Yallia Jones

Leaving my small room I watched my footing as the ship rocked back and forth in the waves. Even though we had docked an hour ago the waves were still moving the ship back and forth just enough to force me to be careful. As I ascended the walkway to the deck I made sure my shawl was wrapped around my face and ears. While under normal circumstances I should just be able to walk right into port, these weren’t normal circumstances and I had no idea if the Empire would have anyone waiting for me here.

I had considered simply walking boldly into the city and announcing my presence to any who might have been waiting for me and letting my skill with a sword and magic deal with any thugs that came. But I ultimately decided I couldn’t risk that the Empire hadn’t simply bribed the guards or the local authorities into simply arresting me on sight. While the Alatross Islands were well known for not liking outsiders everyone had a price and so far the Emprie hadn’t been sparing any expense. So, subterfuge it was.

Standing on the deck of the ship I looked over the bustling port as teams of people were already taking cargo out from the ships hold and onto the dock. The city was far smaller than what I was used to, but still sprawling in every direction. As Lamia were the dominant species on the island and Lamia didn’t care for stairs the buildings tended to be single story and this caused the city to be a little bit larger than it otherwise would be.

“Ahh Miss Jones, there you are.” Captain Noreko said to me as he appeared at my side. “I was just about to go below deck and find you.”

I turned to look at the jovial man. Captain Noreko was not someone that I had known before the voyage began but he had come highly recommended from an old friend of my fathers’. So, with not many options I had decided to trust my fate to him and I was pleased to see that he had never given me a reason to doubt him.

A large man in every sense of the word Captain Noreko was a dog kin from the outskirts of the Empire with brown hair and large ears that drooped all the way down to his graying beard, standing a head taller than most people he would have been intimidating if not for his perpetual smile. He was also in my experience a gentle giant who was slow to anger and thoughtful.

Captain Noreko had served aboard an Empire Navy ship in his youth, rising through the ranks to be a ships first mate. However, he had confessed to me part way through the voyage that he had left the Navy under less than ideal circumstances to become a merchant when he had become disillusioned with the Empires policies of aggressive expansion and the treatment of its newly conquered peoples.

He had since been sailing almost nonstop, buying and selling goods at ports all over the world. There were few as well travelled as him.

“Captain. I was just about to go looking for you. Thank you for the smooth voyage, I know this wasn’t your choice of destinations. Words can’t express the debt that I owe to you.”

“Nonsense I and my crew travel to all ports and I know this one well. The Genoseon Wine in my hold will fetch quite the price here.” He said with a wink. “How about you, do you know where you will go next? I understand you’ve not traveled here before. I would be happy to make some recommendations”

Even though Captain Noreko had proven trustworthy so far, I still didn’t want to tell him too much. Not just because of the chance of betrayal, but also because of the fact that what he didn’t know couldn’t be tortured out of him. Still saying nothing would raise its own suspicions, and be rude. “My father was planning an expedition here; he made a few contacts that I should be able to talk to. At least enough to get my tail straightened out.”

“Of course, of course. Then I wish you all the best, and I hope that you are able to find what you are looking for.” He said with a small bow.

Returning his bow, I picked up my few bags and headed down the gang plank then onto the shore. While Captain Norekos concern was nice it was also completely unwarranted. While I may not have ever travelled to these islands before I had travelled extensively with my father and mother when I was younger. The only daughter of a husband and wife archeological team I accompanied my parents on digs across the world and I was probably uniquely suited to arriving at a strange port with only two bags and a vague notion of someone who may be able to help me rescue my father.

Now all I needed to do was find that person.

Leaving the docks I tried to get a feel for the city, while keeping an eye out for anyone who seemed to have too much interest in a Cat-Kin dressed in a simple brown skirt and white blouse with a gray shawl. I had chosen my outfit specifically to be as boring and forgettable as possible, and it seemed to be working. Even the beggars that lined the streets of the docks barely paid me a second glance.

I was just starting to feel comfortable when I noticed someone looking at my bags, look at me and then shift their body to stand up.

