II. The Great Airtram Robbery

Marius leaned back against the sturdy crate that supported his weight, testing it’s limits slightly with a push. It was only a few days ago that these carts would have been filled with the fruit of the harvest. Pacnuck, Broothtul, Autumn Grass, and more were practically falling out of these crates, fresh from the Northern territories. Marius remembered the stories of the far off lands as a child. The Journeymen had once existed across the entire continent. It was said by the elders that long ago, all beings sprang from the Well of Life at the center of Orphan. With one single drop, the land began to grow and change, and as it formed, life, and people began to emerge from the waters. This small civilization had strict duties for all, and those lucky enough to be tasked as “Journeymen,” were to embark on great journeys, and explore and spread to the lands beyond.

But Marius knew it was all a bunch of bullshit. He remembered even as a child, feeling such an air of pretension about the whole matter. It was a legend, designed to make people think that if journeymen were the first to ever set foot on any square of land, then all land was rightfully theirs. They could do no wrong in this world, and they were always on the right side of any conflict. Marius remembered when one of his elders taught his generation about the legend.
“But that can’t be,” exclaimed Marius.
“How so?” asked the elder, carefully approaching such an uniquely minded child.
“If we came first,” Marius explained, “Then we are responsible for everything in the world.”
“Yes,” confirmed the elder, “that is correct.”
“Then that means we are responsible for blood and death. We are responsible for war, and poverty, and crime, and famine. All that is terrible and evil in this world, had to come from our hands. We should not feel pride for this history. We should feel guilt and shame.”
Talk like that earned Marius more beatings than he could remember. His father was not a forgiving man, considering his position among the people. Nor was he uncaring. Marius’ father loved him, there was no denying that. But he did not spare him from the pain of life. Marius was prepared, or at least so he thought.
Still, even if the legend was true, it didn’t matter now. The Journeymen had been tasked with a job, and that job was now complete. The map of Orphan was being filled in. The dark corners, being lit up. If the legend was true, and the Journeymen were born from the waters of the Well of Life, then they had tunneled through the mountains and into Olivia to die. Why fight it thought Marius at least we could go out with some dignity and die with honor.
However this was not his concern right now. He watched the landscape pass out the open cart door. The few rolling hills and small villages were starting to give way to wide open dried up lands, and a few scattered trees here and there. They were crossing The Flatlands. It was the wrong direction, but for now, the only direction he had. He couldn’t well jump off. The impact would kill him instantly. All he could do was sit back and wait. He figured it had to be heading toward Rafe. There was nothing else of note this close to the coast. Unless the airtram was planning on heading straight over the Great White Cliffs, they’d make a stop in Rafe. Once there, he’d hop off, and hope that their pursuers didn’t send word ahead of them. He could find a ride in the city, and then head straight for the Capitol. He figured once he got moving again, it shouldn’t take him more than a few days to make the ride. The night would slow him down. He couldn’t risk traveling by moonlight. He would need the power of both Corna and Tarna to light his path. That would slow him. Still, he’d be on to the next job by early next week at the latest.
The airtram had travelled all through the night. Forte and Morenda had both passed through the sky, lighting their path with shear brilliance. The lands around Cabnic were deserted. Everyone was in the city, celebrating the festival. In a strange way Marius loved the view. He couldn’t deny that if the legend was true, he would’ve loved to have been a journeymen in their heyday. Imagine an entire world. Vast and open. Teeming with all manner of discoveries. One man against the world. That’s how he had been raised, and he only wished he could’ve used those skills.
The violet glow of the land in the early morning hours was always a beautiful sight, one that few were able to share in. Marius enjoyed the beauty of a sleepless night, and felt his body relax into a kind of resigned and comfortable limpness. The early morning however always brought his favorite part of the day, the Cornath sunrise. As Morendo made it’s final descent, the rise of Cornath basked the land in a brilliance like no other. Brilliant red’s, and yellows streaked across the land, with a deep violet center. The Journeymen used to say this was the entry way to the land of the gods. Though only a select few were ever welcome to pass. Marius’ destiny lay in this plane of existence, or so he was told as a child. It did little to ease the pain of loss when she passed over, and he was kept behind. But he couldn’t think about that now. He had to keep his mind focused on the here and now.
He suddenly heard the creaking of a wooden crate, as one of the two bodies lying next to him began to stir. How had he end up saddled with these two kids, he wondered. He figured after they made the jump onto the train that they would go their separate ways. Maybe he’d see them depart in Rafe, but either way, they’d go their own separate ways, and be happy about it. This wasn’t the case though. He was scared half to death when they suddenly barged into the cart he had settled down in. From the looks of them he could tell the boy wasn’t happen about it. The girl must have dragged him all the way down the tram. But why? Why did she feel the need to stick with them. At first Marius thought maybe she just felt safer with them, but as the night progressed he had a different thought. Maybe she was curious. She didn’t stop asking questions all night. Marius didn’t respond to any of them, but that didn’t stop her from asking.
