Sincerest others,
I am writing to inform you that a series of disturbing events have occurred in my home village, Yerz. A hostile force known to us as "the puppetheads" recently attempted to infiltrate our society from their home deep under the lake. The puppetheads can swap their own minds with those of any human they touch, making them very difficult to detect. Ferran, a friend of mine who was subject to this mind swapping process, would have been trapped were it not for yours truly and a pair of young troublemakers called Talon and Daiv.
I intend on travelling with Ferran and Talon to the capital, to inform the Overarchy of the dangers that these puppetheads pose. However, I cannot be sure that anyone else is trustworthy. Therefore, I also invoke the right granted me to call a meeting of all available Keepers. As you are aware, the first sign of the Quandomen's return is when a man is not himself.
We will leave with a pair of traders, Ogard and Leyh, later this week, and hopefully arrive in Carpol late on Saturday. Until then, stay vigilant.
Keeper in Yerz.
Last time on The Puppethead War, the puppetheads hit a snag when Payke, the agent whose original body was ruthlessly killed by Commander Darrin Sasket, chose to turn against his colleagues. This week we find him running for his life after a disaster at the village.
Meanwhile, in the city of Carpol, the travellers from Yerz have made a significant step toward repelling the invaders. By allying with Rudimar Gelba, current steward of the recently reinstated House de Postrem, they hope to bring their news before the entire Overarchy. Additionally, an ancient group called the Kept Sect have been engaged by Verden, the owner of Yerz and secretly a Keeper himself. Despite these successes, Ogard's carriage was assaulted the same afternoon by hired warriors, prompting the travellers to change lodgings and keep vigilant in case of further attacks.
***
SATURDAY
Payke bashed his hand on a boulder and ducked a pine branch, maintaining considerable forward momentum through the twisted trees. Little puddles were growing along the hillside as the rain hit. Mud built up on his shoes and still the puppethead agent didn’t falter - even the constant slippery roots failed to trip him as long as he kept moving.
The darkening evening was making it difficult to see the way through the woods. Finally, Payke leapt from a rocky outcrop and misjudged the distance. He tumbled to the hard ground below, almost not hearing the hack of a laugh behind him. The second runner was obviously better than the puppethead agent and landed with a soft thud to his right. Payke stood to examine his forearms. The skin was ripped up from the fall.
'That went well,’ Tean said.
Payke sucked down more air and frowned. ‘Shut. It.’
Above them, a crunch prompted the two escapees to turn. A montiger rider guided his mount down to them. In his left hand were the reins of two others, animals which clearly wanted to be elsewhere.
‘Care to tell us what just happened?’ Tean asked.
Another figure was behind the rider of the first beast, slumped and only barely hanging on.
‘Yoh,’ his brother said. ‘It should’ve been me out there. This was a huge mistake.’
The figure behind Daiv sat up and spoke as resolutely as he could manage. ‘I’ll live.’
‘You saw what the Commander had, along with the breathing pack?’ Payke said.
Daiv dismounted carefully. ‘I don’t know what it was. I was more concerned with keeping the others away.’
‘Well they shouldn’t have returned with you!’ Tean shouted. ‘If they’d stayed with the treehouse -’
‘Quiet,’ Daiv said. There was rustling in the trees, but truth was that any stealthy pursuers probably couldn’t be heard over the rain. ‘We’ve got to move. Besides, you know that we couldn’t have done anything.’
Yoh wheezed. ‘They wanted to fight.’
‘Humans, listen to me,’said Payke, rather awkwardly. The others looked at him.
‘The things that the Commander brought were bombs. If he can’t find out where it is, he’ll start blowing up the village, whatever parts aren’t already burnt down.’
‘We don’t even know what he’s looking for,’ Tean said.
‘You’re right,’ Daiv said and turned to the puppethead. ‘No thanks to your stunt with Arak.’
‘How could I have known that you would return with arrows blazing?’ Payke said. ‘We have to go back and take him out.’
Daiv tried to keep a level head. ‘Roran and the others don’t need us, they need an army. Not to mention the other agents would likely die to defend Mr Sasket.’
