The Mantis Variant - Book One - 2. Chapter 2 - Dozi, Part One

Teshon City was a slum divided into three boroughs, and each was worse than the others in its own way. Messiahs dwelt in and around the high tower, Demifae mystics were at the waterfront, and the region farthest inland was occupied by Shifts. The industrial district served as workspaces and warehouses for several fringe groups of that society, and many unevolved humans also made up some of the inhabitants in each of the neighborhoods.

The city itself sprang up over two and a half centuries earlier, in an abandoned and derelict military base that was established by the long-defeated and disbanded Oselians. They were a brief but massive empire that fell as quickly as it rose. Their former fortress stood moldering on a small peninsula that extended out into a protected harbor. The natural shape of the land reached out from both sides like a pair of arms that prevented storms and crashing waves from pummeling the spit of rock that housed the base. Warships once found safety in the harbor, but after the fall of Oselia, only tiny fishing vessels dotted the calm waters.

Shacks and lean-tos covered the many docks of the old base, and the haphazard little domiciles looked like they were overlapping each other and threatening to shove their neighbors into the cove. No trees grew anywhere in Teshon City, but spindly grasses and weeds poked up between the cracks of the concrete, especially close to the water’s edge. They stretched up for more light beneath the rotting planks of the multiple gangways along the peninsula’s coast.

The Demifae inhabitants of the waterfront neighborhood called it the Spritehood. Those mystics and their acolytes, along with anyone else who craved the new magic, dwelt in that region. It also attracted folks who hated Shifts, and there were many excuses that people used for hating Shifts.

Dozi lived alone at the edge of the Spritehood. She did not hate Shifts; she just wanted to be more than she was.

Dozi was born in the year 228 A.E. and she lived with the people of the Bluewood Village until her younger brother’s 11th birthday. Dozi did not try to convince anyone to come with her when she left; she invited no one, but a local boy insisted on following her. The two were the same age, but he was immature and dimwitted, barely more than a child.

As adolescents they were close, but Dozi outgrew him in their early teenage years. Even into their young adulthood, the boy followed her around the village and the surrounding forests like a pet, and whatever childhood fondness she once felt for him long since faded. When Dozi announced to her people that she was leaving, he joined her. The boy was reluctant but unwilling to let her go by herself, despite her intention to journey alone.

She did not challenge the boy’s decision; Dozi never did.

He threw together a makeshift travel sack, while many of their friends tried to convince him not to follow her.

By age 22, Dozi already proved to her fellow villagers how determined she was, and few words were spoken in protest to her departure. In fact, many folks wished her well. She was an important part of that small community, but Dozi’s mind and life and future were her own.

With the warm summer sun shining down and birds singing in the treetops, the two young adults set out down a trail they walked many times before. Dozi and the boy spoke very little as they hiked; they had spoken very little over the past few years. He was often in her company, but only as a member of the local rabble who idolized her.

One of the village elders once compared Dozi to the legend of the Pied Piper, with her entourage who were always in tow. Her adoring troops were the saddest ones to see her leave the village. She was like one of those rockstars from olden times, back in those years before the Advanced Era.

Early into her teenage years, Dozi took to dressing in oversized and baggy clothing that she wore layered, even in the summer. She preferred practical and comfortable garments to restrictive or sensual ones. Bulky jackets covered thick hooded cloaks and long-sleeved shirts beneath. Over pairs of shorts, she wore large trousers made of thick material cinched around her waist with a heavy belt. Dozi’s hair was cropped short and often covered with a knit hat; she owned quite a collection of them.

Her daily outfits made Dozi nondescript and shapeless, and even as a preteen, there was so much charisma in her personality and swagger in her step that she possessed the confidence to dress the way she wanted. Dozi did not intend to be a role model for many of the village youth, but she was.

The journey down from the Bluewood Village through the forested lowlands to Teshon City took the people of the hills three days; rugged Dozi was determined to make the trek in two. The boy by her side was a sturdy lad and kept pace with her, and they managed to achieve her goal. On the second night, they made camp with the lights of the city visible in the distance.

The two ate in contemplative silence. Dozi was anxious to arrive at Teshon City, and she was excited to establish herself. Over her teenage years, she made the trip many times into the urbanscape for supplies, and she fell in love with those congested and rundown boroughs at first sight. The city lights always looked most inviting. Dozi would have moved sooner, but she waited until her youngest sibling was of hunting age before saying her goodbyes to the people she called family.

However, a rising dread had been prickling in the boy’s mind. As they were bedding down under the setting sun, he spoke up in a fearful tone.

“Maybe we should go back.”