Now here she was, starting to stir from a deep night sleep, and bound to be poised with more questions. Marius couldn’t this for another whole day. He was sure his frustration would get the better of him, and he’d throw either her or himself off the train. Of course if he threw her, he’d have to throw the boy too. That wouldn’t be too hard though, he thought, he’d put up a fight, but he’d be easy enough to put down. The kid had heart, he had to give him that, and passion. But he was untrained, impatient, and emotional. In this life, those were three very deadly faults to have, and if he wasn’t smart he’d end up on the wrong end of a blade someday very soon.
The girl however, she was different. It was so rare to find a woman capable of holding her own in Olivia. The sad fact was the nation was run by men, and they made no effort to hide that. Sure there were a few major female crime lords, like Madame Laxio, or Jewel Makut, and of course Rafe had just elected the first ever female Parliament Speaker. Still, to find a woman without a chip on her shoulder in this nation was difficult. Julien however seemed different. She was confident, calm, and so certain. Whatever she was doing, she believed in it, and would follow it until the bitter end. She had the comfort of great purpose in this life, and Marius envied her for that.
As Julien rolled over and propped herself up, she rubbed her eyes and looked over to Marius. She couldn’t help but marvel at him. He was impressive. He certainly looked quite disheveled at the moment, and his eyes held great pain, but beneath that air of self-loathing, he was an attractive man. More importantly, he was capable. She couldn’t help but be impressed at how he had handled the situation back in Cabnic. He never hesitated for a moment. He never questioned or cowered. He acted, and moved with instinct. It took a special kind of warrior to develop such instincts, and Marius’ had clearly trained his whole life. Now he sat across the car from her. He was learning against the small railing that crossed the open cart door, and looking out at the landscape. He was purposefully ignoring her, and Julien could tell.
“Good morning,” she said plainly. His response did not come.
“Sleep alright?” she probed further. Still nothing.
“Well I can’t imagine you could’ve. The smell alone is strong enough to give you a headache straight through an entire sleep. I can’t imagine what kind of animals they must’ve been keeping in these crates.” Marius continued to stare out the open door. Julien just laughed to herself, almost half-amused at his stubbornness.
“So I guess we’re going to do that again. It’s going to be a long day,” she sighed. A few moments passed as Julien began dusting off he cloak, and exploring her pack filled with spare rations of wheat brag. Finally Marius let out a long sigh.
“It’s not the animals,” he stated simply.
“Sorry, what?” she joked, “Do you have a voice?”
“It’s not the animals,” Marius said begrudgingly, “it’s the Camolute. It comes from the west. Incredibly delicious when cooked, but the plant itself can only grow in grass that’s been specially fertilized. So the skin retains a very strong odor.”
“Well what do they fertilize it with?”
“Rhodian shit.” Marius stated this fact so plainly, that for a moment Julien simply stared at him, unable to determine if he was serious. Finally, she just grinned, and that grin grew to a smile, and before long, that chuckle became a prolonged laugh. Marius was slow at first, but before long he was joining her. He sighed heavily as their laughter subsided and he looked at this young girl sitting across from him. Most girls her age would be busy trying to broker a deal for marriage, or studying to pick up a trade. Here she was though, riding an airtram across the country bound for something important. He just couldn’t happen to figure out what.
“So you’re a journeyman, huh?” she inquired. Marius opened his canteen and took a long swig to wash out his mouth.
“What gave it away?” he inquired back.
“Probably the djerik. You don’t see many of those around these days.”
“Maybe that’s because you don’t see many of me around these days.” Marius’ tone cut through the humor immediately, and Julien could tell this was not a matter he was particularly open about.
“Well you play it beautifully,” she responded.
“Thank you.”
“And I have to say I’m impressed by the many uses you’ve found for it.”
“Well,” he said, “In my line of work, a good cover tends to be vital to a successful job.”
“It’s just interesting,” she replied, “I’ve seen a few other djerik players out there. I’ve met plenty of journeymen in my day. But I’ve never met a journeyman who kills for money.”
“It’s a new age in the country of Olivia,” Marius laughed back, “Don’t you remember the revolution? We won, and a glorious new light has emerged to shine across all of our land.”
“You really believe that?” asked Julien. Marius had to be impressed. He never saw anyone her age question the revolution before. She had a unique mind.
“I believe,” said Marius with a chuckle, “that the nation is changing, and we must all adapt to it. In this new world Parliament has created, Journeymen can make a living as assassin’s for hire. I’ll let the history books figure out if this change was for the better or not, because either way I have to live with it.”
“Or we change it,” said Julien.
“And just tell me Angel Eyes,” Marius replied, “how do we do that?”
“We fight. We always fight for what is right. No matter the cost.” Marius found himself simultaneously put off and amused by her idealism.
“And what if in order to fight for was is right and good in this world, we must become evil men. Is that price then worth paying.” Marius had offered her a very clear challenge, but Julien just smiled back at him.
“If you must become evil to defend your cause, then it was never right in the first place.” Marius laughed at this. It was simplistic, and naive, but worse yet, probably true. His life had taught him the dangers of devotion to a cause. He knew first hand what good men can become capable of when pushed to the point of desperation. He could only hope for her sake, that she would never have to face this realization.
“Can I ask you something,” Julien continued. “That’s the second time you’ve called me ‘Angel Eyes.’ What does it mean?” Marius took a moment to judge her curiosity.
