With repairs completed, Jed climbed aboard the warp-stallion, Gwen behind him, turning to address the old man. “Thanks for all the help.”
“Paid me, didn’t ya?” the old man grumbled as he took his seat in the rocker. “Course I helped.”
In venison and song, Jed thought, the old man having ‘renegotiated’ to get all three of them singing together.
To his dismay, both Mythlyn and Gwen had insisted he had a good singing voice. It would’ve been fine, if they hadn’t insisted he spend the rest of the night learning every dirty ditty they could think of.
There was a limit, and Jed’s had been reached around the point of the Empress’ ninety-nine tits. Except he’d also discovered, to his further dismay, that when Gwen and Mythlyn were united on a thing, he had a very hard time saying no.
And thus, he now knew the words to such rousing classics as the Empress and the Donkey, Ringing out a Ringwalker and When Mommy’s not Home.
None of which were suitable for polite company. Honestly, Jed wasn’t sure his companions were either.
“You two are horrible, you know that right,” Jed said as they rode away across the bridge.
“I don’t know, you seemed to appreciate our cooperation last night,” Gwen said, tugging at his ear with her teeth.
“A most vigorous and enjoyable night. One to remember.”
“Last night? We didn’t do anything last night… did… we?” Jed’s question trailed off because Gwen was already laughing into his back, Mythlyn doing the same in their heads. “I’ll say it again. Horrible.”
“You love us,” Gwen teased, squeezing tighter.
“For some unknown reason,” Jed agreed even as they crested a hill.
Whatever he’d been about to say next was lost. Ahead of them lay what he suspected were the outskirts of Seven Falls. While he couldn’t see any buildings, the waterways and waterfalls passing beneath the roads were so abundant the route ahead looked to be half bridge.
The next few hours revealed they weren’t nearly as close as he’d thought. The road was mostly in better condition than the trails they’d been traveling, though there were patches that hadn’t seen maintenance in quite a while. As the road took them down, they drew ever closer to the vast surface of the Infinite.
“Is it just me or are there more ships?” Gwen asked over his shoulder.
Jed looked down at the massive river, his response delayed by the roar of a nearby waterfall as they passed over its accompanying bridge. Once clear, he called back, “A lot more than I remember seeing upriver. Maybe we just got unlucky.”
“Or they do not pass through hex six-hundred and six individually.”
Noting how the ships were mostly clustered up, Jed found himself nodding.
“No sign of the Queen’s Gambit,” Gwen said, going up on her feet to look over his head. Thankfully, Jed was used to her sudden movements by that point, so it only caused a slight wobble.
“They’re a lot slower,” Jed reminded her with a soft chuckle.
“Probably good that we got here first. Hate we didn’t get to say goodbye,” Gwen said as she sank down behind him.
Jed nodded as they passed by another waterfall.
The next hour was spent mostly in silence, conversation made difficult by the ever increasing noise of the falls. As if the noise wasn’t enough, the temperature kept switching between baking warmth and near frigid chills as they passed the falls. Made Jed glad for the duster, even if it only kept off the worst of each.
The next town they came across practically popped up in front of them, having been hidden away by the curve of the mountainside roads.
Jed doubted it was Seven Falls, given that there was a single waterway that wound through the small community. Also, it was set nearly half a kilometer above the Infinite, so it wasn’t much of a port town, even if there was a massive array of lifts near the ledge.
The lifts were clearly archeotech, the durable machines having the characteristic dull gray finish he was beginning to associate with the Architects. The rest of the town was built out of quarried stone, likely taken from the nearby mountains. Apparently the maintenance bots weren’t too covetous. That or they no longer had the strength to hold onto their resources.
Jed rolled up in front of a building that looked a bit like a restaurant. Theirs was the only wheeled vehicle, with several elkhearts tied up front and a single covered wagon nearby.
Instead of a door, the entrance was blocked by a pair of hinged panels that obstructed the middle third of the entrance. Just the sight of them had his hand going to his hip, a smile twitching at his lips.
“Wow. A real live miner’s den,” Gwen said, immediately squashing his fantasy.
“Miner’s den, huh?” Jed asked as they climbed off the warp-stallion.
“Yep. They say they’re full of bandits and outlaws,” Gwen said, hand on her own revolver.
“And miners, presumably,” Jed noted.
“I mean… sure. But they’re always background,” Gwen said, striding forward, Jed following a half-step behind. “Just look for the hunched figures in the corner. Those are always the guys we’re…”
Gwen’s voice trailed off as they pushed their way inside, stumbling on less of a bar, and more of an impromptu field hospital.
All about them were cots, with injured men and women stretched out on them. Over a dozen, at a glance.
“Kelem, is that you? I need more linens cleaned,” a woman said from the far side of the room. The voice was familiar, but it wasn’t until she glanced up that Jed recognized her.
It was Teliya, the woman he’d landed on the Roach with. Her face still had that strip of redness across it, as though she’d been out in the sun too long.
“You’re not Kelem,” she said, sighing as she looked back to her patient, muttering some words, getting him to drink something, then stepping away. “And you’re not one of ours. What’re Hunters doing in Granite Hills? People here can’t afford your rates, no matter how many demons show in the mines.”
“Guess you left more of an impression than I did,” Jed said, tipping his hat in her direction. “Surprised to see you here, Teliya.”
The woman squinted, then recognition seemed to pass behind her eyes. “The skyfaller. Empress, that was a day. Good to see the ring hasn’t ground you up and spit you out.”
“Have Metsa to thank for that, mostly,” Jed said before turning to Gwen. “This is my partner, Gwen.”
