John watched Dingo Boy leave the common room through the backdoor and headed for the kitchen to talk to Owen. He liked the Innkeeper. They’d bonded over pizza earlier in the day and that verged on sacred. As he approached the doorway to the kitchen he heard a female voice say, “…they’ve been in each otheh’s lives since they were toddlin’ ’round togetheh. We watched theih love blossom right heah in our own common room.” John paused and considered walking away. He didn’t want to eavesdrop.
“I know, Tia, ya don’t have t’ tell me. What if he whisks her off to some otheh town or makes a Huntress outta her? I like the boy jest fine but I don’t want to lose a daughteh oveh this thing,” said Owen Jacobs.
“She ain’t goin’ nowheah an’ nothin’s gonna change ’xcept we might get cheapeh an’ fresheh meat f’ this ol’ place,” Tianna scolded her husband lightly.
A strong push propelled John through the doorway of the kitchen. He glanced back to see red curls and smiling green eyes. He stumbled a bit but righted himself quickly and looked up into another set of green eyes. “Excuse me,” said John sheepishly.
“Come f’ thet round awready?” Tianna asked him.
“I was just coming to talk to Owen.” he said.
“What’s this ‘bout a round?” asked the Innkeeper.
“Not on the inn’s tab, I’ll be payin’ for it jest like any regulah customeh,” Tianna said to her husband, ”I’ll tell ya ’bout it lateh. John heah made one fine shot an’ followed it up with anotheh thet’s worth tellin’ ’round the bah!”
“I’m lookin’ forwahd to hearin’ ’bout it.” Owen said to his wife. He turned his attention to John and asked, “Figuhe we could do pizza f’ suppeh? The folk at lunch sure did love it.”
“Pizza?” Tianna asked.
“I got my own story to tell ya, an’ it’s a tasty one, ayuh.”
John smiled at the pun, “Pizza is great but twice in one day might be a bit too much for those who had it at lunch. What dishes do you normally serve at dinner?”
“Dish, John, it’s only the one. My sweet Owen cooks an’ serves a heap of stew..”
Owen blushed and said, “It’s my grandmotheh’s recipe an’ it’s been a big paht o’ this inn right from the first day.”
John searched his knowledge of the regional vocabulary, or was it Owen and Tianna’s? He guessed it was considering the mental connection between them that allowed him to speak and understand their language. There was no word for ‘noodle’ or ‘pasta’. “How about we do stew and put a twist on it? We’ll take it apart and serve it in a new way. It’s called a deconstruction.”
“Well,” said Owen skeptically, “thet pizza went over real good. What do ya have in mind?”
“Ya’ll have t’ make this pizza f’ me, Owen.”
“Oh, ya’ll see plenty of pizza ’round heah. I guarantee thet!”
“Well,” said John, “I’m guessing your stew has meat, vegetables with potatoes, and a broth or gravy?” The last word was also not from this world or this region at least.
“Potatoes in stew?” asked Owen, “I neveh woulda thawt of thet.” He looked thoughtful. “What’s gravy anyhow?”
“Gravy is like a thick broth. You just add flour to the broth slowly as it boils and you stir it well so you don’t get clumps.”
“I’ll let ya boys get to it,” said Tianna. “I’ll go pick what’s ready in the gahden out back.” She opened the door to cries of ‘Wolf! Wolf has the ball!’
“Let’s get the noodles started first,” John said. He used the pitcher and bowl in the corner to wash his hands. Then he poured some flour into a pile on the large table in the middle of the kitchen. It was a good table with a sanded top and tightly fitted boards perfect for projects like this one. “We’ll need four eggs.”
Owen got the eggs and handed them to John. “Noodles, ya say? Thet some kinda bread?”
“They’re a little like dumplings but there’s egg in the dough and it’s rolled flat. They’re pretty simple. Just eggs and flour with a little water and some spices if we want to be fancy.”
“Not too fancy. Spices are kind of scarce ’round heah.”
“How are you doing for salt and pepper and the herbs you use for your stew?”
“Doin’ awright with all of them. Bought a good heap of salt last fall, an’ pepper grows right heah locally. The herbs are growing out back. Tianna will be bringin’ some in from the gahden soon enough.”
John shaped the flour on the table into a bowl, cracked the eggs into it and added a little water. Using his hands he started mixing the eggs and the flour around them into a wet dough. He rolled it around in the flour and kneaded it, slowly making it dryer. When it started sticking to itself more than to his fingers he lifted it off the table and formed it not a ball. He held it in one hand and used the other to smooth the flour left on the table out. Then he set the ball of dough in the center of the floured surface. He spied a rolling pin among some kitchen tools on a small table and retrieved it. He floured the top of the dough ball and the rolling pin. After patting the ball flat with his hands he started rolling it out.
