Out of Time the Grand Quest

by Christopher Douglass

  “Where are they?”

  “Hiding out in an inn nearby.”

  “That’s a bit of luck. We have to leave this place quickly, so at least we now have a destination. You have any problems talking to the animals around here?”

  “A little. They don’t have any magic, so it is hard to make the connection. I can’t even gather any power from the forests. I’m not ashamed to admit, I’m scared. My magic is dwindling while I am on this side of the rift. Without magic to sustain me, I’ll die.”

  “Don’t you have a link back to the other world?”

  “Not enough for me to draw life energy from. Just enough to not kill me immediately. But my body uses more than such a small trickle can sustain. I didn’t know that would be the case until we came through the rift. I’m not as strong as a dragon, that can pull massive amounts of magic from the other side but survive on very little of it.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get you back safely. Is there a way for you to somehow survive over here longer?”

  “I can siphon magic from a mage.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Edward came back in the room, this time fully dressed and looking much more sober. With a nod, Kimberly snagged the white book from the table and headed for the door. Ignoring the sounds of the women plying their trade around her as they walked down the hall, Kimberly headed for the mistress of the house’s private chambers. Kimi found her at the bottom of the stairs, or more like she found them.

  “I wast coming to warn thee lord prince. Men from the castle are marching this way. But it seems you hath heard the news already.”

  Edward of Windsor looked at Kimi, respect filling his face. “It seems thou werest right yet again. Verily I must not ignore thy warnings a third time if my head wishest to remain upon mine neck.”

  Kimi ignored his words, intent upon the buxom woman in front of her. “Do you have a secret exit somewhere?”

  “How wouldst thou knowest about that?”

  “You are a woman, running a whore house in medieval times. Every house probably has a secret passage or two. And I bet you service more than one rich figure who would not wish to be recognized for one reason or another. It seems obvious you would have a secret route they can take.”

  “Thou ist a shrewd woman who dost speaketh and dress like a man, but thy thoughts are correct.”

  “Show it to us. And when the soldiers come, assist them however they ask. Hold not any information from them. Even show them the secret passage if you must. Do this and they will most likely not harm you or your girls. They are only interested in the prince, not some mere women.”

  The woman nodded, leading the two of them down into the cold cellar. There she swung open the door of one of the many wine barrels. Inside was an opening large enough to crouch walk. Once past the wood of the barrel, it opened up into a tunnel large enough to walk normally.

  “Fair travels Prince Edward. Remember I am a loyal subject. I doth hope thou assumes the crown forthwith.”

  “My thanks for thy aid good woman. Thou hast nothing to fear, for I shall take up my rightful place soon enough. God has decided it.”

  The two swiftly ran down the passageway while the woman closed the hatch, leaving them in darkness. But trailing their fingers along the walls was enough, as the passage was almost arrow straight. After what felt like only a few hundred feet, Kimberly ran into another wall. There was just a small crack of light at one section, and a few experiments proved it was a peep hole. Flicking the patch of leather upwards she looked out into an empty horse stables. Another inspection with her hands found the hidden latch that swung the back stable wall outwards to release them.

  The streets were empty of soldiers, though Kimi noticed they were only a few blocks away from the bordello. She even saw a few soldiers sneaking between the buildings, not realizing their prey was behind them. Whispering quietly to Nimli who was hiding in her hair again, the spirit gave direction to the inn the quester’s were staying at. Edward followed along like a shadow, a feat that impressed Kimberly. How he kept all that chain mail and hard studded leather from creaking or jangling she couldn’t fathom.

  Once inside the relative safety of the building, Kimberly allowed her muscles to unclench just a bit. Continuing to follow Nimli’s whispered directions, she found herself outside one of the many doors upstairs. Her knock sounded hollow, and no sounds of movement came from the other side of the wood. But, after what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open to reveal a short cropped, brown haired woman around her own age.

  Behind her were two more, both blond. One looked to be around twenty, the other eighteen. All three had bandages somewhere on their body. The two blonds had wrappings on their temple while the brunette had one around her upper arm. The three looked from her to Edward and back again before the older of the two blonds let out a sigh.