By the time they had started moving I was past them and already reaching for the knife that I had tucked in my sleeve for just this eventuality. For a moment I cursed the skirt I was wearing instead of the brown pants I would much rather be wearing for a fight. Still I would make do just as my mother taught me. She had always said that a lady was never to be caught complaining or unprepared.

Looking up at the buildings feigning looking for a specific building while using that as an excuse to turn my head enough to catch a glimpse of the person following me. It was only for a moment and in that time, I saw a Dog-Kin with greasy, dirty hair, a torn shirt and pants that were more rags than anything. Yet his hair wasn’t matted and on his feet were boots. Dirty boots that had seen better days, but still boots that were only issued to soldiers of the empire, this far from the empire itself dog-kin were rare, those boots would be unheard of. That along with the way that he was following me through alleys and side streets told me that he was almost certainly a soldier. Still, if I played this right I might be able to learn a little more about who was looking for me.

Taking a right into an almost deserted ally I walked along the small twists and turns in the cramped spaces between the buildings the man following me slowly closing the distance.

Taking one last turn I estimated that I was now fairly close to being back to a main thorough fair when I readied one of my knives, dropped my bags, turned around and began walking towards the startled man with no warning.

Even though he wasn’t prepared for my sudden reversal of direction I could see that he was dealing with it without a moment's hesitation. As I raised my hand that held my knife the male dog-kin was raising a club of his own in his right hand.

Without breaking my stride I snapped the fingers in my left hand as I channeled the light element with my magic and felt a small amount of weariness seep into my body from the spell. I bright flash of light appeared directly in front of his eyes and he cried out in alarm and pain as he shut his eyes on instinct. Without breaking stride I stabbed my knife into his elbow and twisting it. Grasping his hand I twisted his entire arm forcing him to drop the club, I then hit him in the head with the but of my knife, kicked his knee cap with my heavy boot and pushed him onto the ground twisting his arm painfully as I did so.

Forcing his face into the ground I placed my boot on the back of his head and put a thumb on the cut on his elbow, squeezing it whenever he tried to struggle.

Kicking the back of his head a few times I only let up when I heard a muffled yell about surrender.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I wasn’t going to hurt you. Honest, I just wanted some money please have mercy!”

Ahh so the old pretend to be a mugger trick, I could work with this.

“Who are you? Why were you following me?” I asked trying to inject some panic into my voice.

“I beg you Miss, please forgive me I avn’t eaten in three days and I ave a wife and child at home. I wasn’t going to harm you. Just scare you into giving me some coin. Please have mercy.” He said while squirming on the ground in the mud.

“You were going to club me from behind and rob me but not harm me? Tell my why shouldn’t I drag you to a guard right this instant?” I said letting some of anger and incredulity into my voice.

“Please Miss, ave mercy you have no idea what these savages do to people here. An execution would be the best I could hope for, they torture people to death if given the chance. I only wanted to feed my child and my wife.” He said while cringing back, but even now I could see how he was coiling his legs and getting ready to strike me if this didn’t work, or maybe even if it did.

Looking down at him I forced my expression to go from one of anger to one of hesitance and then pity. “Attacking a woman in an alleyway, and who knows what else you’ve done. You probably deserve an execution. But that is not something I wish to have on my conscience.” Holding the knife in front of me I backed up until I was out of kicking range and I moved his club with my foot away from his hands. If he wanted to keep fighting I was ready and I saw as he eyed his club and the distance between us that he knew it too. “Pick yourself up and go home. Try to find some honest work or you may find yourself on a torturers bench still.” I backed up and moved to allow him a free run into the alley in front of us, but I kept the knife pointed at him ready to gut him if he ran at me.

“Thank you, Miss. A thousand blessings to you and your family. I won’t forget this I won’t, I promise I’ll turn over a new leaf.” He practically babbled as he limped away from me as quickly as he could.

As soon as he turned to corner I chanted a quick illusion spell, pulling on the light element again, to alter my clothes and appearance. That done I folded up my shawl and placed it in one of my bags. The person who turned the corner and followed that man was no longer a simple unassuming Cat-Kin wearing a simple blouse and skirt, I was now a slightly shorter Leporidae with ears tall enough to make up for the height I was missing and a small bushy tail. My clothes had changed too, now instead of drab boring colors my blouse was a dark green color and my skirt was a slightly lighter green that matched.