“The Journeymen believe that the gods live on another plain of existence, called Oatheniem, and this land lies within all of us. The eyes are considered the window into the land of the gods, and some are considered to be blessed with better windows than others. They are considered more in tune with the gods. They are their instruments, and therefore, we call them Angels.”
“Hm,” Julien considered, rolling this information over in her head. “You really think I have beautiful eyes?”
“I didn’t say beautiful,” Marius corrected, “I said better. There is great activity in your eyes.” Julien smiled.
“Ok,” she continued, “do you think I’m more in touch with the gods?”
“There’s not a doubt in my mind.”
Julien laughed to herself. Without the blade in hand, and the worry of impending death, Marius was actually a charming man. Moreover he was wise, and honest. These were rare traits in a man of Olivia.
“So,” started Marius, “You got a question. Now do I get one?”
“Sure,” came her reply.
“What were you and Sheeswae there doing in the back room of Bard Gandit’s house?” Julien immediately looked away from Marius. Her eyes darted to the floor and she took a heavy sigh. It was clear that this was not a question she wanted to answer, but Marius didn’t care. He needed to know.
“That’s a very long story.” She was stalling. Trying to skirt issue at hand, but Marius would not relent.
“We’ve got time.”
Julien sighed heavily once more before working up her courage.
“I can’t tell you why, but we were trying to get out of the city.”
“Ah,” replied Marius, “Well why not just go to the counsel guards. The parliamentary army takes civilian groups with them when passing from city to city. You could’ve easily gotten any of them to look after you.”
“No,” she stated hesitantly, “the Parliamentary Army can’t know where we are.”
“Running from the Parliamentary Army. You’re in deeper shit than you’re letting on.”
“I’ve let on too much already. Suffice to say, Gandit had some underground contacts who were willing to smuggle us out of the city at a fair price, under the PA’s radar. However, I can only assume now that those contacts either ran away screaming, or ended up dead on the floor thanks to you.”
“I only killed about half a dozen,” Marius clarified, “Just those dumb enough to fight. A few of Gandit’s guards, and a rather large Marahari man with a strange fondness for my sidearm, but Bard is still alive.”
“Really?” asked Julien, “He didn’t stay and fight?”
“Are you joking,” laughed Marius, “He was the first one out the door.” Julien laughed at this joke as well. Bard was certainly not an evil man, but to call him an honorable man would’ve been an equally gross misjudgment of character.
“Still,” Marius continued, “if you can make double back, there’s a good enough chance he may still be willing to help you.”
“You think so,” asked Julien.
“Bard and his type run on coin. Bring enough to pay his price, and he’ll take you in. Besides I’m not returning to Cabnic any time soon, so you don’t need to worry about me putting a damper on your plans again.” Julien laughed, and felt Barton stir next to him. Marius looked at the young boy sleeping next to her.
“He’s going to get you killed you know?” Julien looked at him confused, and somewhat angry.
“He might not be a warrior, but that doesn’t mean he’s baggage.” Marius seemed tickled by her devotion to him. There had to be a history between the two of them, but it was clear that Julien had no intention of explaining it. He was willing to die for her, and he was willing to kill for her. Obviously he cared for her very much. Still that didn’t mean he was worth getting killed over.
“He has a strong heart,” Marius responded carelessly, “but that doesn’t mean you owe him anything.” Julien snapped at this comment, as her eyes became deadly serious.
“I owe him my life,” she stated plainly, “I lived in a glorified cage as a child. I was sheltered and separated from the world. And then Barton jumped over my wall, and showed me just how much I had missed. He stole me away that night and showed me the village I had lived in my entire life, and yet never seen.” Marius could tell he had offended her.
“I meant no insult by it, I apolo-” Julien cut him off quickly
“Yes you did. You think he’s weak. You think’s he’s useless, and you think I’m weak for traveling with him.   But what you don’t understand, is that he wasn’t just my only connection to the world. He came back for me. Again and again, he came back for me. And for that reason I will always come back for him. You think you’re strong because you fight, but real strength comes when you have no ability, and yet you fight anyway.” Marius remained silent, he contemplated for a moment, and then simply nodded at her. He turned to look back out at the landscape for a moment. He thought he caught site of something, but before he had the chance to take a better a look she was pressing him again.
“You think I’m wrong,” she said defensively. Marius remained quiet for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
“I think you’re young.”
With this statement she scowled and picked herself up. She moved down to the end of the cart, and in a huff through the door between the carts open. She moved on and slammed the door shut. The bang and vibration awoke Barton with a start, destroying any chance that Marius might be allowed to enjoy some quiet this morning.
Barton grabbed his head and groaned slightly. It was clear that the hit from Marius’ djerik had hurt severely, and the uncomfortable floor had only made it worse. He slowly pulled his body up and relaxed against a crate. He let his body stretch and strain as he tried to shake the discomfort from his limbs. Barton was used to rough night sleeps, but they never really got easier. He rolled his neck and strained to see out of the tram cart door. He looked back in the direction that Julien had just left, and then turned back to Marius.
“You piss her off?” Barton asked. Marius took a deep sigh and turned toward Barton with a look of disgust.
“Eat your fuckin’ breakfast.”
