“What do you mean he’s not here?”
The words were fuzzy. Mesu felt like she was still dreaming. Nightmares occurred one after another. The deaths of her family and closest friends were replayed in her mind with ways she knew weren’t real. A lot of the destruction she had been present for. It made her eyes tear up again.
A chattering of multiple voices responded. She recognized the high-pitched clicks scattered in the conversation.
“He expects me to cart her all the way to Eberdeen alone? That’ll be extra. My job was to drop her off to you. And now, I’m making a full trip?” Em’s voice was clear and frustrated. She struggled to piece together exactly what was happening. There was more conversation in the language she couldn’t understand. It was difficult for her to discern the differences between the running on of chatter.
“So, you four are supposed to come with? I’d rather go alone.” The night sky was brighter than Mesu had remembered it. The moon shone bright in the field where they were. It was almost difficult to see the stars beyond the illumination. The figures started to come into focus, and she continued to lie still on her side. She did not want them to find her awake. Mesu closed her eyes and tried to fall back out of consciousness.
“How about you try and keep up with me as we travel to Eberdeen? If he wants this prize so bad, he could’ve been here to collect. Promise you all that if I get a better offer, you believe I’ll be dropping her for it and disappearing.” Em walked away as the group continued to talk. Mesu tried to squint her eyes and saw him approaching her. She moved her limbs to find that her wrists and ankles were bound together.
Em picked her up with a strength that surprised her. She stayed as limp as she could and let him throw her over a horse. He got on without hesitation and started trotting away. The clicking in protest grew further away and was in a frantic state.
“No need to act like you’re still out, girlie. There’s quite the difference between a sack of meat and a human acting like they are dead. Your muscles tensing is a giveaway.”
“Why?” Mesu fought against fading back out again as they rode. Her discomfort of riding on her stomach kept her awake. The pace Em was riding at was lulling and not that of someone who worried about anyone behind him.
“Money, fame. I can give you thousands of reasons. Not at this moment, of course. When I turn you over, I’m getting my pick of the litter.” They rode on for a few more moments in silence. Mesu could barely get words out, but she wondered what she was worth to Em and whoever she was being delivered to.
“I told you mostly about what’s at Eberdeen. I was contacted when you first started going with us. A temple of prizes, jewels, and so much more. More wealth than any single mortal has seen in a whole lifetime. They say that because it was rebuilt by an immortal. A god or something not from this world. A shrine to their exploits. The trick is the key. You. No one has had access because it was built for only those of Enya’s bloodline to be able to reveal it. Why her and why you? Who knows. Immortals have a funny way of doing whatever they feel and when they feel.”
Mesu was reeling from what Em was saying. Enya’s bloodline was the one who could unlock whatever this was? She thought back to the stories but had only heard of Eberdeen once. Never was there a mention of immortals or gods. There were so many pieces that didn’t make sense for Mesu.
“I’m sure you’re thinking the way I was when I first heard. You ain’t seen the changes the world is undergoing, though. Those underground rock people are not natural. Them sickly big-headed things that I have to deal with, same for them. Weird things have been happening the last few years. A temple with all magical goods from here and not of this world, if it’s true, I want at it first.”
“What about me?”
“Kid, to me, you are just a payday. I bring you to our nameless friend alive, get my pay, and then live out my days doing anything I want. The thing about lives and people is that we are all the same as goods. I deliver you like I would books or gems. You’re part of my life for a tiny moment and gone the next.”
Mesu couldn’t help but sob. She had come so far and felt as if none of it mattered now. The lessons on fighting, discovering new places, and all her experiences were coming to an end.
“Get over it, kid. We live, then we die. I’m not saying that’s what is planned out for you. Can’t rule it out either after you have played your part. If you are sacrificed for some purpose, your life had meaning. Who knows, maybe someone has already made a song about you. Then you’ll live on forever in some form. That is, if what you are afraid of is death.”
Mesu suddenly wished it was all over. At the very least, she wanted Em to stop talking. The throbbing in her head and the ride on horseback started to take hold of her. Her eyes fluttered open and shut until sleep had taken her again.