After I was finished writing Chapter 13, I realized that it was the end of Part I of Book II. Now it’s time to move forward.

Four years later… A hastily built collection of shacks and out-buildings gathered around a larger building being used as a tavern marked the town center. The town was surrounded by a stout wall of logs with only one gate guarded by a bored soldier-for-hire. The pale wavering light from oil lamps and torches were the only source of light along the wall. The guard’s hand went to his sword hilt as three figures emerged from the darkness. It only took him a moment to assess the three visitors and remove his hand from his sword – he wasn’t paid enough to challenge the likes of these three. The man leading the group stood at least 7’2” and built of solid muscle; the man must have weighed at least 320 lbs. The guard knew a killer when he saw one, and this was a man to avoid upsetting. The man’s eyes blazed with such intensity it was difficult to look into them. The guard held his hands up and backed against the open gate. “I don’t want any trouble,” said the guard. The three travelers stopped inside the gate. The guard could see now that one of them was a woman with flaming red hair and dangerously mischievous eyes. The third person in the group was a man with skin so dark he nearly blended into the night, and though he wasn’t nearly as tall as the giant, he was well-toned, but his eyes were kind and didn’t project danger. Still though, there was a set to his shoulders that said he wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. The giant of a man didn’t turn his head, but only glanced at the guard from the side of his eyes. “How many in the tavern?” “Maybe thirty,” said the guard. “Who?” “Mostly members of the Broken Twig.” The big man nodded. “Good, none here will be leaving alive.” The guard felt the first stab of fear. “Hey, c’mon man, this is just a job. I have nothing to do with them, I only guard the gate for ten coppers a day.” “You’re not doing a very good job,” said the woman. “I’m not a coward, but I don’t have a death wish,” said the guard, his hands still in the air and glancing at the big man. “You need better employers,” said the dark man. “They’re hiring guards at Meadow Lake, go now.” The guard made a wide circle around the giant to the opposite gate where a kit bag was leaning against the wall. It made sense the guard would keep all his possessions with him in a nest of thieves and murderers – at least if he wanted to keep his possessions. The guard lifted the kit bag onto his shoulders and hurried out into the night and disappeared down the road. The giant turned to the dark man and scowled. “Is there anyone else you’d like to pardon?” “Jack, I’m not committing cold-blooded murder. Lady Cael only sentenced those we can confirm are members of the Broken Twig gang to death, no one else.” Jack’s eyes flicked to the red haired woman. “Ember, talk some sense into your husband.” “Akot’s right, we serve The Lord of Chaos, not our own private justice, and I’m not burning the whole town to the ground.” Jack didn’t bother arguing, there was no point, he couldn’t win an argument with Akot, and not because Akot was smarter, but that he was so entrenched in the certainty of his moral convictions that there could be no moving his mind once it was set. Jack didn’t suffer any such debilitating morality, if killing someone served the greater good, then he had no problem with it. In this Jack had grown into a true Aeden, the species that had conquered fifty galaxies. Jack was as impartial and unforgiving as the oceans he held dominion over. As Jack walked through the town towards the tavern, he left wet footprints in the dirt behind him. Ember nudged Akot and pointed at the wet puddles Jack was leaving behind. Akot nodded and whispered. “He’s angry and dragging his ocean along with him. I’ll put up a crystal barrier to protect us if he pulls another Horseshoe Canyon.” Horseshoe Canyon had been the hideout of a particularly nasty gang of bandits plaguing a trade route at the edge of the desert. The bandit’s defenses had been formidable, and despite Jack’s military prowess, and the incredibly large man he’d grown to become, he had been unable to penetrate their defenses. He could have called on the Jack army to come assist, and was about to, but a stray arrow found its mark and went through Jack’s shoulder. Jack’s temper had been instant, and brutal. Horseshoe Canyon was now Horseshoe Lake, and the tomb of the bandits. Jack stopped at the tavern and surveyed the outside for anyone that might be lurking in the shadows. Ember put a hand on his arm. “Jack, we need to be discreet and handle this quietly, there could be innocent people in there.” “I’m the soul of discretion,” said Jack before pushing through the door. Ember and Akot started to follow, but Jack stopped inside the doorway, blocking their entrance. Jack’s voice carried over the din of conversation from inside the tavern. “So, there I was up at Frog Creek minding my own business and having some mutton stew with those little round baby potatoes in it, you know the kind; actually, it was mostly potatoes, but there was some meat I’m pretty sure was mutton. Then, this man comes up to me and says the Limp Twig gang was the toughest gang around and asked me if I wanted to