Gaia Town - The Tales of Taranis and Fearghas - 1. The Mirror

The morning mist was still hiding parts of Gaia Town. Taranis stepped out from the trees, his eyes immediately focused on the city nestled in the valley below his vantage point. A large wolf rubbed its body against the ranger's thigh like an oversized cat before it stood silently beside him, nose in the wind. The man's fingertips briefly played with the coarse, black hair on its neck, before he swung a satchel over his shoulder, making sure it didn't get tangled up with the longbow and the two swords he had already strapped onto his back.

"I feel trapped already Fear, and we haven't even reached the gate."

'Make sure you don't call me that where people can hear you or they will freak again, like last time.'

"Don't tell me you didn't like that everyone stayed well-clear of us."

'I did, until the guardsman tried to shoot me, saying he thought I was a rabid dog. A DOG!'

"You could always stay here and wait for my return, hunting rabbits for supper or something."

'And let you enjoy the smell of sewers, unwashed bodies, and foul teeth all of your own? Never!'

Taranis stopped walking and lifted his eyebrows. "Foul teeth?"

'It's a nasty smell. I have a very sensitive nose.'

"If you say so," the ranger grinned and continued towards the road leading to Gaia Town.

It was market day and they had to find their way between carriages, animals, and carts. Taranis stopped talking to Fearghas. He had long learned that people looked funny at him when he walked around seemingly speaking to himself. As they passed merchant Asmodeus' property Fearghas immediately positioned himself between the house and Taranis, his eyes on its entrance and the many windows.

Sniffing the air, he growled deep in his chest. 'It smells strange, wrong. Promise me you will never do business with that man again Taranis, whatever news you hear from Cai today.'

When Taranis didn't answer him immediately the wolf head-butted him so hard in the back of his thighs he made him stumble.

"Fearghas, can it," he hissed, pushing the wolf away.

The wolf pushed back. 'Promise me!'

Finally, Taranis threw his hands up in the air not caring anymore what the people around him thought. "Fine!"

At the city gate the guard on duty wouldn't let them in. "No wild animals are allowed within the city, unless they are caged and bound. Or dead."

Taranis rolled his eyes. He knew the guardsman, and he knew that the guardsman knew he had unlimited permission to enter the city with his wolf. Still, he reached into the inner pocket of his leather vest for a parchment he was sure the man couldn't read, and held it out to him.

"I have permission to enter Gaia Town with my familiar, signed and with the official seal of the town mayor and the Count."

The man gazed briefly at the parchment and waved him through. "You may pass. Make sure to control your beast."

The wolf huffed, but Taranis ignored him, trying to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Thank you guardsman and rest assured that Fearghas will be on his best behavior."

'Or I will take a bite out of his fat behind.'

Taranis snorted.

They passed the gate and the wolf sneezed heartily. Three times.

"Bless you."

'Very funny. The stench is getting worse every time we come back here. Where to first?'

"The brothel."

'I beg your pardon?'

"Endora wants some rare medicinal herbs: Barberry, Arnica, Goldenseal, Evening Primrose, and some others as payment for a look into her mirror, but you already know that. So what's with the superfluous questions today?"

'I like to see you squirm. The bro-o-o-thel. I would waggle my eyebrows if I had any.'

"Hilarious. You could always waggle your ears you know. Or your tail. And now shut up, I need to concentrate on finding the way to Endora's Haven and people have already started looking funny at us again."

'Just follow your nose.'

"That's right, Endora's Haven must be the cleanest smelling house in the whole northwestern part of the town."

The closer they came to the market district the more crowded the streets became. Taranis finally decided to evade the masses by taking side streets and back alleys.

"Ah, there we are. Listen Fearghas, the guards at the entrance will take my weapons, so no showing your teeth and no growling. Try to look as unobtrusive as you can, otherwise they won't let you in and I wouldn't like to go there unarmed."

'I am your weapon now?'

"As I am yours, yes. Now come on."

As expected, the brothel's guards politely but firmly insisted on taking all of Taranis' weapons. Then, to his utter astonishment, one of them bent down to scratch Fearghas' ears.

"You're going to be a good boy, huh? No biting the other clients or the guys 'n gals, no pissing on Madam's carpets, and we're good."

Instead of ripping his hand off Fearghas sat back on his haunches, nuzzled his head into the guard’s hand, ears back, tongue lolling out of his mouth. It almost looked like he grinned around his mouth full of razor sharp teeth. The best of all, he was wagging his tail.

'If you say anything at all I'll munch on his balls. Or yours.'

Taranis bit down on his cheek so as not to laugh; instead, he tilted his head at the guard and then slapped his hand on his thigh. "Come on boy, inside, inside and heed this nice gentleman's warnings. You hear me?"

Ambling beside him, still wagging his tail albeit more half-heartedly now, Fear grumbled, 'This better be worth it.'

"It will be. Thank you, Fear."

The doubled doorways at the end of the hall led to a surprisingly elegant room. Small light blue couches and upholstered chairs were set up in a circle facing the entrance. Opposite from the door a large bay window draped in a darker shade of blue, revealed a well-kept garden. It would have looked like any other parlor in a mansion in the better parts of the town were there not a man in a chair beside the fireplace kissing a giggling, half-naked girl sitting on his lap.

Taranis couldn't help himself and stared fascinated at a dark-skinned woman wearing black leather armor who was feeding small pieces of chocolate to the girl playing the pianoforte.

'Welcome to Endora's Haven, where all your wishes come true.'

An elf who had been lounging on one of the sofas sauntered over to them 'accidentally' pushing down the girl sitting beside him with a well-practiced move.

'Those pants must be restrictive but they showcase the goods well.'

