed between Evan and Abraham. His stomach was knotting up again. From the worms or anxiety, he wasn't sure.

            They arrived at the scene, where six Midlander fauns--also known as "deer-folk"--were crossing the river. It appeared to be a family, with adults of all ages and two children. They differed from the pale, smooth-horned Noalender fauns; with their ebony skin, wild curly hair and ridged horns that curved in a squiggle. Like most fauns, they wore nothing but accessories--scarves, necklaces, hats. A mother and her young daughter were waiting on Evangeline's shore as the others carefully crossed. Evan planned to sneak up on them, but their heavy armor clanged too loudly. The fauns' sensitive ears noticed them right away, and panicked cries filled the air. Evan and Abe rushed forward. Abe was much quicker in his light armor, rushing into the water as the woman picked up her child and leaped back into the river.

            Evan stood by the shore behind him. Dolly was hiding somewhere in the brush, catching glimpses through the trees. Abraham got a hold of the woman's arm and pulled her back. There was a struggle--splashing, screaming--the other fauns already back on shore. They watched helplessly as their sister and her child were wrestled underwater by this angry soldier. Eventually the faun woman got out of his grip and swam half-way back to her family, but Abraham had the child by the hair and was already dragging her to shore. Evan helped Abraham out of the water. The faun family was crying and chattering in their smooth foreign language while the mother stood in the middle of the river, shouting in the same language at the top of her lungs. Abraham looked back at her and smirked, holding her screaming daughter high in the air,

"You want her back? Come get her! Come on!"

            Isaac watched, wide-eyed with a churning stomach. Glimpses of the orphanage flashed in his mind. Evan grabbed Abraham's shoulder and pulled him back,

"Let her go." He said. The archer looked at him, confused,

"Sir...?"

"She's too young and we don't have the mother. She won't survive the trip to Kelvingyard."

Abraham looked back at the woman still screaming at him from the water. He pointed at her and barked,

"Go get the bitch, then!"

"She's not on our territory! Legally, we can't do anything to her. Just let the kid go."

"She was on our shore!" Abraham tightened his grip on the squirming child, "That's good enough!"

"No, it's not!"

"Who's going to know?"

            Isaac cautiously approached the edge of the shore. The woman began moving forward until an older male jumped in the water and restrained her. She was fighting his grip. Isaac watched closely, Evan and Abraham's argument becoming white noise.

"...Meet our quotas...!"

"...Won't do them any good dead...!"

"...Out of our hands...!"

Suddenly the woman was free, all two hundred-something pounds of her charging through the water at incredible speed. Isaac's jaw dropped and he froze. Evan and Abraham turned around just as she tackled the archer to the ground.

"Shit! Get her!" Abraham grunted from under her as she tried to wrestle her daughter out of his arms. Evan grabbed the woman's wrists and tried to carefully pry them off the child. As soon as he got them free, she snapped at his face and scraped his nose with her long teeth, sending him staggering back.

            Isaac reacted like lightning, dropping his shield and grabbing a fistful of her long, wild hair. He roughly jerked her head backwards. She fell on her back and didn't move, and for a second he thought he'd broken her neck. She recovered quickly and almost got to her feet, until Isaac dropped all his weight on her and pinned her back down. There was a sickening "crunch!", then she let out a piercing scream and stopped struggling. Slowly, cautiously, Isaac stood back up. She made no attempt to do the same, only groaning and gnashing her teeth. Evan and Abraham stepped closer and stood over her, Abraham still holding the crying girl.

"Idiot," Abraham panted, glancing at Isaac, "You broke her arm! Kelvingyard won't pay shit for her now!"

"Abe," Evan furrowed his brow, "Shut up for a minute. Alright?" He took a few breaths, then looked toward the opposite shore. The other fauns were gone.

            "Isaac, roll her over." Evan gestured to the woman as he pulled iron cuffs off his belt, "Watch that arm--don't make it worse."

Isaac rolled the faun on her stomach as carefully as possible, but she still screamed, especially when they pulled her arms behind her back. One was already swelling and turning purple. Evan locked her wrists together. She finally broke down and began sobbing. The child's wrists were too small, so Evan locked one cuff around her neck and the other to her mother's chain.

            "Alright," Evan sighed and stood up, "Take her and lead the way, Abe."

Abraham nodded and pulled the woman to her feet, leading her by her unbroken arm. Her child whimpered and toddled close behind her, being pulled slightly by the chain. Evan walked a few feet behind him with Isaac by his side. Isaac glanced back at Dolly, who was even further behind. Her head was tilted down mournfully.

"Isaac," Evan began, "What did I tell you on the way?" his voice was quiet, but frustrated. Tired. Isaac fixed his eyes to the ground and mumbled,

"You told me...Don't do anything 'till you commanded it. But--" he added quickly, "--She was gonna kill Abe!"

"No," Evan shook his head, "Wouldn't kill him; just rough him up a little. She was unarmed, Isaac. No armor, no weapons. That means we don't use excessive force."

"I wasn't trying to..."

"I know. It's your first time doing this." Evan paused, "But you know now, so don't let it happen again. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir."