Hammer Out A Path (Cart-Dragger Saga Book 2) Read online

  A bearded sailor looked her way. "Yes, he is in the cabin. You want to speak with him?"

  "Indeed, we may have work for your crew should you accept it."

  After meeting the captain, a gray-mustached man of almost sixty with leathery skin, they worked out arrangements to be taken to Velinthe. It didn't prove as costly as Cart-Dragger feared, for the crew was hard pressed to find work and she and Scott managed to haggle the price down a ways. They set sail soon after, and Russ found himself repeatedly vomiting over the side. "The ocean is mighty," Scott commented when a storm rocked their ride upon violent waters. "I hear many ports were wiped away by great waves when the world turned upside down, so Athendar really lucked out."

  Overhearing them, a brawny young sailor said, "We weren't that lucky. A wave higher than any tower washed over our city, destroying most of our ships as they were flung into our midst. Between that and being drowned or crushed by the water, thousands died that day. I was just a small boy then, yet the bodies strewn all through the streets remain clearer in my mind than what I ate yesterday. But because of our sturdy construction, most of our buildings survived, making it look like we got off easy."

  Cart-Dragger bowed her head. "I'm sorry to hear that." So that was why quiet pervaded the city more than expected, having lost a significant amount of its populace. Even in its most outwardly untouched refuges, humanity didn't escape unscathed.

  "Good construction, though," Scott mumbled. "What about Velinthe? Do you trade much with it?"

  "They don't have much to trade in return," the sailor replied. "We used to try and help them, sending what supplies we could spare for the sake of rare fellow humans. But recently they've grown ever less welcoming of visitors, suspecting us of ulterior motives. So we also have been going there less and less."

  It reminded Cart-Dragger of Athendar's own response to her. Maybe that was what happened when people remained isolated for long too—their distrust towards outsiders grew, and it might even come to the point they became overeager to react with violence. She needed to try and halt such in its tracks, and reestablishing amiable relations between Velinthe and Athendar, along with Galantria, would be a solid first step.

  After four days on the sea, the outline of Velinthe drew near—a remarkably symmetric island, like a colossal stone platform of triangular shape resting atop the water. She was surprised at how small it looked having heard ten thousand people lived here, and assumed they must dwell quite packed together to save space. The ship pulled into the docks, not wood as usual but paved extensions of the main isle. It startled her to see even fewer ships in port than at Athendar. In case of an emergency, how were the residents meant to evacuate? Stepping off the ramp onto land, Cart-Dragger got a nervous feeling knowing the whole island was man-made. What supported it, and could the construction be trusted? But given it had stood all these years, she supposed they shouldn't be so unlucky for it to fail now.

  Scott's face brightened to regard the great variety of buildings that made up the city. There were ones made to resemble stone tents and exotic temples, others in the form of domes and pyramids. Cart-Dragger remembered that Velinthe had once been a favored destination for people traveling for pleasure, and imagined those fanciful structures housed attractions like restaurants, casinos, shops, and brothels. She wondered how many of those businesses still operated, as there didn't seem to be much activity around most. Even the plainer large buildings where the masses probably resided tended to have extra flair, some designed to look like castles or beached ships, many decorated with intricate carvings or murals. How much had it cost to create all this splendor? But even it faded, lofty facades showing signs of neglect as dirt gathered and paint chipped.

  Gaunt, sickly seeming folk wandered the streets, eyeing Cart-Dragger and friends warily. She supposed she and Lars did make imposing figures; Scott and Russ maybe not as much, but they did all carry weapons. "Don't worry," she said raising her hands in a gesture of peace, "we're not here to cause any harm. In fact, we came to help."

  "Help with what?" asked a middle-aged woman with thin, stringy hair. "We do not need or desire the interference of controlling outsiders."

  Strong assumptions. Had others attempted to bully them before, or had xenophobic ideas just spread among them? "Who says we want to control anything? We just feel in this harsh remnant of a world, those humans who remain should do what they can to aid each other. And sentient beings other than humans too, for that matter."

  A wizened man, once tall but stooped with age, looked her over with dubious eyes. "Other sentient beings? Do you mean to say you wish to befriend the vicious monsters the empire once terrorized the world with?"

  "Wish?" She gave a slight smirk. "I already did—some of them, anyway. They're not so bad. They used to be driven mad with pain by the control plates which replaced their skin, but many turn out to be pretty reasonable once relieved of that."

  "You must be mad!" a curly-haired youth spat. "Those creatures cannot be trusted. They are demons, and any sane person would fear for their life in their presence."

  Getting them to accept help from the God Soldiers would obviously be a problem. "They aren't demons. They're just elementals, children of the earth like us, and can be as peaceful as any person. I'm not really looking to debate their nature, though. Who leads you? We'd like to talk with them to figure out what course of action would be most appropriate."

  "What use would there be in speaking to crazed monster-friends like you?" the old man replied. "You should leave, and take your dangerous notions elsewhere."

  "They're awfully hostile," Russ whispered. "I guess the Cart-Dragger brand isn't established around here."

