Raw VI Preview | Chapters I & II

CHAPTER I

“Did you know?” Jak asked as he picked up the Star Crystal.

“That he was a magic-user? Yes,” the old warrior replied quietly.

Jak laughed bitterly. He stood and held the crystal up to the pale sunlight, studying it briefly.

“I’ve never seen one so powerful,” the warrior said.

“Neither have I,” Jak lied, placing the crystal securely in one of his pouches. He turned to face the older man. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Brentak, tribemaster.”

“Well, Brentak, tell me: what was your role to your former tribemaster?”

“Body guard and advisor. Technically I was the Guide. I relayed the tribemaster’s wishes to the rest of the tribe,” Brentak replied.

Jak listened carefully as he looked out over the mountainside village. He listened for lying, for any untruths the man might be inclined to speak.

But Brentak’s voice was steady, his stance sure.

“I get the impression that there was more to it,” he said finally.

“Yes.”

Jak turned to face Brentak finally, studying the man. He was large and built, his body made of slabs of muscle. He had an air of efficiency, even though the hair in his beard was mostly gray and wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes and mouth.

He was old, but he still stood straight, and his movements were quick and decisive.

Jak imagined he would be a formidable foe.

It was obvious that the others respected him and looked up to him, relied on him even. While Jak had been doling out orders and asking questions, getting a general sense of the situation and, for the moment, ensuring that Tolvar on the island knew the war was over, at least with his tribe and the elves, they had all looked to Brentak to speak for them.

“I’m going to be relying on you Brentak,” he said after a long moment. “I’m not going to be like your old tribemaster. I cannot stay here and watch over everything. I have another tribe to run, I have an entire island to bring peace to, other villages to talk with, maintain alliances with.”

“You speak with them personally?” Brentak replied, a small amount of surprise breaking through his calm.

“I do. I spend as much time away from my village as I do in it. Sometimes more. I ensure that the important things get done by doing them myself. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I killed your idiot tribemaster. So...what else did you do? You want to tell me something.”

“Yes. I served as a...guardian, between Toval and the rest of the tribe.”

“How so?” Jak asked, curious despite everything.

Brentak looked uncomfortable for the first time, casting a quick, unhappy glance at the dead man beside them. “He wasn’t always like this. He was scared in the beginning, he became tribemaster young. But I helped him. Guided him. He grew into a decent leader, but he was too taken with whims and anger and, later, hatred. And greed.”

He sighed mournfully. “I did what I could, but at some point I learned that he only heard what he wanted to. And he grew vengeful with those who told him what he did not want to hear. I should have killed him at some point, but...I couldn’t. He reminded me of his father, for better or for worse, and his father was my best friend. When he died, a piece of my heart died with him. I couldn’t let that go.”

Slowly, he looked out over the mountainside. “And we all suffered for my weakness.”

“That won’t happen again, will it?” Jak asked.

Brentak’s eyes returned to his own, filled now with a kind of cold, hard strength. “No. It will not. If I feel that you are leading us to our doom, I will challenge you. I know you will kill me, but I will challenge you.”

Jak nodded. “Good. It should be that way. And you won’t have to. This island must come to peace, or we will all die.”

Brentak nodded. “I see that now.”

“I’m not sure if you do,” Jak murmured. “You know the Barrens?”

“I have heard of them,” he replied. “We all have. That is the Tolvar legacy.”

“They are growing. And they will keep growing unless we find some way to fix Uzek’s Transgression.”

Brentak sneered unconsciously at that, but it came and went quickly. “Uzek,” he murmured.

“Do you know anything that might help us? Is there anyone who might know what exactly happened?”

But the big warrior was shaking his head. “No. Our control and eventual outlaw of magic was not done completely out of hatred. Everyone who knew what happened that day in any real detail either died there at the Transgression, or disappeared elsewhere on the island.”

Jak frowned. “What do you mean? Where? Who?”

“I don’t know where,” Brentak replied. “But for some years after, our most knowledgeable magic-user remained by our side.”

“I thought that was Uzek.”

“No. Uzek was powerful, yes, but it was Rall who knew just about everything about magic. He was old even when I was young. He knew old secrets. He had a tribe within a tribe. His inner circle. His...Revek.”

“Revek?”

“That is what they called themselves. The Revek. They served magic, studied it, twisted it. He grew more secretive, more obsessive. I eventually learned that he was still playing with death magic, even after we agreed to forbid it. I almost killed him. I should have. But he was very powerful, he and his inner circle. We settled on exile, but in reality, they chose to leave. I have no idea where they are now, or even if they are still alive.”

