Chapter 6 Paradise to Dust

The light rain came in the night and kept falling throughout the morning as Oren and Cain led Loril and Isiah out of the Earth Node. Oren knew it was raining because he noticed the stream running into the node had swelled when he went to wash up for breakfast. He patted his jacket to make sure he had returned the spell nodes to his vest after filling them with magical energy. They were there as evidenced by the tinkle of the glass against stone and the lump from his vest. The light rain accumulated on the brim of his hat and ran off the edges. It was a cold rain. If the temperature had been just a few degrees lower it would have been more snow instead. He suspected it still might change over as the day wore on.

"I hate rain after a snow." Cain said as if he were reading Oren's mind, "It makes the snow from before mushy and damp. I wish the weather would make up its mind and either snow or rain but not both."

"The weather will turn cold again today," Oren said, "And it will snow again and change this liquid into ice."

"Ugh! Even worse." Cain said.

"At least we're not eating the dust from the trail," Loril said, "The moisture keeps all that blowing dirt calm."

"Give me a desert breeze any day over this." Cain lamented.

"I thought this place was supposed to be arid?" Isiah said.

Oren tightened his jacket as the rain began to fall a little faster and harder, "It is, but things have been different of late. It's been raining more in the desert too." He squinted up at the rain, "I can feel the cold in the air up above. It's descending and will be upon us about midday turning this rain back into snow."

"Will we reach Abigail before then?" Loril asked.

Oren glanced skyward, "I would think so. Under normal conditions we would be there in about a half day. If the weather stays like this, we might add a couple of hours is all."

"Good, this moisture is going to ruin my hair!"

"There are worse things," Cain said.

Oren smiled but decided not to say anything when Loril gave Cain a decidedly admonishing hard look.

As predicted, the rain turned to snow as the temperature dropped in the evening. Oren was irritated when the snow began to fall so heavily it slowed their progress. Abigail's homestead should have only taken half a day at most but by the fading light of day, Oren was forced to divert to a nearby shelter he knew of along the trail. The place was a local trading post called Doc's. It was an inn, a lodge for hunters, a general store, and a makeshift saloon.

Oren rode up next to Isiah when they neared the outpost, "I trust you will stay close to your sister?" Isiah said nothing so Oren cleared his throat and spoke a little louder, "I don't want your sister to hear me, but I trust you will keep near her."

"She isn't a prostitute. She can do as she pleases."

"That's not what I mean." Oren thought he could feel the heat rising from his face. "Diabolists tend to attract all kinds of wrong people is all."

"Like you, for example?"

"If you wish to believe it so, but I guarantee I am tame compared to what you will encounter in this place."

"Why tell me? Why don't you warn her?" Isiah asked.

Oren, already annoyed, shook his head and rode up ahead to catch up with Cain, "the stranger is a fool." He whispered.

"Oh?" Cain said.

"Go into the trading post with him first. I will filter in a little later, after I send in Loril by herself. I want you to keep an eye on her and watch her supposed brother."

"What are you up to?"

"I'm not entirely convinced we have siblings here. If you go in with Isiah first and I send in Loril alone, she should get some unwanted attention right away. I want to come in after her in case one decides to approach her."

"And?" Cain asked.

Oren sniffed, "All right, I also want to see his reaction too. A brother would go to her rescue, especially with the way he was talking back at the Earth Node. I want to see if he gives a damn about her."

"So, you think she is lying about him too. Why would she do that?"

"He could have something over on her we're not privy to. Just watch her. We may have walked into a something here."

Cain nodded and fell back to ride beside Isiah. Oren stopped to let them pass except Loril. He stuck out his arm, "Let them pass and go first. I will let you ride on in a moment." She looked displeased but complied. Oren lowered his arm, "There is a hot bathhouse here. If you plan to utilize it I need to take one too."

Loril smiled and reined in closer to him, Oren Knox! I wondered when you would come around."

"What? No, no, it's nothing like that. I'm just not going to allow you to be naked here in this kind of place without me to guard you. "

"Are you certain that's all?" She batted her eyes melodramatically, much to Oren's chagrin.

