Chaos god, p.13
Chaos God, page 13
“I will assist with fetching the water,” Ayen said helpfully.
“I will help you with this.” The brown-haired man who’d wielded a sword against the demons earlier held up a hand and stepped forward.
“Wonderful, Varian,” Ayen said, and he clapped the shorter man on the back before he turned to Goren. “We will need the large two-handled basket.”
“Right away, sir,” Goren said, and he dashed over to the collection of salvaged baskets. Then he raced over and handed the large basket to Ayen.
“Thank you,” Ayen said to the young boy, and then he gestured for Varian to follow him. “We will be back shortly with a full basket of saltwater for you, Levi.”
“Thanks,” I chuckled after my new friend, and I turned back to the patiently waiting group. “I’m also going to need something that’s big enough to lay over the top of the cauldron’s mouth, preferably something with a slight curve, maybe a round shield?”
“I believe I have something that may suit your needs,” Quintus said, and he started to haul himself to his feet.
“Are you thinking what I am, father?” Goren stopped the white-haired man before he could stand.
“Yes, boy.” Quintus nodded. “Would you fetch it for me, please?”
“Of course,” Goren said respectfully, and he raced off once more in the direction of his and Quintus’ hut. A moment later, Goren lugged out a huge iron shield on his back, and he lurched awkwardly forward under the huge weight. “Here, father.”
“Bring it to Levi, son.” Quintus pointed in my direction.
“Wow,” I breathed as I took the large round shield from the curly-haired boy. “This is perfect.”
The shield was at least three feet in diameter, and it would fit over the mouth of the cauldron nicely. It was curved decently and had a leather strap hooked into the concave side. I inspected the worn leather for a moment before I gently released the buckle and handed the strap back to Goren.
Just then, Ayen and Varian trudged back into camp with the large basket filled to the brim with saltwater.
“Levi!” Ayen shouted, and a thin sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead. “Where do you want it?”
“Dump it right into the cauldron,” I instructed.
Ayen nodded, and he silently guided Varian toward the fire. Together, they carefully poured the seawater into the huge black pot, and the water sizzled and steamed for a second as it made contact with the hot cauldron. Then it settled down, and the pot was about two-thirds full.
I decided that was a good place to start.
“Perfect,” I said, and then I thought to myself about what I needed next.
It would take a while for the fire to begin boiling the roughly thirty gallons of water, so we had some time to set the other pieces into place. I looked over the shield, and I figured I could set it right on top of the cauldron so the shape of the armor could allow it to balance on the mouth and give enough space for the water vapor to dribble down and off the rim. The problem there was that if we didn’t direct the dribble to one spot, it would all just run off into the flames and be lost.
“Hmm,” I hummed to myself as I inspected the shield a little more closely, and after a second, I found the perfect detail.
There was a misshapen spot about the size of a quarter on one side of the shield’s rim. It looked like the iron armor had taken a good hit by something hard during use, and it created a perfect little spout shape to direct the water where I wanted it to go.
“Okay,” I said loud enough for everyone in the patiently waiting group to hear. “What happens when you boil water?”
“It gets hot!” Ayen declared with a boisterous laugh.
“Yes,” I chuckled, and I rolled my eyes at the big blond man. “And it starts to steam, right?”
“Of course.” Goren nodded like an obedient student, and my fondness for him grew. “But how does that get us water?”
“The steam is water that has been made into vapor,” Elora surmised, and her voice was filled with interest and realization.
“Exactly.” I smiled at the beauty. “So what we’re going to do is place this shield, thank you, Quintus, over the top of the cauldron. The shield will stop the steam from escaping, it will collect on the inside of the iron like rain in a cloud, and then it will drip down the edges so we can catch it in the basket. Only issue I can see is that we are wasting a lot of wood, but we are close to the lava fields, so once we get this figured out in camp with the wood, we’ll work on a set up where we can use the free heat from the lava.”
“That is brilliant,” Wyn murmured with a sparkle in his silvery-blue eyes. “You have found a way to make a rainstorm for free.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “It’s a lot like that.”
