Jaded Dusk Read online

  “I haven’t thought of dad or mom for quite a while”, Fenrit said.

  “Seeing Jandra always reminds me of both of them”, Alejade replied. “Arkiva had put me through a gauntlet of creatures before noticing my affinity was with birds. She advocated for having a bird in the home so that I would grow with it. Dad wasn’t very fond of this idea, but then one day he found Jandra who had recently crushed her talon. It reminded him of his own trials in dealing with his tail and he knew then that this was the bird that was meant for me. When Jandra’s talon was fully healed it was as if dad was able to live vicariously through her. Jandra was only an adolescent then.”

  “Yeah, I remember”, Fenrit reminisced. “Not all of her feathers had come in yet. It was quite an awkward pattern compared to today. The colors and arrangement of feathers were all over the place.”

  Jandra cawed as if insulted. Raptors were no different than any other creature. All beings look strange until they reach full maturity.

  “Fenrit apparently forgets what he was like before becoming an adult”, Alejade laughed in response to Jandra’s expression.

  “I only remember mom taking the reins in teaching me how to shoot a bow in my youth”, Fenrit said. “Dad had no interest in touching a bow after his life as a premalier was over. I remember him sitting in the background and criticizing my stance and draw while mom tried to position me correctly. It used to frustrate me until mom explained that anyone could teach me the basics, but for me to be great would be solely in my hands. I practiced every day after that and believe I even impressed dad the day I won quickest draw at the competition. I expected him to say ‘yes, but you didn’t win most accurate’, but he didn’t.”

  “Both of our parents knew when it was time to be supportive”, Alejade commented. “It’s my understanding that’s not an easy line to walk.”

  The two carried on hiking in silence while Jandra flew lazily above. Both had lost themselves to sweet memories. Fenrit’s thoughts were now on his progression as an archer while Alejade continued to rekindle memories from her youth.

  “Do you ever think about young ones?” Alejade finally asked.

  “I never felt the life of a premalier would be fair to my offspring”, Fenrit answered. “Dad had a certain degree of depression after his time as a premalier, but I believe him and mom appreciated the opportunity for him to be more involved in our lives.”

  Fenrit realized the courteous response was to reciprocate the question at this point, but part of him was unwilling to touch the subject. Alejade always had a certain degree of mysticism about her. The same aura usually surrounded the elders as well. Nothing in their mystical ways strictly forbade romantic relationships, but few of the elders during Fenrit’s lifetime had mates let alone offspring.

  “For tomorrow and hereafter we shall show strength”, Alejade whispered making it barely audible to Fenrit. Her gaze sunk into the grass of the plains as she toiled along.

  It was clear to Fenrit that Alejade’s thoughts had shifted to the death of their parents. Their father had lived a physically demanding life that eventually caught up to him. He was quite a bit younger than the average life expectancy for a Chafel, but his health had deteriorated rapidly in his final days. Their mother left her position as Arkiva’s assistant soon after their father had passed and the essence of life would leave her not too long after. She too failed to surpass the average life expectancy of a Loupiq which was shorter than that of a Chafel life expectancy. Fenrit had concluded that she died of boredom, but he had never shared this thought with Alejade. The death of their father had hit her hard and instead of carrying on or breathing in a new way of life, she descended into the darkness.

  “Look up!” Fenrit exclaimed.

  Alejade raised her head and her eyes caught the distant silhouette of a few tall structures. They contrasted just enough with the Split Range mountains in the background to be made out.

  “Shadowport”, Fenrit announced.

  VIII.

  Shadowport was the only other city on the Jade Plains aside from the Faunar capital VaSaige. It was sited on the western half of the Jade Plains quite a ways north of the Trados River. The river sat as a barrier between the city and the Split Range Mountains. Its north-south position was slightly below the Jade Plains dividing line technically putting it in the southwest quadrant.

  The tallest of the city’s structures belonged to the mining conglomerates and the security firms that had formed around the mining industry. Housing, markets and peripheral businesses made up the rest of the city’s infrastructure. Interspersed throughout the city were also large city parks. Some of the parks were aesthetic and full of a diverse assortment of plant life while the remainder of the parks had been allotted as farm land. Farms only existed few and far between outside the city and everyone agreed that growing the city’s nourishment from within was more secure. A recent population boom saw the construction of mid-sized housing complexes that accommodated numerous residences. The structures all had a modern, sleek look that was maintained throughout the city. The sprawling mining industry was permanently churning profits which kept money circulating through the city and allowed the city to properly maintain its infrastructure. It could only be said that certain parts of the city looked more beautiful than others

  Many city historians commented that Shadowport was the new VaSaige. VaSaige’s economy was more diverse which from time to time led to recessions. Contrarily, Shadowport’s mining base was either in a cycle of good times or superb times. Unbeknownst to most residents the raids of Venik had impacted the city’s progression. When Venik failed to collect tributes and needed a quick supply of resources he would often turn to raiding mines. Heavy equipment in addition to the minerals themselves could easily be sold into the black market, which also had a strong presence in Shadowport. Mining conglomerates were quick to protect their assets from these raids which paved the way for security firms. As the raids increased in frequency the security firms became more of a necessity for anyone who wished to participate in the mining business. This not only pushed out a lot of smaller mining operations who couldn’t afford the cost of security, but it also created an additional barrier to entry. In the early days one only need a considerable amount of capital for heavy equipment which was difficult enough, but the need for security also meant you needed good early cash flow.