Dozi rolled onto her side, turned her back to him, and replied, “Go to sleep.” Neither spoke again.

She may not have been expecting it, but Dozi was not surprised the next morning. In the glow of the sunrise, she awoke to find herself alone. She would not miss the boy.

After a cold breakfast that consisted of a few smoked venison meatballs and a sweet potato cake, Dozi rose and kicked dirt over the coals that still smoldered from the fire they built the night before. She scooped up her two traveling bags and began the last leg of her journey.

An enhancement from the Demifae mystics’ studies of arcane arts was something Dozi greatly desired, and their methods required fewer deaths. She convinced herself that the loss of a single Shift life, to enhance a whole host of humans, was worth the sacrifice. For every Messiah, the death of a Shift was required, but the eldritch means that Demifae sorcerers developed to share gifts with unevolved humans necessitated less sacrifice.

Dozi thought of her many childhood visits to Teshon City, where she met people with heightened senses and incredible strength. She saw folks who could communicate with animals, and acrobats who were able to accomplish feats beyond what any normal person could achieve. Dozi even once saw a person with a headful of flames.

With the sun rising over the forest, she passed the minor side trail to Ilin, and Dozi looked toward the ruins of that old castle. She continued forward. Ahead of her, the back of the sign indicating the path came into view. At the end of every trip to Teshon City, Dozi, with the group from her village traveled back home by the Pinewood Path; its sign was always a sad sight to the girl. This was her only trip to the city that did not include a return journey, and as she passed it, Dozi turned back to look at the sign.

NOW LEAVING TESHON CITY

WELCOME TO THE PINEWOOD PATH

It used to be the last part of her visits and meant that she was saying goodbye to the place she loved, but Dozi now felt excited to know she was home. It was not long before she approached the bridge over the Lonely River, and she crossed it with building anticipation. This was what she had always wanted, her new home, Teshon City.

Ahead of her, the panels of the old rusted gate rose from the earth like immovable sentinels that greeted all who entered the city. The mechanisms that once opened and closed the entrance were corroded beyond repair, and the doors stood frozen. More than two hundred years before, the gates served as the base’s cutoff. Over that time, the neighborhood stretched out around them and the city limit became vague.

Gate Town, as the locals called it, was a slum but it was also vibrant. It was the most diverse and welcoming part of the city, and Dozi always enjoyed the time she spent there. She intended on living farther in, closer to the water, but she found Gate Town to be fascinating.

Despite the squalor, or maybe because of it, much of Teshon City was decorated. Whole sides of buildings were painted with murals, tapestries and banners blew in the ocean breeze, and people cultivated many species of beautiful flowers. They grew them in the tiny patches of sun, where the beams of light were able to reach down between the old military buildings.

A number of people stood by their dwellings, or behind stalls and served food to the passersby. Dozi wondered which ones were Shifts; most were indistinguishable from their human cousins. Only rarely did a Shift go through a physical change with the onset of their powers, and Dozi’s eyes moved from one normal-looking person to another.

Only one of them needs to die, she thought to herself, and at least the body will be gone before I’m involved. Dozi did not like to think of it as murder, and she pushed the thought from her mind.

A few inhabitants of the neighborhood waved at her and she nodded, but before long she was through the outer region of the city, and Dozi entered the industrial district. She knew that at night it was best to avoid the area, but she strutted along the old concrete pathways with a smile on her face and the warm morning sun shining down. Between the stone buildings ahead of her, Dozi could see the unique structure that always so intrigued her, the tower. It loomed ahead.

The chaperones from Dozi’s village avoided the Messiahs, but she was not afraid of cannibals. They were not after her. A path ran around the tower’s base and she circled it twice, with her eyes turned up towards the imposing structure.

Beneath the decorations that the citizens used to brighten much of their city, the old Oselian concrete was grey, and the leadership of the Messiahs left their Tower bare. The stone structure slowly grew paler under the bleaching rays of the summer sun.

When Dozi was done marveling at the Messiahs’ temple, she turned towards the water and left the tower behind her. She knew right where she was headed and entered the Spritehood.

This was where Dozi felt like she belonged. This was where she could forge her new life. This was going to be her home.

The Spritehood was always her favorite part of town, and she now walked by shops and buildings that she had passed on other trips. It was exciting to know that now she could pop into any of them anytime she fancied.

She stepped up to the front door of a store that intrigued her on many previous visits. The glass was etched with the words Abernathy’s Apothecary, and there was a strange symbol beneath the lettering that she was never able to decipher. Dozi was always curious about its meaning. A bell rang as she pulled open the door.

