The Redeem: Chapter 11
#7 of The Redeem
Previous Chapter:http://www.sofurry.com/page/238917/
It's been a long time, huh? Sorry about that. It's time for us to get our knuckles cracking, and speed things up. That said, we'll be posting these stories on as done basis, instead of the weekly basis. That takes a lot of pressure off of kergiby and me. Sorry about that if it disappoints you. As always we appreciate any comments, and concerns, as well as helpful criticism. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
The next morning was oddly cold as I woke up feeling no one by me. Looking around, I realized that Jason wasn't in bed anymore. I sighed, and stretched my limbs, feeling the dim light passing through the barred windows assault my senses. I rubbed my eyes tiredly, and with a yawn, pushed the white and yellow sheets off of me. I was shirtless, and I realized how alive I felt...in the sense of the memories I had from those times. I felt safe and secure, as if I was on a vacation. I guess in some sense, I was. Looking about the room, I realized Jason was nowhere to be seen. He was probably getting something to eat for the both of us. It was a nice thing he'd been doing lately. Reaching over the side of the bed, I grabbed my white long sleeve shirt and put it on.
It happened again. My dreams kept repeating themselves, dreams in which my greatest fears occurred. They were more like nightmares, really. This time, Jason and I had been cornered by the hellhounds, and our throats were viciously ripped by their fangs. They had progressively gotten worse, and had occurred about 4 times now...but it was probably just stress. I could feel the worry that was on my face. I heard footsteps down the hall, and I made my best effort to smile as Jason came in with some toasted bread, eggs, and juice. In our exploration of the city, we had found that fresh ingredients were mostly spoiled, or covered in mold. It showed just how old some of these larders really were. Jason and I had been reduced to eating the junk food we could find, as well as the extremely rare canned meals. The technology here was that of a city in the between the 1930's to early 1960's. It seems though, that Wandered had his own stock from which he was getting things, as he would bring us fresh ingredients. He even brought us a freshly baked loaf of nut bread, and though Jason at first resented the fact that it had been made by Wandered's hands, we were cutting slices and eating it happily. There was a large lack of meat though, and I was missing the delicious qualities of a simple burger. I bet Jason was starting to feel the same.
As we started to munch on our food I smiled at Jason, happy to see him. Waking up from my dream and not having him around had scared me. I simply hugged him without warning, and Jason simply smiled back, and did the same. "Thanks." I said quietly, implying way more than just the breakfast.
Jason smiled and said, "No problem! I wish I had some meat to compliment this, but it should do." We continued eating the simple breakfast with as much vigor as we could manage for an actual hand cooked meal; despite its simplicity. As I chewed on one of my eggs, Jason stopped and stared at me, giving me a strange look. He looked as if he was carefully thinking of what to say, before finally asking "...When will we talk to Wandered?"
I thought in silence for a bit, slowly chewing on a piece of my toast before saying, "...After we're done eating. " I was trying to gather everything I had learned. It was like holding all the pieces of a puzzle with no idea what the picture was. At the center would be a precious piece of information that could help me. Swallowing my chunk of bread, I turned toward Jason. Thinking for a bit, I asked him, "Are you going to ask Wandered anything?
Jason nodded, chewing on his egg. When he gave no actual response to my question, I assumed that all would be said when we spoke to Wandered. It was either that, or Jason simply didn't want to talk about Wandered. As I took another bite of my toasted bread, Jason suddenly said "...His scars." Not understanding what he meant, I looked at him with a confused look. Jason took a moment to realize how vague he was being. Laughing a bit, he looked at me straight and clarified himself, pensively saying "I have a lot of questions too. Off the top of my head, I want to know why he's so scarred."
I nodded at Jason and said "Why don't you take a few minutes to gather your thoughts, and decide what else you want to ask him? I have the distinct feeling we won't see him for a long time after he leaves."
"Sounds like a smart idea. I'll do that while you finish eating." Jason said to me. He stood up from his chair, and as he turned to head back into the bedroom of the suite, and I found myself abruptly calling out to Jason, my hand reaching out to him. Jason turned and looked at me. "What's up, Iz?" he asked, a gentle smile on his face.
My mind reeled and as I searched, all I found was blanks. What just happened? Unable to say anything I simply looked down, pausing a bit before saying, "Nothing. Never mind." Jason simply shrugged and I watched him leave. Once he was out of sight and earshot, I sighed lightly, and stared deeply into the remainder of my meal. ...Why couldn't he have waited for me to finish? Sighing again, I ate the rest of my meal in silence and solitude. These dreams were seriously bothering me...Chewing the last of the bread on my plate, I stood up silently, and went to the bedroom.