  The city attracted all different types of sentient beings. The draw to both Shadowport and VaSaige was its modern use of technology and cultural advances. Scientists, artists and other progressive thinkers were now all consolidating in a few locations. This led to a large gap between those that chose to remain on the plains and live off the land and those that embraced the culture of continual growth.

  Fenrit and Alejade immediately felt out of place as they strolled along the streets. Visually stunning signs and ambient city noises overwhelmed their senses. Their clothing was out of date, but the bigger draw for gawkers was Fenrit’s armor. The residents of Shadowport had spent most of their life under an umbrella of security and had long forgotten about the time when personal armor was a necessity. Alejade’s staff and Fenrit’s bow were also a topic of discussion among residents. Modern weaponry didn’t exactly render the staff and bow obsolete, but the fact that they were constructed from wood rather than durable, abundant metal was stunning to most onlookers. The brother and sister also noted that not many of the other pedestrians were openly carrying weapons, but that didn’t mean they weren’t concealed beneath their clothing.

  “I can feel their stares”, Alejade said self-consciously. “They must be aware that people like us still exist out on the Jade Plains. I had heard our ways of life were different, but never expected this much of a separation.”

  “I’m not going to proselytize our lifestyle, but theirs is about always being on top which comes with an insatiable desire for what can be passed off as contemporary and socially acceptable”, Fenrit explained.

  “Sounds exhausting”, Alejade replied.
“Do you have any idea where to head first or how to get there?”

  A vehicle whizzed by darting off to one side to avoid a collision with Fenrit and Alejade and then returning to its previous lane once it had passed them by. The driver did not appear phased at all by the interaction that nearly resulted in a serious injury. Fenrit began to survey the layout to see if he could determine what constituted as a lane for vehicles and where one could safely walk.

  “A crawler will get you if you’re not paying attention”, called out a citizen. “You should walk within the lanes.”

  Fenrit brought his attention to the ground. Pathways had been marked and laid out to get a pedestrian to any location they could desire. A fair amount of open space existed between these pathways and structures. The open space must have been the area reserved for the so called crawlers.

  “You better stay high above”, Alejade instructed Jandra. “Feel free to sail around, but try not to lose sight of either Fenrit or I.”

  The brother and sister carried on ensuring that their route was safely being traveled in the lane marked for pedestrians. They began to look around for anything that would be helpful in their quest for information. A collection of signs drew their attention to a point not far from their current position. “Maps, communications and restrooms” read the sign.

  “I’ve only ever used a map to guide me from point A to point B, but maybe this time it’ll help me determine where my point B is”, Fenrit said.

  They approached the outdoor map kiosk. A display showed the layout of the entire city of Shadowport broken into different sectors. From what Fenrit could tell the sector where they were currently located was the one highlighted on the map.

  “What good is this if I know nothing about the sectors?” Fenrit asked aloud.

  Alejade touched the highlighted sector on the display and the outline of the city was replaced by a new outline of the sector. This new view now identified nearby services and landmarks. Fenrit began to pick points off the map and visually locate them in an effort to orient himself.

  “I have my bearings, but we still need to figure out where to go”, Fenrit remarked.

  “Do you think there is a public place where people accumulate?” asked Alejade.

  “Do you plan to address them all at once?” Fenrit asked jokingly.

  “No, but if we can find a location where enough people gather maybe we can start asking some questions or get a better idea of where we should go”, Alejade answered.

  “I don’t know”, Fenrit replied. “There’s a fair amount of people here, but it seems out of place to engage any of them in conversation. Especially after the stares we’ve received. We need a legitimate opening that will ease us into some casual talk. Maybe there’s a market nearby.”

  The utterance of the word ‘market’ triggered the display to begin flashing which grabbed Fenrit and Alejade’s attention. It zoomed out of the current sector, highlighted a nearby sector and blinked a few times before zooming in on the selected sector. The display only identified a single location within the new sector. “North Main Market” was only a few sectors away. Judging by the scale Fenrit determined it would take a bit of time to make the trip by foot.

  “I wonder how these crawlers work?” Fenrit once again asked aloud.

  The display zoomed back out in response to the word ‘crawler’. A route was traced between their current position and the market. A number appeared above the route.

  “That must be a fee”, Alejade guessed.

  “I don’t know what they do here for currency, but all we have are a few items to barter”, Fenrit said.

  “And to barter we probably need a market”, Alejade said laughing at the realization of the circuitous situation.

  “Back to walking”, Fenrit said stating the only remaining solution.