join. So, I says to him, why would I want to join the Soggy Twig gang, I hear they’re just a bunch of sissy girls and, well, honestly, I’ve met girls choirs that were more dangerous. I’m sure he had more to say on the subject, but he was already dead by that point. But, here’s my problem – in his rush to meet his maker, he fell on my mutton soup and ruined it. So, I figure someone here in the Muddy Twig gang owes me a bowl of mutton soup.” Ember put her hand over her eyes with a groan and rubbed at her temples as the sound of several dozen men knocked chairs over in their angry haste to stand and draw swords and daggers. Jack glanced back at Ember. “There you go, found the Rotted Twig gang.” Jack turned back to the men in the room. “Alrighty then, everyone still sitting, I suggest you leave now.” Jack stood aside as men scrambled to their feet and ran for the door. Ember and Akot also stood aside, waiting for the fleeing men to get out of the way, but before they could enter, a blurry streak of orange raced past and into the tavern. Jack quickly closed the door. Ember heard the cross-bar fall into place. “He locked the door on us,” said Ember. “Lady Cael is not going to be happy.” Akot shook his head. “I think Lady Cael knew we would balk at this distasteful task, so she sent Jack and Mara with us to deal with the unpleasantness, we’re only here to keep Jack out of trouble.” Ember waved her hand at the locked door. “He just locked himself inside a tavern with a couple dozen cold-blooded murderers, I think that constitutes him being in trouble.” “Jack is all grown up now, he’s almost as big as Warrior, and he isn’t being stupid this time. He attacked Horseshoe Canyon and a fortified position alone, but this time he took Mara with him, and has the element of surprise on his side.” Ember pushed the hair back from her forehead, then turned to the door as the melee inside the tavern began. She could hear the ring of steel on steel, tables and chairs crashing to the floor, and the terrifying roar of Mara as the now fully matured tiger joined the fight. Akot jumped as something struck hard against the inside of the door. The sounds of fighting lasted another ten minutes before it was silent, and then another five minutes before the door opened and Jack walked out. “We’re not done here yet, hang on to this,” said Jack tossing a large green gem to Akot as he stormed past. Ember looked through the door of the tavern at the carnage. Mara was lying on the bar cleaning her paws. Ember frowned and hurried after Jack. Jack stopped across the road and look back and forth as if getting his bearings. “What are we looking for?” asked Ember coming alongside him. “I need to find the house with the green door,” replied Jack. Ember held her hand up and flooded the street with light that shone from a flame now burning in her palm. “There, that door is green,” said Ember, pointing at a poorly built and delapidated building that barely met the definition of a house. Jack headed around the house to the right. There was an alley between the houses that smelled like the bandits had been using it for a latrine. It was dark behind the house and Ember again held her hand up and illuminated the area. “That’s it,” said Jack. “A shed with a chain and lock on the door.” Jack went to the shed. Ember lowered her hand to light the lock, and… “Jack! You have a dagger sticking out of your side, you’ve been stabbed,” said Ember. Jack looked down. The dagger was low in his side and towards his back. “Well, pull it out.” Ember sighed. “You’re insane,” she muttered as she snuffed out the flame in her hand, then put one hand against his flesh, and with the other gripped the dagger, and yanked it out. “Hold still, I’m going to cauterize the wound.” Jack winced as she burned the wound closed. “Okay, give me some light,” said Jack. Ember held up the flame again as Jack took the chain in his hands and pulled. The lock broke and he pulled the chain away, then swung the door open. Inside was a man lying on the ground with his head cradled in a woman’s arms, and next to her sat two small children with tear-streaked faces. Ember put a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god, what is this?” Jack knelt in front of the woman. “You’re safe, I’m a friend. Why do they have you in here?” The woman sobbed and put an arm around the children. “We didn’t have the money to pay taxes, so they said they were going to sell us to settle our debt.” “You have no debt, I’ll take you somewhere safe,” said Jack, then stood and looked at Ember. “Are you ready to burn this town to the ground yet?” Ember pressed her lips together and nodded. “Akot, where are you?” Jack called out. “I’m here,” replied Akot, standing in the shadows and watching. “Do you have a problem with burning this town now?” asked Jack. “I do not,” said Akot, his voice low with anger he didn’t know he was capable of. “The barkeeper said a man with a tin can sold him that magical gemstone,” said Jack. Ember’s head whipped around. “The Peaches Can?” “Maybe, the barkeeper said the man went north,” said Jack. “This is the closest we’ve come to finding the Peaches Can. Get these people to the hospital, and give Lady Cael that gemstone, then catch up with Mara and me. We’re heading north.”

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