Slowly stepping inside, I saw Jason slowly leafing across the notepad he had gotten earlier. His little sketchpad was filled with notes upon notes, and every now and then, I could see sketches of people he had drawn. After a second look, I realized the only person he had drawn...was me. I couldn't help but smile. I decided to get closer to get a better look. Taking care to not make any noise, I inched as close as possible, and I felt a strange surge of warmth go through when I saw another sketch of me. For the brief second that I saw the picture, I saw myself as Jason saw me. I had a light smile on my face, and felt a strange sort of tenderness from his sketch. My eyes flitted to a couple of words quickly jotted down next to the drawing and I could pick out, "Protect," and "Love."
As I stepped back, I briefly slipped and fell on my butt, with a loud yelp from the surprise. Jason turned suddenly, and I saw him quickly stashing the notepad. Turning to me, he asked, "Are you okay?" with a hint of worry in his voice.
Blushing, I simply nodded. "Yeah...I'm okay." I answered. Even so, Jason stood up, and helped me to my feet. Pulling me close to him, he sat me down on the bed, right next to him, where I could smell the soft odor of sweat and dog that the years had shown me to be pleasant and sweet.
I briefly placed my hand on Jason's hand, and squeezed, as both shame and embarrassment filled me, making my cheeks turn a bright red, just barely visible under my golden fur. I felt shame for spying on Jason's private notes, and then embarrassment for falling on my ass while doing so. As silence filled the room, Jason abruptly asked, "Did you see?" I simply nodded. Jason scratched the back of his fuzzy white head, and coolly said "It's okay Iz. You don't have to feel embarrassed." I think he was saying this for my sake, because I could notice a very light blush on his face.
Squeezing his hand again, I muttered an apology before deciding it was time to speak with Wandered. "...Do you know everything you want to ask him?"
Jason nodded. "Yeah. I was going over my notes to make sure everything I needed to know was answered."
"...Then...we should go talk to him." I said, feeling a slight nervousness fill me. I felt like some of the fog that enveloped this place in mystery would finally vanish. Why were we here? What exactly was this place? The questions I wanted to ask were flooding me.
"...Iz?" Jason called to me.
Looking up from my spot I answered "What's up Jase?"
"...Nothing. You just...kinda spaced for a second. Are you okay?" Jason asked worriedly. "You've been kind of weird today."
I briefly wondered whether to tell Jason of the nightmares I'd been having, but felt that it was kind of a stupid thing to address. They're just dreams I told myself. "I'm fine," I said. I let positive feelings spread throughout my body, and smiled. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately. Let's go."
"O-okay." Jason said surprised at my sudden mood change. I must have been all over today. He opened the door of the suite, and we walked out into the hallways.
Sunlight poured through the shades and dusty curtains, and I could see eddies of dust floating about. I stared at the long hallway, with the white paint peeling of the walls. I considered the history of this place and felt like this would have been a much nicer place had there been people here, even if the city had shown much nicer places to stay...I guess I missed the presence of other beings in general. I wondered how much worse things would have been if I didn't have Jason.
As our footsteps echoed across the empty hallways, I took Jason's left hand in my right, and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. As much as my heart still hurt from my original rejection, I was happy to have my best friend here. Turning to the hallway that led to the main building where Wandered was usually seen, I let the breath I had subconsciously been holding go.
"...It's okay you know." Jason cut in. "You don't have to be so nervous about asking your questions."
I nodded at him. "I know Jase." I whispered in a polite tone. "It's just...this whole experience has been so surreal..."
Jason nodded at me, a deep understanding in his eyes. As our footsteps echoed, I could see Wandered's shirtless and scarred form, sifting through several papers, and a small satchel to the side overflowing with papers he was probably going to keep. As I got close to him, I cleared my throat and began. "Wandered? Ah...I was wondering if you had some time to talk...?"
Wandered stayed silent for a few seconds, almost as if he hadn't heard me. Putting his papers down, and looking at me with his lone eye, I realized that Wandered must have expected this. "So you have some questions? Everyone does at some point..." Wandered said frankly. I take in the moment, and feel the tightness in my chest, as if a strong fear is going on inside me. Wandered looks tired, as if he has done this several times, and feeling the strange aura he projects, it's probable he has. It's tiresome for him, I think. I feel an emotion go through me, hard to identify at first, before I realize that what I feel is empathy for the grizzled bear. ...But only briefly. The need to know more about this desert, this place; it's too overpowering for me to care about trite details. In my mind's eye, I can picture him like a water balloon, straining to keep all the information he knows inside him. The sense of power he eluded was because this bear held that which was powerful; knowledge, and didn't seem to want to share much of it.