‘And where’s the problem with that?’ Payke growled. ‘Do you really think your pontoon pals can get their bodies back?’
‘Don’t you dare,’ said Daiv. He raised a finger to the man’s nose. ‘Don’t you dare think that they don’t matter. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a hideous -’
Payke slammed the boy’s arm away.
‘I will not be lectured to by an adolescent sand-for-brains human. You either accept my help or we part ways right here.’
Tean stood agape at the glower contest that erupted between Daiv and the puppethead.
‘You two can’t be serious!’ he finally said. ‘We’re in the middle of an invasion! As long as we want to stop Mr Sasket, we’re on the same side!’
Both of them watched as Tean paced towards the montigers. He pointed at the ground.
‘I’m going to take my brother to Arten for medicine. Join me if you will, because then, with the biggest army I can find, I’ll make these body-stealers pay.’
***
SUNDAY
Sometime in the seventh hour of the morning, Talon’s shift was almost over. Throughout the previous night there had been no sign of silent assassins or unseemly characters entering the Hanged Bat. Sitting behind a triangular window, set high across the street, he watched as activity in the hotel grew. Visitors and regulars were stirring to the song of the magpies but the youth wished only to return to sleep.
Around five, Ferran had joked that the puppetheads were sleeping peacefully while the travellers stayed awake on the lookout. As silly as it sounded, Talon wondered if there wasn’t some truth in it: if the teacher had any reasoning, there must have been deep cover agents all over the country. However, aside from the Dirty Fighters which Ogard seemed to handle deftly, their biggest obstacles so far had come from each other.
Breaking this line of thought, a sound prompted Talon to lift his head and stand up quickly, narrowly avoiding the beam that ran along the roof.
‘Shh,’ he heard someone say. ‘It’s only me.’
Talon turned around. Leyh had climbed out of her own small bed fully clothed.
‘He’s woken up,’ she said, pointing down, referring to the butcher whose attic they had rented for the night.
‘Ugh,’ Talon said and sat down.
‘Don’t settle now,’ the trader continued quietly. She raised a finger into the air. ‘We’re taking a walk and then you’re going to take me to church.’
Talon gave her a puzzled look. ‘I can’t go back to bed?’
‘Nope.’
Talon stood back up. ‘But I’m not a member of the Kept Sect.’
Leyh stuck out her lips and rolled her eyes. ‘I know that. Verden said that most of you up in Yerz are Freaks. Take me to the service at eight.’
Behind her, the Honch snored heavily and turned over.
The youth sighed and mumbled, ‘I think I saw the place yesterday, it’s near the Mucatedra.’
‘Great, let’s go.’
They tiptoed past their sleeping comrades and Talon stressed his reservations.
'Trust me on this, there won’t be anyone,’ he said. ‘I doubt there’ll even be a priest.’
***
Sometimes the Troublemakers could make one furious.
What had gone wrong? Had he started to become sloppy? There was no reason for them to switch lodgings, and yet they just weren’t there. Did they suspect him? Had he passed the hotel too many times?
In the morning, the Trailer returned to Market Street after scouring nearby alleys. This would have to be the last time – after all, even with the new clothes he had procured someone was bound to notice that he’d been hanging around.
After spending an hour in the shade of an unused fruit stall, the Trailer was about to leave when two of the Troublemakers hurried out of the butcher opposite the hotel.
'You’re sure there’s no way to find the boy?’ the Honch said. He and Ferran looked around, hoping not to be pounced upon at any moment by hiding Dirty Fighters.
‘I’m certain that Leyh didn’t just kidnap him, if that’s what you were thinking.’
They walked past the fruit stall without so much as a sideways glance.
‘The Most Sincere would have been pleased to meet us all,’ Verden continued, ‘but maybe it’s for the best.’
Ferran furrowed his brow. ‘I sense that you still don’t agree with my decision to bring Talon.’
The Honch replied so fast that it shocked the fisherman. ‘The boy’s a liability. Besides, we don’t get along.’
‘It might help if you stopped calling him a boy.’
Verden pouted, forwent a reply and started to analyse a nearby building’s architecture. Soon, the two men had moved far enough away for the Trailer to resume his silent pursuit.
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