This shop was one of many in the neighborhood that carried the necessities for sorcery, witchcraft, and all magicks. Dozi had only ever looked in through the windows, and she thought the assortment of items available was staggering. Abernathy’s Apothecary was a tidy and organized space, with tins and baskets full of ingredients. There were vials with liquids in many hues, jars of herbs, and even dried bones tied together in bundles. Several premade potions were also available for sale.

“Umm, Abernathy?” Dozi ventured as the door closed behind her.

“Nope,” replied a woman. “What’ll it be?”

“Oh, sorry,” Dozi responded. “I’m looking for a job and a place to stay.”

The clerk pursed her lips. “I don’t have either of those,” she replied curtly.

Behind the woman, a door burst open and a tall man came through. He was covered in blood. It coated his hands and forearms to the elbows, and there were splatters all over his heavy off-white apron. Streaks of red even made their way up to his facemask, glasses, and surgery cap. Through the door, Dozi saw the source of the blood, and it shocked her.

Sprawled in an unceremonious wheelbarrow was the grey-skinned headless corpse of a man. The hideous neck wound oozed thick dark fluids onto the floor by a metal drain. At the end of its rigid limbs, the body was missing both of its hands and feet. Its genitals were also hacked off, and there were multiple gashes in the torso and thighs. There was a huge chunk of flesh missing from one shoulder and the bone was exposed beneath. An overhead light shined down upon the mutilated corpse like it was some sort of exalted monstrosity.

Dozi stood frozen, as the door closed behind the man and hid the body. An iron-like aroma of blood hit her nostrils, and Dozi’s nose twitched. She recoiled a little, but her determination overshadowed her other feelings, and she repeated her request to the man.

“I need a job and somewhere to live,” she blurted out. “I also want to be a Demifae, but I don’t know how.”

He flashed her a scowl and snapped in a dismissive tone, “Money!” He then turned to his assistant. “The mantis gland is jarred. I’ll take the body. You get started on the mess, and lock the door behind her,” he added, effectively shoeing Dozi out of his shop.

Back on the street, she adjusted the shoulder straps of her two bags and glared at the sign that the assistant put in the window.

GET YOUR SPELLS SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Dozi felt disheartened and headed straight to the water’s edge. Having grown up in the mountains, she loved the sea. There were beaches to the south of Teshon City, but the peninsula was a rocky outcropping, ideal for the old military base. The land rose only a short distance above the gentle harbor, and Dozi walked to the trail that led around the edge of the land. She put her hand on the railing, looked down the stone face of the short cliff, and stared into the clear water below. Little fish were swimming close to the rock wall beneath the surface.

Dozi shifted her eyes over to the Oselian Stone Wharf. Several people were fishing from the old breakwater that jutted into the harbor and extended out towards the open ocean. She turned her back to it and began to follow the path along Widdershins Bay.

Across the wide channel, the cliffs rose higher and plummeted deep beneath the surface of the harbor. The waterway had allowed the Oselian navy to dock many of their ships at one time. During her childhood, one of Dozi’s neighbors who was fascinated by the long-disbanded military loved telling old war stories to the children; the devastation of the Breakneck Shipwreck was a favorite. Now as she walked alone, Dozi gazed out at the sunken hulk that protruded from the water a ways ahead of her.

She thought that she ought to make another attempt at procuring a job, lodgings, and magic. However, it was still early and Dozi noticed that most shops were not yet open even though the summer sun was climbing high into the morning sky. She could not decide if it was lucky or unlucky that she found the one open shop with the rude people. Dozi pushed the thought of that horribly mutilated corpse from her mind and continued along until she came to the edge of the Spritehood. The old shipwreck was just a little way farther.

Eventually, she approached the fence that surrounded the wasteland of the Oselian airfield, and she left the main region of the city behind. The tarmac became scorching hot for more than six months of the year, and for the rest of the time, most of the residents tended to avoid it.

Dozi appreciated the solitude and did not mind the heat. She liked the bustle of the city but knew that she would periodically need breaks from it. Alone with her thoughts, Dozi admitted to herself that she did not have much of a plan once she arrived in the city, but she was determined to make her way by sheer will alone.

No railing ran along the edge of the peninsula beside the old runway, and Dozi followed the water until she noticed an area where several boulders were dislodged from the city’s foundation. A narrow lip of stone ran along the bottom of the cliff right above the water, and she lowered herself over the edge onto one of the massive stones. Her feet were on a smooth angled portion and they threatened to slip out from under her, but she squatted down and slid onto another lower rock.