“So thet is kind of like pizza, ayuh,” Owen said as Tianna came back in from the garden with a basket full of herbs and vegetables.
“Not really but it’s from the same country,” John said offhandedly while he was working. He froze realizing what he’d said.
“What country’s thet, John?” asked the Guardswoman.
Without thinking he said, “Italy.” He winced internally.
“Neveh heahd of it.” she said simply, then asked, “Thet wheah ya come from?”
The nonchalance of her response surprised and encouraged John. “Some of my family on my mother’s side is from there. I was born in America. Redding, California to be exact.”
“It’s no secret ya’re a foreigneh, way ya talk an’ all,” said Owen. “If we eveh get to travelin’, maybe we’ll go see yar home in Reddin’.”
John took a subtle, relieved breath and let it out. No need to explain that he’d moved to Idaho almost a decade ago now. None of the places he’d just mentioned existed in this world at all. He was happy to just move on. “Alright Owen, please sprinkle the same herbs and spices you use in your stew over the dough.”
“Oveh the dough? Not in the stew?” asked Tianna.
“We’re not making stew, at least not the way Owen normally makes it.” he said to her then to Owen he said, “We’ll need the herbs cut very, very fine.”
Owen made a pile of herbs on his cutting board. There was marjoram, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. John plucked out the bay leaf before the Innkeeper started chopping. Once the herbs were minced very fine John watched as the Innkeeper sprinkled them evenly over the dough. Then he salted and peppered the dough as well and finished up by using the rolling pin to roll the herbs and spices into it.
“Give me the vegetables you use for your stew and I’ll prep them,” said John.
“What ‘bout thet theah?” Owen asked, gesturing to the noodle dough on the table.
“That needs to rest and take in some of the flavor from the herbs and spices,”
“Rest? Thet tired is it?” the Innkeeper chuckled. He brought John the basket that Tianna had filled in the garden. There were radishes, onions, cabbage, carrots, squash, and green beans in it. “Them are the vegetables we put in the stew this time of yeah. Come late summeh an’ fall, the stew gets some different ones.”
“Fall stew is my favorite, ayuh.” Tianna said wistfully.
“Alright, I’ll handle these. Please make the stew broth just like you always do, Owen.”
“Without the vegetables?”
“Yep. I’m guessing it’s water, meat, herbs, and spices?”
“Ayuh. Thet pizza was somethin’ else, so I’ll trust ya on this one.” said Owen as he prepared more herbs for his broth.
John added some wood to the firebox and washed and peeled the vegetables. He found a second knife and cutting board and cut them into bite sized pieces. Then he put them in one of the pans they’d used for cooking the pizzas earlier in the day. He oiled them lightly and stirred them well to make sure they were all coated evenly then he salted and peppered them. When the pan of vegetables went into the oven Tianna gave Owen a look with raised eyebrows.
“Awright,” said Owen as he completed the meaty broth, “This heah only wants some cookin’ till the meat’s tender.”
“Wheah’d ya learn to cook like thet, John?” Tianna asked.
“He learned his cookin’ ’longside his family,” said Owen.
“Let ‘im tell it, Deah,” she scolded her husband playfully.
“That’s about it,” said John, “we cooked as a family. It was one of the best gifts my parents gave us.”
“Us, so ya got a brotheh or a sisteh?” the Guardswoman asked.
“Both, actually, and a couple of each. There are five of us in all.”
“An’ none of them are travelin’ with ya?” she asked.
“No, thank God,” he said. The odd looks he got prompted him to add, “it’s been a dangerous journey and I’m glad they’re not on it with me.”
“We heahd from Tannyah thet ya’re lookin’ f’ yar wife. What happened?” asked Owen.
“We’re heading to the same, she just left ahead of me. There were… complications. I’m trying to catch up with her.” John said.
“Wheah was she headin’?” asked Tianna.
“Fenburah,” Nath-esh said in John’s head, “tell them Fenburah. We’ll be heading that way next anyway.”
“We will?” John thought back.
“Yes,” said the Angelic Shard.
John realized the couple was waiting for his response and he said, “Fenburah.”
“Bring some skeetah oil.” laughed Owen.
“I better get some water started for the noodles,” John said, changing the subject.
“Wateh? Don’t cook them in the broth?” asked the Innkeeper, “I figuhed they were like dumplin’s.”
“Sometimes you do but for the dish we’re making we’ll boil them in salted water.” John found a big copper pot and filled it a little over half way with water. He added some salt and put it on the stove to boil. He took the lid off of Owen’s broth and checked on it. Meat rolled in the steady boil. It had a fatty sheen on the surface and it smelled very good. He turned to Owen and asked, “What kind of meat is this?
“Woodchuck. Grubers took care of smokin’ thet one.”