“Pleasure, ma’am,” Gwen said, giving Teliya a tip of her hat as well.
“Polite one isn’t she?” Teliya asked, nearly causing Jed to snort as she looked them both over again. “Can’t believe you went on to become a hunter. Sure, you had that fancy gun, but you seemed more like… well, not like a Hunter.”
“And you? Are these those refugees who needed your help?” Jed asked, gesturing behind her.
“Not refugees, no. They… well, it’s been a long month, and not a good one,” Teliya said, gesturing them towards the bar. “I’d take you into the back, but that’s where I’m keeping the bad cases.”
“What happened, ma’am? Some sort of collapse?” Gwen asked, voice still surprisingly respectful.
“Demons in the mines,” Teliya said as she pulled a bottle from behind the counter, setting it and three glasses on the counter. She poured a third of a glass into each before setting it to the side and looking them over. “You actual hunters? Or just dressed the part?”
“We’ve killed a few,” Jed said as he sniffed at the drink, nose hairs curling at the strong smoky smell. “Strong stuff.”
“Jed’s being modest. We’re no legends, but we can put down anything weak enough to live this far from the boundary,” Gwen said, taking a sip from her own glass. “Oh, that burns good.”
Following her example, Jed took a sip, and it did, as Gwen had said, burn good. Wasn’t as strong as Thomas’ hair o’ the dog, thankfully. “Any ideas what sort of demons? If we can handle them, we’ll do our best.”
“Not exactly my field. Little things, fast and loud. Round with lots of tentacles.”
“Screechers,” Jed and Gwen said together.
“Yep. Definitely real hunters,” Teliya said with a chuckle, swirling her glass. “If you two want to help… well, like I said, we don’t have much. I’ll patch you up, best I can, and I might have a booster or three you can take in with you.”
“It’s fine, ma’am. Hunters are supposed to hunt demons,” Gwen said, slamming the rest of her drink and standing up. “Right, partner.”
“Right,” Jed said, smiling as he took another sip of his own drink. “Though I wouldn’t mind seeing a map of the mine, or wherever the attack took place.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard to arrange,” Teliya said, smiling as a teenage boy pushed through the door, his face hidden behind a stack of boxes. “Kelem, set those down and get our guests a map of the mines.”
The teenager, Kelem, grunted as he struggled to find a spot to set the boxes. When he did, he turned a surly glare on Jed and Gwen, only for his eyes to go wide. “Hunters? Here?”
“Map, Kelem,” Teliya reminded him, though not unkindly. “For the Hunters, please.”
“Yes doctor,” Kelem said, snapping off a salute before dashing back out the swaying doors.
“Seems like a good kid,” Jed said, taking another sip of the strong liquor as Gwen slid back onto her seat.
“Most of these folks are good hearted,” Teliya said, shaking her head. “Criminal what the marshals have been doing to them.”
“What’s this?” Gwen asked, picking up her empty glass and staring into it for a second before setting it back on the bar.
Teliya smiled, pouring Jed’s partner another third before stoppering the bottle and putting it away beneath the counter. “Was a time, miners here were mostly criminals. These days… well, marshals these days don’t want to be bothered with hauling real criminals all the way to the mine. Too much work. Hard to keep down. So they just grab whoever they see wandering around with a bit too much muscle, then slap those damn collars around their necks. Convict them of whatever, send ‘em here and tell them to work off their debt to society.”
“That’s…” Jed trailed, feeling his words fall short. And feeling like there should be something they should do about it. Demon hunting was simple. Easy to know that taking one out was good. He figured the same went for making sure the world didn’t fall apart around them. Stopping unjust slavery also seemed pretty clear cut, morally. He just wasn’t too sure how to go about it. Or if it was his place to do so.
“Awful? Inhumane? Just another day in six-oh-six?” Teliya said, slamming the remains of her glass back with a grimace. “Marshals been doing it for almost two-hundred years now. If someone could’ve stopped them, they would’ve. I just help where I can.”
Jed nodded, looking about the room, noting the dull grey metal bands wrapped around the men’s necks. “Would us clearing out the demons even be doing them a favor?”
“Better than them getting sent in ahead of the marshals when they come to clear it themselves,” Teliya said, shaking her head.
“Well… maybe we’ll figure out something. Got a few tricks at our disposal most don’t,” Jed said, though he didn’t really find himself believing it.
“Maybe you will. Won’t be holding my breath,” Teliya replied, waving him off. “You want to help, you deal with those demons. Let the law handle the law.”
That was when Kelem came stumbling back in, arms loaded down with far more maps than they could possibly need. Jed got up to help, and soon they’d spread them about. A lot of them weren’t even for the mine, or even the surrounding region. Still, Jed figured they might be useful, so he started snapping pictures with his trusty cell before powering it down again.
The mine itself turned out to be a combination of facilities. While there was indeed a mine, there was also an old foundry for producing cybernetic parts. Which was where the materials for the mine had originally been processed.
“That could be useful,” Jed said, hand on Mythlyn’s revolver.
“Hasn’t worked in decades. Demons there are more dangerous than the rest of the mine, though they don’t come out much,” Teliya said, waving him off. “Marshals just blocked it off, saying it wasn’t worth the risk.”
“Might not be able to restore it but there might be some tools worth using,” Jed said. “And hate to leave the job half done.”
“Wouldn’t mind a couple extra demons to my name,” Gwen agreed, nodding. “And if we get to poke our noses in some archeotech… well, that’s exactly the sort of bonus we prefer.”