"Yes. I have a lot of questions. And I'm quite sure that you, Mr. Wandered, are the one who is our best source of information at this point." I said sternly. Looking over at Jason, I gripped has hand tightly, and made a subtle move to signal that I wanted to ask the first question. It was something that I had only briefly wondered, but seemed like something that could be resolved quickly, unlike my other heavy questions. Looking at the tired face of the bear, I asked my question. "Um, Mr. Wandered, just what exactly have you been looking for in this city?"
Wandered's look changed to one of renewed interest, and looked at me with curiosity sparkling in his eye. "Would you mind telling me why you want to know?"
I nodded at him. "I ask because we couldn't have met without this, and it seems relevant to know just what exactly made our paths cross."
"Very well, upon hearing that, I don't think it would cause any trouble to tell you. I'm looking for some paperwork and notes an associate of mine has left for me here, in various spots of the city. I study various things, and these notes are very valuable to me, as they detail a very peculiar part of the desert: the southwestern expanse. See, while being one of the harsher sections of the desert; something about it calls out to various people. My research concerns that odd phenomena, and his notes are the results of several studies he conducted in that region. We unfortunately could not meet up, and he has decided to leave some of his notes here, so that I may incorporate them to my own studies."
I listened intently, being told far more than I actually needed. I guessed that Wandered must have been all over the desert by now, and wondered how many steps the bear must have taken. "That's pretty interesting Wandered. Just what exactly are you researching though?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you about that. It's not something that concerns you at this moment. If it ever does, I'll come find you. ...Because of research and all that." I realized how quickly Wandered amended that last part and felt a swiftly passing prickle on my neck as if that had been important.
As the prickle faded, my heavier questions began to take a larger place in my mind. Taking a deep breath, I began what I knew would be a difficult conversation. "...Mr. Wandered, I want to know what this place is. How am I alive, when I know both Jason and I have died before?"
"Well Isaac, this place has been called many names. Some call it Hell, others call it Purgatory, and some few even call it Heaven. I've heard many other names, like the Land of the Dead, as well as The Badlands, The End, and The Eternal Desert. From what I've researched, I don't think this place even has a name." Wandered then paused, as if chewing over a chunk of information. When he spoke again, Wandered's eye sent out an intense look, and he whispered, "Honestly, I've taken to calling this land The Trials, because of how rigorous it can be."
I let his information sink in quickly. "So...there's no name for here." I said, a little disappointment evident in my voice. I wondered if there was anything more I could ask about this, but seeing nothing to expand on; I decided to ask my next question. "What are the qualifications for someone to end up here then? See, both Jason and I died in different ways, and we both ended up here."
Wandered's eye lit up, and I saw that I had perked something in him. Clearing his throat, he looked at me intensely with his single eye and said, "I don't really know. That's one of the many things I spent my time looking. I honestly think it depends on the person, and even then, I don't know what this place looks for in people. I've seen some very wicked people arrive here, and some very good people. I've seen people who've had a lot of success and others who've simply failed at life. The qualifications for entering this land are hard to pin down. However, I think...I think the thing that will often land you in this place if when you have missed something on the other side. This is the only thing that sticks out to me from the people I've talked to, and the journals I've read." And with that, Wandered finished talking, a hint in finality to my question.
I looked at Jason and briefly stared at his blue eyes as he looked into mine. "Missed opportunities, huh?" Jason said to me. I looked away, and felt a sharp tug in my heart as I recalled what I had missed by not waiting. The sharpness in Jason's blue eyes faded lightly, and I guessed he must have been going through the same. "I'm sorry Isaac." Jason said somberly. I just nodded at him and I gave him a light hug, my arms barely able to reach around his large frame.
I looked back at Wandered and spoke again. "Thank you for that Mr. Wandered. That resolves a lot of things for me. I'm sure it does for Jason as well." Looking back at him, I felt him squeeze my paw tightly in recognition of what had made us arrive here. It was a confident squeeze, and if we had been alone, I was sure that Jason would have told me something along the lines that we would be fine as long as we stuck together.
"What opportunity did you miss then, Wandered?" I asked before thinking. It came off a really invasive, and not the kind of question I wanted to ask.