Some of the path at the water’s edge looked slippery, but Dozi stepped down and followed it. She walked with one hand against the rock wall, which stretched up a little way above her head. After a short distance, Dozi started hearing noise from the city above, but she could not see the people from her position.

She came upon a flat boulder, took a seat, and listened to the indistinct chatter from a distance. In her bag, there was only a single good-sized portion of meatballs and sweet potato cake left, so she chose to eat half of it and saved the rest for later.

Dozi was confident that she would find a place to live; it just might take her some time to meet the right people or locate an unused old military building where she could make a home. She was even willing to sleep on the street if it came to that.

When Dozi finished eating her rationed portion, she continued farther around the water’s edge. She did not mind being alone; she was just happy to be in the city. Dozi also did not mind that she did not have a plan. She was confident that she could make her own way.

Bloodwater Falls was ahead of her, and the sun was at its peak in the sky, so she decided to walk all the way to the waterfall before turning back. Dozi arrived at it quicker than she expected and was surprised to see a small chasm in the rock behind the falling water. She attempted to keep her bags dry and stepped behind the waterfall into the protected space.

The noise was deafening, but a moment later she was through to the other side, standing on the stone lip that continued farther around the bay. Dozi knew she should go back, but her excitement about being in Teshon City urged her forwards. The path became wider on the far side of Bloodwater Falls, but it was rockier and uneven. Dozi was surefooted from her life in the mountains, and she was an excellent swimmer, so she was unconcerned with the potential of falling into the water, but she did not want her things to get wet.

She continued along the rocks until she began to approach the shipwreck again, but now from the opposite side. Then the sunlight sparkled on something shiny that caught her eye. She bent down, took hold of the glittering object, and gently pulled. A fine silver chain began to emerge from behind a rock, and attached to it was an empty locket. However, the jewelry was only the beginning of her discovery. Behind the stone on which it was hooked, there was an opening in the wall of the cliff.

A dark cave led in and up away from the water. The summer sun was starting to slide toward the horizon, and the slanted light did not make it far into the entrance. However, a crack in the stones overhead sent a bright beam that shined deeper toward the back. It was tall enough within for Dozi to stand upright, and although she saw signs that other people once knew about the cave, it did not seem like anyone was currently living in it. It appeared to have remained vacant for some time.

Exploring as much as she could with the fading light revealed very little, but the cave seemed to extend farther. Then in the darkening gloom, she suddenly found food. Dozi snatched some of it, bit off the tops, and chewed. The earthy flavors were familiar, almost nutty or meaty. She grabbed another cluster and ate it also. Their texture was a bit tough and they would have been more enjoyable if Dozi cooked them first, but she was glad for something extra to eat.

Over her many trips to Teshon City, Dozi learned that the tide only rose and dropped a few feet in the harbor waters to the north, and the dry stones inside the cave indicated that she was in a safe place, at least for the night. With the hope that no one would stumble upon her while she was asleep, Dozi tried to find a comfortable spot, and she covered herself in a blanket from one of her bags. The sunlight soon disappeared, and despite her elation about being in the city and her unfamiliarity with the cave, she was soon asleep.

Several hours later, in oppressive darkness, she woke in pain. Dozi threw off the blanket and gripped her stomach. Her head swam and her mind would not focus. The night was so black that her eyes ached with the strain of trying to see. Her body lurched, and she vomited hard, emptying her guts onto the floor of the cave.

She was dizzy and squeezed her eyes shut, but when she opened them, even the darkness seemed to be spinning. Her isolation forced her into confrontation with the doubts and fears that plagued her mind, feelings that she had always kept at bay. They now flooded her with accusations and condescending questions. The negativity manifested like a shadow that twisted her spirit into knots, and the monster took form.

Who do you think you are? it asked her in a voice like a predator. The shape leered at her with eyes of black fire in the dark, and it repeated, Who do you think you are, leaving everything and everyone you know, leaving the people you love?

The being of smoke and shadow grew and expanded. It filled the tiny cave, and Dozi’s voice escaped her. She could not even scream as the terror enveloped her. The unseen face of fangs and eyeballs and orifices raged at the cowering girl.

Who do you think you are? it questioned yet again. You are nothing. You are the nothing that’s left over. Abandoner. Faithless one. No one wanted you to stay, your family is glad you’re gone. Pariah. They’re better off without you. You should die in this cave, your body eaten by crabs, your bones to be found by some other worthless pathetic little girl. You will be forever forgotten and lost to time. Deserter. Your name will never be spoken again, nor shall sunlight ever shine upon your face.

Dozi tumbled into unconsciousness and knew that she would not survive the smothering darkness✪