Barton took a moment to control his anger at this statement. He knew if he wanted to accomplish his task he would need to learn to control his emotions. A skilled warrior needed to be calm and collected at all moments in battle, and the first step to becoming a warrior, was to act like one. He took a deep breath and laughed slightly to himself, almost amused now at Marius’ attitude.
“You don’t like me,” he stated, “You don’t respect me. That’s fine. You’re not the first. You’ve got a very lone wolf attitude happening, which is obviously a great hit with the ladies,” Barton added, indicating the door through which Julien had just stormed off. “But personal feelings aside, we’re stuck together for now. We might as well make the best of it.”
“We’re not stuck together,” Marius said coldly, “We had similar goals at one time. Now I’ll collect my bounty, and you two will head on back to Cabnic. I have no more attachment to you. So don’t think for a second that we are partners, friends, or anything else of that nature. We have no connection anymore.” With that he went back to gazing out the open door as the flatlands passed them by. Barton was uncaring. If this was how he wanted things to be, then that would be fine by him.
“Still,” Barton added, “We’re stuck on the tram together. So maybe we could at least try to be civil, because we’re stuck together until this tram comes to a stop.”
Suddenly a massive bang rang out along the tracks, and the tram lurched. It didn’t stop, in fact it almost seemed to pick up speed, but there was no doubt in Marius’ mind. Something was wrong. He caught Barton’s eye, and they both had a look of worry spread across their faces. They immediately ran to the open cart door and looked out at the front of the tram. About five carts down, they saw three men, covered in green, red, and violet warpaint. They wore tattered clothes and covered themselves with pelts and furs. More to Barton’s horror, there was at least twenty more charging up to the tram on horseback. They were howling like wild animals.
Another bang rang out through the train and they felt the tram begin to pick up even more speed. Barton looked around for the source of the sound, confused.
“They’re picking up speed,” Marius said, answering his unasked question, “Burning up all their chard, trying to outrun them.” No sooner had Marius finished his explanation than the banging of footsteps passed overhead. Barton craned his neck out the open door and saw two figures sprinting along the tram car above. He turned to Marius.
“I don’t think that’s going to work.”
Another bang, and once again the tram picked up speed. The vibrations were starting to shake the entire tram now, and Barton and Marius could barely keep their balance. A stack of crates toppled over and Barton shifted out of the way just in time to dodge the falling debris.
“They’re going to derail us,” Barton said with an air of fear about his voice. Marius remained calm, looking back out the open door, and at the legion of men, now scaling the sides of the tram and moving in and out of each cart.
“They’ll head for the follow car,” Marius stated, as he slung his djerik over his shoulder, “if you’re smart, you’ll head the other way.” Barton looked back at him as he grabbed his sword and slung his own pack over his shoulder.
“But Julien went that way.” Marius turned to him.
“Like I said, if you’re smart you’ll head the other way.” With that Marius threw open the cart door and moved off toward the front of the tram. Barton remained there for a moment, looking in the direction that Marius had just run off. What a coward he thought. Joruneymen were supposed to be a proud, honorable people. They were supposed to be skilled warriors. Yet the only one he’d ever met was really only skilled at running away. Another set of footsteps passing along the roof above him caught his attention. He unsheathed his sword and turned running in the direction Julien had ran off in.
As he blew through the first door another bang rang out, and he felt the tram shake with incredible force. He fell back against the door and felt his breath escape him. His head started to spin, and he could hear a ringing in his ears. He struggled to upright himself, but knew he had to keep moving. As he pulled himself forward, grabbing the storage crates to steady himself, he heard shouting coming from outside the cart. Looking to his right, he saw the glint of metal outside. Moving to the window to investigate he saw a small horse drawn cart, moving alongside the tram, about twenty feet away. It seemed to be carrying a massive steel hook, rigged into some kind of catapult. He barely had time to register the danger before he dove out of the way, as the hook slammed through the wall of the tram cart with incredible force.
Barton rolled himself over and crawled out of the line path as the hook retracted and took the entire wall of the cart out with it. Staring now at the the wide open landscape flying past, Barton sprang to his feet as he saw five men riding up to the cart, ready to jump into the now gaping opening. Barton moved as quickly as possible, and slammed through the door into the next cart.
He could feel the tram beginning to make it’s slow turn on the tracks, however his worst fears were realized when the bang rang out through the tram again. As the tram lurched forward, the left wheels lifted right off the tracks, and Barton felt himself slide down against the right side of the tram. Out the window he could see several of the men who had just boarded the cart behind him falling right out of the gaping hole they had just created. He watched as their bodies hit the ground at such high speeds that they flopped and bounced like rag dolls. A crate smashed against the cart wall, mere inches from his head, and he narrowly dodged three more than smashed against the wall. He steadied himself and continued to move through the cart, as the tram eventually landed back on its left wheels, and shook with great force.
It was three more carts, before he finally found Julien. As he threw open the door, he watched Julien fall to the ground, dodging the swing of a massive Thoundhammer being wielded by a hulk of a warrior. The man was easily over seven feet tall, and bulging with muscles. He was covered in war paint and wore thick pelts that looked as if they had come from a whole backmon. Unfortunately, Barton did not have time to react to the swing, and the thoundhammer caught him square in the chest. It lifted him right off the ground and threw him back almost five feet. He hit the floor with a thud, and groaned in pain.  Julien scrambled along the ground, and as the man lifted the thoundhammer above his head, she caught him squarely in the crotch with a hard kick. The force was so hard, that the man doubled over in pain and dropped his weapon with a thud onto the ground.