Not much of a disguise but it should make it a little easier to follow the man and the effort needed to maintain it should be minimal, which was important since I didn’t know how long I would be following him for.

Stepping out of the alley I was just in time to see him limping around a corner, a young man and woman looking after him, he having apparently shoved them out of his way in his haste.

Hurrying my pace I jogged after him and peeked around the corner, watching him I ducked back just as he started to turn around to see if I was following him. Giving it another moment, I saw him make a left turn at the end of the alley.

We continued this way my quarry making several other turns down small dingy alleys with almost no people in them and I was just starting to curse my choice in colors for my clothes when we finally emerged onto a main road.

This road was thankfully paved and had crowds of people from across the world walking up and down the street, although the most common people were the Lamia who were of course native to the island chain. Apparently a market place of some kind there were stalls lining the street along with people yelling and hawking their wares.

Finally able to get lost in the crowd I kept an eye on my quarry from almost 50 feet back as he occasionally entered and left my field of view. Ducking into an ally way I altered my illusion, changing my species again this time to a slender male Vulpine wearing dark pants and a white shirt, while making my bags invisible before continuing my pursuit. Walking with invisible bags while trying to not make it look like you wern’t carrying anything was more challenging than most people thought. How your arms moved when you carried something and when you didn’t was very different and if you didn’t want to give yourself away you had to be careful. Fortunately this was something my mother had drilled me in.

Now that I had changed how I looked again I felt a little more comfortable getting a bit closer to my quarry which was a good thing as he suddenly stopped turned around and began searching the crowd again. Walking past him I stopped at a small stall selling simple jewelry and picked up a piece at random looking at it while watching my quarry as he scanned the crowd. Apparently satisfied that he wasn’t being followed he turned and walked right past me as I began haggling with the shop keeper.

Throwing the jewelry down as he refused to meet my ridiculous counter offer to his ridiculous initial offer I once again followed him and was rewarded as he turned off of the market road and onto a nice residential street.

Before I followed him I once again cast a new spell feeling the drain on my stamina as I now looked like a female Canine wearing a simple dress with a floral pattern, disguising my one hand bag and rendering the other bag on my back invisible. Turning the corner I was just in time to see him enter a nice three story house halfway down the street. As I walked past, I noted which house it was and saw the mane taking off his coat and handing it to a tall, well build Canine, who I immediately pegged as a soldier in civilian clothes.

Walking past the building I turned on the next corner and decided to try and find my way back to the market. I still had someone to track down after all.

Fortunately the letters my father had received had come with some basic directions and once I started looking it wasn’t too hard to find Doctor Nailor Vinsdt.

Before long I was standing in front of his door looking like myself again and knocking. When the door opened, I was faced with a rather handsome older Lamia with light blue hair with streaks of gray in it. His tail was a dull green and some of the scales were changing color on the tips, something that my research told me meant that a Lamia was approaching the later years of his life. He was wearing clothes in the far lighter and cooler local fashion, they were not very bright and lacked the adornment of high end Imperial clothes.

“Can I help you?” He said.

“Doctor NailerVinsdt?” At his nod I continued. “My name is Yallia Jones, I believe you have been corresponding with my father Doctor Deeken Jones.”

“Yes I have been.” He said sounding extremely pleased to see me. “Please come in. I wasn’t expecting company, so please excuse the mess.” He said in accented Imperial Common.

“Thank you very much.” I said as I walked in. His home was simple. A squat one-story building with wide hallways and even bigger rooms. Doctor Nailer led me to a simple room lined with book shelves and with a few mismatched chairs that even a small sofa in it.

“Can I get you anything? I have some tea from Vidstet, I understand they have the best teas.”

“Do you have any local teas? I always enjoy trying the local food and drinks when I travel.”

With a smile he went to the kitchen and came back in a few minutes with two cups filled with a steaming liquid and a small plate of breads and sauces.

“Enjoy and please call me Nailer. Now how can I help you? I must confess your father has told me a lot about you in our letters, so it is wonderful to meet you. But I do not think you came all this way on a social visit.”

