Finua

Chapter 11: Immigrants Anonymous

It was still daylight by the time we found our way out of that hellhole: or more likely, it was the next day. Lugoke slung my arm over his shoulder and walked me out into the brightness, and Auga, Dewey, Yusla, Kwer, Vanessa, and Gloria were all waiting for us.

"What do you mean 'Frax is dead?'" Yusla asked, genuinely taken aback.

"I mean you're fucking free to go back in there and confirm," I spat back bitterly. "But I could see the man's brains and I couldn't see his eyes. So I'm pretty sure he's dead."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find a new teacher in Syfor Lek," Auga told me supportively.

"I'd fucking hope so," I grumbled, then I looked at Vanessa.

"Hey bitch!" I snapped at her. "Yeah, you. You're mine now. Your master's fucking dead. Got it? You and Kwer are both the same rank now."

"Vanessa cannot fly us all to the Dark Land," Lugoke said. "And none of us know the way."

"We'll find a new guide too," Auga said. "Right now let's just go back to the hotel and take a goddamn rest."

"What a fucking waste," Dewey muttered, almost to himself, his hands on his hips.
"The Northerners got away, we got our asses kicked, lost our fucking wizard... what a fucking mess."

"Hey!" Auga said loudly to him. "We'll find another guide! We're alive, so let's just get back to the hotel and figure it out from there. All right?"

Dewey nodded, but he still looked plenty grumpy. I didn't blame him.

We all headed back into town. Vanessa joined Kwer at my side as we walked, and even though she obviously had zero discernible features, I could clearly sense her despondency, somehow.

I also noticed that Auga had a new prize in her possession: some black-iron spear, like an extra-large fireplace poker, that she was using as a walking stick. True to her own idea, there was also a human foot stuck onto the end of it, stepping alongside the two of her own.

"A spear, huh?" I said to her.

"Mm-hmm. Funny story, actually, I tried tying my dagger to one end of my walking stick, like my own makeshift spear, and the next guy I fought had a real spear! This one! So... that was a rather symbolic three minutes."

"And is that also his foot?"

"Yeah, it all fell into place so perfectly."

"What about later when it decomposes?"

"What?"

"Well soon enough the flesh is gonna fall away and the foot's gonna fall loose."

"God fucking dammit. Everything in my life is temporary."

"No no no, you can just... you can attach it some other way later, I'm sure. Because I love the idea."

"Hmph."

"Hey, listen... cut off someone else's foot! But cut them at the shin, or something, so you can get some chain and tie the shinbone to the bottom of the spear handle."

"That's not a half-bad idea. Oh, but then wouldn't the foot be all wobbly because it's being held against just one side of the handle? It's gonna want to slide around the, uh, the circumference."

"If you want it bad enough you'll figure it out."

Dewey was riding on Gloria again. I had half a mind to hop into Vanessa or climb on Kwer's shoulders.

"So which way is the hotel?" I asked generally.

"Oh don't worry," Dewey said from atop his dragganine. "We're unambiguously lost. We were led here by someone else, remember?"