Wandered looked taken back, as if I had asked him something silly. Maybe I had? "Did you asked what chance I had missed?" Wandered asked, a bit of mirth in his voice. I looked down, suddenly embarrassed. Had I asked something weird? As I thought this, Wandered began to laugh. It began as a low rumble, rising up like bubbly syrup and coming out with a deep throat-y ness. As Wandered's laughing died out, I could recognize Jason's patience wearing out, and noticed his habit of rubbing his arm fur. Still caught in the throes of his laughter, Wandered apologized. "Pardon me, young Isaac! It's been ages since somebody asked something that showed remote interest in me. It just felt...funny." He almost chewed over the word, and it took me a moment to realize that it must have seemed very foreign for him to feel humor. Just what sort of being was he really? Wandered spoke again, "I'm afraid that what chances I missed are not for me to tell you...At least not yet. Someday, if there is a chance, and the time is right, I will tell you both. For now, I hope you be satisfied with knowing that my reason for being here is much different, and in my many decades of travel, I've gained much more from this land then you would ever imagine possible."
Jason stopped tugging on his fur, and looked at Wandered with a puzzled look. "Decades? You look like you're only in your mid-forties at most! ...How old are you, really?"
Wandered chuckled again. "Whoops, slip of the tongue. I can't tell you that either, but let's just say that time isn't an issue for me. I've been given...liberties. Of course, said liberties come with my job. And no, I can't tell you what that job is. You two will find out soon enough...Any other question?" Wandered asked. This wasn't him being polite; this was him changing the subject. Just who the heck was he?
Jason wasn't giving up though, he had his owns questions he wanted to ask. "Well, can't you at least tell us why you're so scarred? I mean, there isn't any place as far as we've seen that would be appropriate to treat cuts that big. What exactly did you face here?"
Wandered stared at Jason with a curious look on his face, as if he had thought of something. "Jason, these scars aren't from a single incident. I'd been slowly collecting scars through the years. ...This place is...unforgiving. Even one such as I will be bound to get hurt once in a while. This is more of a collection and a reminder to be less reckless."
Wandered kept saying weird things, and it was getting harder and harder to ask the questions I had originally been wondering about when Wandered began posing to be a bigger mystery then the land itself. "One such as I? ...What do you mean by that?" I asked.
Wandered began squirming a bit. His smile was slowly vanishing from his face, and I could see he was feeling cornered. Rather than to try and sidestep our questions, the burly bear just answered them as briefly as possible. "I'm special. I have a lot of privileges and am in a unique position in this land, but really now, enough about me...It will all come in due time."
Jason and I got the message. No more talking about Wandered. "Where are you getting your fresh materials? Iz and I haven't found much of anything in our walks around the city." Jason asked.
"The fresh food I've been bringing to you is from my own larder. Another one of my benefits here. ...And don't ask about my benefits." Wandered said, looking at me with his lone eye, silencing the question before it was even out of my lips. I was starting to get the impression that maybe we had perhaps asked too much of the scarred bear.
I remained quiet. I had learned enough for now, and would rather not get on the bad side of the bear. Jason however had more to ask. "Okay. I've been wondering about something, ever since before we met you. It's really bothered me....why would you hide the key that I needed in such a convoluted form? I mean, if you hid it, and made a sign to it, I would have understood, but you hid it by writing messages on the back of cupboards...with no indication that such a message was there. Anybody could have found that. I just don't understand the purpose of that...as far as I can see, it really only endangered us. So...why?"
Wandered sighed, sounding extremely tired. This answer seemed liked it was going to be long. "I cannot tell you exactly why I did that. Though I assure you there are many reasons, I cannot tell you most of them. What I can tell you is that that key would have found its way to your hands one way or another. It is the way of this land, and you are only seeing a small piece of the puzzle. Why do you think my source chose to hide precious information in a city full of dangerous beasts? The answer is simple if you think about it: to keep it safe. There is much more going on in this desert than you think boys. I'm just trying to not get you involved in this stuff. Anyway, I have to finish with going through these materials. Do you have anything else you want to ask?"
"I think we're going to head back to our rooms." I told Wandered. I realized how invasive we were near the end of our talk and felt a little ashamed of myself. My tail twitched a bit in annoyance of myself. Looking back at Wandered, I quickly muttered and apology, and turned back, going into the hallway to our room.
Jason opened the door in front of me, and sat down on the largely unmade bed, heaving a large sigh. "Well that was helpful." he said frustrated.
"What do you mean?" I asked him.
"You realize he didn't tell us anything other than he's researching SOMETHING, and a bunch of vague crap." Jason said, with a sharp edge in his voice.
My mind went back to the vague prickle on my neck that I had felt earlier and pulled together some of the pieces of the frustratingly cryptic conversation we had had with Wandered. "...I think he was being vague for US."
Jason leaned down, and placed both his large arms behind his head. I couldn't help noting how good his coat looked, back to its snowy white. "Why would he do that? He just met us not too long ago. He has no ties to us. I just...don't like him." Jason said, heaving another sigh, but evidently less frustrated.