  That gave her an idea. Since people did come here from Athendar now and then, maybe her legend had spread to Velinthe as well. "I realize this may seem a bit immodest, but do you know who I am? I'm the Duchess of Galantria, also known as Cart-Dragger, who stopped the warlike Red Empire from rising once more."

  The distinct lack of cheering and applause told her her audience wasn't very impressed. A woman glared at her. "Cart-Dragger, the friend of a giant flame demon?" Abaddon, the King Elemental of Fire who had fought alongside her months ago. "The brute who once clawed out a man's eyes with her fingers?" It wasn't as if that mass murderer hadn't deserved it. "Who recruited the last of the empire's Four Virtues to be her cohort?" Well, Strength seemed like a decent person aside from taking even more joy in battle than herself. "The irresponsible wild child playing away from home while her family was being slaughtered?" A lump grew in her throat, and her eyes misted up. They had heard of that? Damn...

  While she hung her head, momentarily unable to speak, Scott protested, "But that's just the worst part of her story! Willow—that is, Cart-Dragger—is a great friend and hero, who has sacrificed much blood and sweat for the sake of her people. Now she wants you to be her people too. Look, all of you are so scrawny and malnourished, are you satisfied being this way? We only want to improve your lives. Let us try."

  Cart-Dragger looked up, tears running down her cheeks. "You're right that I'm a monster by many standards. But do I look like a monster who's out to hurt you? If I was as malicious as some of you seem to think, what was just said about me and my family would make me react pretty violently. But I'm better than that... or at least, I try to be. If you let us talk to your leaders, maybe we can sort things out and come to an understanding. My dream is for everyone to live contently, like before the war or even better than then. I can tell you suffer and it hurts me. So please, don't reject me before I can make my case."

  "Perhaps we should give her a chance," a man muttered. "She's crying, she appears to be sincere."

  Another snapped, "Are you serious? A wealthy noble like her, you doubt she can afford acting classes? She wants you to feel sympathy, but don't be deceived that our words could reach her heart. I question if she's human at all. I've heard she has been run through multiple times, caught in stone-shattering explosions, crushed by monsters the s
ize of castles, and never even stayed down much less died. She is more likely a demon born from a human womb, hence her camaraderie with demons."

  "I'm human," she breathed shakily. "Though I'm not sure I deserve to have this inexplicable strength, I've at least tried to make the best of it."

  "Enough of this nonsense!" Lars said. "We didn't come all this way just to be turned away by some irrational idiots who question if you're human, when you clearly are. How were you ever a tourist city, being so terrified of outsiders? If you aren't going to take us to your leaders, we'll find them ourselves. And if you don't stay out of our way..." He drew his battleaxe.

  "No, don't hurt them."

  He squeezed her shoulder. "Relax, I won't. As long as they don't try to hurt us."

  "That's reasonable. I guess I'll follow your lead." They stepped forward, and erring on the side of caution the crowd parted. They gazed around in search of where they might find those in power. A great cube-shaped building loomed at the middle of the island, which she figured might be a good place to start. They headed down the wide central avenue lined with empty rectangular flowerpots towards it. Before they could reach the thick double doors, however, a young man in a red fur jacket emerged from it flanked by half a dozen armored guards.

  She crossed her arms and sighed as they approached. "And who might you be, the lackeys of whoever runs this increasingly irritating city?"

  The fur-jacketed fellow smiled. "Lackey? No, I am probably the man you desire an audience with. My name is Brennan, the Overseer of Velinthe."

  Cart-Dragger didn't much like that title, for it reminded her of an old enemy. "Leader of the city, you? Aren't you a little young?"

  "My grandfather who was Overseer before me recently died. Because my father had perished long ago, the role passed down to me."

  "I'm sorry." She had kind of assumed a position called "Overseer" would be earned and not inherited.

  He tilted his head at her. "What about you? It's not as if you're any older than me, if not younger."

  "But who says I'm a leader?"

  "No need to try and fool anyone," he said with a laugh. "Upon hearing you described to me, I quickly deduced who you are. Am I wrong, Duchess of Galantria, invincible warrior whose strength surpasses that of gods?"

  "That's a bit overstating it." After all, she hadn't fought any real gods. For all she knew, they didn't even exist. "But it's about how my reputation goes, yes."

  "And you wish to unite this continent under your banner?"

  Taken off guard, she struggled with her reply. "No, I... I don't intend to put anyone 'under' me. I've learned from the empire's mistakes. I just want humans, the few of us that are left, to be able to cooperate for our mutual benefit and stand together should we face a new threat."

  "Your people being so isolated," Lars added, "she suspected you might be in more need of aid than most. And it looks like she was correct."

  "Our slender appearance does not merit as much concern as you may think. We've lived many years this way, and haven't died yet."

  "But is it comfortable to be so skinny and frail?" Russ asked.

  "Not being as well filled out as you does not necessitate being frail."

  Cart-Dragger understood the concept of being lean and hardy, but didn't think the average citizen of Velinthe fit the bill. They did seem underfed and weak, even the silent guards accompanying Brennan looking already winded from moving around in their mail and cuirasses. "I don't mean disrespect, but there's a limit to how little one can eat and stay healthy." Come to think of it, he looked a tad fuller in the face than his neighbors. It irked her slightly to know he helped himself to more than an even share, but that alone wasn't a great sin compared to many committed by leaders.