“Sounds great. The smoking will add a nice flavor,” said John and he meant it. He’d never eaten woodchuck but he was an adventurous eater and a bit of a foodie. He returned the lid to the broth and then started cutting the noodles into long strips with a knife. Tianna and Owen watched him with interest. “We’ll need some butter for the noodles when they’re done,” John said, “we could also use oil if butter is running short.”
“Butteh’s runnin’ low, so oil will have to do,” said Owen.
“That’s alright, oil will work fine,” John said. He checked the water for the noodles and saw that it was just starting to boil. He opened the oven and checked on the vegetables, they were nearing done with light brown spots appearing on some. “How close is your broth to being ready?” He asked the Innkeeper.
“Hold on, lemme see.” Owen grabbed a fork and took the lid off the broth. He fished out a piece of meat and blew on it then put it in his mouth and chewed. “Not bad. The longeh it cooks, the softeh the meat gets.”
“Do you mind if I have a taste?”
“Help yarself,” said Owen, passing the fork to John.
He retrieved a piece of meat, blew on it to cool it, then gave it a try. It reminded him of a cross between rabbit and chicken leg or thigh meat. It was very good. The broth was flavorful and ready to become a quality gravy. “Do you mind if we thicken this a bit?” he asked.
“Make it thickeh? How do ya do thet?” asked Tianna.
“We just need a little flour,” said John.
“Makin’ thet gravy ya mentioned before?” Owen asked.
John nodded and grabbed the flour. The Innkeeper and his wife watched as he stirred some into the broth, adding it slowly, careful not to add too much too fast and create lumps. He returned the lid to the pot and put the flour back on the counter. Then he turned his attention to the noodles. The water for them was at a robust boil so he added them one by one as quickly as possible. Stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.
Tianna and Owen looked into the pot and watched for several moments. “I figuhed f’ sure they would get mushy like dumplin’s,” he said.
John pulled the vegetable pan from the oven and set it on the table. They smelled great and Tianna used the tasting fork to snatch a carrot with a few brown spots on it. She held it up for Owen to see, blew on it, then bit off the end. It was too hot and she puffed on it and mouthed it a bit until she could eat it. She smiled broadly and handed the fork to Owen who ate the rest of the carrot with more care than she had.
“Thet’s a special taste, ayuh,” he said, chewing.
“Neveh had a carrot thet tasty in my whole life,” exclaimed the Guardswoman.
John stirred the noodles then opened the pot with the thickened broth in it. He stirred it as well and Owen peered inside skeptically. He saw the rich brown gravy and took the spoon to taste it. “It’s jest the same as always, only bettah somehow.” he said with a touch of awe in his voice. He passed the spoon to Tianna who tasted the gravy. She immediately grabbed another vegetable, a piece of squash this time, with the fork and dipped it in the gravy. She tasted it with more care than before and smiled. She shared it with Owen. “Ya made it thickeh so the flavor sticks to the vegetables betteh?” he asked John.
“Exactly. You made a very good broth and now, as a gravy, its flavor will coat the vegetables and noodles.”
“Gravy,” said Owen, “thet’s a real improvement. Same old broth, jest betteh.”
John tested a noodle for doneness and nodded to himself. He transferred the noodles from the water to a large bowl. He added some oil and a little salt and pepper to them and carefully stirred until they were evenly coated. As soon as John stopped stirring Owen was ready with the tasting fork. He speared one of the noodles and struggled with it a bit. John showed him how to roll the fork to wrap the noodle around it. Owen blew on it then gave it a try.
His eyes wide and eyebrows raised he passed the tasting fork to Tianna. She had a better time with her noodle. She put it in her mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and clapped John on the back, smiling.
“I figuhe nobody buhns the soup in yar family, John.” said Owen.
“Oh, there were plenty of bad meals at first but we got better over time,” John laughed. “Now let me make a plate for each of you. It’s time for us to see what we made.”
“This ain’t it?” asked Tianna.
“Oh no, it gets better.”
“Betteh?” asked the Innkeeper. He watched as John served some noodles onto a plate, topped them with vegetables, then covered it all with a couple of spoonfuls of meaty gravy. Owen and his wife tried the noodles, roasted vegetables, and gravy together and smiled and nodded while they chewed. “It’s got the spirit of my stew but it’s different. Different in a great way!”
“This is a deconstruction. We pulled your recipe apart, prepared each item in a different way, then put them back together to make a new dish.”
“Them noodles are new,” said Tianna.
“The noodles are new,” agreed John.
Owen went to the doorway and called Tannyah into the kitchen. He made a plate for her just as John had done for him. The young woman loved the noodles. John made his own plate and they had an early dinner together in the kitchen.
“Ayuh, this is suppeh right heah,” proclaimed Owen. “Mind givin’ me a hand with it?” he asked John.
“I’d be happy to,” he told the Innkeeper and he took another bite from his plate. “Have you ever thought of adding just a little ale to your broth?” he asked and Owen’s eyebrows went up as he chewed.