Julien scurried over to Barton and began shaking him, spurring him to get back to his feet. With her help he pulled himself up, and grabbed his blade, holding it out before him to try and hold back his attacker, who was now steading himself as well. Julien moved behind him.
“It took you long enough to get here,” she said.
“Well I’m sorry but maybe you’ve noticed that the tram is falling apart around us.”
“Where’s Marius?” Barton turned to her, somewhat frustrated that in such peril, she would still worry about the stranger that had abandoned them.
“He ran the other way.” Barton turned away from her and faced the massive hulk that was now slowly lumbering toward them. He steadied himself, holding a crouched position with his blade out in front of him. He made sure that no one would mistake his intentions. He was ready to fight.
“Look,” Barton stammered, “I don’t know who you are, or what you want, but we’re just hitchhikers. We don’t want to fight you.”
“I don’t think that’s working stupid,” Julien said. The man raised his hammer back.
“Now I’m warning you. We don’t want a fight. But we will if we have to.” The man let out a cry as he readied himself to swing.
“Just attack him stupid!” Julien screamed.
As the man’s thoundhammer swung with great force, Barton dodged to the side and sliced at the man’s leg with his blade. Julien fell back and scurried away. Barton, now infuriated turned to Julien and screamed as he plunged his blade into a nearby storage crate.
“Stop calling me stupid!” he shouted, as he swung his blade, and flung the crate directly at the man’s head. It caught him square in the face, and shattered, as the heavy lead block that lay inside it bounced off the man’s head and landed on the ground with a thud. Barton scrambled to avoid the man’s falling frame, as it landed with an equally forceful thud. Barton stood, amazed, over the beast of a man who now lay on the floor before him. He turned to Julien who’s face also held a look of surprise and confusion. She had never seen Barton act with such passion before. He was usually so quiet and meek, but here he stood over his opponent with the force of a great warrior behind him. Barton looked back to the man unconscious on the floor, unable to believe his own actions.
“Holy shit,” was all he could manage to say. Julien began to laugh, and soon another bang rang through the tram. It lurched again and Barton sprang to action. He grabbed Julien off the floor and began running, with her struggling to keep up behind him. They sprinted through seven carts, and three more bangs, each time struggling to climb back to their feet. Finally, as they passed through a cart that still had full cargo, they came upon Marius. He sat atop one of the crates, eating an apple, with a wide smile on his face.
“Hey!” he shouted, “Look who it is. You kids want some breakfast? There’s plenty to go around,” he said, indicating the overflowing crates that surrounded him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Barton shouted back. Marius looked around for a moment, as if confused and searching for the alternate target to his question.
“Me?” Marius stated hesitantly, “I’m enjoying the robbery. What are you doing?”
Suddenly a massive bang, louder than any that had proceeded it, rang out, and a terrible screeching sound followed. Marius grabbed the crate to steady himself as Barton and Julien were thrown to the floor. He looked around the cart, and could clearly see through the window that they were slowing down.
“Oh no,” Marius stated aloud, though to no one in particular, “Oh come on. You don’t have to stop the fucking tram to rob it!” Julien and Barton remained perplexed by his nonchalant attitude, and scrambled to try and dodge the falling fruit and harvest that was now pouring out of broken crates.
“Fucking amateurs!” Marius screamed.
As the tram slowly screeched to a halt the stacks of crates tumbled to the floor, throwing Marius to the ground as well. He hauled himself up into a sitting position and found himself swimming in almost a foot of fruits, vegetables, grains, and more. The sounds of footsteps and banging outside could be heard quite clearly, and it was evident that the savages were moving toward them. Marius sighed heavily as he heard Barton and Julien scrambling to hide amongst a stack of broken and discarded crates. As if that would keep them from being found. Well thought Marius, observing the circumstances he now found himself in, this is one hell of way to start the day.
With that the large cart door was thrown open, and a flood of harvest poured out and onto the dried ground below. The daylight was blinding as Marius adjusted his eyes, and saw five men standing there, covered in their war-paint with weapons at the ready. Marius gave a big smile.
“Morning boys.”
The men stared at him unamused. One of them pulled himself up into the cart.
“Out. Now”
The order came, curt and angry. Marius struggled to wiggle through the produce he was buried under, until two of the men at the door grabbed him and pulled him out. They let him fall to the ground, and he landed, laughing, on his back with a thud. He looked down the cart, and saw close to forty men and woman, all filling baskets with produce and supplies from the tram. Inside the cart he overheard a struggle as Barton and Julien were quickly found and pulled from their hiding spaces. He sighed heavily, relaxing and staring up at the sky. That was before an old familiar face entered his line of vision.
“Hello Marius.” Though covered in war-paint, there was no mistaking Ramus’ face. His clean cut black hair and clearly defined features were not exactly a welcome sight, and his blue eyes were unmistakably filled with an element of disdain and disappointment, though such a look was fairly common amongst Marius’ family.