He paused, then looked at Jak more intently. “But you say the Barrens, they grow?”

“Every day. Slowly, but surely. They will eventually consume the whole island. An island of death, where no plants will grow, and sickness will reign.”

“I did not know that,” he whispered. “How can we stop it?”

“That’s precisely what I’m trying to determine right now. That was why I did this: so we could stop the fighting and focus on the saving and the healing. And now I must turn my attention to the karn.”

“I do not believe you will succeed with them as you have here,” Brentak muttered.

“Don’t be so sure. You are aware that the embyr control the karn, control their minds? Force them to fight?” he asked.

The warrior nodded. “Yes. But I also know that the others fight of their own free will.”

“Not all of them. I have made a lasting peace with some of them. Dozens and dozens of karn live among my people, your former brethren and some elves as well, in Avat’s Forest. We do not fight. We share meals and caves, hunt and battle together, as friends.”

Brentak stared at him for a long time. “I will have to see it to believe it,” he said finally.

“I will gladly have you see it. But tell me of your war with the karn.”

He sighed. “It goes poorly. You know of our villages?”

“I know Fair Field, obviously. I know that Wetstone is nestled up against the northern edge of the central lake.”

“Shadow Lake,” he said.

“Interesting. I know of another two villages, farther east, towards the embyr’s territory.”

“The first is Gather Village. That is where our food here mostly comes from. They hunt, they fish, they forage, and bring back the excess here. Otherwise, we would not survive. Farther is the Verdant Valley, and Verdant Village. That valley is lush with life, overflowing with it. And with slate, clay, good trees, everything we need to survive. It is also too close to embyr villages. We fight the karn constantly there. Sometimes they make it to Gather or Wetstone. They have many, many karn. They have been breeding them.”

Jak shook his head, horrified at the thought. Being mind-enslaved was bad enough, but that?

He had to end this as quickly as possible. His mind was already working. He’d been thinking in the background of all this on how to end the conflict with the karn, and he thought he had an idea. It was an unstable one, and relied too much on luck, but after everything, it was all he had to go on.

“I have an order for you to carry out,” Jak said.

Brentak straightened up. “Yes, tribemaster.”

“Send a runner to Verdant. Tell them to abandon it. Take as much as they can carry and flee to Wetstone and Gather. Reinforce there.”

“But...the karn will have it then.”

“I know, but not for long. I believe I can find a way to end the embyr’s control over the karn. And once I do that, I can unite the karn and bring us all to peace. Then we can retake Verdant.”

Brentak looked dubious. “How long do you think it will take? The cold days approach. Even now, I’m not sure if we have enough to survive them…”

“Not long,” Jak replied. “I understand your concern, but the karn have clearly bled you nearly dry. How many have you lost against them? Against the elves? Against my own tribe? How many did Toval send to their deaths?”

“Too many,” Brentak muttered bitterly.

“Exactly. I know you are most familiar with fighting, with taking by force, but as I just proved, there is another way. I could have waged war on this village, killing everyone here, and losing dozens, maybe hundreds of my own people in the process.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No, I didn’t. Because I want to preserve life. There will always be a need to fight, always the struggle of survival, but we need not wage it against each other. I have proven we can work together, make it easier, safer.”

Brentak still seemed uncomfortable.

“I know this isn’t easy for you. I don’t want to force you to do my bidding, Brentak. You strike me as a smart and honest warrior whose concern for his people outweighs his concern for himself. So, as one warrior trying to watch out for his people to another, I am asking you to trust me. Because I need your help with this. And the decisions that we make over the next few days will determine if they live or die,” Jak said, gesturing to the village below them.

Brentak stood staring at the village for a long moment. His expression might have been carved from stone.

Slowly, it softened, very gently, almost imperceptible.

He turned back fully to Jak and straightened up to his full height.

“I will do as you ask, tribemaster.”

“Thank you, Brentak. And whatever excess was being stored in there,” he said, gesturing now to the caves he had found Toval in, “give it to the people. Feed them. Heal them. Shelter them. I got the impression Toval was keeping a lot to himself.”

“He was,” Brentak said quietly. “And I will. What will you do?”

“I must speak with my own people. But I will send help. It’s obvious that this mountainside is no longer habitable. If they stay here during the cold days, too many of them will die. So, I will go put together a group to come bearing supplies to help them survive for now, and I will find them other places to live. Safer places.”

The warrior nodded. He hesitated, briefly.

“A question?” Jak asked.