Nath-esh stood on the table in the kitchen of the Wolf’s Head Inn watching John and Owen cook. He’d been there for a long while. He’d watched them cook and eat their early dinner with Tianna and Tannyah. When the two women left he’d waved good-bye to them even though they couldn’t see him. The men cooked and talked about possible dishes that John could make with the ingredients Owen stocked in his kitchen or had access to in town. He liked to pretend that he was part of the activities and part of their banter. It was important for John, and Dingo Boy for that matter, that they be part of the communities they helped. The Angelic Shard had to admit though, he felt lonely.
He walked over to a pile of flour and put a footprint in it. Then he reached down and erased it with his hands. After half a day of experimentation and practice he’d become an expert at interacting with the material plane. It’d become completely natural for him. He could even selectively interact with the matter around him. The table was solid to him but he walked right through the pan of hot vegetables John had just placed on it as if it wasn’t there at all. While standing in the midst of the vegetables he flipped an onion over as practice. Nothing was solid to him except for the table and the single piece of onion. He walked out of the vegetables, through the pan, and back to a clear spot on the table.
John was telling Owen about a breakfast dish called French toast. He was very enthusiastic. As he described it to the Innkeeper Owen shook his head and chuckled. After two culinary successes he was ready to give John plenty of leeway in the kitchen. John was happy and Nath-esh was glad to see it. The comradery was good for him. The Angelic Shard wished he could be a bigger part of his new friend’s life. He imagined what it would be like to be helping in the kitchen, laughing and joking. Grabbing things from the garden or stirring the gravy so it didn’t burn. Just being a part of everything, one of the guys.
“Nath-esh?” asked John.
“Yeah,” he said looking up. John was standing at the table looking right at him!
“John?” asked Owen.
“Yeah,” said John.
“Is theah a little fella with wings standin’ on the table?” he asked in a slightly trembling voice.
“Yeah,” said John.
For the second time that day there was a new dish being served in the common room of the Wolf’s Head Inn. After some debate Owen, Tianna, and Tannyah named it Trusted Companions. When they’d asked John what the dish was called he told them that he’d thought it up on the spot and that it didn’t have a name. Owen wanted him to name it but he told them that they should since it was being served in their inn. They’d tried names that described the dish but every variation of noodles topped with vegetables topped with gravy was a mouthful. Besides, ‘noodles’ and ‘gravy’ were both words from John’s homeland that didn’t exist in the Knollburah vocabulary. Owen suggested Wolf’s Head Plate but the women didn’t like it. Tannyah suggested Three Companions because the dish consisted of three parts. Tianna looked at the helpful stranger in their kitchen and changed it to Trusted Companions and the name stuck.
Tannyah took orders for stew as normal but brought the new dish to each and every table instead. She would say, “Sorry ’bout thet, we’re all outta stew t’night, but we got this heah tasty new dish f’ ya. We call it Trusted Companions.” The shock that stew wasn’t on the menu at the Wolf’s Head Inn was universal. No one could remember a time when it wasn’t served for supper in the common room.
When the new dish was placed on the table in front of the diners, their reactions were mixed. Some recognized the familiar smell of Owen’s stew. Others poked at the noodles, unsure of the new food. All doubt was removed with their first bite. Everyone in the common room enjoyed the new dish. It had the familiar taste of Owen’s stew but the roasted vegetables, the thick gravy, and the bed of noodles were a delicious adventure. The words ‘noodles’ and ‘gravy’ made their way into the Knollburah vocabulary that night and in the coming days more than a few women came to Owen to learn how to make both of them.
“Tell him I’m a Celestian,” Nath-esh said in John’s head as the men gaped at him.
“What?” John thought back.
“Trust me.”
“Owen, this is Nath-esh. He’s a Celestian and my companion.”
Owen Jacobs blinked at the small winged man standing on his table then at John. “He’s… really one of… them?
“Say ‘yes’,” Nath-esh told John.
John realized he should have asked a lot more questions about the theological practices of the world he was in. “Yes, yes he is.”
“Ya one of them too, John?” the Innkeeper asked in awe.
“One of the Celestians? No,” John said honestly, “I’m not one of them.”
“There are tales of them travelin’ ‘round with special folk. Helpful folk. I didn’t believe them,” Owen stirred the gravy and tasted it, then added a little more pepper. John saw that the hand holding the spoon was shaking. “We gotta have a talk afteh the inn quiets down. A good long one. The Mayah an’ a couple otheh folk ought t’ be theah.”
“That’s fair Owen, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“I trust ya, John. Theah’s a good way about ya thet I’ve neveh doubted. A Celestian trav’lin’ with ya means thet trust ain’t misplaced. I don’t have a right t’ yar story, but I’d sure like t’ heah it. Gorry puts some folk in yar path t’ help ya draw closeh t’ Him. Maybe we’re thet f’ each otheh.”