I smiled at Jason, and leaned down on the bed with him, placing my head on his left arm, which he had brought out for me. Not wanting to let Jason have the last word, I said. "Jase, knowledge in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing..."
Jason stayed quiet for a while, and as the room began to buzz with silence of the white noise, Jason suddenly cut in, "...So can not knowing." To which I simply agreed with, and said nothing. I closed my eyes in the company of my closest friend, hearing his heart beat in the massive chest of his. I gently rested there, and began to think of our next step in this strange place with no name. For a short while, I thought Jason had fallen asleep, until he muttered something out loud I didn't quite catch and realized that my friend was thinking too. Friend...was I fooling myself? Jason was more than that, no? My thoughts began buzzing around my head as I tried to decide what Jason was to me. As my frustration began to build, I decided that I would let time tell me what my heart at the moment couldn't. Feeling subconscious with myself, I turned away from Jason, and focused on my tail so as to not betray any frustration still in me. For now, Jason was my partner...and friend.
We simply rested in our room, and watched as the dim lights that passed through the barred windows gave way to the orange twilight of the setting sun. As I continued to think about the events of earlier today, Jason spoke again. "Hey...Iz?"
"What's up?" I answered, while turning on the bed to face him. His face was so close to mine, and I could feel his breath on my face. I felt a small blush that I dearly hoped he could not see. I resisted, but the memory still came: the kiss he gave me in the beginning of the desert. A sharp pang in my heart reminded me of why I hadn't let him cross the border of simple friendship into something more, despite the moments we had been sharing here.
"I was thinking...we should move spots soon. I know Wandered has been nice and all, but there's nothing but the hounds here. We should find some other place to head out to..." Jason's arm slowly went around me and pulled me closer into his thick coat, and I said nothing. He was right though.
After a moment of thinking, I finally told him so. "...When should we leave?"
"Sometime soon. Within the next few days sounds like a good idea."
"Alright." I said simply. As the sun set, I shifted over a bit and leaned on Jason, seeking his warmth. "Let's sleep okay? I'm tired from all the thinking I've done today."
"Alright. You can sleep while I pack our stuff, okay?" I nodded at Jason, and felt him move out of the bed. I closed my eyes, and let sleep come to me.
I don't know how long I slept, or when Jason came into bed and pulled me into his arms, but I was woken to a loud rapping on our door. "Jason! Isaac! Are you here!?" Wandered? Why was he so frantic?
"Yes, we're in here!" I called out, and Jason, quickly stood up, pulling me to my feet.
"Good, good!" Wandered answered relieved.
"What's wrong?" Jason continued
"I need you two to do me a great favor, and-would you open the door?!" I looked at Jason, mystified as to Wandered's erratic behavior. Jason went to the door and opened it, nearly being bowled over as Wandered rushed inside the room. His look was desperate, almost shocked. "I've been going over the notes that my source left me, and it seems that some of my assistants are in danger. I can't exactly leave here, so I need you to head north and rendezvous with them instead of me. It seems that something has come up here, and I just can't meet with them since I need to tend to some kinks that have come up." He pulled out a large envelope and looked at me pleadingly. "Please, I beg you."
"We-we'll do it." I answered after some quick thinking. We already planned to leave soon, and there was something exciting about helping out Wandered. It felt momentous, as if we had joined some secret organization, and we were within this sphere of happenings to something big. I had little time to think about this as Wandered began handing more things from under his long cloak: food, more supplies, and a crude map.
"You'll need this to traverse the distance that is the northern desert expanse. You're doing me a great favor boys, and your association with me gives you benefits. ...I'll just let my boys explain that. You have some traveling to do soon, and I have no time. Just be aware that the northern expanse is much harsher than other parts of the desert. Be careful, boys. ...I'll leave you to it." Wandered waved at us, and smiled, looking relieved. Watching Wandered step out of the door frame, I found alone with Jason, feeling a bit dazed at the sudden development.
I found myself under a harsh stare from the icy blue eyes of Jason. "Can you consult me next time? I am your partner, you know."
I felt a bit of shame for taking the request so suddenly, but I never was one to deny people help when they needed it. I wasn't about to remind Jason of how many I'd bailed him out of sticky jams. "Sorry Jase. You know how I am!"
Jason merely nodded. "...Yeah, I know. I just hate the fact that you placed some stranger's burden on us. Check your stuff and make sure everything is there. If we're going to deliver that envelope, we're going to do right. We'll leave when you're ready." I couldn't help but smile at him, and the confident twinkle in his blue eyes. It was time to get further acquainted with the desert, and I was lucky to have my best friend and partner to do it with.
After a quick look in my pack, I turned to Jase. "Let's go!"
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