"Yes, I am. I am a married man and I am old enough to be your grandfather. Hell, I could be your great, great, great grandfather."

"Just three greats?"

"Well, you get the idea so don't go getting any strange notions in your head, this is business."

Loril gave him a seductive smile, "Of course, it is." She moved her horse forward to where Cain and Isiah had already dismounted. They handed their reins over to the stable hand and entered the outpost together. Isiah looked back at Loril as if he wanted to rush to her, but he entered the outpost and the saloon door had already pivoted shut before Loril could say anything or consult with him.

"You've done it, haven't you?"

"What?"

"Got me all to yourself."

"Don't be foolish. I'm not going to be seen walking inside with you. Hand your reins over to the stable hand and go in. I will return shortly. I need to pay the stableman and secure our horses."

Loril turned pouty, "Fine, I'll wait just inside for you."

"Odd, but all right." The hair began to stand up on the back of his neck.

She huffed and dismounted. She handed her reins to the stable hand and walked to the outpost entrance.

"Don't look back at me! I don't want you to bother me. Just go in and wait for me," Oren said under his breath. Loril stopped at the entrance and looked back at him with an appreciative grin.

"Damn it," Oren muttered. He set out toward the stables but ended up going around them, "The last thing I need is a Diabolist focusing her attention on me." He trudged through the snow until he was behind the stables. He continued on until he reached the edge of a wooded area. He removed the spell node from the inside of his jacket and gazed up at the sky. The snow had tapered off and glimpses of the moon appeared in between masses of thick clouds. He turned his attention back to the spell node. It was a crude figurine of a standing bear carved out of hardwood, polished with the oil from the palm of his hand clutching it for so many years. Oren had killed the wizard that imprisoned her there years ago. He still agonized about the choice forced upon him. Save a handful of innocent children by getting rid of the wizard or rescue his wife from being stuck in a spell node until he could find a way to free her. He chose the children and Astra agreed.

He waited for the cold blanket of night to finish it's decent before he sat the bear carving on the ground, waiting for the fragment of the woman he loved to appear.

"What is it. Oren?" Astra said as she appeared in her translucent apparition form.

Oren scratched his forehead, trying to frame his response, "The Diabolist might use her charm on me. She has given me an indication. Something is off with her. I can't quite figure it out."

"That's wonderful!" Astra said. "She will be a good companion for you. She can keep your magic alive."

"What? No, it isn't! Didn't you hear me?"

"Oren, move on, I am lost. It has been centuries. If you were going to be able to free me you would have found a way by now. I told you, it's time to move on."

Oren looked down at the ground and dug the end of his leather boot into the dirt, "Never, that's when I will back down, that's when I will stop searching."

"Then at least live your life again., take the Diabolist if that's what you need to do."

"You always were a wily woman, Astra. You are trying to trick me into seeking companionship so I will forget you. Well, it won't work. I made a vow and a promise to you and I will never forsake my word."

A commotion from the stables made him reach down for the bear figurine. The fragment of Astra evaporated as he stuffed it into his pocket. He drew his gun and made his way to the front of the stables. When he turned the corner, there were two young cow hands pushing around one of the stable hands.

"What's wrong Orville, can't ya hear me with those big ears," The first young man thumped the one named Orville on the ear and the stable hand reached up to cover it.

"Yeah, Orville," the second young man stretched out Orville's name sarcastically, "what's wrong with you?"

Orville stumbled away from a third man who was approaching him to further the torture. His thin legs almost gave way as he found his footing. "What do you want? Leave me be."

The third man stood in the shadows. Oren could see his body but he man's face was obscured. Repointed his finger at Orville. "Two older men and a pretty young woman. How hard is that to spot? Did they arrive here tonight?'

"Lots of folks come through here. Fathers, uncles, and daughters alike. Two older men with a young woman isn't all that uncommon." Orville said, his words stumbling at times.

"Yes, Orville, but how many persons like that came here tonight? You handle all the horses, right?"