“Fascinating,” Elora hummed. “Will you show us, please?”
“Yeah, of course.” I reached out for the iron bar that Arlindra had used to reposition the cauldron. “May I?”
“Certainly,” Arlindra said, and she handed the improvised fire poker to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
I carefully balanced the shield over the mouth of the cauldron and slightly toward the outer edge of the fire. Then I used the iron bar to prop it at a slight angle to guide the water droplets toward the dent in the edge of the shield.
“Where’s that big basket?” I asked as I made sure that the shield would stay in place. Then I turned around and took the basket that Varian offered to me. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” the brown-haired man said, and his hazel eyes flicked from my face to the shield with a touch of disbelief and wonder. “This is a curious formation.”
“I know it looks really odd,” I agreed, and I placed the basket carefully beneath the dent in the shield and safely away from the open flames. I studied the fire for a second, and I decided I didn’t want to risk another basket burning today. “Do we have any more rocks we can place here to protect the basket from the fire?”
“We do,” Ylva said, and then she nudged Rathal. “Be useful, go get Levi that flat stone from our hut.”
“The one we use for car--” Rathal started to ask, and there was a touch of disappointment in his voice.
“Yes, Rathal.” Ylva cut off his complaint with a stern look before he could finish, and I silently wondered what they used the stone for, and why she wanted to keep it secret from the group.
“Yes, dear,” Rathal sighed heavily, and then he disappeared into their hut and returned a moment later with a wide, flat stone that was really quite perfect.
“We can find something else so you can have this back very soon,” I said consolingly to the older man as I took the stone from his callused hands.
“Very well,” Rathal muttered, and his voice had taken on a grim acceptance of responsibility.
I wedged the flat stone carefully between the edge of the fire pit and the side of the very flammable basket. Then I stood back and studied the structure in search of any issues or weak points, but overall, the whole contraption looked sturdy and ready to distill all the water we could need.
“What now?” Elora asked. She reached out and touched my elbow gently for a second before she blushed and moved her fingers away.
“Now.” I cleared my throat against the rising tide of arousal from that innocent touch of Elora’s fingers. “Now, we wait.”
“We must wait for the fire to heat the water into a boil,” Wyn murmured, and I could tell the old man understood the idea behind my science lesson. “This is quite clever, Levi.”
“It’s nothing, really.” I shrugged. “If it works how I think, it will be better to set it up by the lava.”
“This will save us much time and effort,” Azariah insisted, and her sister nodded emphatically beside her.
I glanced around the group, and I could see only gratitude and admiration in all the eyes staring back at me. It felt a little odd at first, but I couldn’t deny that I liked it. I’d never really been admired for anything in my life before, and it felt good to be able to genuinely help these people.
And myself, I silently added.
I had to stop thinking of myself as separate from this group. I had zero plans to leave anytime soon, and I realized that even if I had a way back to earth, I didn’t think I’d take it. There was a real sense of purpose for me here with these people, and the idea of leaving Elora and never seeing her again wrenched painfully in my heart.
We all waited around the pit for a while as the fire slowly heated the water. Ryfon finally returned about the same time that the water started to hit a rolling boil and steam started to rise up to the shield’s surface.
“What is this nonsense?” Ryfon scoffed when he caught sight of the shield and cauldron.
“Levi has created this to gather fresh drinking water for us from the sea,” Goren boasted, and he puffed his chest out a little bit in defiance of the one-eared asshole.
“That is impossible,” Ryfon sneered, and he reached out to take hold of the iron bar that held the shield in place.
“Touch that iron!” Ayen bellowed. “And it will be the last time that hand touches anything.”
“Can you not see he is manipulating you to worm his way into our trust?” Ryfon growled, and he glared hard at me with muddy-brown eyes.
“What would be the benefit of Levi lying about this contraption?” Elora asked, and I could hear her eyes roll in her head with irritation.
“Clearly,” Ryfon drew the word out as if for emphasis, but I could see the wheels turning behind his dull eyes. I knew he was just stalling to try and come up with something to say, and it was clear that he had no idea what to say. “Anyone who trusts the stranger is a fool, and you will bring doom down upon us.”