“Yes sir. You’re right, He does. I’m finding that out. I’ve always known that He was out there somewhere. Him being a part of my life, an active part, isn’t new to Him but it’s new to me. I’m still learning to trust in that though.” A pair of chimes rang out and John was reassured that he was on the right path.
Early in the evening Sebastian and Tannyah slid two of the six person tables together end to end making a one long ten person table. Mayer Huewen sat at one end with Joy to his right, then Dingo Boy, Timmon, and Gregory. Warren Michaud was to the Mayor’s left, then came Raylynn Michaud, followed by Griffon, then Raif, with Sebastian at the end of the table. No one protested the dog sitting with them. Everyone, mysteriously, supported it. When the Trusted Companions dish was served to everyone else he got a plate of scraps to eat. Joy showed her mother how the Heeler could catch bits of meat or noodle thrown to him. Raylynn laughed and clapped and tossed him a bit of carrot. Dingo Boy snatched it out of the air and ate the gravy covered vegetable with relish. John had long said that the dog would eat anything slower than him.
“I’m not complainin’ now, but why d’ ya suppose Owen’s puttin’ out new grub t’night, anyhow?” asked Warren.
Mayor Huewen, Joy, Timmon, Gregory, and Sebastian all said, “John,” at the same time.
The older Hunter blinked several times in surprise and asked, “Who’s John?”
“Remembeh them loud crackin’ sounds last night?” asked Sebastian
“Ayuh, I do. I left heah on account of them. Had t’ make sue all was right with Raylynn an’ Patience.”
“Thet was John at the gates, killin’ off three hobgoblins an’ a full dozen goblins,” said Timmon.
“He didn’ kill all them goblins,” said Gregory, “Thet dog got a couple at least. Theah ain’t no way t’ forget the ones he grabbed by the…”
“Greg!” Sebastian and Timmon interrupted him.
“Ya’re right, fellas. Ya’re right.” He said then he corrected himself, “Theah’s no way t’ forget the ones he grabbed by the crotch.”
“Well, thet’s why he’s sittin’ heah at the table,” said Warren. Joy and Raylynn cleared their throats and blushed.
“Them loud crackin’ sounds were John’s weapon. Same one thet killed thet rat we told ya ’bout,” Sebastian said to the older Hunter.
“Thet bit a metal ya were showin’ ’round?” asked Warren.
“Ayuh.”
“Next time ya see Jeffery, ask him ’bout his baron,” said Raif.
“Mean this one heah?” asked Griffon. He produced a nickel sized copper coin with a hole in the center of it.
“Didn’ give thet back t’ Jeffery?” asked Raif.
“I will.” said the Guardsman. He held it up to show Sebastian and Gregory then passed it down his side of the table for Warren and the Mayor to look at.
Once everyone had examined the coin Raif said, “He did thet with his weapon. Shot one of his metal bits right through it.” The young hunter and the old raised their eyebrows, the Mayor smiled and nodded, Gregory and Timmon exchanged meaningful looks.
“How far was the shot?” asked Warren.
“Ten paces, give or take,” said Griffon.
“Thet ain’t much of a distance,” said Warren.
“It was tumblin’ through the air at the time an’ headin’ away from him t’ boot,” said Raif.
Warren let out a low whistle. “Can this John be trusted? He sounds like a dangerous man.”
“He jumped off the wall an’ fought three hobgoblins t’ save me an’ the boys t’day,” said Sebastian.
“He’s a dangerous man,” said Mayor Huewen Srives, smiling, “but he’s our man.”
“I sure hope ya’re right, Mayah,” said Warren.
John sat at one end of the long table and Mayor Huewen Srives sat at the other end. Dingo Boy napped on the floor near the backdoor. Owen had closed the common room early and, at John’s request, consulted with the Mayor on who should be at this meeting. To John’s right was Tianna, then Raif, Griffon and Sebastian. On the Mayor’s right was Timmon, then Greg, Tannyah, then Owen. Most of the people at the table assumed they were there to discuss the coming infiltration of Kiningdom Burruh. At the very least that was the assumption of Tianna, Raif, and Griffon. Sebastian and his boys would have bet on it as well.
“How many ya figuhe goin’ t’ thet place,” Sebastian asked Mayor Huewen.
“John, of course an’ Tianna has asked t’ go, an’ so has Griffon an’ Raif,” he told the hunter.
“Me an’ the boys want t’ go too,” said Sebastian.
“Want is a strong word, cousin,” Timmon said, “but Greg an’ me go wheah ya go.”
“Ayuh, we do, an’ theah ain’t no way I’m missin’ out on a chance to even the scales a bit with them wicked, evil, green…” he glanced at the women at the table and said, “goblins.”
“Theah’s no way,” Timmon corrected him.
