Chapter 30: Dissonant Voices

  Location after location and place after place that they went to, Livia and Corin kept getting the same reactions to their question. None of the furtives they asked knew about Belaran.

  Now they found themselves in a worn-down establishment. Besides the couple, there were only a handful of others. A robed gesherin who seemed surprised by the couple when they entered, a sparrowling who loudly snored in a corner, and a human deep in conversation with himself.

  The gesherin approached the couple, his large eyes teeming with concern. This gesherin was short, smaller than Corin or Livia. He seemed like the other gesherin they had seen before. Long and thin arms and legs, the majority of their bodies covered with robes, greyish skin, and the large bulbous eyes. This gesherin had short black hair and he seemed to be around Zhi’s age.

  “Is, um, there anything I can help you with?” the gesherin asked as he looked around. Corin assumed he ran the place.

  Corin and Livia looked at the gesherin with a puzzled look. Could it be that he was in danger?

  “We have been going around Yranto in hopes of learning something about a giant,” Corin said.

  “Oh dear me, a-a-a-a, a giant?” the gesherin replied with horror as he looked at Corin.

  “Are you alright?” Corin asked. The gesherin quickly turned at the snoring sparrowling and then back to Corin.

  “Is he threatening you?” Corin whispered as he put his hand on his blade.

  “Oh dear me, nuh-no.” The gesherin reacted quickly, throwing his hands in the air. “No, I’m sorry I am not go-good at talking to, um, to customers. I…try to help with this establishment, but it isn’t mine!”

  “I guess that explains why it is so empty,” Livia mentioned.

  The gesherin’s face scrunched up.

  “But honestly we have walked around a lot of different places tonight, and a lot of them were pretty empty as well. It’s not only here.”

  “Oh dear me. I, am, I am, wait,” The gesherin stopped talking. He turned around.

  “Jaco, we already spoke about this.” The gesherin spoke to himself. “When talking to others, you need to focus. Focus, Jaco!”

  The gesherin turned around.

  “I am only here to help my sister. It’s her…name on the outside, Jeinna. She would normally run this es-establishment, and when she’s here, it is a lot busier. Much, um, much.” Jaco took a deep breath. “Busier! But yo-your words really help! I thought I was doing a terrible job!”

  Corin looked around at the nearly empty establishment. He had nothing to say.

  “No, no,” Livia spoke up. “Not at all!”

  “I’m sorry.” Jaco replied. “You are not here to listen to me complain. You were asking about a um, um, a giant.”

  “Oh right,” Livia said. “We are looking for a giant named Belaran, I suppose you have never heard of him.”

  Jaco listened to Livia with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath.

  “No,” he said and opened his eyes. He seemed proud that he provided a response to a customer.

  “Oh, I see,” she replied, defeated.

  “M-may I ask something?” Jaco asked.

  “Um, sure.”

  “Why, um, why are you looking for a giant? Do you ha-have a death wish or something?” Jaco asked with concern.

  “Why are we looking for a giant?” Livia repeated the question back to Jaco.

  “You don’t need to look for no giant!” the human in the establishment shouted.

  They all turned to look at him.

  “He’s right out there!” The human pointed outside the establishment.

  “You think we’re safe from him just because we have these big walls? They are right there! We’re only safe while their appetites keep growing! Pretty soon, they’ll be eating you, him, even him and me!”

  The sleeping sparrowling looked up but quickly proceeded to fall back asleep.

  “I’m…sorry. Don’t mind him. He, ah, is quite nice, but can have some moments,” Jaco replied.

  “When they’re eating all of us, you won’t think I’m crazy anymore!” the human said and abruptly quieted down.

  As soon as he did, something inside him changed. He looked around and quickly left the place.

  “Oh, that was something,” Livia said eyeing the door.

  “Yes, um, that was Penpen. He's al-always saying things like that. Um, you know, about giants.”