“Ryfon, the logic behind Levi’s contraption is sound,” Wyn said gently but firmly.
And just then, a single drop of water dripped from the dented place at the edge of Quintus’ iron shield and plunked down to the bottom of the basket. Everyone’s eyes turned to the basket as a second, and then a third drop of water splashed in on top of the first.
“See?” Elora said smugly. “It works.”
I smiled at the beautiful elf, and my pulse quickened when she reciprocated with a genuine smile of her own.
“How do we know this water is safe for drinking?” Ryfon demanded.
“Go ahead.” I gestured at the small puddle that was quickly growing at the bottom of the basket. “Have a taste.”
“I will not!” Ryfon declared scornfully. “I will not be the victim of your lies and deceit.”
“I’ll try it,” Goren announced, and then he glanced at his father for approval.
Quintus gave his curly-haired son a brief nod, and then Goren stepped up to the basket.
“Here,” Arlindra said, and she handed the young half-elf a small wooden bowl.
“Thank you,” Goren said, and he reached into the basket and scooped up a mouthful of water into the bowl.
The air seemed to be sucked out of the camp, and everyone watched with bated breath as Goren brought the bowl to his lips and drank.
“Well?” Elion asked, and his voice shook with anticipation while his lavender eyes widened. “Did it work?”
“Mmm,” Goren sighed, and his black curls bounced with an emphatic nod. “It’s warm, but it is crisp and clear! It tastes better even than the river water!”
“Well done, my friend!” Ayen declared, and he clapped me hard on the shoulder. “Let us gather a feast in celebration of this accomplishment!”
A round of cheers and thanks ran through the crowd, and several hands reached toward me in appreciation. Frida looped herself affectionately around my ankles, and she nudged her round muzzle against my calf.
“Come, sister,” Arlindra announced as she scooped up the rough burlap sacks from one of the stone seats. “Let us provide food for this celebratory feast.”
“I will come, too,” Varian announced, and he gave Arlindra a lingering glance.
“Wonderful,” the blonde woman said softly, and then she and the brown-haired guy walked off.
Azariah scooped up another sack and followed behind them a moment later.
“Wait for me!” Elion called as he dashed after them.
The rest of the camp settled into various tasks in preparation for dinner, and Ryfon scoffed once more before he stormed away. I didn’t care much where he went, and in fact, I was glad to be rid of his presence.
Wyn settled onto his stone seat, and Elora quietly brought him a large pile of thin fibers.
“Thank you, dear,” Wyn murmured softly to his surrogate granddaughter.
I started to lower myself onto a nearby stone when Wyn waved me closer to him.
“Have a seat by me, Levi,” Wyn offered. “I would enjoy the company.”
“Sure,” I said. I sat down beside the old man, and Frida curled up at my feet in her usual donut shape.
I watched for a few moments as his wrinkled hands took out a long thin tool that looked like it had been carved out of a piece of bone. Then Wyn started to knot and weave the thin fibers together, and I realized he was weaving a fishing net.
“Is there anything I can do to help you with this?” I nodded at the pile of fibers beside the old elf.
“I rather enjoy net weaving,” Wyn said. “It keeps the ache from these old hands. Your company is all the help I desire.”
“I feel a little useless just sitting here,” I admitted, and I reached down to pat Frida on her side.
“My dear boy.” Wyn’s hands paused on the net, and he looked me dead in the eyes. “You have done more for myself and these people in two days than anyone else has been able to accomplish in years. You overcame the wolf-sharks, you saved us from a demon attack, you helped gather food, and you have brought us clean drinking water.”
“I just…” I murmured, and I didn’t really know what to say.
“More importantly than all that,” Wyn continued. Then he leaned closer to me as he lowered his voice, and his silvery-blue eyes flicked to where Elora was helping Goren and Quintus weave more baskets. “You have brought hope back to their hearts.”