Taranis thought that Fearghas had a point.

The elf circled him slowly while running a long elegant finger around Taranis' waist, over his chest and finally the tip of his ear.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, a ranger in need of a little entertainment?"

He took the thick braid hanging over Taranis’ shoulder, brushed it against his own naked chest, and whispered, "I want to run my fingers through your silvery tresses, writhe under them, feel them on my naked, heated skin while you push into me." His mouth was so close Taranis felt the brush of his lips against his ear. "What do you say?"

Sharp pain in his left hand brought Taranis out of his daze. Rubbing his stinging finger against his thigh, he threw Fear an annoyed gaze, but the wolf wasn't looking at him. Irritated, Taranis followed the direction of Fear's eyes and swallowed. The girl who had been pushed aside earlier looked extremely angry, so before she was able to get into a fight with the elf over him, he hurried to say, "I'm only here to speak to Madame."

On cue, a small tapestry door he hadn't noticed before opened and Madame Endora, in all her dwarven glory entered the room. "Taranis. Follow me please." Then she cocked her head. "Or did you want to use the amenities first? Lir is very good," she stated, smiling at the elf.

Fearghas pressed himself firmly against him and Taranis felt more than he heard that he was growling deeply in his chest.

"Er…no, thank you. Not at the moment."

"Maybe later then?" Lir asked, his hand still playing with Taranis' hair.

"We will see."

'No we won't.'

On his way out, Taranis saw a young man lounging on one of the couches near the fireplace; he seemed vaguely familiar. The open silk shirt and tight pants suggested he was one of Madame's employees.

He touched her arm. "Was that not Adron, the blacksmith's apprentice? Is he working for you?"

"Yes, he goes as Yadrey now, long story. We might have to talk about this at a later time, though."

They walked through a narrow hallway until Madame opened a door on the right and gestured for Taranis and Fear to precede her. The room was sparsely lit. A single candle stood on the table beside something that was covered with a white cloth.

Endora locked the door behind them and Taranis lifted an eyebrow. "Is this necessary?"

"You never know who'll barge in here without an invitation. I'm only taking precautions."

"I don't like being behind locked doors, especially if I don't have the keys."

Endora looked at him knowingly. "I understand." She handed him the key. "Do you have my payment?"

"Of course." Taranis opened the leather satchel and placed several bundles of dried herbs on the table. Endora took the Arnica plants in her hand, crushed a leaf between her fingers, and sniffed. She repeated this with each herb.

"Very good, extraordinary quality, as always." She smiled at Taranis before she collected the herbs and put them in different drawers of the apothecary's cabinet beside the door. Then she pulled the white cloth away and revealed a glass bowl filled with a silvery liquid.

"You may look into the mirror now. Know that I cannot leave the room. I will see everything you see; there will be no secrets between us."

"I know that. It isn't the first time I come here to see into the mirror. Remember?" Taranis fidgeted with his hands.

"These are the words that have to be spoken, Taranis."

She waved her hand over the bowl and the liquid cleared. Taranis bent forward immediately, his hands flat on the table's surface.

At first he saw nothing, but then the emaciated body of a man lying on dirty straw appeared in the mirror. His body was covered in bruises and whipping marks, and he had a heavy iron ring around his right ankle.

Taranis breathed in sharply. "No! That's Cai! He is in one of the dungeons! What did he do to you…he promised me, if I–" Taranis’ left hand curled around the bowl, a loose strand of his hair threatening to fall into the liquid.

Endora grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him back. "Don't touch it!"

Taranis shrugged her off. "He is covered in bruises and welts! They beat him - and whipped him; the skin around the shackle is raw and oozing puss. He's going to die if I don't get him out of there."

He closed his eyes, his fingers searching for Fear. "I have no choice, Fear. I should have demanded my payment from the merchant weeks ago, I waited too long–" A single tear rolled down his cheek. "I should have been there for him. What if he dies?"

'It was the right decision to wait, only as a last--'

Taranis held his hand up to cut him off before he could say more. "No it was not. It was a mistake and I will–"

"Look." Endora's calm voice interrupted their squabble.

The picture had changed. They looked at a battlefield. It was littered with dead bodies, most of them his father's men, injured, whimpered for help. At other places soldiers still fought a hopeless battle against a far superior enemy. Mages cast battle spells and buildings were on fire, smoke billowing out of their windows.

"It's my father's land! They are under siege! What did he do now? Where is Cai?"

As if the mirror was only waiting for that question, it changed again.

"My father's rooms, I recognize the window."

On a large bed lay a sleeping man, a white sheet barely covering his naked body, which showed fading bruises and welts. The bandage around his right ankle looked fresh and clean and the hair that had been of indefinable color and matted with blood before, shone silvery in the sunlight coming in from the large window. He looked like Taranis.

"He is your twin!" Endora jabbed a finger in Taranis' chest. "You never told me Cai is your twin."

"Nobody knows that except my closest family."

Fearghas growled and they looked back into the mirror.

A tall man had come into the room, he bent down, and ran a hand lovingly through Cai's hair. Then he turned his head and looked over his shoulder, directly into Taranis’ eyes; it was as if he knew someone was watching him. He even nodded his head briefly, before he pulled the sheet away from Cai's left ankle. Around it was a small golden ring with a delicate golden chain. The man pointed beside him where the chain was attached to a ring in the wall, then he grinned and mouthed, "Mine."

"Who is that? Do you know this man? What is he doing with my brother? Endora!"

"There are rumors that Lord Urien Maciomhair had enough of your father's warmongering and was about to invade his lands."

"What has that do with–"

"This is Lord Urien Maciomhair."