“You look good,” Ramus stated, trying to be supportive.
“You look like shit,” Marius said back with a large smile on his face. Ramus laughed slightly and shook his head, then offered his hand and helped him to his feet. Marius bounced up and stretched his limbs, shaking off the bits of produce that still hung about his person. He had barely gotten to his feet, when he turned to see Barton arguing and struggling with one of the men on the tram. This ended quickly as he was dropped out of the cart and hit the ground hard. Julien stepped out voluntarily.
The sight of her stopped most of the men in their tracks. There was no doubting that Julien was a very beautiful girl, and obviously it was noticed. Ramus stepped forward and moved close to her. She stepped back slightly, somewhat put off by his animal like appearance. She was even more surprised when he moved with incredible grace and formality, clasping her hand and bending down to lightly kiss the back of it. His eyes met hers and she found a strange comfort in them.
“My apologies dear,” Ramus said, “We didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Hey did you ever get that magnac rash taken care of?” Marius yelled over his shoulder without even looking back. Ramus shot a glare back at him, but it was not received. Meanwhile Barton was dragged to his feet by two men and restrained.
“You’ll have to excuse my brother,” Ramus continued, “He’s not very good at introductions.” Julien looked confused for a moment.
“Brother?” she asked. “Marius he’s your brother?”
“Only by blood.” Ramus laughed at Marius’ cruel joke.
“If I had known you were friends of his,” Ramus continued “We would’ve been kinder of course. You are friends, aren’t you?” Ramus turned toward Marius awaiting his answer. Marius looked over his shoulder slightly, taking a quick glance at both Barton and Julien. He thought he’d try and test Ramus’ will a bit.
“Never seen them before in my life,” came his answer. Ramus smiled.
“Great,” he said, “Then we can kill both of them.” A blade quickly came to Barton’s throat but was stopped short by the sound of Marius’ voice.
“Alright, alright. They’re with me.” Ramus smiled at his victory.
“Good,” he said, “then I think I’ve proven my point. Walk with me.” Barton threw off the men restraining him and made to keep up with Ramus, Marius, and Julien. In his path though he soon found a rather massive man, standing almost seven feet tall, holding a thoundhammer, and a broken nose. Barton nervously smiled at the man, and received a grunt in return. He moved along quickly and joined the other three.
“So who are your friends Marius?” Ramus asked.
“Barton and Julien,” Marius responded, “And they’re not friends. They’re two kids I found in a closet.”
“Barton Marquette,” Barton chimed in, “of Jonthill sir. And this young woman is Julien Nostrad, also of Jonthill.”
“Jonthill,” Ramus mused, “You two are a long way from home.”
“Yes sir,” Julien answered.
“Well may I ask what brings you all the way out here?”
“You can ask,” Julien said, “but that doesn’t mean we’ll answer.” There was a tense pause for a moment, as Ramus took the insult. Finally, he laughed, in short sharp bursts.
“I just have to ask Marius. How did you come across such a feisty little girl.” Marius quickly glanced back at both Barton and Julien.
“Which one are you talking about? You have to be more specific.”
Ramus laughed again and Barton struggled to control his anger. He made to pull his blade, but Julien’s hand on his arm quickly stopped him.
“Did you find them at the party in Cabnic?”
Marius looked at Ramus amazed, and disappointed.
“How’d you find out about that already?” Marius asked.
“Well I heard tell of a Harvest celebration in Cabnic early last night, that was broken up by the untimely death of new counsellor Borsky. He was being groomed to be a speaker, you know that right?”
“How do you even know it was me.”
“Well the story says it was the musician,” Ramus answered, “so unless the other assassins out there are learning how to play the lute, I think you’re the best bet.”
“Well it’s good to know I’m finally making a name for myself.”
Ramus remained unamused at this comment, and simply looked back at his garrison, who was now loading their reward onto their horses packs. He turned back to Barton and Julien, and finally met back with Marius’ eyes.
“It’s all a damn joke to you isn’t it Marius?”
“Only when it’s funny.”
“Damnit Marius!” Ramus surprised even himself with his loss of control. “Like it or not, you are a journeyman. We do not kill for money. We have honor and pride to think of.”
Marius laughed at his younger brother’s idealism. That was always Ramus’ defining characteristic. He believed wholeheartedly in the Journeymen way of life. He believed in the code, in the legends, and in the codes. He believed in the justness of a journeymen cause, and the importance of a journeymen society. More importantly he was willing to fight for it. Marius’ had had many light night arguments with him when they were children, and they all ended the same way. It became clear over time that Marius didn’t fight because he believed in the cause. He believed in the cause because he had to fight. Still, he always remained loyal to his people and his way of life. It was this loyalty that allowed Marius’ to walk away in the first place, and he knew that deep down Ramus resented him for this.
“Little brother,” Marius’ stated quietly and sadly, “you are a strong leader, and you’ve done you’re people proud. I don’t doubt that for a second.” Ramus smiled awkwardly, uncomfortable with this praise. “I just, don’t...think...” Marius stammered hesitantly, “that your people, have made you proud.”  Ramus looked away, clearly upset and hurt by this statement. He didn’t even bother to make eye contact as he spat his response back at Marius.