  Crossing a sector of the city was a small feat compared to the journey across the Jade Plains. Navigating around structures and keeping their bearings straight with all the distractions from the dazzling lights and sounds proved to be the only obstacle. A benefit of the stroll through the city was the exposure to all the different species that had been meshed together in one central location. Fenrit recognized a number of the species from his travels throughout the plains. Some originated from tribes that still lived on the plains, some from the foothills of the mountains and some from around the lakes and swamps that existed on the edge of the plains. The species Fenrit didn’t recognize had characteristics that suggested they originated from in or around the ocean or deeper within the mountains. Many of the pedestrians didn’t seem to appreciate Fenrit’s inquiring looks which often elicited a response similar to “Haven’t you ever seen a Pescalian, Denebalg or Nosixt before?”

  The market was an open air structure surrounded by walls with four entrances that were left out from where the corners of the walls would have met. Most of the shops were tents or stands that existed in the center of the market, while a few larger shops were up against the inside of the market’s perimeter wall. There were a few legitimate structures against the outer wall, but many of them were lean-tos that had been spiffed up. The market was bustling with people which was not unusual given the time of the day. Buyers were busy procuring fresh food for their evening meal or trying to haggle a deal from a shop keeper who had struggled to get enough sales for the day. Food, tools, trinkets and clothing made up a majority of the shops. An occasional specialty shop catered for those looking for unique goods and services.

  Fenrit noticed a few city security officers patrolling the market grounds. Petty theft must have been an issue which caused Fenrit to adjust his satchel so that it was more protected beneath his cloak. Cloaks appeared to be out of fashion within the city, but Fenrit was still thankful for the layer of protection his offered.

  Fenrit and Alejade began pretending to browse various shops. They were less interested in what was being sold and more interested in the conversations between buyers and shopkeepers. Most of them discussed the weather, some of them discussed the city’s recent news and a few that were oblivious to the presence of eavesdroppers discussed more nefarious topics. Nothing of relevance was revealing itself forcing Fenrit to formulate a plan on how to elicit some information.

  “Someone somewhere must know something about Grimtav”, Fenrit reasoned. “Even if it’s old information, we just need a start.”

  “Do you think he ever comes through Shadowport or sends anyone who works for him through here?” Alejade asked.

  “I doubt he would come himself”, Fenrit figured. “I’m thinking our best bet is either to find someone who has been a victim or determine if this is where he has any current business or business from the past.”

  “How do you suggest we come across someone involved in either of those?” Alejade inquired.

  “We’ll have to split up”, Fenrit instructed. “You make your way around any shops that are mining related. That seems like a logical start for anyone who may have been a victim of a raid or at least knows something around recent raiding activity. I’ll start with the shops dealing weaponry. That seems like an ideal place to start looking for mercenary jobs. If that fails, I’ll work my way around the mechanical shops and see if I can’t find someone who can tell me anything about the cymutts.”

  “Sounds like a plan”, agreed Alejade.

  “Let’s meet back at where we entered the market before the sun goes down”, Fenrit recommended.

  “I’ll try to be quick”, Alejade promised.

  “Remember, we’ll take any information we can get, old or new”, Fenrit concluded.

  ***

  Alejade perused the first shop which was an actual structure that sold mining explosives. Orders could be placed with the shopkeeper while the shop itself only contained illustrations of the assorted explosive materials and a description of their proper method of use. Alejade was only one of two customers browsing the store and she looked markedly out of place by comparison to the other shopper. The shopkeeper was a bul
ky Denebalg with an excessively long, grey goatee that perfectly matched the color of his fur. His rough look seemed fitting for the job. When the other customer finally left unsatisfied by his options, the shopkeeper gave his full attention to Alejade.

  “Have you been in the mining business long?” he asked trying to put together the puzzle of a female Chafel in antiquated clothing shopping for mining explosives.

  “I’m new to the field”, Alejade responded unwilling to lie.

  “Career change?” the shopkeeper started looking Alejade over head to toe as if to say she didn’t look the part. “Promotion?”

  “I suppose you could say a career change”, Alejade replied. She began to wonder how she could get the information she needed and not compromise her integrity.

  “If you’re looking to beat the competition, you’ll want to check out the ‘divider’ which is a new addition to the market”, the shopkeeper started in with a sales pitch. “It disperses a concentrated sonic wave that emits from the device and creates a nice clean and level fissure in the rock. If you position the device correctly, you can cut through the rock with more precision than any explosive on the market. You can get a head start on the next evolution of technology in explosives. It’s actually not really an explosive at all, but that’s a good thing because it gets rid of the sloppiness of all the other current models.”

  “Thank you for the information, but I’m actually investigating theft”, Alejade confessed. She didn’t want to mislead the shopkeeper into thinking she was eventually going to make a purchase. It would also be best if she didn’t allow him to waste more of his time even if she did find the information intriguing.

  “That actually makes more sense given your, uh”, the shopkeeper paused as if he needed to choose his next few words carefully. “Forgive me, but you don’t have the stereotypical explosives expert look.”