Clown Wyrm - 8. Chapter 8 - Rebels

“Would you join a group who’s fighting back?”

Silverwinter’s question surprised Mercury and Periwinkle, and they had the opposite reactions. She said, “Absolutely,” in unison with him saying, “No way!” and the pair turned to each other.

“What do you mean?” Mercury asked. “You wouldn’t fight?”

“You would?!” Periwinkle countered.

She frowned at him. “You’re the one who said you’d kill a god.”

“Not for real, metaphorically! I do not want to be part of a war or uprising, even one against people, never mind a god!” Periwinkle shuddered and looked over at Silverwinter. He could tell that her words were not simply rhetorical. “There really is a rebel army, isn’t there?”

Silverwinter cringed at the word he chose. “It’s not called an army. The king has an army, and it’s monstrous. The rebels are not the same, and we don’t call them that. Rebels is good enough.”

“I’d join them,” Mercury stated. “Are you one, Silverwinter?”

“Anyone who opposes the crown,” Mama replied, “is part of the rebellion.”

Periwinkle grabbed Mercury’s hand. “We can’t join up with some crazy rebels!”

Mercury looked him in the eyes. “We’re lost. Somehow we’ve been transported to another world, or maybe some distant point in time. Magic exists, and it may have something to do with how we got here, which means it may also be our ticket home. If there’s a group of people trying to overthrow those in power, maybe they can use the magic to send us back where we’re from, and if not, at least maybe we can help stop the royals’ greed and oppression here.”

Periwinkle gave Mercury a skewed look. “You just unquestionably believe all of this, and you’re willing to throw your lot in with them?”

Mercury took his hands. “Periwinkle, listen, where we come from, people use technology to get things done. Here, apparently it’s magic.” She looked at their new friends. “There’s no reason to doubt what they’ve told us; why would they make this up?” She continued without allowing him a chance to reply. “I want to go home. What you and I have told people about ourselves and our world has been hard for them to believe, and yet it’s all been true. I’m trying to believe everything they say, as much as I wish they could believe us.”

“But this is crazy!”

“Periwinkle,” Mercury replied gently, “you’re right, and I know it’s crazy, but we can either keep thinking everything’s crazy, or we can accept that we’re really here, and try to figure out a way to get back home. There’s so much we don’t know yet. I feel like you and I could keep dismissing everything here as crazy, but I think we need to accept it, embrace it, and join these people!”

Periwinkle sagged under the crushing reality, and as his shoulders drooped, Krizibop placed her hands on them. “Life’s crazy,” she commented as she began to massage the back of his neck.

Silverwinter was still intently watching Mercury and Periwinkle, and she did not reply to Glimdrim. “I can take you to them.”

“To who?” Periwinkle asked.

“The rebels.”

“I want to meet them,” Mercury declared.

Periwinkle inadvertently pulled away from Krizibop’s massaging hands as he leaned toward Mercury. “We can’t! We’re clowns; we’re not meant to fight!” He knew Mercury was a fighter.

“I just want to go meet them.”

“Well I don’t,” Periwinkle replied with a frown.

“Hey,” Glimdrim interjected, “here’s a suggestion; why don’t Krizibop and I take Periwinkle home with us, and Silverwinter can take you, Mercury, to meet the rebels? I think Krizibop and I are ready to head home. We can all reconvene here in the morning. Our performance troupe is coming back to town tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’m getting tired,” Krizibop added.

Mercury turned to Periwinkle, and she was excited. “I think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you go with them, and that way I can check out the rebels first, and after I let you know what I learn, we can decide our next course of action?”

Periwinkle did not like the prospect, but he could tell Mercury’s mind was made up. “Alright I guess, just be careful.”

The two of them embraced, and Mercury remained at the bar with Silverwinter, as Periwinkle followed Glimdrim and Krizibop out into the dark city streets.

The barwoman pointed behind Mercury toward a table in the corner. “Let me introduce you to a fellow everyone calls Doctor.”

Mercury looked in the direction Silverwinter indicated. An older man with a grey mustache was seated alone. “His name’s Doctor? Why do they call him that?”

“You’ll have to ask him yourself. He’s been connected to the rebels for much longer than I have.” Silverwinter headed out from around the counter, and she led Mercury over to the table with the man who called himself Doctor. “Hey there, Doctor, this is Mercury. I think you and she may have a lot to talk about.” She shot him a wink, and he focused on Mercury as Silverwinter headed back to her bar.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mercury.” He gestured to the empty seat across from him.

She smiled, sat, and replied, “It’s nice to meet you, and why do they call you Doctor?”