“No theah ain’t,” Gregory said, nodding gravely.
“Them are scales ya’ll neveh even out, Gregory,” the Mayor said gently. The Tracker’s face remained grim.
“Send us along or not, but we’ll be out huntin’ thet day an’ we pick wheah,” said Sebastian.
“Most of what I’ve seen of the place is hallways. They’re pretty wide but I think we should limit the group to eight with Dingo Boy and I counting as two of that number.” John spoke up.
“Supplies will be needed an’ Timmon can carry enough f’ all of us,” Sebastian said, “an’ I shoot true with a bow, every time.”
“Tracker’s the one ya neveh figuhe ya need… till the time comes ya do,” said Gregory.
“It’s a dangerous place ya’re talkin’ ‘bout goin’ inta!” said Tannyah with more passion than she meant to show.
“John’s been in an’ outta thet place awright.” said Sebastian.
“I almost died there,” John argued, “I probably would have if it wasn’t for the help we got.”
“Talkin’ ’bout yar… friend theah?” asked Owen.
“No,” said John.
“Hey!” Nath-esh said in his head.
“You know who I mean,” John thought back to him.
“Yeah, I know but still. Hey!”
“See!” Tannyah said, gesturing to John, “John don’t think ya boys ought t’ go.”
“I’m not saying that. I just don’t want anyone agreeing to go without understanding what we’re walking into. It’s dark, dangerous, and we’ll be out numbered.”
“Why don’t we take half the guahd in theah?” asked Griffon.
“If there are too many of us we’ll get in each other’s way,” said John. “Nash and I can even the odds. Mainly we need breathing room to cover reloads.”
“Who’s this Nash?” asked Mayor Srives.
“Thet’s his weap…” began Griffon but he was interrupted by a voice John had always heard in his head until that moment.
“That’s me,” said Nath-esh as he materialized, walking down the table toward the Mayor. He was still small, only about nine inches tall, and was a perfect replica of Nathanael. He was very muscular with wings on his back that looked to be made of golden sunshine. Tiny lettering shifted and pulsed along their edges. His skin was deep bronze and he was wearing the same style of silver-white toga that his progenitor wore complete with the golden belt wrapped around his waist. His dark shoulder length hair bounced as he strode along. His golden eyes danced with mirth. He wore brown leather sandals on his feet and a friendly grin on his face. He stopped in front of Huewen Srives. “I’m Nath-esh, Nash is my nickname,” He said, holding out his little hand.
“A… a… a…” Mayor Huewen stumbled over his words as he reached out a hand to shake with the little Angelic Shard standing on the table in front of him. He looked from his relatively massive hand to Nath-esh’s very small one and closed all of his fingers but one which he offered for shaking.
Nath-esh patted the finger and said, “Sorry about that,” then leapt from the table as he flapped his wings made of light. He grew in size as he flew and in seconds was standing next to the Major’s chair. The befuddled man stood and reached out to shake his hand.
Mayor Huewen plopped back into his seat and said, “A Celestian.”
As he walked along the table the Angelic Shard looked at the shocked faces seated at it. All eyes watched him go silently. He looked down at his toga then back to the clothing worn by the townfolk at the table. The toga expanded and changed in color. When it was done it was a match for the mix of American frontier and renaissance style favored by the inhabitants of Knollburah. He wore a midnight blue jerkin over a dark maroon linen shirt with long flowing sleeves. His pants were made of doeskin similar to John’s and on his feet he wore moccasins of the same material. When he reached the end of the table John stood. “Nath-esh?” asked John.
“In the… well… I don’t know if this is really flesh… but yeah. It’s me!”
“How?”
“Blue fairy,” he said flatly.
“There’s a blue fairy?” John asked.
“No! But your face though. Turns out you’re not the only one learning his way around his skills.” He slid John’s chair over a bit and made eye contact with him. Then grabbed one for himself from a nearby table. He sat in it then gave the man a self satisfied smile. John sat down in his own chair. When he made no comment on Nath-esh getting a chair and sitting on it, the Angelic Shard pointed it out. “I got a chair and sat on it.”
“Yep.”
“I can touch things now!”
“Couldn’t you before?”
“Nope.”
“How did you reload the gun then?”
“Shut up,” said the mystical being, sulking.
“He reloads thet weapon a yars?” asked Raif. The stunned silence was wearing off of the people at the table. When Nath-esh, the Celestian, turned his golden eyes toward the guard he looked away.
“Seems like a good time f’ me t’ buy thet round.” Tianna said, “Ya two gonna give me a hand heah?” she asked, looking at her husband then her daughter. As they walked across the room she asked her husband, “Knew ’bout thet, did ya?”
“Wasn’t my story t’…” Owen’s voice faded as they disappeared into the kitchen.