“Yes...do you truly think you can make peace with the karn?”

“I do. Once I find a way to break the embyr’s hold over them, Talon will help me unite them.”

Brentak’s face lit up with surprise and joy. “That old miserable bastard is still alive?!”

“He is...do you know him?”

“Yes!” He laughed and shook his head. “We fought. More than once. He...is an honorable karn. I never thought I would grow to respect a karn, but...I would much like to see him again.”

“I’m sure he’d like to see you. I’ll tell him of you.”

“I would appreciate it greatly.”

“All right, I have to go now. Get them used to the idea of leaving the mountainside, living elsewhere on the island, and, if at all possible, living alongside elves, magic-users, and possibly karn.”

“That last part will be difficult, but the first? We have known that this mountainside is dead for a few seasons now. Many are ready to leave. Many hunger. They will be sorry to leave, but not that sorry. Though, you should address them.”

Jak nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

He focused as he stepped back over to the Blood Stone, where the curved sheer wall of rock would help carry his voice to the others in the village below. His mind kept wanting to go in other directions. There was so much to do!

He noticed several people looked up immediately as he stepped into place.

“My new tribemates!” he called, and then everyone looked up at him. “I must depart to other parts of the island. As I have looked out over this village, the truth has been revealed to me: this village will not bear you through the winter. We must find new land for you live in. I will speak with the other tribes, and we will find safe places for you and your families to live and weather the cold days! While I am gone, Brentak will speak for me. Prepare yourselves! I will return!”

It sounded so strange, hearing his voice echoing over the village like that. He worried briefly about how the villagers would take it, but another cheer of ‘Tribemaster!’ sounded.

They seemed happy.

He could understand that. This place was bleak. It looked stripped, barren. There was hardly any plant life. Everything was rock and mud.

Once it had been a happy home, but no longer.

Now, they needed to adapt and make hard changes, just like everyone else on the island.

Jak walked back over to Brentak. “Their lives are in your hands while I’m gone,” he said.

He didn’t want to cut it so fine as to outright tell him that, but just as he was asking for trust, Jak was also putting a lot of trust in the old warrior.

“As it has been for many seasons,” Brentak replied easily. “Don’t worry, I will handle them well. We know each other, we trust each other. And they are happy. We’ve been aching for change for many seasons now. And it has finally come.”

Jak nodded and clapped him once on the shoulder, then began making his way down through the village.

The man was right.

For better or for worse…

Change had come to them all.

CHAPTER II

Jak moved as swiftly as he dared, racing along the path that led from the mountainside village to Fair Field, where Nessa and Ripper awaited him.

There was so very much to do.

With the Tolvar now formally at peace with them, he had to make sure to spread the word to his own side as quickly as possible, so there were no incidents. Even with runners, it took time to spread news.

As far as too many people were concerned, the war was still on.

But beyond that, he knew now that he could think of only a single course of action to seriously begin pursuing his next objective.

And that was finding Keeza.

It was either her, or spending too long poking through northeastern portion of the island, blindly trying to determine how the embyr worked their dark magic.

Keeza didn’t know, but she might know how to figure it out.

And he believed that she wanted to help, that she wanted to be a part of their peace and unity.

Even with the strain his special ability had put on his body, he managed to make it to Fair Field in great time. He arrived at the village’s edge, panting and sweaty, and leaned against a hut to get his breath back as everyone gathered around.

“Jak’s here!? Move!” Nessa called.

She and Ripper shoved their way through the crowd and he straightened up just in time for her to wrap him in a hug and lift him off the ground.

“You are alive,” she whispered.

“Was there a doubt?” he replied.

She sighed and kissed him. “What happened? You look happy.”

“We are at peace with the Tolvar,” Jak replied.

Several of the karn made confused noises, including Ripper.

“What...happened? Exactly?” he asked.

“I’m surprised you didn’t tell him at least,” Jak said.

“Well, your logic was sound. The fewer people that knew…” Nessa replied.

“I found a hidden path up the back of the mountain,” Jak replied, “that led directly into the Tolvar’s leader’s cave. I found him, and I challenged him to single combat. And his people forced him to do it.”

“That’s incredible!” Ripper cried. “That is-I have never heard a legend in the making before! This will be spoken of for many lifetimes!”

“I’m assuming you killed him,” Nessa said. She was calmer but Ripper’s excitement seemed infectious.

“I killed him. He nearly killed me. He had an especially powerful crystal.”

“He was a magic-user!?” Ripper cried. “After all we heard of him exiling and killing magic-users?!”

