The Defiance of Vim (Catalyst Book 4) by C.J. Aaron (graded readers txt) 📕

captain moved the conversation back to logistical concerns, though a portion of Ryl’s attention remained elsewhere.

“If we are to hold up here for any duration, food will become an immediate necessity. The crops and storeroom at Tabenville are barren. Even the orchard holds little salvageable fruit,” Le’Dral interjected. “Though small, we still have an army of mouths to feed.”

“Aye. That, the Erlyn can provide as well.” Ryl smiled, bringing his focus to the present. “Hidden among the trees there are resources aplenty. I know of one such pool stocked with fish, which will no doubt sustain us while we are here. Andr knows the way. I will instruct the phrenics.”

Though still distracted by Kaep’s abduction, Ryl’s thoughts turned to the future. The trek to Vim would be long. The woods outside The Stocks contained some resources, yet they’d need more than foraging alone would provide. Travel would be sluggish. Several weeks of hard walking would be required. Keeping to the figurative safety of the forest paths would hinder their ability to wheel any supplies. They’d need to carry the majority of what they’d need to survive.

“Food will likely be scarce once we cross the border of the Outlands.” The images of the landscape burned into Ryl’s mind were bleak. The gritty carrots were the only real sustenance they had to rely upon. “We’ll need to smoke as much fish as we can carry with us.”

“And we’ll need litters for some of the more severely injured,” Jeffers added. “It will be a difficult journey for some. Though thankfully few, I fear some of the most dire won’t survive the trip. It would be wise to fashion extras to haul supplies.”

“Supplies are a concern that I admit has been troubling me, though not exclusive in its impact. I understand the secrecy to this point, Ryl. Now is the time for full disclosure,” Le’Dral said. “Where will we go once we’ve left these walls behind?”

Ryl smiled at the captain. It was time. They’d followed along on blind faith alone to this point. Ramm moved a step closer to the fire. Light danced across the lower portion of his face, though his eyes were still lost in shadow.

“The Outland Horde are not all that survive beyond the boundary of Damaris,” the massive phrenic intoned, his voice dripping with reverence. “There is a city. It’s been a bastion of safety, the home to the phrenics of old for over one thousand cycles. Some sixteen thousand souls live in the safety behind its impenetrable walls. Free from the oppression that has shackled this kingdom. It is our home. It is Vim.”

Ramm continued his explanation, much to the wonder of those who’d yet to witness the majesty of the hidden city.

“Know that freeing the tributes was not the sole purpose of our return,” Ryl added once Ramm finished. “The Horde have been growing more troublesome as of late. Each citizen is trained in the use of weaponry from the age of youth. The number of phrenics living to help weather an attack is pitifully low.”

Le’Dral cocked his head slightly at the comment.

“Do not mistake the lack of numbers for weakness,” Ryl warned. “There is strength there that is beyond your comprehension. We aim to bring the tributes, the unawakened, to Vim. Their numbers will bolster the ranks and, once awakened, will serve to balance the tide of the Horde. The phrenics were never meant to be soldiers. We are learners, educators, artists. The Ascertaining Decree has cast the balance out of alignment. The traits that allow for war, while rare in the past, are present in almost all as of late.”

“Will they attack us as we move? Burdened with supplies and wounded, we stand little chance of defense,” Cavlin cautioned.

“There is always a chance,” Ryl admitted. “The Horde had strayed close to the forest when we left over a moon ago. They’ve been gathering in masses not seen in a millennium, yet beyond the single attack at the prophet’s tree, they still avoid the woods that line the edge of the mountain. The whisper of the Erlyn’s power still holds sway even after all the cycles. They fear it still.”

There was much left to think upon as the group broke for the evening. The tributes required tending. The guards’ shifts would be changing again soon. Jeffers helped Cavlin to his feet, assisting him as he sluggishly made his way toward the shelter under one of the massive trees. Andr, with a nod, hastened to check on his boy, Cray.

Ryl spent hours following the council tending to the needs of the tributes. He cringed as he watched the varying symptoms play out across their unconscious bodies. He recalled all too well the horrors that plagued their minds. The pain, the excruciating agony, was still fresh. He could feel it tear through the entirety of his core.

The remedy had spurred the ravages of the sickness in their withered frames, bodies racked with fever and chills. The vile complement of undigested food and bile mixed with the remnants of unprocessed medicine. The potent concoction of odors was unique in its power and terrifying complexity. Like that of the dried leaves of the blighted rose, it lingered far past its removal.

Ryl envied them not.

There were encouraging signs to be witnessed. The youngest among the tributes were displaying remarkable progress. The remedy seemingly tipped the scales within their blood, breaking the stranglehold of the debilitating sickness. With less time, the poison failed to completely overrun the alexen in their veins. It still served to choke the budding powers, yet unsurprisingly cleared readily with the introduction of the potent remedy.

Ryl had made it a point to visit all his closest friends. The twins, Tash and Palon, still guarded Luan even throughout their treatment, one protectively on either side. Ryl wrung cold water from a towel, sponging it over Tash’s burning head. His skin was hot, nearly scalding to the touch. Palon was cold, his teeth chattering as his body struggled against the