  "Perhaps so. How do you propose to improve our food supply, will you donate your surplus to us at no cost? I somehow doubt such generosity comes without a catch."

  "Actually, that wasn't exactly my plan. We have some allies who could help you produce more food, and letting them stay with you would probably be more efficient than transporting supplies so far on a regular basis."

  Brennan raised an eyebrow. "Allies? Of what sort, demons?"

  She exhaled. "I had hoped you would be more educated than certain others. Do we really look like the friends of demons?"

  "I know the elementals working with you are not truly demons. But you must understand that since the war shattered everybody's lives, strong notions have developed among the populace. It would not be easy to convince them to accept aid from inhuman beings which contributed to the world's descent into chaos."

  "Even though they were under the control of others?" Scott asked.

  Lars grunted. "For many, it's not so easy to forgive those who threatened them no matter how good the excuse."

  Cart-Dragger thought about it. "Maybe we could just send you food at first, then when your people have grown more accepting of us as allies, we could see if they're ready to accept elemental help." Not that Galantria had a great excess of food, but they could likely spare enough to give a measure of relief to the starving folks here. "And they should probably be accompanied by a human 'interpreter' too, if direct interaction with them would be too intimidating."

  "I still don't know what your true motives are," Brennan said with a frown. "But if you would start off by gifting us food without asking anything in return, perhaps I should accept your offer. Even if you do intend to bully us in the future, we would be more suited to resist it in better condition."

  She grinned. "Spoken with admirable candor. I promise I don't plan to bully you. If I ever ask anything from you in return, it'll be for the benefit of humanity as a whole."

  "Humanity this, humanity that. Did the empire not claim to do everything for the benefit of all mankind too? I'll give you a chance, but don't think we make easy pawns."

  "I understand why you wouldn't trust us fully. I hope we can win more of your trust with our actions. Something else, though—why have you begun to shun contact with Athendar? In the world's current state, those of us who are left should stick together as much as we can."

  "The mayor of Athendar is sneaky, asking us to allow his nephew to 'help' with the management of our resources in exchange for continued aid. But if we allowed them a foothold in our government, they will only seek to take more and more power from us until we are subjugated under their thumb."

  That did seem like a fair reason for being less sociable. Still, "I doubt every person who comes from there is acting directly under the mayor's orders. Maybe you should handle things on a case-by-case basis instead of treating them under the assumption they are. And, I'll have a talk with the mayor when we get back."

  "If you are sincere, I thank you," Brennan said with a nod, then turned and walked back towards the large building with his guards.

  "So that's it?" Russ asked. "We came all the way here for a few minutes' talk?"

  She shrugged. "If it leads to smoother relations between our three cities, those few minutes would have been well worth it. Quality over quantity, like with my heavy hammer hits."

  "Good point."

  "Wait!" Scott yelled to Brennan before he could disappear through the doors. "By the way, would there be any way for me to take a look at whatever supports this island? I'd be fascinated to see the construction, and might also be able to inspect it for developing issues."

  "Do you think living here all these years, we have no ability to detect and address problems that could threaten our very survival? But I suppose it would do no harm to let you see while being guarded. Come with us, if you wish."

  "You guys want to come too?" he asked Cart-Dragger and the others.

  She had heard of a great pillar which connected Velinthe to the ocean floor holding it up, and imagined Scott would examine it by going down inside it. She didn't think they would be able to see much interesting to laymen from there, though. "I'm pretty hungry, so I think we'll pass. Unless either of you wants to go?"

  "I doubt I'l
l have much appreciation for the nuances of the construction," Lars said.

  Russ gazed eagerly at her. "We're going to eat? That definitely takes priority over sightseeing!"

  Cart-Dragger laughed. "Seems that's settled. Time to look for a restaurant. It shouldn't be too hard for you to find us, Scott—just ask where the girl with the giant cart went."

  #

  After parting ways with Scott, Cart-Dragger and her companions checked several suspected restaurants before finding one that was open. They ordered fish soup only to find the portions very, very small. She could have eaten five bowls the size of the one she received and still not been full, but didn't order more knowing food was limited and it would be selfish to deprive the people who actually lived here. Instead she sipped at it extra slow, trying to fool herself while ignoring the grumbling of her stomach. She'd probably eat some bland rations later to supplement her "meal."

  "This place is terrible." Russ scraped at the bottom of his third bowl of soup, the least she could convince him to settle for. "How can that be what passes for a meal?"

  Cart-Dragger drank a swig of whiskey between spoonfuls to further extend her bowl's lifespan. "Well, if you lived here you would have to deal with it every day, so you should feel sympathy for the inhabitants."

  "I do... they should move back to the mainland, though. Wouldn't they have an easier time getting food there than staying over here?"

  "I don't know, maybe." Likely, now that she thought of it. There was probably somewhere they could find enough fertile land to live better than on this platform with limited growing space. "But it's hard for people to leave the home they're used to, you should know that."

  "Yeah. Hopefully they can fix their economy and relations with Athendar enough to live comfortably through trade again."