  “I don't blame him,” Corin said. “Titans have traumatized furtives for millennia. It's a wonder we're not all like him.”

  Livia spoke up, focused on a different topic.

  “But you wanted to know why we were looking for a giant?”

  “Oh, yes, I guess I do.” Jaco said. “Aren’t giants da-dangerous?”

  “Oh, they are dangerous,” Livia replied. “But this giant has something that we need.”

  Jaco was taken aback.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Re-really?”

  “How can I explain it? It's a unique tool that only this giant possesses.”

  “Oh de-dear!” Jaco sounded interested. “How did you, um, learn about it and this giant?

  Was it from giant script?”

  “You know about their languages?” Corin asked as he shot up from his seat.

  Jaco was scared by Corin's suddenness.

  “Sorry, I got too excited. But you know of giant script?” Corin asked with a much calmer tone.

  “So I was right?” Jaco asked. “You read about it?”

  Livia and Corin exchanged looks. It was clear this furtive knew a lot more than he initially let on.

  “You’re partially correct,” Livia began. “This tool was written of. But it wasn't in giant script. It was written in dragon script.”

  “A-amazing!” Jaco continued. “I also know some of the dragon script!”

  “You also know it? You mean to say you know giant script as well? Do you know leviathan script?” Livia asked.

  “Oh, um, no, but I do have some dragon and giant script writings.”

  “And none of them mention Belaran?” Livia asked.

  “Although I'm very co-confident in my ability to read giant script, I struggle with dragon script.”

  “Where do you have these scripts?” Now it was Livia who shot up. Unlike Corin she was right up on Jaco’s face.

  “Oh dear!” Jaco exclaimed.

  Corin had to get up and pull his wife back. “Livia, you're scaring him.”

  “It's, it's fine.” Jaco replied. “I have them in my room!”

  “Is that here?” Livia asked.

  “Oh no!” Jaco replied with a laugh. “You’re really are not from around here.”

  Livia and Corin were confused as they looked at each other.

  “All ge-gesherin live underground!” Jaco looked around his establishment. “I guess, um, that it would not be an issue to go now. Are you folks okay with that?”

  Before he was done talking, Livia was already leading Jaco out the door.

  “Ka-Kadus please watch this place in my stead!” Jaco shouted to the snoring sparrowling.

  “Sure thing, Jeinna,” the tired sparrolwing said.

  The snoring continued shortly thereafter.

  ***

  The busy streets were lit by fires, light fruits and the moonlight as Corin and Livia followed Jaco, through the maze-like streets of Yranto.

  “Al-almost there!” Jaco said with an excited tone as he led the couple.

  “Corin!” someone shouted from the side of the street.

  Corin looked in the direction his name had been shouted from. He instantly recognized the face. It was the agent he had encountered the previous night, Massin.

  Upon seeing Corin's reaction, a wicked smile spread across Massin's face. Validation that he was not wrong, that he had found his prey.

  Corin and Livia froze, staring at the man.

  He was only about three paces from Corin. Jaco, who had been in front, turned around to see what the commotion was. He did not understand what was occurring.

  “Is, is, is something wrong?” Jaco asked with a smile.

  Jaco walked over to Corin, who quickly shouted at him.

  “Stay away, Jaco.”

  Jaco’s entire complexion changed. He seemed terrified, and he froze up.

  “I see. So, you're not only lying to locals. You're also bringing them in to your devious plots too? Does poor Jaco know how many furtives have died by your hands? I know of at least more than thirty! It might be three times more than that for all I know!” Massin said.

  “Wh-what?” Jaco said his terrified expression turned to look at Corin now.

  Corin turned to Jaco.

  “Jaco, this man is an agent of a titan, a dragon. He's dangerous!” Corin replied. He kept his eyes on Massin.

  “Yes, that might be true. I am an agent of Tonatiuh, but all I do is ask questions here and there and see what is going on in this city. I don't go out killing furtives like you and your friends have.” Massin smiled.