“Yes. It was quite the surprise. But I killed him. Cut his head off. And they all recognize me as their new tribemaster. I told them we are at peace now, and they accepted it.”

“Wait, so...you just left them all there?” Nessa asked. “Can we trust them?”

“My gut says yes,” Jak replied. “I spoke with their second in command. Brentak. He’s an old warrior, a lot like Talon. He tires of conflict, and his loyalty is to his people. He was the one who forced their tribemaster to face me. They tired of war, Nessa. They’re starving and cold on that mountain. Which is our next big move: we need to find new places for them to live.”

“How many are we talking, exactly?” Nessa asked.

“Hundreds, at least. Maybe as many as five hundred or more,” Jak replied.

“That’s...a lot,” Ripper murmured.

Jak nodded. “And we have to do it quickly, too. The cold days are coming.”

“How bad is it there?” Nessa asked.

“It’s bad. They’re low on food and other supplies. We need to send a runner to the elves to see what they can do to help. I know we can get an area set up in Avat’s Forest, and some of them could live in our own village and at our outposts. And Sarn’s Rest, too. I also need to get in touch with Hearthstone. But that’s just the beginning, it’s time to deal with the next problem: the embyr and their control of the karn.”

“How do we deal with that?” Ripper asked. “Did you learn something over there?”

“No. But I know where to find an embyr that is friendly. And if anyone knows how to learn how the embyr are doing it, it’s her,” Jak replied.

Ripper shifted uneasily. “Do you truly think we can trust an embyr? Even if she is an exile of her people…”

“I remember a time when several people were asking the exact same question about you, Ripper,” Jak said.

He heaved a heavy sigh. “Yes, yes. Fine. But...still. Be wary. What would have me do?” he asked.

“Take your karn warriors and return to Crush Bone. And begin preparations for more karn to come live with you,” Jak replied.

“Are you that confident?” Nessa asked.

“Well...a lot is riding on this plan working, and so far, I’ve made just about every plan I’ve set in motion work. And we’re running out of time. It’s going to get much more difficult to do anything on this island when the snow starts falling. If we’re very, very lucky, we can free the karn, unify with the them and the Redtooth tribe, and defeat the embyr before then. And then we’ll have the whole winter to investigate the Barrens and figure them out.”

“The Redtooth,” Ripper growled. “Bunch of idiots.”

“A lot of them are just...angry,” Nessa murmured. “And you know how angry people are. They’re easy to take advantage of. Tell them what they want to hear, give them a purpose, and suddenly you’ve got a fervent follower. But we can get them back. Unless you really want to slaughter dozens or even hundreds of our own kind.”

Ripper’s features softened. “No...I don’t. There are several among us who have family or friends that fell to Redtooth, or to the embyr.” He looked at Jak with a sudden intensity. “If you can find a way to bring our people back, to free them from the embyr’s influence and the madness of Redtooth, you will be a hero to us forever, Jak.”

“I promise, I will try as hard as I can to save them,” Jak replied.

Ripper stared at him for a long moment, then let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “A peacemaker,” he muttered, “never thought I’d see the day.”

“We aren’t there yet,” Jak replied. He looked to Nessa. “Let’s get ready. I need to get back to Avat’s Forest as fast as possible.”

…

“How are you planning on finding her?” Nessa asked.

They were making good progress back home. Nessa was quite swift on her feet as well when she wanted to be.

“Tracking her down,” he replied. “I’m good at that.”

“Yes, you are,” Nessa said.

They hurried on in silence for a bit longer.

Jak had checked in with a few others at the village, namely the former Tolvar who were going to be running it full-time now that Ripper and his people would be gone, since there was no longer any real worry of retaliation.

By chance, Lyrene had been there, and she had agreed to take the message back to Ara Forest and her people. He trusted her to convince them to begin preparations for the Tolvar. Or, at least, allow his own people to do so, given the sickness that still gripped them.

He found himself wondering if they were going to manage this.

There was so much going on, and even with the sudden influx of new people, they were still stretched thin, and by all accounts, it sounded like there were hundreds upon hundreds of karn out there, thirsty for blood.

All with winter looming over them.

And the Barrens.

But they’d come this far, and he saw no reason to slow down now.

“So he really had a Star Crystal?” Nessa asked.

“Yes, he did. I nearly got fried,” Jak replied.

“How did Azure miss that?” she asked.

“That is exactly the question I intend to ask her. I’m going to find her first, and then Keeza. She at least should be easier, since she seems to know when she’s being looked for.”

“Hmm.”