“I reload it and keep it clean.” Nath-esh said, answering Raif’s question. When the Guardsman met his eyes the Angelic Shard said, “I’m Nath-esh, it’s good to meet you.” He stood and walked down the table. They shook hands.
“I’m Raif an’ this heah is Griffon.” he said. Griffon also shook hands with Nath-esh.
After greeting the guards he continued down the table. Sebastian and his boys all stood at once. He shook hands with the Hunter who said, “Sebastian.” as they did.
“Nath-esh.” he said in return.
When he walked behind the Mayor he patted the man’s shoulder. Huewen Srives looked flustered by the touch. When he reached the other side of the table he shook Timmon’s hand and they looked each other over. They had, roughly, the same build and height. They exchanged names.
Next came the Tracker. He held his hand out to the Celestian who shook it and said, “Ain’t no way I’d miss shaking yar hand Greg!” Out of habit Timmon opened his mouth to correct him but was interrupted by the Jacobs returning with pints of ale.
The ale was distributed to everyone and Nath-esh was clearly delighted to see that they’d brought him one as well. He introduced himself to Tannyah and Tianna who both curtsied. When he shook hands with the Innkeeper he said, “Owen, we’ve met already now haven’t we?” The man smiled sheepishly at his wife.
“Wasn’t my story t’ tell,” he mumbled to her.”
“Let’s head inta the kitchen an’ grab some mohsels all ‘round,” Tianna said to her husband meaningfully.
“Can you eat and drink?” John asked as Nath-esh, sitting next to him, reached for his wooden mug.
“I’m certainly going to find out. I assume I can and that seems to be how all this works!”
“What?”
“Touching things, changing size, my new clothes, I just assume it’s true and it happens.” He took a drink from his pint and set it on the table. He closed his eyes and savored.
“So you can taste it?” John asked.
“I have no context for this experience but something is happening in my mouth so… yes?” Nath-esh responded.
“First pint he’s ever had? Thet so?” asked Griffon.
“Yes! And it’s really good!” said Nath-esh.
“Well now!” said Griffon, “Next round’s on me!”
“You’re the best!” the Angelic Shard proclaimed.
“Go easy,” John warned him, “we don’t know if you can get drunk.”
“Drunk?” he asked as if it was a new goal in life.
“How long’s he been with ya, John?” asked Tannyah.
“Since he died,” Nath-esh answered for him.
John paused with his pint half-way to his mouth. He didn’t know what to expect but the calm acceptance he saw at the table was not it. Gregory and Sebastian switched seats so the young couple could sit next to one another. Everyone kept drinking and a few minutes later the Innkeeper and his wife were back with plates of cheese and pickled vegetables. “Ain’t got bread t’night, sorry ’bout thet.” said Owen. Smelling the cheese Dingo Boy came over and curled up at John’s feet. The Warrior took a piece and broke some off for his buddy.
Popping a pickled radish into his mouth the Celestian let out a satisfied, “Mmmmm.” sound.
“If ya’ve been with John since he passed,” Tannyah said to him, “ya’ve been with him his whole life this time ’round?”
“Nope. We’ve been traveling together since yesterday morning.” The discord John had expected earlier settled over them. Tianna whispered something to Owen. Timmon and Greg exchanged puzzled looks across the table. Raif and Griffon frowned in confusion. Sebastian shifted slightly to face John. Tannyah moved closer to him.
A rhythmic pounding on the table pulled their attention from John to Mayor Huewen. The silver-haired man was slapping his palm on the top of the table. “Awright, awright. Time we all knew what’s goin’ on heah.”
John took a deep breath and said, “I don’t know how much I can tell you but…”
“Let’s tell it togetheh, John,” the Mayor said, interrupting him.
“I love a good story!” Nath-esh said in excitement.
“Tannyah, would ya an’ Sebastian run over t’ my office ‘cross the way an’ grab me a book? Think it’d help some. It’s in the bottom draweh of my desk theah, the writin’ it has will be strange to ya. Ya’ll spot it right off.”
“I don’t want to miss anything,” said Sebastian.
“Don’t worry. I’ll start by tellin’ John how our lives an’ the Cycle work heah.” The Hunter nodded and the two of them left for the Mayor’s office to find the book. “In this world of ours, Etara…” he said, looking at John.
“Is theah ‘nother?” Griffon asked Raif who shrugged but kept his attention on Mayor Srives.
“…we try t’ live a life thet proves we’re ready f’ paradise everlasting. That’s done by walkin’ Gorry’s path an’ livin’ out His teachin’s. Get it done right an’ when we die we go t’ His sweet rest. Miss the mahk an’ we get ‘nother go round but we keep bits of memory. The moments we best walked Gorry’s path in the life before. Some folk keep gettin’ farther off His way each time ’round. Eventually, if them ones stray far enough inta evil they come back as monstehs. Ayuh, thet’s the Cycle.”
