In the Shadow of Eno

The warrior Eno stood with his hand gripped firmly around the handle of his bloodied curved blade. Around him, legions of the conquered fallen lay wounded and dying on ground, staining the earth with the ruddiness of their ill-spent blood. Eno squinted his eyes at the brightness of the midday sun, and let out a dissatisfied grunt. In the distance, Margonic, his beloved Falcon was circling above, surveying the carnage.

"We are victorious!" Yelped the youth at his side. "May the God Realm be praised."

"Realm is not here," remarked Eno. "Realm is asleep dreaming of other battles, too busy to witness yet another of mine." He rubbed at the crusting blood across his forehead but it only smeared. "I am ripe, my friends. It is time to go."

"Dare not say," a soft voice called from beyond a heap of the dead. "Dare not say, Eno, lest he hear you. Realm is everywhere!" A thin figure emerged, steadily climbing forward toward the warrior through the uneven ground littered with bodies. "And Realm will be displeased with your apathy."

"Ay Jessica! You think Realm is still interested? My battles bore even myself. They do little more than to keep you fed."

"Oof, Eno! There is gold and gems on this soul. Kingly, perhaps?" The lad bent down to struggle a ring from the hand of a decaying noble. "Perhaps he carries a purse!"

"We take nothing, Brunt," Eno demanded. "The fee is more than generous for dispatching this lot. He removed his helmet and leaned backward to take in the once stagnant breeze. "By Realm, I reek. Let us find merriment before those who truly work for a living make their way into town." He kneeled only once to inspect a bloodstained corpse and carefully cut the emblem from his cloak. "This is the proof they demand." The trio left the exhibition in silence and said little until they reached the nearby village.

"I must head to the guild," Brunt exclaimed. "The order expected me yesterday." He motioned his arm upward. "Come Margonic. I'll get you fed." The bird landed swiftly and bowed its head to accept the blind. "See you guys later."

"And I must go refill our supplies. We have completely run out of healing herbs and solvents," Jessica kissed Eno on the cheek. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

Eno struggled to loosen a small satchel from his waistband. "I will collect the bounty. You take this and find me if you need more. I'll be. . ."

"In the mead house," Jessica chuckled. "I'll see you later, Eno."

As she began to walk away, Eno remarked, "How do you know? I might be at the gardens. . . at, perhaps, the scroll hall. You don't know me," he bellowed jovially. "I could surprise you."

"Surprise me?" Jessica laughed spinning toward him. "It will surprise me if you're not tanked by the time I find you."

Jessica lingered in the market longer than she had expected to. She languished over the travelling merchants silks and beads, but was soon brought from her daydream when a passerby chortled "What would she be doing with luxury textiles such as that? The mere touch of her fingers would put runs in the fabric." Then, Jessica found herself staring at a couple of small children who were playing near their mother's fruit cart. She had always expected that she would some day have a child, even occasionally dreading the moment, but an arrow that had nearly taken her life a few years past rendered her womb unusable. It was of no matter at any cause, as Eno had never touched her and her lifestyle hadn't afforded her any sort of relationship. Eventually, she found her way to the ramshackle tavern. Brunt was soon behind her.

"Where's Eno?" Brunt blathered. "I have something to show him." He lifted his hand as blue flame licked his wrist and palm without consuming the flesh. "I picked up a new trick. Margonic is resting at the guild."

Jessica pushed Brunt's forearm to hide the flames. "He's not here. We need to blend in. Maybe we'll come back later." She chuckled nervously at the other patrons and pulled Brunt back into the street from the doorway. "I don't feel right going into a place like that without Eno."

"I've gone into taverns plenty of time and nobody messed with me," Brunt bragged. "Come on, Jessica. You need a drink," he pulled her by the wrist back into the establishment. "They don't bite."

"Sure they do," Eno exclaimed behind her. "It was good haul, little ones. Let's get a table. It's time to celebrate!"

"What do we drink to?" Brunt chuckled, lifting a glass. "The day? The battle? The steady supply of ale and mead?"

"We drink to our new quest," Eno offered.

"My sword arm aches," Jessica sighed. "How soon must we depart?"

"We stay here one night and leave before noon," Eno said. "That means we should find lodging as soon as I get a little mead in me."

"Is it alright if I get my own room tonight?" Jessica said softly. "I want to get enough sleep tonight. I'll let you take part of my cut for it."