Trying the tea I found it to be excellent, if a little hot in the already sweltering heat of the midday sun. “No, Nailer I am sorry to say that I haven’t. Several weeks ago my father was kidnapped by agents of the Empire. I believe that he was brought here to the Alatross Islands. The people who took him were looking for your letters to my father.” As I spoke his face fell and he looked more and more disbelieving. “Fortunately I have them here, or at least most of them. I have read through them several times and while I have found mentions of ruins, I was hoping that you could help me discover where my father is and why he was brought here.”

At the mention of abduction Dr. Nailer sat up in his chair. “This is very alarming, are you sure?”

Giving him as level of a look as I could I said. “Doctor, I witnessed armed men drag my father into a carriage kicking and screaming. I am sure. What I need to know is why, what is so important about this island that the Empire would do this?”

“It could only be one thing. The Summit of the Ancients. What do you know of the Ancients?”

“We call them the Old Empire, but I actually know quite a bit about them. My Father and Mother had been studying them and the ruins they’ve left behind for decades. I accompanied them on many of their digs. They had a settlement here? I never heard.” Even ruins that had been already picked clean were well known and could have teams of people studying them. A previously undiscovered settlement? That would go a long way to explain why my father had been taken.

“Yes, it is deep in the jungles, months of travel by foot, or if you are able to go up the Alinian river only several weeks. Of course, either way you must contend with the natives of the deep jungle, and other hazards. There are threats there that would send even the most seasoned adventurers running for their lives, monsters that can eat teams of people, magical anomalies that can turn a person literally inside out. There are good reasons most of the interior of the island is still a mystery to most people. But the most important part of these ruins is their age. It is said that they were inhabited no more than 500 years ago.”

“That’s impossible. The Old Empire fell over a thousand years ago, no Humans have been seen since.”

“The records are sparse, the natives in the deep jungle don’t have writing so its oral histories for the most part. But one thing all of the different tribes that I have spoken to agree on is that it was no more than 500 years ago that there were survivors in the ruins.”

“Doctor, please understand that I am not simply discounting your research out of hand, it’s just that this goes against all conventional research into the Old Empire and Humans. Not a single Human has been seen alive in over 1000 years. How could they have survived that long there? Isn’t it more likely that this was another group that moved in afterwards? Some different peoples bare a strong resemblance to Humans after all.”

“I understand your hesitance, I didn’t believe it myself for years. But time and time again my research kept pointing me towards this sets of facts. Over 1000 years ago, just before or after the fall of the Ancients an outpost was created in the deep jungle to study something. For many of the tribes this was the first contact they had ever had with outsiders. They traded with the locals and made their own small towns and settlements, the largest of which was made on a mountain deep in the jungle. By Ancients standards it wasn’t very large apparently just over a thousand people.

Then when The Fall began, they started trading with the Lamia of that region but turned more isolationist to anything outside of the deep jungle. They all lived in peace for some time until the Humans died out, something that took hundreds of years. I even have proof. Take a look at this.” Doctor Nailer said leading me to a back room.

Leaving my tea on the table forgotten and my bags near the sofa I followed him. Opening a door to a small storage room he stood in front of a table with a sheet on top of it.

“This is what convinced your father of my research.” He told me removing the sheet.

Looking at it I gasped. There was a skeleton of what was mistakenly a human. Juvenile and female judging by the size of it, a more thorough examination would be needed before I could be certain but unless this was a world class hoax then this was the real deal.

“This was given to me by a trader who deal with some of the more remote tribes in the deep jungle. I am afraid that even Lamia are not particularly welcome there so it was not easy to get. I was able to use divination magic to date the remains to just over 600 years old.”

“Well now that I know why my father is here, I still need to rescue him. Who else knows of your research?” I asked.

“Locally I am quite well known although not many people know of me outside of the Islands. However a few days ago a group approached me. They were from the Empire but not soldiers.” Nailer said leading me back to the sitting room. “They arrived about two weeks ago and started meeting with the local leaders. Apparently throwing money and gifts around like it was nothing. They tried to convince me to go on an expedition they were planning into the jungle, but my days of field work are behind me, and even so I would never attempt to go up the river.”