John remembered Sebastian asking him if he was a monster earlier that day. “What kind of monsters?” he asked the Mayor.
“Lesseh ones at first. Could be an imp, or an adlet, or a goblin, or some otheh low critteh. Sometimes the evil builds up between theih cursed lives an’ they come back as biggeh, strongeh monstehs.”
“So… in this world the monsters will eventually outnumber humanity?”
“No, John, fresh souls are startin’ out all the time. Howeveh, the root of it is thet, in our world, evil always begins in the heaht of a human bein’.”
John thought about it for a moment. Was it like that in his world as well? No. Plenty of the evil on Earth came from humanity but there was also the corrupting force of the fallen angels. A stat increase chime sounded in his head. Sebastian and Tannyah returned carrying a book with a black cover. It had gold writing on the spine but they were too far away for him to read it. “What is that?” he asked the Mayor.
“We’ll get t’ thet in a minute, John. Now thet I’ve told ya how our afterlife works, why don’t ya tell us ’bout yar own”
“His?” asked Sebastian.
“His.” said the Mayor. “John’s from a different world than this one heah.”
“Figuhe we won’t be headin’ down t’ Reddin’ after all,” Owen said and Tianna hushed him.
“Tell us yar story, John,” Mayor Huewen Srives invited him with such sincerity, such a deep unspoken promise of safety, that John told his story.
“Ain’t jest one world, theah’s countless ones. Ya died an’ tuhned inta what they call a Purgated, an’ now ya gotta travel between worlds like some kinda hero. Ya keep doin’ thet till ya get Gorry’s teachin’s perfect. Ya know Him, by the way, as three equal parts in one God. He’s a piece of a Celestian.” Sebastian pointed at Nath-esh who smiled and waved, “Thet’s livin’ in yar weapon. An’ he,” he pointed at Dingo Boy who barked, “was yar dog back in life, an’ now he’s followin’ ya on this quest? Netheh of ya is livin’ anymore. Jest so we’re clear heah.”
“I know it sounds crazy…” John began.
“Ayuh, it sounds crazy,” said Tianna, “an’ what’s worse is ya might be a crazy fella an’ a real dangerous one t’ boot.”
“He’s a good man if I ever met one, Tia.” said Owen, giving her a pleading look.
“What proof do ya have thet this ain’t all lies? What proof do ya have thet ya aren’t somethin’ else entirely from what ya claim?” asked Raif.
“Ah Raif, he’s saved the lives of some of us right heah at this table. Made us both bettah fightahs, an’ we’ve seen with our own eyes thet he’s got the Celestian gifts he says he has,” said Griffon.
“I have no proof. I can demonstrate my skills but that only proves they exist, it doesn’t prove my story.” John said miserably.
“Have a story for ya all. Ya can decide if it’s proof when I’m done.” said the Mayor. Ever wondeh why we got these high walls ’round Knollburah? No otheh town round heah has the like. Why’d the foundehs put all thet time an’ sweat inta buildin’ them? An’ why do the gates have the heavy lockin’ geah they do?” He paused, giving his audience a chance to contemplate his questions. “John said the Purgated aren’t jest warriohs, they are…”
“Nurtures, Peacemakers, Healers, Builders, and Warriors,” provided Nath-esh.
“Thank ya Celestian,” said Huewen and the Angelic Shard gave a pleased smile. “Back when Knollburah was jest a scatterin’ of rough shacks, a fella came walkin’ outta the woods. Same as John has brought new ways t’ kill, this one brought new ways t’ build. He pitched in helpin’ the settlehs clear the land f’ the town. He convinced the first Mayah t’ raise them walls t’ hold against an enemy thet would come in our day. He drew up plans f’ the gates an’ helped put them togetheh. When it was all done he told the Mayah his long road was finished. Knollburah was the last stop in a trip thet stretched decades an’ crossed a heap a worlds. He left behind a book in a strange tongue. He wouldn’t take a dime f’ all the good he had done. Only thing he asked was the book go from Mayah t’ Mayah, along with the story of wheah it came from an’ who should get it. He said someday a man would show up with a weapon as loud as thundeh an’ a dog in three colors. Thet fella would save three of our young men an’ agree t’ wipe out the blight hangin’ over the town. The book was meant f’ him. That first Mayah thought he was a crazy man. A helpful man but a crazy one anyhow. Then a doorway of light opened right theah in his office. Thet man stepped inta it an’ was gone. Not every Mayah believed the story but we’ve all kept the book safe. I didn’t believe thet story myself until I saw John, heahd his weapon, an’ shook his hand.” When he finished he brought the book and laid it on the table in front of John. On the black cover, in gold lettering, it said ‘Holy Bible’.
“I know this book,” John said and tears fell from his eyes, “it was my dad’s.” Three chimes rang out, almost overlapping and he wept openly.