“Yes well when my own brother uses a sacred instrument to murder politicians for money, then indeed I do believe my people have not made me proud.”
Marius did not answer back to this. He simply looked down at the ground. He was hurt by this statement. He had wanted so badly to make Ramus understand, to make him see why he couldn’t be a part of the journeymen people anymore. But he couldn’t do that. Ramus’ pride was all he had left in this life. If he knew the truth it would destroy him. He couldn’t do that to his younger brother. It was moments like this that tempted him most. When he saw the look of hatred and disappointment in his brother’s eyes, he wanted to scream the truth to the world from the top of the great white cliffs. No he thought this was the price I agreed to pay. This was true. Marius saved the soul of every journeymen he had ever cared about, and in doing so lost all of them from his life.
“So,” stated Ramus hopefully, “where are you going next?” There was a long awkward pause after this question. Even Barton and Julien could feel it hang in the air.
“I’m not coming home Ramus.” Marius’ answer was short and simple. He cut right through the bullshit and answered the implied question. Ramus laughed to himself, frustrated and disappointed. He shook his head and cleared his throat.
“Dad is...” Ramus stammered. Marius glared at him, as if daring him to finish the statement. “Dad is still in penance.”
“Good.” Marius’ answer came immediately, without a hint of sympathy. Ramus looked at his older brother searching for the right words to say, but they never came. A young scout came jogging over to them and reported to Ramus.
“Sir, one minute.” Ramus sighed heavily and began to move away from the three of them and back toward his garrison.
“I’m afraid I have to leave you now. I’ll leave you a few horses, it’s the least we can do after destroying your ride. Rafe is the closest city, only about a day’s ride to the south. Barton, Julien, it has been a pleasure. Marius, I’ll look forward to the next time I find you writhing around the bottom of the barrel.” With that Ramus strode off.
“Wow,” Barton exclaimed, “he doesn’t really like you at all.”
“Shut up,” Julien said. Marius turned to Barton and looked at him for a moment.
“I’m bigger than you,” he said, “and I don’t sleep. Remember that.”
Marius jogged off after Ramus quickly calling his name to try and catch him. Ramus attempted to ignore him as he mounted his horse and called out a few orders to his garrison, now beginning to ride off in loose formation.
“Ramus wait,” Marius said.
“Marius, I really have to go,” Ramus’ response indicated he was in no mood to further discuss matters with him.
“Since when have the journeymen started raided airtrams all the way out on the flatlands?”  Ramus sighed heavily at the question.
“The Harvest came up short this year,” he said, “and since the reservation is still listed on the registry as ‘producing land.’ So the Parliament left us off the guest list.” Marius shook his head and took a deep breath.
“Fucking bastards,” he muttered quietly. Ramus looked down on him from his horse with a heavy expression upon his face.
“Things are not good Marius. Our people are desperate. Our time is running out.” Marius looked his brother square in the eyes.
“Out time is up little brother.”
Ramus shook his head and looked away.
“Yeah,” he said, “maybe it is.” With that he spurred his horse and rode off, leaving Marius’ to ponder the words now ringing in his head. He stood there for a long while, and watched as the raiders rode off. The ground took a pounding beneath their horses hoves, and Marius could feel the vibrations echoing back beneath his feet. The sound bounced off the surrounding mountains and blew off into the breeze. Marius inhaled that air deeply. Traveling had a different air about it. The journeymen weren’t just tramps who couldn’t get settled, they were in touch with an inherit force in Helen. The felt the breeze that carried it’s way across the face of the world, and they chased it. He longed to smell that beautiful air again. To see the face of mystery staring back at every turn.
He saw the journeymen ride away, carrying the fruits of their unethical labors. Their faces were, guant, blank, and starving. He remembered as a child how bright his people looked, and yet now they were empty, as if they were becoming a dim,burnt lightbulb. He couldn’t go back. Not yet. He had disappointed them. He had let them down, and abandoned them. How could he return to them now? How could he hold his head high, and meet the gaze of the people he had deserted. Still, if anyone had ever known what he knew, they never would’ve blamed him. He had gazed upon the the thick and dark beating heart of his people, and he had known the truth. He wasn’t sure he could ever return to them. He knew a day would come when that choice would fine him, but it was not this day. So, with a heavy heart, he turned, and he walked.
Barton and Julien remained where they had been left. Marius looked at them as he trudged back. They looked like a couple of lost puppies, waiting for their mother to come back. He wondered what would happen if he just turned and walked the other direction. Would they just sit there, until someone came to the rescue. If I left them, he thought, they’d probably just starve to death, stranded on the flatlands. But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t just abandon them there. They had his horse.
Marius strolled up quickly and grabbed the reigns of one of the three mares that Barton held. He patted it quickly, and slung his back and djerik on the back of the saddle.
“Well kids,” Marius stated plainly, “it’s been fun. Don’t travel at night, the flatlands are covered in big cracks, and horses have terrible sight in the dark.” Barton furrowed his brow and shot a glare at him. Julien looked amazed, and hurt.
“You’re leaving us,” she said in disbelief.
