Chapter 18: The Bane-Lands

Instead of the watchtower, I first saw a swell of smog rising over the horizon. It looked like an approaching winter storm—it had fluffy edges, but a distinct dark core. An ashy, sulfuric smell washed over the land, lodging in the back of my nose and making my throat constrict. It was like standing behind a car on a cold winter morning and inhaling a mouthful of the exhaust. But apparently, someone had shoved a rotten egg in the tailpipe.

“That’s the Shroud,” Romance said. “A massive cloud of ash, permanently hovering over the Bane-lands.”

“We don’t know if it’s intentional,” Elf added. “Or if it’s just the ruptures farther east spewing ash.”

We walked up to the top of a hill. Here, there were less rolling fields, and more choppy stones. Swathes of pines grew between them, and there were a few yellowing deciduous trees mixed in. There was, however, plenty of clear land for the trail to follow. When we reached the top of the hill, a watchtower came into view a few hills over.

It was a small lookout supported atop a trellis of wood. An orange banner fluttered in the wind, mounted atop of the shingled tower rooftop, and there were a few people standing inside it. Two Dupes and a man with an orange cloak wrapped around his shoulders.

“We still have until evening until we’re expected back,” Shave said. “We’re supposed to check on the watchmen, then we’re permitted to train for a while.”

“We can’t train when we get back?” Romance complained.

“What’s wrong with a little dirty air?” I nudged his shoulder. “Come on, you should’ve seen how nasty the air could get back home. Especially in forest fire season.”

“If we go back too soon, Galliard will realize it’s not a day-long job and make us do other chores,” Shave explained. “Besides, we need to actually collect and take an overview of the sighting log.”

“I’d bet Singe’s squad didn’t do an overview of the daily sightings,” Ticks said. “He just brought the sheets back.”

“Yeah, but we want to be on our best behaviour, don’t we?” I suggested.

“I’ll do it,” Shave said. “You four can wait at the bottom.”

We continued along the path until we reached the bottom of the watchtower. The trees parted ahead of us, giving a view of the Thelea River valley. I jumped up onto a stone and grabbed a tree branch to steady myself so I could take in the view. It was a wide valley packed with trees. The sun shone from above, illuminating everything and turning it bright green.

At the very bottom of the valley, surrounded by gravel banks, was a wide and fast river. Right here, though, the river grew slightly wider and slower. “It’s awfully shallow,” I remarked.

“That’s why they keep the watchtower here,” Ticks remarked. “It’s where they expect the orcs to cross.”

“Why not put our camp closer?” I asked. “I mean, orcs have gotten across before.”

“They took a different crossing,” Elf said. “One closer to the 5th’s camp. Which is why they were the first responders. I’d bet their rune-beacons lit up.”

I nodded. Behind us, Shave scaled the tower, moving to collect the reports. I swayed for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. It was time for the second phase of my plan. I had to get into the Bane-lands. I had contemplated a few lies I could use, a few excuses, but in the end, I figured it was probably best to come clean.

I said, “So, to get us on Watchtower Report, I promised I’d get them each three Presences.”

Ticks, Elf, and Romance all stared at me, disappointment in their gazes.

“What?” I held up my hands. “I don’t need you guys to do anything. But I’ve got a few ideas. I’ll just need to…uh, head east a little bit. It shouldn’t be any longer than a few hours. You can tell Shave I went to gather wood if you want.”

“How the fuck are you going to get eighteen Presences without a siphon?” Ticks asked.

I swallowed. “Well, I was going to talk to the sergeant about that. But I don’t need it right away.”

“If you go, we’ll tell Shave exactly where you went and what you did,” Elf said. “If we can figure out what you’re doing?”

I grimaced. “Okay, but you won’t spread the word, will you?”

“No,” Ticks said quickly. “No, we will not, and I will ask Shave not to, either. He’s reasonable, and he won’t tell Galliard.”

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I raised my eyebrows, surprised to see Ticks to be the first one to say that. But then again, I was about to put myself in massive danger. If I died, then Ticks would be free from his deal with Scar, whatever the terms of that were.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, Levi,” Ticks said. “But you’re a…decent kid. I say we let him do whatever he intends. As long as he doesn’t do something mothbrained and take the rest of us with him. Somehow.”

Elf and Romance mumbled something, then reluctantly, they both agreed. Ticks placed a hand on my shoulder and said, “Don’t get yourself killed. And don’t do anything stupid.”

I wasn’t sure how to take that, so I just shrugged. He might still be trying to lull me into a false sense of security. I stepped back, then said, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Then, without hesitation, I raced down the slope. I sprinted toward the shallow crossing while Shave requested the report from the lookouts, distracting them. Once I reached the bank, I steeled myself, then darted across, still holding my crappy orc spear.