“Was my father with them?” I asked.

“If he was they did not say, or let anyone see him. I was told that a local official told them I was something of an expert in the deep jungle.”

“Why did they want you to go with them?”

“In my youth I led many expeditions into the deep jungle, and I have written many books on those hazards and peoples. They claimed to be from some alchemist or potion making group and they wanted my expertise. They asked me to guide them, said they were looking for plants and other regents.”

“Was it the Imperial Alchemist and Potions Consortium?”

“Yes, I think that’s the one. Do you know them?”

“I do. The Consortium work closely with the Empires government and military. Often when the Empire needs plausible deniability the Consortium are sent in. Very likely those were soldiers, assassins and spies who visited you. Maybe a few actual researchers as well. Are they still in the city?”

“No, you just missed them I’m afraid. They convinced the local council to lend them some guides, guards, and supplies. They left a few days ago into the jungle up the river in a boat they brought with them and assembled here. If I am not mistaken though a few stayed behind. They have rented a building somewhere in the foreign quarter of the city, but I’m not sure where exactly. If you’d like I should be able to find out where, although if you were hoping to receive help from the local authorities I don’t think they will be willing to do much. A lot of money has exchanged hands over the last few weeks.”

“No don’t worry about that. What I really need is to find a way to that mountain before they do.”

“I do know a way that may be possible. It will however be extremely perilous.” He told me his voice filled with hesitation.

“I am perfectly fine with perilous Doctor. Let’s hear it.”

“On the South end of the Island there is a small port city called Kallamachu. It is the largest port on the South end of the Island. From there you will need to find a guide to take you to the Veil of the Gods. It is the largest mountain range on the island and stretches from one end of the island to another. Once there you will need to scale the mountain range by yourself or by finding a guide in Kallamachu. Once when I was very young and foolish I scaled the mountain with some guides to meet with the tribes in that area, it is what sparked my interest in the Ancients. Although I didn’t know they were the ancients at the time.

Most Lamia cannot climb mountains that steep so more than likely you will have to make the trek with either just yourself, or another outlander.

Once over the Veil you will be in the deep jungle, but no more than a few days trek from The Summit of the Ancients. It is the highest mountain in the area aside from the Veil, it won’t be too hard to find. The expedition will be coming up the river, but traveling by the river will take them several weeks at least, so you should be able to beat them.

The tribe in this area was extremely friendly when I visited them years ago, to both me and my outlander guides, but it is hard to say how they will react to an outlander now. I suggest bringing some gifts along. I made a habit of bringing steel knives and tools to the people I visited, I found this greatly improved the reception I was given.”

“Climbing a mountain with a pack full of steel may not be the easiest thing Doctor. Are there any other passes or any other short cuts?”

“None that I am aware of, but it should be doable, even I managed it with the help of three outlanders that I had hired.”

Looking at the doctor I was impressed, with his neatly cut hair and slightly saggy stomach he didn’t look like the type to climb mountains .

“These people are only a few hundred miles from the coast if they were to be able to cross the Veil, but because of the Veil they are one of the most isolated tribes in the area. I cannot stress how difficult a trek this will be. If there were any passes or shortcuts available, I am sure they would be well known by now. If there were any other way to get to this area before the expedition, I would recommend it to you.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I can’t say that this is the simplest plan I have ever heard of, but this wouldn’t be the first mountain I’ve climbed.”

Bidding the Doctor goodbye, I left with my bags under my arms and under a glamour to make me look like a female Lamia with nothing in her hands. Although he looked scandalized by the idea of an unmarried woman leaving his home he eventually relented when I told him about my attacker earlier in the day. Walking past the people who were watching the Doctors home without a second glance I focused on making sure my illusion had the correct sway in her hips, it was really quite the stomach work out.

The plan the Doctor outlined was as crazy of a plan I had ever heard of. It was enough to make me feel nostalgic for my childhood.

When I was safely passed the Doctors watchers, I dropped the illusion with a sigh. I had used a lot of magic so far and my day was just getting started.

With a spring in my step I continued on to the docks, Captain Noreko should still be in port for a few more days, maybe he would be willing to make a small detour to the other side of the island?