He chuckled. “Because my name’s Diviol Rothlia, as in D.R. for short, or Dr.” He let out another little laugh.

Mercury snickered. “Very clever,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Alright, Doctor, so tell me about the rebellion.”

He looked startled and glanced at the bar and Silverwinter. “Wasn’t expecting you to say that,” he commented to Mercury.

She followed his gaze, but she focused on the drink menu behind the bar. “Aren’t the people who come here against the royals? Isn’t that the point of this pub and the drink names?”

“I mean, yes,” Doctor confirmed, “this is a safe space for people who oppose the king’s regime.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

Doctor peeked around at the rest of Silverwinter’s patrons, but none of them were paying any attention to the pair. He took a sip of whatever he was drinking and leaned closer to Mercury. “There have always been opponents of the royals and their claim to the throne because of their access to magic.”

“How do the rebels fight back?”

Doctor nodded. “From time to time, they strike out against the crown, little acts that make life in the palace less comfortable. In the past year, the rebels have procured food, gold, and weapons that were bound for the capital. The royals once thought of this town as the rebel’s base of operations, but it’s not, and they came to learn this fact. In the past, they sent regimes way out here to Tingedale, but since the rebels have a roving base that’s always changing positions, the soldiers never found them gathered here in town. The rebellion keeps the true center of their operations hidden by moving it throughout the western wilderness, and it never remains in one place for more than a few days. The royalists don’t like that this town isn’t very keen on the king, so several years back, they sent a battalion here. The soldiers really didn’t like Silverwinter’s place, with its offensive drink names and clientele who tend to be of a more independent nature. The soldiers smashed this place up pretty bad.”

To Mercury’s surprise, Doctor gave her a satisfied smile that did not seem to match the tragedy in his words, and he continued.

“This isn’t the first time royal guardsmen have tried to get Tingedale under control either.” He chuckled. “As soon as the rebels heard the soldiers were here, they returned. Of course, we townspeople were already taking on the soldiers and coming to fisticuffs before the rebels arrived.” Doctor looked proud. “This town’s got spirit. One of the locals spoke out in the town square against the occupation, and the soldiers beat him. His fellow townsfolk did not like that one bit, and by the time the rebels arrived, the army encampment was already in flames. None of the soldiers had been killed, but the rebels took care of that. The royalists had no idea how badly they were outnumbered, and the rebels took out every single one of the soldiers; there was not even a messenger to inform the king about the tremendous failure, but that’s historically how it’s happened. This isn’t a big town, but any royals who have tried to curb it over the centuries have faced crushing defeat. Every new attempt to subjugate Tingedale has had such confidence behind it, and each attempt has ended in devastation for the instigator.” Doctor let out another little laugh and smoothed down his grey mustache.

“How does this little town always manage to fight off the royals? Couldn’t they just send the whole army to crush the rebellion and obliterate the town?”

Doctor grinned wide. “The rebels are made up of more people than are in the entire royal army.” He pointed at one of the interior walls of the tavern. “There is an adjacent region farther to the west, a nameless land folks call simply the wilds. They’re rugged, and they play home to many free folk who proudly name themselves among the rebels. No army is a match.”

“Then why don’t the rebels take over Armonia? Couldn’t one of them be king?”

Doctor looked confused. “The rebels don’t want to take over, and none of them wants to be kings or queens. They just want people to be free.”

“Okay, then why not just take out the royals so everyone could have access to the magic?”

“In his castle,” Doctor replied, shaking his head, “seated on his throne above R’Kathlug, the king is all-powerful, and he never leaves the throne room. He cannot be overthrown.”

Mercury set her jaw. “Okay, then what about slaying the dragon?” She was already feeling like she was a part of the rebellion.

“It can’t be done. I’ll show you.” Doctor stood and grabbed a cane that had been leaning against his leg, and he headed to the bar with Mercury following him. “Silverwinter, may I please see the bottle of Royal Seat Gin?”

“Got it right here.” She reached behind her and turned back with it in her hand. “Can I make you something?”

“No thanks,” Doctor replied with a smile, “I just want to show our new friend here the picture on the label.”

“Oh, gotcha,” Silverwinter said knowingly, “Throne Rock.” She handed him the bottle, and he turned its image toward Mercury.

Printed on the label was a city on a hill with a grand castle sitting at the very top.

“That’s Armonia City, the capital. The dragon lies beneath the mountain, which is an ancient and extinct volcano, and the only way down to R’Kathlug’s lair is through the opening in the old summit, but the royal palace covers the entire vent. There’s no way down into the chasm inside the mountain except by going through the castle.” Doctor handed the gin bottle back to Silverwinter. “Thanks.” He and Mercury headed toward the table again, but before he sat, he scrutinized her. “Do you want to meet some more of us?”

