Joshua Simon - Forgotten Soldiers

I bent down and slid an arm under Ava’s shoulders, the other under her legs. With a grunt, I scooped her up, trying not to jostle her more than necessary.

Zadok helped Ira out the wagon, allowing the soldier to use his shoulder to steady himself.

Though I tried not to think about it, seeing my sister in her current state, long limbs swaying without resistance, scared me more than her prophetic statement about the world’s impending destruction.

I started walking toward the afflicted townspeople. The moans of pain had died down to dull groans. Two people managed to sit up. One had the strength to lift his head and meet my stare. I doubt he knew who he was looking at as his eyes rolled around in his head. He blinked rapidly trying to focus.

I maneuvered my way back onto Main Street. More people lay on the ground, dazed and hurting. I ignored them and made my way toward the inn.

About a hundred feet from the inn’s door, I shifted Ava in my arms. Her swinging limbs grew more cumbersome with each step. Thankfully, she had always been on the lean side. Her head rolled around a bit as I hoisted her higher, exchanging the strain in my back for burning in my arms.

Stepping off the dirt street and onto the wooden sidewalk, my boots resonated over the whimpers of a middle-aged man from across the street slumped against the wall to the theater. Vomit covered his shirt. A puddle between his legs leaked between the sidewalk’s boards. He strained to extend an arm toward me. I ignored him.

Molak cut me a break for once. The door to the inn was slightly ajar. I swung it open with the toe of my boot.

Inside, a fire crackling brightly in a large hearth against the back wall cut the cold from the autumn breeze outside. However, after the exertion of carrying Ava I quickly grew uncomfortable.

Maroon-colored, plush chairs surrounded three round tables in the center of the space with matching curtains over the window. Oil lamps hung over three paintings on the walls.

I didn’t see any patrons or employees. The silence in the space felt unnatural. A faint whine came from the left. With Ava still in my arms, I avoided a large oaken chest and stepped behind the counter.

Slumped on the floor with his back against a wall, sat a thin, light-haired man, face absent of even the slightest of stubble. He wore clothes more refined than what was common. Based on dress and location, I took him for the inn’s manager.

“Hey, I need a room.”

His head flopped to the side and his eyes rolled up. His lips moved, but nothing came out.

I swore.

I had no clue what rooms were available. I guess I could have just walked upstairs and busted into the first room I came across, kicking any current occupant out. However, I figured why borrow more trouble.

Squatting down, I eased Ava to the floor. I relished the sudden relief to my arms, shoulders, and back.

“Hey, can you talk at all? I need a room,” I repeated while reaching out a hand.

The man’s unfocused gaze continued to slide around the room until I touched his arm. He gasped for air and blinked rapidly. I pulled my hand away in surprise at such a fast response. He started to tumble over in a groan. I grabbed his arm to catch him, feeling a shirt damp with sweat. His eyes widened and his breathing picked up. I helped him sit straighter and within moments, his condition seemed drastically improved.

“What. . happened?” he asked.

Trying to explain my hunch about the Geneshan artifact would be lost on the man. “Something big. Most in town are as bad as you.”

He looked me over, brow furrowed. “But not you?”

I shrugged. “Lucky, I guess. Look, I need a room. Do you have one available?”

He blinked hard, still trying to clear the cobwebs. “Just the suite. Top floor.” A deep breath. “Two bedrooms and a sitting area.”

“I’ll take it,” I said thinking the room’s size would be ideal when the others caught up. “Where’s the key?”

“I’ll get it,” he said, starting to rise.

I let him go, and he immediately dropped to one knee. My other hand reflexively left Ava as both darted out to steady the innkeeper. “You all right?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m better now. It’s weird but when you let me go, I felt sick again. Not as bad as before, but enough to make me dizzy.”

“Just tell me where the key is and I’ll get it.”

“Top drawer of that cabinet,” he said, pointing. “It’ll be marked.”

I started to rise when a commotion on the floor started behind me. Turning, I saw that Ava had begun to shake again, her boots clicking on the wooden boards. I rushed back to her. The moment I touched her, the trembling ceased.

“Is. . she all right?” the innkeeper asked.

“I’m not sure.” I frowned, having noticed the quivering in his voice. He had slumped against the wall again.

“Are you feeling bad again?”

He nodded. “Some.”

“Reach over and touch me.”

“Huh?”

“Just do it.”

The innkeeper scooted over gingerly and extended an arm. My eyes never left his face as I felt him wrap his fingers around my wrist. His face gradually gained more color.

“That’s strange. I’m feeling better again.” His eyes widened. “Are you a priest? A healer? What gods do you serve?”

I snorted. “I don’t serve any gods. And I’m not a healer.”

“But how-”

The door to the inn opened, cutting off the question.

“Where in the name of Xank did he go?” I heard Ira mutter.

“Behind the counter,” I called out.

They came around the side carrying far more from the wagon than I thought they’d be able to manage. Myra and Zadok still had a hand on Ira and Dekar. Both looked better.

“What are you doing back there, Pa?” asked Zadok.

I quickly explained the last couple minutes. Then I decided to test how well everyone was recovering. I had Myra let go of Dekar to fetch the key to the suite for me. I had a suspicion that my kids’ resistance wasn’t as strong as mine based on their comment about headaches. Still, I expected Dekar to be further along than before.

“How do you feel?” I asked Dekar.

“Not as bad as earlier. Groggy though. Like I just woke up.”

I nodded. “The symptoms lessen the longer you’re in contact with someone who has a resistance. They’ll probably go away all together before long.”

Dekar looked at Ava and frowned. “So, because of your sister’s connection to sorcery, it’s harder on her.”

“Possibly. It’s as good a guess as anything.”

It meant I wasn’t leaving her side.

Myra found the key and led the way upstairs. I picked Ava up and we followed. The extra time the innkeeper had in contact with me seemed to do him wonders. He managed to keep his feet under him without assistance before we left. With a clearer mind, he became panicky as he thought of his family. He disappeared through a swinging door in search of them.

The suite ended up bigger than I had expected. We entered through a sitting room that separated two bedrooms. It held a wood burning stove, a small table, and enough chairs for four people. The floor space provided enough room for rolls to be laid out for those not sleeping in beds.

I didn’t linger and headed for the bedroom on the right with Ava.

A four-poster bed with white sheets sat against one wall-nightstand and a sitting chair flanking it. A window looked out from the wall across from the bed. Under normal circumstances, I imagined sunlight streaming into the space. The only thing visible now was a murky gray interrupted by the faint, orange, red, and purple sitting over the land in the distance. A dresser stood to the right of the window. A chamber pot on the left.

I was reminded that the room was twice as large as my old bedroom on the farm. I had always promised Lasha I would get a place like this for a night or two when we had the money and the time.