I was quiet for a moment as his words sank in, and it made me think of Elora’s hopeless attitude toward the problem of the Demon Lord. Maybe Wyn was right, maybe everyone had lived for so long in this perilous situation that they simply didn’t have the mental space left to hope for anything better. At times, I could see a small glimmer of hope in Goren’s eyes, but perhaps that was because he still had the optimism of youth.
“It feels good to help,” I said finally.
Wyn smiled knowingly at me and continued to weave his net for several more minutes in silence. I studied the horizon for a while as the sun began to sink slowly toward the mountains that flowed steadily with fresh lava, and I wondered if the entire belly of the planet would belch itself out onto the surface.
“What do you know of the Gods of Asgard?” Wyn asked.
“Not much,” I admitted. “We had some superhero movies about them, but I never really watched them because I was working.”
“Movies?” the old man asked.
“Ehh…” I hesitated, since I remembered seeing ads for the Marvel movies and felt my blood run cold and my heart stop beating. I didn’t really like a lot of movies because I felt like the protagonists were too dumb, but I had particularly felt disgusted when I saw the Thor and Loki characters on the movie ads.
“Hmm?” the old man raised an eyebrow after I hesitated.
“Probably not worth explaining. I know that Odin was like the king of all the gods. Thor was his son and had thunder powers. Loki was his brother and the God of Mischief, I think, and something about a tree that connected all living things together. There is a rainbow bridge or something. I don’t know much else.”
“Odin Allfather was indeed the king of all the Aesir.” Wyn nodded, and his voice took on an ethereal quality as he delved into the story. “Thor Odinson was the God of Thunder, and he had a temper to match the rolling storms that he controlled. Loki was--”
“Will you tell the tale of Lady Sif, Wyn?” Elora asked softly, and she looked a bit like a little kid asking for her favorite bedtime story.
“Yes, my dear.” Wyn smiled fondly at the beautiful elf. “Lady Sif was Thor’s wife and the goddess of the harvest, and she had been blessed with the most beautiful golden hair, like the fields of corn and wheat she helped to cultivate. It was a cherished treasure of hers, her husband’s, and indeed all of the gods. Lady Sif took great care of her golden locks. She brushed them with a jeweled comb, and she would wash her hair in crystal clear waters and let it dry in the light of the sun.”
I smirked at the dreamy imagery, and Elora looked almost wistful as she kept her amber-red eyes on the old man.
“One day, eons ago, when Loki Odinson, Thor’s brother, was still young and feeling especially mischievous, he stumbled upon Lady Sif drying her golden hair in the sunlight,” Wyn continued. “The beautiful wife of his brother had fallen asleep in the field, her hair fanned out around her like golden wheat. Loki decided he would like to play a trick on his brother’s wife and cause a bit of trouble among Thor’s household, so he took his dagger and cut off all of Lady Sif’s hair.”
“Oh, shit,” I muttered, and I realized how sucked into the tale I’d become. I had scooted toward the edge of my stone seat, and my fingers were knotted together with anticipation of the storm Loki had surely brought down on himself by angering his brother.
“Quite,” Wyn agreed with a gentle smirk. “Lady Sif awoke later to find that she was cold despite the warmth of the sun that shone down on her still. She found that her golden hair had been cut from her head, and she began to cry so hard that rain poured down on the corn and wheat fields. Lady Sif cried so hard and for so long that the crops began to flood. She fled to hide in her home and hid from the world. Thor returned home, and he called out to his love, but she did not answer.”
“What happened to Loki?” I asked with bated breath, and an eager grin twitched at the corners of my mouth.
“Thor searched for his wife,” Wyn continued, and he cocked one gray eyebrow to acknowledge my question. “Lady Sif called to her husband from the shadows as she was ashamed of her appearance, and she said to him, ‘My love, my golden crown of hair has been cut from me. I must flee from this place and hide away.’ Thor refused to allow his love to be away from him when she was so sad, and he took her into his arms and demanded to know who had done this to her. Lady Sif told Thor that she did not know who had cut her hair. He wrapped her head in a fine scarf to hide her shame, and they went to his father together to seek the truth.”