“More rebels?!” Mercury replied with excitement.

Doctor smiled. “I got invited to a gathering this evening, but it’s at a spot outside of town, and it’s a long walk to Whisper Falls.”

Mercury was curious. “What’s Whisper Falls?”

“It’s a waterfall out in the forest. There’s a lovely little clearing where events are sometimes held. A few anti-royalists were heading there this afternoon. I don’t think it’s a serious meeting, more of just a friendly get-together. Folks often stay overnight at the site. It’s really nice out there, but it’s a bit of a hike.”

Silverwinter was clearing a table nearby, and she heard Doctor’s words. “I’ll take you out there, Mercury. Don’t worry about it, Doctor; I can bring her to the falls after I close up.” There were only two other patrons left in her tavern, and they appeared almost finished with their drinks.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Mercury asked.

“Not at all. I haven’t been to a rebel gathering in a bit, even if it’s not some sort of big meeting, they’re friends, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen many of them.”

“Very good,” Doctor concluded, “so why don’t I settle up with you and be on my way?” He hooked his cane over one forearm as he flipped through his billfold for the money to pay for his drinks. He pulled out some cash, told Silverwinter to, “Keep the change,” and he went out into the dark night.

Silverwinter said her goodbyes to the final two patrons, and she stepped up to the main entrance and her bouncer.

“Thanks, Goaty,” she said to him, “let’s call it a night.”

He grunted something that sounded to Mercury like goodnight.

Silverwinter locked the door behind him, and she turned around with a smile. “Come on, Mercury, we’ll go out through the back door.”

The two women headed into the pub’s kitchen, and they passed a small office to one side. Silverwinter grabbed a lantern off a countertop, and she activated its light. A door at the back of the kitchen led outside, and the pair of women exited.

“How far away is the waterfall?” Mercury asked.

“It’s not really that far, but Doctor’s leg has gotten worse in the past few years, and I think it would have been a lot for him to try and lead you there in the dark.”

“What happened to his leg?”

Silverwinter shrugged. “He’s walked with a cane since before I met him, but I’ve watched him move slower and slower over the past couple years, and he really relies on that cane. He does well in town, but I think the hike out to Whisper Falls would have been too much for him to handle.”

“Well I appreciate you taking me out there instead, and do you mind telling me what happened when your bar was smashed up by those soldiers who tried to take over the town?”

Silverwinter let out a little noise at the painful memory. “Doctor told you about that, did he?” She took a breath. “A lot of us townsfolk had fled before the soldiers arrived in Tingedale. My place was locked up tight, but they broke in. I’ve always been vocal about my stance on the royals, and when the soldiers saw my drink names, they lost their minds. They smashed all my glasses and bottles. They chopped my serving counter to pieces with axes. They destroyed my tables and chairs, broke my windows; they even tried to set the building on fire, but that’s when the first group of rebels from the wilds showed up.”

“And they stopped the soldiers?”

Silverwinter nodded. “They did. Rebuilding the tavern was a monumental task, but as you could see on the inside, it’s been restored, and it’s hard to tell anything happened. You two may have met a couple of the less-friendly Tingedalians, but our neighbors rallied and helped me rebuild the pub. This all happened about eight years ago.”

“Once all the king’s soldiers had been defeated, how long was it before he found out?”

“Did Doctor tell you the rebels took no prisoners and left no survivors?”

“Not in those terms exactly,” Mercury replied with a shake of her head, “but he said the rebels took out all the soldiers.”

“He’s right, and it was a good long while before the king received the news.”

The two women made it to the edge of town, and as Silverwinter began to lead Mercury along a forest path with the lantern’s light shining the way, she commented, “There’s another reason I invited you to stick around at my bar.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Mercury asked.

Silverwinter glanced at her. “There’s a prophecy about a genetically pure outsider leading our people into a new age.” Silverwinter’s words did not elicit the reaction she was expecting.

Mercury scoffed. “Prophecies are such bullshit, and I hate the whole idea of the chosen one trope; it’s absolute garbage, and white saviorism is particularly hateful.” She held up her pale hands and rolled her eyes before continuing. “I hate chosen one stories, messiah stories, savior stories… People don’t need to be saved; they need to learn to save themselves. Not to mention the fact that Periwinkle and I have already been informed that our genes are inferior, so neither of us could possibly be the outsider you’re talking about. Also, the idea of genetic purity is pretty exclusionary, kind of an asshole idea, if I’m honest.”