“Oh and watch out for the wild Megguns,” Marius called back, as he began to walk his horse down the tracks, “Food is pretty scarce around here, so they’re a little more aggressive than usual.” He strolled long and tried to put these two young kids out of his mind. This was made impossible as Julien hollered his direction.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m heading to Rafe,” Marius answered. “Cabnic is back that way”
“But-” she called, still lost in the strange series of events, “You can’t just leave us here.”
“Can and am, Angel Eyes. I got a living needs to be made. You two keep your heads down.”
Julien looked around, unsure of what to do. How could he just leave us here, she thought. We’ll never make it without him. He’s just going to forget us.      
“Come on,” Barton muttered, tugging on the horses reigns. “He’s not worth it.” Barton began to trudge back toward Cabnic, and Julien found herself caught between the two men, now moving in opposite directions.
“We can pay!” Julien shouted quickly. Barton turned back to her, angry.
“Julien. We don’t need him.” Marius by this point had stopped, and took a heavy sigh.
“How much,” he called back. There was a tense moment shared between Barton and Julien, as she looked to him for assurance. Barton gave none. He knew they needed him, but to admit so would be to admit defeat. The village had selected him. Julien was his charge, and protecting her was his sworn duty. Still, he couldn’t protest the help.
“We’ve got forty hands on us.”
Marius turned to face her. He looked into her eyes to see if she was trying to bluff him or not. He couldn’t be certain as he searched her face for any hint of reaction, but he couldn’t find a reason not to trust her. Marius was an expert at reading faces, and it was very clear that hers displayed fear. People who are afraid never lie. The truth is the only safe haven we have against fear, it’s mere instinct. Still, it wasn’t enough.
“Forty hands huh?” he said, “Hell I couldn’t even buy myself a decent whore in Cabnic for that price.”
“Then get a cheaper one,” Barton called back. Marius grinned that smug grin that Barton had come to hate so much.
“You get what you pay for kid.”
“Consider it a down payment,” Julien said, “You get us where we need to go, and I have a contact. We can get you two chalices. Finish the job, you get paid in full. That sounds like a fair payday to me.” Marius mulled it over in his mind. It wasn’t a bad price, but how could he know if she was telling the truth. It depended on how desperate she was to keep him around. He’d raise the price on her. If she was bluffing, she’d agree. If she was telling the truth she’d counter offer.
“Make it three, we can make a deal.”
“Two and a quarter, not a grain more.”
“Two and a half.” Marius stared his opponent down. “I’m worth it I promise.”
Julien took a long moment, before finally agreeing to the terms. Two and a half chalices it would be.
“I’m going to need some collateral,” Marius stated, “I need to know you’re not going to bolt at the last moment.” She looked at Barton, who immediately knew her plans. Her shook his head, to try and dissuade her, but he knew it didn’t matter. She had already made up her mind. She fumbled with a small silver locket that hung around her neck, before slowly taking it off and offering it out to him.
“This locket is priceless. I’ll get it back, by keeping my word.”
Marius studied her face and could find no hint of falsehood on it. This locket meant the world to her, and she would not part from it without good cause. But why was it so valuable to her? He reached out and took it, examining it in his hands. It was hand-carved and ornately finished. It was a fine little piece, but moreover it was unique, which made it’s valuable difficult to discern. He reached for the clasp in order to open it, but her voice stopped him.
“No!” she cried, “You can’t ever open it. Unless you collect on my debt, it remains closed. Those are my terms.”
“Fair enough,” Marius responded. He threw the locket into his sack, and climbed up onto his horse. Barton helped Julien onto her own horse, before mounting his as well. Marius saw the light of Tarna, now beginning to spread across the already scorching landscape, and knew that it was going to be a very long and difficult day.
“Alright,” he stated, “Well we’re too low on supplies to attempt any kind of real trek, which means we’ll have to head to Rafe first, and get ourselves mounted up. It’s only about a day or two ride from here. Once we get there we’ll get ourselves some spare rations and ammunitions, and then we’ll make for Cabnic. With any luck I should be able to get you there in about a week’s time.”
“Great” Barton responded, spurring his horse to begin their voyage. Marius soon joined him, and the two of them began to ride off down the tracks.
“Wait!” cried Julien, who hung back slightly. Marius and Barton turned themselves around to face her.
“What?” Marius replied.
“For two and a half chalices,” she said, “I want you to take us all the way.”
Barton spoke quietly but with great intensity, “Julien. Don’t.” Marius’ curiosity had been peaked.
“All the way huh?” Marius inquired, “and where would that be?” Julien stammered, obviously nervous putting such trust in a stranger.
“To the Capitol,” she said. The words hung there in the air a moment, as Marius looked her with great incredulity. He looked to Barton, and the boys worry confirmed that she was being honest. He laughed. Not because he found this fact humorous, but because it was all he could do at such a ridiculous request.
“So let me get this straight,” Marius said carefully, “You want me, to get you all the way across this country, across the open terrain, through Rafe, the most bustling port south of Waterchase, across the Harber Mines, through the Retryr Swamps, which are bustling with checkpoints by the way, and into the Olivian government stronghold that is the Capitol, all without ever being detected by the Parliamentary Army.”
Julien remained silent for a moment, staring him down with great passion and cause in her eyes.
“Yes” she answered plainly. Marius, remained surprised.
“Well,” he finally answered calmly, “Sounds like fun.”