Chapter 1: Preparation, Part 1

Augustus the Brave (as he was known in the area, or ‘just Gus’ to his friends) wiped the sweat from his eyes, as they neared the inn. The beast was dead and the bulk of its body delivered to their client as proof of a job well done, but he was sure he would be picking bits of it from his hair for weeks.

Next to him, Ada had been spared most of the mess of the explosion but done most of the clean up work, wrapping the creature in a tidy package so they could carry it back, as the body oozed darkened blood on them. Ada could always be counted on to make things clean and tidy.

"That was more disgusting than usual," she said.

Tiger’s Eye Zhang looked over, narrow eyed, bits of the beast dripping down his face.

"Oh, it wasn’t so bad," Gus said. "I’m sure we’ve had worse."

"I don't want to have worse in my hair," Tiger said.

"No more whining about your beautiful hair," Ada said, unsympathetic.

Gus shivered as they got close to the inn. The night was cold, and even when the warm light of lanterns he was sure the inn would be, too. Lately he felt the cold more and more, and his skin was more icy pale with every year. He worried to himself that he was changing, again, crossing over into something new. But he bit his lip about it and kept quiet, not wanting to worry the other two.

Mary Louise was waiting for them at the door, a damp cloth in one hand. "Come in, come in," she said, and then when they stepped closer, "no, stay back, this won't be enough to clean you up. Except for you, Ada, you'll be fine."

"You always rebuff me," Tiger said, grinning out of one side of his face.

Mary Louise ignored him and went inside.

By the time she'd fetched enough towels to make them presentable Gus was shivering enough for Tiger to see, no matter how dim the light was outside.

"Is it getting worse?" Tiger asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gus said, with a thin smile.

Inside was lively enough that his body calmed down and stopped shaking. A whole party of travellers were playing games and telling tales in one corner, and the young miss cleaning tables was nearly rushed off her feet. They took to their usual table, old and weathered as it was, and waited for Mary Louise to serve them whatever she thought was best.

"You don't have to keep things to yourself," Tiger whispered, putting a hand on Gus's shoulder.

"What are you whispering about?" Ada asked. "You know there's no point keeping secrets from me."

Then she and Tiger set to bickering, their old routine, so Gus looked around the room instead.

A man in the corner was holding forth about the portals. Gus missed a bit of it, with the argument beside him winding up. But he focused, watched the man's mouth to read anything his ears missed. Another foreigner fallen through the portals three towns over, or possibly they were found in the woods, or possibly they hadn't come through from another world at all. Well, any of it could be true. The portals brought new people into their world often enough, and just as often took them out.

Gus looked back to their table, already filling up with food and ale. Mary Louise's face was serious above them as she placed the dishes, and even Ada and Tiger had stopped their fight. The scent of stew surrounded him. Gus fumbled in his bag for the coins they had earned that night.

"I'll not take any of what you're planning to give me," Mary Louise warned. "You overpaid last time."

"If you say so, I won't fight that," Tiger said.

If Tiger was going with the flow, Gus would have to, too. He smiled a thin smile and thanked her. He hadn't realised he was hungry until there was food right before him.

*

The night wore down and the inn got quiet. Just quiet enough, and its front room empty enough, that when a richly attired messenger arrived at their table and tapped Gus on the shoulder, the whole room watched.

The messenger cleared his throat. "The great Henry, lord of this area and all surrounding areas, master of all the known world, the greatest man to ever live who will be recognised when those bastards in surrounding territories stop fighting back... That is, he requests your presence tomorrow morning, Augustus the Brave. He has a mission for you."

Gus nodded, and let the messenger leave.

*

After the meal, Ada went one way, and Tiger steered Gus in another, dragging him to his humble shack.

"You don't need to take care of me," Gus said. "I'm fine."

"Who can I take care of if not you, brother?"

Gus nodded. "I will accept that argument."

So he let Tiger wrap him in blankets and drag the bedding close to the fire. Even so, he sometimes shivered still, so Tiger pulled their beds close and shared some of his blankets, too.

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"Don't drag me over," Gus said, voice small in the night. It seemed to him that speaking too loud would disturb something that didn't need to be disturbed. "I'm not a small man. You can't fit two of us on your mattress."

"You're still smaller than me. No more meat on you than there was three centuries ago."

Gus buried his face in the pillow and accepted this care, even if it made his whole being feel raw.

"Does it feel strange?" Tiger asked.

"Does what feel strange?"

"Not having your heart beat anymore."

Gus breathed in the cold air of the night, in spite of the efforts of the fire, because he was still a living being, he still breathed. And yet his chest between his lungs was still, no movement for nearly 800 years.

"I... It's been so long I don't remember what it was like."

*

Gus went alone to Lord Henry's home, clad in his best clothes, as he knew was expected of him. He nodded to the grim, grey servants as he went through the long winding corridors towards the great hall where Henry liked to keep court.

He was no real lord, of course, but a ruler was a ruler, and Gus knew following his orders could keep the peace.

Henry sat upon his throne, the wall behind him crumbling away to reveal the garden out the back, nature beginning to reclaim what had been clean and tidy only six months before. The gardener must be gone, then.

Gus bowed deeply, and didn't let himself show any reaction.

"You may rise," Henry said, his voice echoing with his power.

Gus stood straight and waited.

"I have been impressed with your recent efforts to clean those unruly creatures from the farming areas," Henry said.

"Thank you, my lord. It is nothing more than my duty."

"But you are a man of great skill and courage. There is no need for you to be so humble. It is important to me to know that you can do what I will task you with."

Silence. Gus looked at the serving women arranged behind Henry, and they all looked away, their feet more interesting than his face.

There was a dramatic pause before Henry spoke again. "There is a trinket that has been stolen from me. An ordinary bauble, nothing of great consequence, but of very great personal meaning to me. I have let this theft go unchallenged for too long, and now I wish for you to go down and retrieve it for me."

"Anything you wish," Gus said.

"And when I say go down, I do mean down. Down to the world below."

In the distance a bird laughed. But the people surrounding their lord were still and silent, their faces frozen with fear.

"It is difficult to find a way in," Gus said.

"Of course, I have prepared for that. I have acquired a map of likely entrance spots from a wandering cartographer. Such a thing was an expensive purchase. That price is nothing against the dark jewel I hold so dear, you understand. But it is a fine map, and I have had people test its worth.

"Of course, you will have heard of people walking down into the world below before. Tales even tell of them walking back out again. And I believe that you are the man who can do this job."

A maid brought the map to Gus, rolled up and tied with twine.

"There are rules for returning," Henry said. "First, you must go to that world as you came into this one. Second, you must go with a pure heart and clear mind. I'm sure you can interpret these things. But I warn you, I believe the one that stole my jewel is the lord of the world below. He is a dangerous man, wicked, violent and charming. You must be on guard to protect yourself against him."

"Yes, my lord."

There was silence in the hall again.

Henry waved his hand. "That was all. Leave tomorrow and figure out the details yourself."

Gus bowed again and walked backward, only turning his back on Lord Henry once he reached the door to leave.

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