Mercury then caught herself and cringed. “Sorry, Silverwinter, that was a bit harsh of me, and I wasn’t calling you an asshole. I didn’t mean to blow up like that; religions in my world are just really bad.” She looked around at the dark trees that appeared no different than any forest she had ever seen, but she knew this was not her world, and she apologized again. “Sorry, prophecies are a myth, like magic, so maybe I reacted too hastily since magic is real here. Are prophecies real too?”

Silverwinter was weighing Mercury’s words and pondering her inquiry. “What an interesting series of thoughts. I’ve never really considered the concept of prophecy in the way you’re talking about. I like the idea that something is a predicter of the future, but I suppose I’ve never seen a prophecy come true before.”

“Is prophesying a major part of the religions here?” Mercury asked. “It plays a pretty big role where I come from in some of them.”

Silverwinter considered the question. “Honestly, I don’t really know. Religion is important to the royals and is part of life in the capital, and the people there tend to be worshipers of the wyrm, but way out here, not so much.”

“The wyrm,” Mercury repeated, “is that another name for R’Kathlug?”

“Yeah, folks call it the dragon, or the wyrm, or the beast. Really any monster name probably works for R’Kathlug.”

Ahead of them, a glow that was not coming from Silverwinter’s lantern began to light up the dark forest.

“Are we there? I don’t hear a waterfall,” Mercury stated.

Silverwinter laughed. “Do you remember what they’re called?”

“Whisper Falls?” Mercury ventured.

“Exactly,” Silverwinter replied, “they’re very quiet.”

As the two women emerged in the clearing, they saw a group convened on its far side, and the waterfall was beyond them. Rather than a powerful surge pouring over a cliff and crashing onto the surface of a pool below, the water slid down a severe grade in the hill more like a very steep river rather than a waterfall. This allowed the flow to reach the large pond below almost silently.

Several of the rebels spotted the two new arrivals and waved them over. One of them called out Silverwinter’s name, and as she and Mercury approached, Mercury realized there were a lot more people than she was expecting. Four of them were walking in their direction, two men and two women, while another, larger group was seated close to the water’s edge. Several people were laughing; others seemed deep in conversation, and a few were tending to a fire and looked like they were about to cook some food. Mercury guessed there were more than twenty rebels, when she realized that through the trees was a campsite with multiple tents and many more people moving in the shadows.

“Hello, Gorji and Tulip,” Silverwinter said to the two women who approached. “Sorry,” she added to the men, “I’ve seen you both in my pub, but I don’t know your names. This is Mercury.”

Mercury could tell that like Mama, one of the women was either a drag queen or a transgender woman, and Mercury was immediately thrilled to be in her presence. She reached out and took her hand. “I’m Mercury.”

“I’m Tulip,” she replied with a gracious curtsy. “This is my wife, Gorji,” she added, indicating a woman beside her, “and these fine gentlemen are Wristle and Doge.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Mercury declared with a smile.

“I think you’ve got yourselves another rebel,” Silverwinter stated, and she chuckled.

“Is that so?” Gorji asked. “Won’t you join us for a drink?” She interlaced her fingers with Tulip’s. “My wife and I would love to get to know another fellow rebel.”

Mercury and Silverwinter were escorted to the others, and Tulip waved for Mercury to take a seat by the water as Gorji also sat down on the bank. Tulip leaned against a tree, but Silverwinter placed her hand on Mercury’s shoulder. “Mercury, I’m going to go say hi to a few other folks. I’ll be right back.”

“Mercury is going to be just fine with us,” Gorji said with a grin.

As Silverwinter went over to another small group of people, Mercury and the rebels nearest to her made introductions, but after the conversation moved to whatever the group had been discussing, Mercury realized it was not nearly as exciting as she had hoped. When Tulip and Gorji resumed discussing a plan about constructing a gazebo and children’s area in a local park, Mercury could not help but feel a little disappointed in the banality.

Eventually Tulip noticed Mercury’s bored expression, and she sidled over to her. “Not interested in the renovation of a greenspace?”

“I don’t know,” Mercury replied. “I guess I thought a group of rebels would be busy scheming how to overthrow the king, or kill the dragon or something.”

Tulip gave her a knowing look. “We spend more time helping people and improving the world, than we do standing up to tyranny. Our aid is our greatest act of rebellion.”

Mercury was trying not to be disappointed. “Is there a group of rebels who are more active? I want to add myself to the fight against the royal family.”

“There are different groups,” Tulip confirmed. “Some of us are focused on helping, while others lead, and a small amount occasionally fight back. If that’s what you want to be part of, you need to meet a woman everyone calls the Mechanic.”