They made it to Crush Bone not much later, checking in and spreading the good word of peace and the end of the war with the Tolvar. He did the same thing at Tem’s outpost, and then he and Nessa finally came back to their own village.

Niri, Rylee, and Zora all came to him before he could even make it to their cave.

“You’re back!” Niri cried, as she often did.

“And filthy, and bloody,” Rylee murmured.

“Are you all right?” Zora asked.

“Fine, but I am short on time,” Jak replied, pausing to kiss and hug each of them before plunging on towards their cave. “Nessa, tell the others,” he said.

“On it,” Nessa replied.

Niri, Rylee, and Zora followed him in.

“What’s going on?” Rylee asked. “Did you do it?”

“I did,” Jak replied. “I killed Toval. I became tribemaster of the Tolvar. I made peace between our peoples.”

“That’s amazing!” Zora replied.

Jak quickly stripped everything off his body and moved over to the small pool of water that sometimes collected in the far corner after it had rained. He dropped down and began washing himself off quickly.

“It is. But listen, Rylee, I need you to hit me with a strong healing spell. I have things I need to do, and soon.”

As he finished washing himself off and laid down on their bedding, he explained the situation with the Star Crystal, Keeza, and the karn to them.

“This is a lot to take in,” Zora murmured.

“You are risking a lot for one embyr,” Rylee murmured as she prepared her spell.

“I know, but it’s our best chance,” Jak replied. “I have to do this.”

“Is that the only reason you’re so desperately seeking her?” Niri murmured with a sly grin.

Jak stared at her incredulously. “Truly, Niri?”

“I’m sorry,” she replied, almost but not quite losing her smile, “I can’t help it. I know it’s a bad time to be thinking about sex. I just...have been thinking of her a lot. You describe her as so exotic and beautiful…”

He sighed. “Well...she is.”

“If she tried to share intimacy with you, would you?” Rylee asked.

“You too?” he replied, then exhaled slowly as she laid her hands on his chest and began releasing the healing spell into him.

It enveloped him in soft warmth.

“Yes, me too,” Rylee murmured, laughing softly.

“I, too, am curious,” Zora said, though she sounded distracted by something else.

“What do you think I should do?” he replied.

“You should do it,” Niri replied immediately. “She must be so lonely. She is from an entirely different world, and she is an outcast among her people. She has been alone, from what you say, for so long. You may be the only person she trusts. Now that I have had intimacy with you, I couldn’t imagine being alone and without it for so long.”

“She’s right,” Rylee said. “If she attempts to seduce you, let her.”

“What do you think, Zora?” he asked.

Rylee finished with her healing spell and he let it ebb and flow through him. He felt like he was adrift, floating on the breeze as his aches and pains evaporated.

“Yes, you should,” she replied. “I find myself in a somewhat similar situation to what I have heard described about her, and sharing intimacies with you...was an extremely rewarding experience. If she wishes it, you should indulge her. As you indulged me.”

“I’d like to indulge you again,” Jak said, nudging her with his foot.

She let out an awkward giggle and shifted. “Um...I would like that, too,” she murmured. “But later.”

“Yes,” Jak said, getting to his feet and stretching, “later. Thank you, Rylee.”

Rylee yawned and laid down on the bedding now. “You’re welcome...now I need a nap.”

“Sorry,” he said, pulling his gear back on and then replacing that which he’d left behind for his trip to the mountain.

“It’s all right. Go do what needs doing. We will be here,” she replied.

“All right, I’ve caught everyone up to speed,” Nessa said, walking into cave.

“Good. Thank you.”

“We ready?” she asked.

“I’m going alone,” Jak replied. “Not that I don’t appreciate the help.”

“Alone, huh? To see your embyr girl?” Nessa asked, crossing her arms, a small smile on her face. “Or your blue girl? Or both?”

“You aren’t jealous are you?” Jak asked.

“What do I have to be jealous of?” she replied.

“Since everyone else has already asked me...what are your thoughts on my sharing intimacies with Keeza?” he asked.

Her smile grew a little. “Do it. Do both of them, if you can.”

“I very much doubt Azure is interested in such things,” Jak replied.

“You thought the same thing about me,” Zora murmured.

“That’s true, but...all right. I’ll be honest: I want her. Keeza is...an amazingly beautiful warrior. But right now we have other things to focus on. So, begin preparations for more people to join us, and start putting together a group to bring food and resources to the Tolvar on the mountain, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“We’ll be here, lover,” Nessa replied.

Jak hugged and kissed each of them once more, and then he was off again.