A Flight of Broken Wings: Aeriel Trilogy #1

Chapter 34

"The first attack happened last week, y'know. All of a sudden like," Bhagat was saying, eyes wide, as he scratched absently at his protruding potbelly. He and his old partner Kash made up the entire staff of the Ghorib Hunter Quarters, a dilapidated little red-brick building tucked behind the main marketplace, looking as though it could collapse at any moment. Well, Ruban supposed a backwater sif-mining village did not often receive visitors of the Aeriel variety. "Right early in the morning, thank the Lord, before work had started for the day. But Aeriels in a goddamn sif mine? Who's ever heard of such a thing?"

"Who indeed," Simani said, nodding sympathetically. "Where did they attack, exactly? What were they trying to get at, do you know?"

"Not the faintest clue ma'am, none." Bhagat shook his head emphatically. "First couple o' times they didn' enter, I don't think. We just found charred rocks and earth near the mines, like the sorts you get after one of their energy blasts, you understand. But yesterday, well, we found Aeriel feathers inside the mines, ma'am. Right in the bowels of a goddamned sif mine! There weren't no signs of a blast or nothing inside, thank the Gods above," he touched his forehead and then his chest in quick succession. "But that's when I said to Kash, y'know. I said to him, man, we've gotta call in the big guns from the capital. 'Cause we'd never seen anything like it, you understand. We don't get Aeriels in these parts. Never seen hide nor hair of one in the six years I've been posted here. And now this. Aeriels in the mines. It's all bloody fishy, I'll tell you that."

"Do you know how many of these Aeriels there are?" asked Ruban.

Bhagat shook his head once again. "Just the one, from what we could tell, sir. But I couldn't say for sure, of course. We never got to see the actual creature, you understand. It all happened way early in the morning, every time. All we saw was what it...uh...left behind."

"Well, why didn't you just post guards around the mines after the first attack?" asked Simani.

Bhagat's eyes widened, as if in disbelief that such an incredible thing should be expected of him. "Why, ain't no guards here as would've gone to the mines in the wee hours to fight demonic sif-eatin' Aeriels, ma'am. The normal things are bad enough. But no Aeriel in its right fuckin' mind would go within a hundred yards of a sif mine. Who knows what we're dealin' with here? Ain't no guard like to risk his soul with omething' like that."

Ruban looked at his partner. Well, there wasn't much one could say to that. "Could you give us a detailed blueprint of the mines, at least? And also a map of the village itself, if that's not too much trouble," he said, turning to Bhagat. "We'll see what we can do."

"Yes,yes of course," said the Hunter, bustling around the single filing cabinet inthe Quarter, disturbing ancient-looking documents and folders. "Much obliged weare for your help, sir. Much obliged, I'm sure."