"Don't you want to stay with us?" Brunt snickered. "Eno promises not to make the room smell. Yikes. I need to get a bite to eat. Do the wenches here cook?"

"You stay with us," Eno stated. "Safer. Easier. No arguments." He pat her head condescendingly. "I need you to watch over me. I'm a deep sleeper and we have many enemies."

"Who will watch over me?" she thought. "You're not even drunk yet, and I hate you already." Jessica sneered. "Give me the money. I'll arrange the room."

"Don't expect us till really late," As Eno gulped, his drink ran down his mouth and chin. "Just think, you'll have your own room for at least four hours."

"Lucky me," Jessica sighed.

The room had only one bed, but that didn't matter. Jessica knew she would be unable to sleep. In the tavern down the road, Eno was likely passed out and soon she would have to leave to retrieve him. She skimmed her calloused palms against the sheet remembering what it once felt like to have fragile, feminine hands. "Okay, it's time to check on the guys," Jessica sighed.

The night air felt soothing as Jessica made her way back to the tavern. She had left her shoes in the inn, and the sensation of the hardened mud pathway beneath her feet rejuvenated her spirits. Shopkeepers were closing their establishments for the night; cart merchants were wheeling their wares back home, and even the beggars were beginning to retire. Soon, bandits and scoundrels would take their places and make travel dangerous, even for a seasoned warrior like Jessica.

A strange scent had filled the air as she approached the tavern square. It wasn't until she was a few paces away that Jessica noticed the people flooding the area around the now smoldering tavern.

"Where's my Callie?" a man shouted, "Has anyone seen my wife?"

"I need a little help!" A woman called out. "Please. . ."

"Eno!" Jessica ran toward the gathering crowd, "Brunt? Where are you guys?"

A group of Magi reached toward the sky, forcing a cascading downpour. From the crumbling building, a figure emerged carrying another individual. Eno laid Brunt on the ground at Jessica's feet. "The boy. Can he be healed?"

"You shouldn't have had him in that tavern," Jessica scolded, leaning close to Brunt. He was breathing shallowly. "He'll die trying to be like you. It's only a matter of time."

"Don't do this," Eno said softly. "I already feel bad."

"What happened, Eno?" Jessica sighed. "How did the tavern catch on fire?"

"It was Brunt. He was drunk, trying to show me something he learned in his guild. I wasn't paying attention. He missed."

"You're lucky you didn't kill yourselves," Jessica rubbed a handful of herbs in her palm and laid her cupped hand next to Brunt's face. "Breathe this," she offered. "slowly. . . easy now."

Brunt coughed and slowly forced his eyes open. "I'll pay for the next round."

"Pick him up, Eno. We need to get you two to the inn. I'll pay for the damages; it's probably not a good idea for you to talk to the owner right now. He's probably mad enough to have you killed. Give me your purse and I'll follow up." Jessica was used to cleaning up after Eno but never liked dealing with the grief and damage he left behind. That's why she was so surprised by what the tavern owner told her.

"There's no need to reimburse me, Jessica. I owe Eno my life from a job you did a few years back. Besides, the three of you are celebrities; everyone thinks it was all part of a big party. Nobody died, and I was planning on rebuilding anyway."

The next morning, Brunt had a headache that he attributed to drinking, not the fact he had nearly died of asphyxiation from the fire. Eno was preoccupied with cleaning his blade. "It's time to go pick up Margonic and head to the next town."

"Margonic could probably use a week of relaxation. The guild always spoils him." Jessica offered. "I would love to have a break myself." She fumbled with her pack. "Haven't you ever thought about taking a rest?"

"I think I need to sit this one out, Eno," Brunt gagged. "I'm still reeling from last night."

Eno scratched his head. "We have to keep moving," he explained. "I have a reputation to uphold."

"Your reputation will keep," Jessica said. "We need a break. You don't understand what this is like for us. We're not you."

"I don't expect you to be like me," Eno sighed. "Just be with me. One more quest and we'll get that break."

"Okay," Brunt agreed, "but I'm holding you to your promise."

The encampment was two hours out of town. A group of marauders were ransoming a priestess, and she was running out of time. The trio crept into the camp and quickly dispatched a distracted guard. The warrior Eno stood with his hand gripped firmly around the handle of his bloodied curved blade.