  He took a step toward Corin, who pulled out his blade. Massin kept his hands hidden under his robe. Corin knew he was armed.

  Jaco stared at Corin with horror. Corin turned his head to look at Jaco to try to explain himself.

  “What this man fails to say is that those furtives I have killed have all been—”

  Massin threw something. He saw it from the corner of his eye. He was about to smash it with his blade but he ducked.

  He heard the object smash and hiss behind him.

  Acid!

  Massin thrust at Corin with a long dagger. Corin dodged the incoming blade by the thinnest of margins. With Massin next to him, Corin kneed him hard in his stomach.

  Corin's knee hurt after the hit. Massin coughed as he reeled back from Corin, who stood his ground with his blade.

  “You're not going to win this,” Corin said. “You're better off leaving.”

  Massin’s prior composure was gone. His eyes burned with rage. Corin knew there was only one way this would end.

  “Stand down!” Corin told Massin.

  Massin lunged at Corin, slashing at the air. He missed Corin by a wide margin. Corin was methodical, he thrust at his thigh and left a large bloody gash.

  “Argh!” Massin yelled as he fell to one knee.

  “Stand down!” Corin told him once more pointing his blade at him. “I won't warn you again!”

  Massin staggered at Corin and threw a dagger. As he pulled close to Corin, he had another vial in his hands. He knew he was outmatched and would probably die, but if it was the last thing he did, he would take Corin with him.

  Damn!

  Corin had to act fast. The dagger was the least of his concerns. He steeled himself for the glancing blow, which sliced along his left shin. It hurt, but it would not distract him from the opponent.

  As Massin approached, vial in hand, Corin ran his blade through Massin’s throat. His face was a mix of confusion and horror as his life slipped away. The bottle in his hand slipped out and fell onto the ground in front of Corin. It landed and shattered on a pool of Massin’s blood, slowly hissing.

  Corin pulled his blade out and let Massin fall down on the ground.

  He looked around. Besides him, Livia, and Jaco, the entire street had emptied out. Even those who had been sleeping had gotten up and left.

  Livia ran up to Corin.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, looking at his leg.

  “It's fine,” he replied.

  He cleaned and put away his blade.

  Jaco had not moved throughout the entire ordeal. Corin was not sure if he was still conscious.

  “Is he okay?” Corin asked.

  “Jaco, Jaco,” Livia began as she shook the small gesherin.

  The gesherin slowly turned his horrified expression toward her from the dead body. The pool of blood that Massin lay on top kept expanding under his body.

  “I, I, I ha-have n-never seen anyone duh-die be-be-fo-fore,” he stammered.

  “Jaco, it’s-”

  Before Livia could finish Jaco started weeping out loud.

  Jaco began to weep. Corin approached Jaco but Livia cut him off.

  Makes sense. I did just kill a man in front of him.

  Livia consoled Jaco, holding him in her arms. He seemed like a child in her arms.

  “I'm sorry you had to see that, Jaco. He and other men have been searching for us. They have tried to kill us already on three separate occasions. It was never our intention to bring you into this. If we knew this would have happened, we would not have brought you along,” Livia said.

  Jaco sobbed into her shoulder. Corin could only imagine what the horror of seeing someone dying for the first time in your life, and in such a gruesome way, could do to someone.

  Corin looked around. The street was still empty, but he knew they had to leave.

  “We can't stay here much longer.”

  “Well what should we do with him?” Livia asked. Jaco was still inconsolable.

  “We’ll bring him with us,” Corin replied.

  ***

  Whatever was going through Jaco's mind was beyond Corin’s comprehension. While Jaco continued walking with them he did not complain about being dragged along by two strangers to a hideout he had never seen.

  At one point, when he had regained enough of his composure, he raised his head and looked to Livia.

  “Ha-have you ever ki-killed?” Jaco asked, his face still wet with tears.

  “I have,” she said.

  That sent Jaco into another fit of sobbing. Livia had to console him once again.

