Champion's Call

Chapter 13

Dax sat cross-legged on top of the cart, flipping through the pages of the book in front of him with increasing frustration. Buried in the dense prose were instructions for how to call upon the power of Yorluth to heal, to help in battle, to check the intentions of those around him - but nothing that could help him find Ren. Even the one spell he found that seemed helpful in this situation, one that allowed him to send a message over a long distance, was useless. The spell required a level of proficiency that he doubted he could reach any time soon. Sighing, he slammed the book shut, rubbing his eyes with one set of hands and bracing his forehead against the others.

What's the use of having powers if I still can't protect my friends, he thought with a groan, massaging his forehead.

They had set off on the road almost immediately after meeting Brenna and Claude, their new companions traveling far lighter than they were. Brenna rode a shaggy gray pony, which looked like it would be far more comfortable wandering misty moors than in the more-or-less tropical savanna they were traveling through now. Claude, for his part, eschewed riding completely and walked alongside the cart, his massive strides allowing him to easily keep up despite their hurried pace. They were following an offshoot of the main road, whose rough surface and narrow width indicated its level of disuse. Enormous trees with thick trunks sprang up at regular intervals, and the occasional bushy tree with long spines flanked the road. Otherwise there was nothing visible until the horizon - just a gently undulating sea of yellow-green grass waving in the slight breeze.

It would have been a beautiful view, given other circumstances.

Brenna pulled her pony to the side, reining it in until she was moving apace with the cart.

"Ask your questions." It was more of a command than an invitation.

Dax raised an eyebrow, leaning as far to the side as he felt comfortable so that he wouldn't have to shout. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised that the strange Sylvane would assume he had questions - only an idiot wouldn't. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she held all the cards in this situation, and would only reveal as much as would be to her advantage.

Practical questions first. Worry about details later.

"Where are we heading?" he asked, keeping his tone as flat and neutral as possible. If he could get enough information, maybe they could strike off on their own, and avoid whatever catch was inevitably coming.

Brenna smirked. "Nice try," she said. "Can't have you taking off on us, though. And believe me, you're going to want all the help you can get once we catch up to them."

Dax restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. "Fine," he said. "Can you at least tell us who took her, and why?"

"The why is fairly straightforward," Brenna replied. "They're slave traders." She looked him up and down disdainfully. "I'm honestly a little surprised you didn't figure that out on your own."

Dax groaned. This was what he had feared, his initial suspicion that he had hoped would be wrong. Slavery wasn't allowed in the open anywhere on Ortania, but nonetheless an active black market thrived. He had seen it in Ironclas, and no matter how hard the guard tried to stomp it out, the trade remained. 

 "I suspected as much," he replied. Best not to let her think I'm a complete fool, he thought to himself. He searched carefully for his next question - he couldn't ask anything too specific, or else she likely wouldn't answer. After a moment, he spoke again. "Why are you helping us?"

Brenna's lip curled into a sneer. "I told you, our goals are temporarily aligned."

"Then what's your goal?" She narrowed her eyes, cocking her head to the side as if debating how much to trust him. "We're going to take down the whole operation. Make them pay for what they've done."

Dax let out a low whistle. Talk about ambitious. "The two of you are going to take down a whole slave trade operation?" he asked, trying and failing to keep his incredulity out of his voice. 

 Brenna turned to face forward, expression inscrutable. "That's where you come in," she said. "Claude and I are no fools. We've been tracking this particular operation for years and know exactly how powerful they are and where they hide out." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You've clearly got some sort of training, especially with all those weapons you're wearing. Your short companion is obviously a skilled mage - no idea what kind, nor do I care, as long as it's effective in combat. I don't know how the priestess can help us, but having a goddess on our side certainly can't hurt," she continued. "The way I figure it, with your help, Claude and I actually stand a chance against these bastards in a way that we wouldn't on our own."

Dax rubbed his chin, considering. The logic made sense, though he doubted that even with their combined strengths they could take down a whole slaving operation. 

 "What's your plan?" he asked.

Brenna shook her head. "Let's catch up, first," she said. "Then we can talk about plans."