"I do, come to think of it. I might have seen someone like that."

Oren felt like he needed to step up before Orville said too much, "What is going on here?"

"This don't concern you old man!" The third man said, "you should mosey on along."

"I think it does concern me. I believe I may be one of the men you are looking for. Why don't you leave that lad alone?"

The first man pushed Orville to the ground, "Now, why would you think that, old man?"

"Because I came here with another old man and a young woman, dumbass."

"What did you just call me?"

"A dumbass."

He looked at his two companions as if he couldn't believe his ears, "Are you crazy old man?"

"Do you always ask such stupid ass questions or are you just a dumbass here and now?"

The first man didn't hesitate. He quickly drew his gun and fired. Oren clutched his hands over his midsection where the bullet presumably went, "That'll shut you up, old fart!"

"Man, you shouldn't have done that." The third man said. "We ain't supposed to hurt no one."

"Shut up, Clem." The second man said, "He was asking for it."

Oren straightened, "Now, suppose you boys tell me who sent you and why you're looking for us."

Orville stumbled back and ran out of the stable. Oren would have preferred he stay but he was in no position to go after him.

The first man's face contorted into an expression of deep shock. He raised his gun as his shock turned into determination and anger. He palmed the hammer of his pistol and rapidly fired off the remaining five shots.

Oren stopped all five in route and placed the sixth into the air next to its twins. They all hovered there for a moment for effect and then he held out his hand and let them all fall into his palm. He pocketed them, "Waste of good lead."

The third man took off running without so much as a whimper. The second drew his weapon and Oren magically forced it to fly to him before the first shot could be fired.

"I asked you boys a question," He said. He looked at the first man, who was still holding his empty pistol pointed at him. "If you want to keep that firearm, I suggest you holster it."

The man holstered his weapon, "What are you?" He asked.

"I am a nightmare." Oren replied. "One you don't get to wake up from."

The second man cracked, "We don't know his name but we heard someone call him doc,"

"Shut up, shut up, do you want to get us killed?" the first man said.

There was a thud and the second man made a gurgling sound. He fell forward revealing a knife protruding from his back.

Oren quickly scanned the skyline and the tops of the buildings for the assailant but he couldn't see anything. He took a step back away and put the first man between him and the man's dead partner. Orville's face appeared from out of the shadow at the corner of the stable. He hadn't run off after all.

The first man took the opportunity to slip into the shadows of the nearest building and slinked away like a frightened alley cat.

Oren gave the stunned Orville a stern glance and then went to his horse, He pulled back the flap of one of his saddlebags and deposited the pistol on top of a sizable stash of similar pistols and closed the flap, "Be careful with this saddlebag. It's dangerous."

Orville nodded. Oren flipped him a gold piece, "For your trouble."

Orville smiled, "Thanks mister."

Oren leaned in, "Don't you go jawing about what you saw here."

"Oh, no sir. I wouldn't."

"See that you don't," Oren said, "or I may have to come back and pay you an unkind visit."

Orville nodded and Oren narrowed his eyes and pointed his right index finger at him to reinforce his threat before he walked away from the stables all the while keeping an eye to the skyline should another dagger find its way through the chill of the night air.

Oren rushed to the saloon. He had to get to Cain. He pushed through the swinging doors and found Cain bellied up to the bar. He scanned the room for Loril and Isiah, but he did not see them. He made his way to Cain.

"Where are they?" He didn't want to say their names out loud in mixed company.

"It was just as you thought. She was approached and Isiah went to her rescue just like a brother would. You had nothing to worry about."

"Where are they?"

"Upstairs in the rooms. Isiah escorted her up. I just left them up there a few minutes ago."

"You should have stayed with them. I told you I have suspicions."

"They're fine, Knox."

"No, something is wrong. I can feel it." He didn't want to explain the commotion in the stable until he had Cain alone but he needed to warn him. "There were some men at the stable looking for us." He whispered.

Cain put a coin on the bar, "Come on, I'll take you to them."