  Many furtives gave the trio a concerned look. The wailing and sobbing Jaco brought many eyes on them. It did not help that Corin was hobbling and bleeding. He tried his best to hurry along.

  They reached their hideout without being followed. As they approached the door, Jaco’s sobs started again.

  “Oh dear! Oh dear!” His whimpers were hard to understand. “No-now it's my turn! Please do-don't slash my throat!”

  Corin felt awful about the condition of his new companion.

  “Jaco, I'm sorry. I don’t mean to harm you, but we could not stay above ground. We would have been ambushed by that man’s associates.”

  Jaco’s sobs did not stop.

  “We only want to explain what has happened. But if you are too scared that’s fine. You can leave. We won't follow you. You'll be safe to go. Those men will not be looking for you.”

  Jaco sniffled and took a deep breath.

  “You, you, you mean that? You would let me go? After what I, I, I saw?” Jaco asked while still holding on to Livia. He had not let go of her the entire time.

  “Of course, Jaco. We don’t want to harm anyone,” Corin replied.

  Jaco finally stood on his own two feet.

  “I, I, I don't know mu-much about what you are doing, but if it is against titans, I can he-help.”

  ***

  The room was quiet as they heard the story of how Jaco came to accompany Corin and Livia.

  When Livia explained about how Corin and the agent fought, Jaco once again began to quietly sob.

  “Are you okay?” Zhi asked Jaco, who sat next to her.

  “Oh dear,” Jaco replied, his soft voice breaking. “I had ne-never seen anyone die in front of me.”

  “It's a horrible thing to see,” Daum spoke up. “I remember the first time I saw someone die in front of me. I had just been selected as a Zifor.”

  Jaco’s big eyes seemed to double in size as they swelled with fear.

  “I’m no longer a Zifor.” Daum quickly interjected.

  “But when they select us, one of the very first things they do is show us a public execution of captured runaways. It’s meant to show us what we would end up contributing to.”

  “The first person I saw die was an old man. He ran away after his wife died. He didn't have anyone else and didn't make it very far. They hung him and made a show of it. It was common. That way other captives wouldn't think of running.

  That would be the first but not the last time. His face, along with those of the people I've killed, or helped kill, I remember them. They haunt my dreams. It's a horrible sight, one that no person should ever grow accustomed to. I’m sorry for rambling, but I just want you to know, that what you’re experiencing is normal,” Daum finished.

  “Th-thank you,” Jaco said with tears glistening in his face.

  “Now you all know about Jaco, but he doesn't know about us, or why we're here,” Corin said.

  Zhi told Jaco the entire chain of events that had led them all to this point. She also explained why they were searching for Belaran. Jaco managed to keep his composure throughout their story, but there were times that it seemed he might faint.

  “Do you see now why we are looking for Belaran?” Livia spoke up.

  Jaco turned to her and slowly nodded.

  “So you will still allow us to read through the documents you have?” Livia asked.

  “Of, of course!” Jaco replied.

  “Well, that’s great and all,” Simeon interrupted, “but we need to be careful. Daum and I spent some time looking at the agent’s den. There are a considerable number of them coming in and out of that house fairly regularly. We counted close to twenty different individuals.”

  “A mix between dragoors, dwarves, and humans. But they all moved with care and grace. With their numbers, they are very formidable enemies,” Daum added. “And now with what happened today, they will be more careful and more dangerous.”

  “I, I, I can gu-guide you to my home,” Jaco replied with a newfound sense of determination.

  “I admire your bravery, but right now we have to wait,” Daum replied. “It has been a long day, and an agent of a titan has been murdered. The streets will be on high alert, and we don’t know what to expect.”

  Jaco seemed disheartened.

  “Fret not, Jaco,” Simeon added. “Your contributions will aid to our cause, but Daum is right. We are in a very precarious situation, and if we are as close as we think we are to our end goal, then any misstep may doom us. Right now, waiting is our best option.”