  “So you must have been the one to save the Prince from being killed yesterday. We tried finding him ourselves but couldn’t before the event. We thought it was all over for us, but Isabelle and Bree both said they could still touch their powers. I’m Jasmine by the way.”

  “I heard there were four of you, what happened to the forth?”

  “Dead. We landed in the middle of the palace and had to fight our way out. She took a crossbow bolt to the forehead, there was nothing we could do.”

  “Was it Maria?”

  “You mean that failure Santalada? Like we would let her come with us. No, her name was Emry.”

  The woman seemed to realize what she had said, shaking her head quickly.

  “Sorry, you’re that Phaser she summoned aren’t you? I know you didn’t contract with her and you didn’t want to come on quest, but I guess you don’t want to hear me talk bad about her either.”

  The brunette smiled, holding out her hand. “I’m Bree. I know it is short notice but do you want to partner with me? Emry was my mediator, but now I’m free. Since you are on quest now too, it would be more effective to team up. I hear your Other ability is powerful.”

  “No thanks. I’ll form a temporary contract with you though until we fix this anomaly, then I will be chasing after Maria.”

  “Well, that’s better than nothing. To tell you the truth we aren’t sure what to do. Our best idea so far is to just go full assault on the palace with Edward in tow. But nether me or Isabelle are really all that strong, our magic wouldn’t last. Especially since we felt so drained after just escaping.”

  “What we need is more information on the layout of the land. Do you think you three could protect the Prince for a few hours?”

  “Sure, what are you going to do?”

  “Scouting. I can do that easier alone than trying to keep him safe too. I’ll need to borrow your power though.”

  “You got it.”

  Feeling more than a little self-conscious, not to mention embarrassed, Kimi stepped towards the woman. The other girl fidgeted a little, red coloring coming to her cheeks as she puckered her lips. Apparently she was embarrassed by this as well. Kimi noted Edward of Windsor, who had been quiet up to this point, was watching with interest. Their lips touched and Kimi felt that electrified sensation suffusing her body. As one, they clamped arms together and recited the contract. Bree apparently felt the same electrification, stepping back with a gasp after it was over.

  “I feel it! I feel like my power is so much stronger! I never felt this way when I contracted with Emry! It’s like-- like my strength has just doubled!”

  Kimi closed her eyes, finding the character she most needed right now in that room inside her mind. A room that was more vivid and easier to access now that she was temporarily contracted. Wings spread from her shoulders as her vision sharpened. She was Kimi, the Birdwoman. Edward’s mouth was hanging open at her appearance. When she looked in his direction, he fell to the floor with head bowed.

  “Forgive mine transgression angel, for I have in truth doubted thy validity until now. But no more shall I allow my weak heart to
secretly think impurely upon you.”

  “You are forgiven, now stand up and listen to what these women may say. They are my friends and they shall protect you. Nimli, mind staying with them? If they have to make a break for it, you can find me and let me know of the changes in location.”

  “Of course Kimi. As much as I wish to fly with you, I see the wisdom in your words. Fly free wing sister.”

  Bree stepped closer to Kimi as Nimli removed herself from Kimberly’s hair. She looked over her shoulder at Edward who was still watching Kimberly in awe before raising an eyebrow silently.

  “Angel?”

  “Just run with it. I ended up next to him while he was banging a woman and he tried to kill me. I convinced him I was an angel from heaven and God has decided he is the rightful king. So he sent me here to ensure that happens.”

  “I see. Well, whatever works. If you change your mind about contracting, I’m always willing.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  With that, Kimberly opened the window and dove out, catching the slight breeze and gaining altitude. In the evening light, the city below was plenty bright due to her new eyesight. She needed to get a lay of the land before she could come up with any kind of strategy. And she had to do it quickly before her energy ran out. She had no desire to fall to her death from a few hundred feet in the air when her wings suddenly disappeared.

  Chapter 11: A Once and Future King

  “You sure about this Kimberly?”

  “About ninety percent sure.”

  “I still don’t see how we can take the castle on a frontal assault, even with your Other power.”

  “I can’t explain the how’s and why’s to you because it deals with where I come from, just make sure you stay behind me. Otherwise, you will probably die. Take care of anyone who gets passed.”

  “If you say so.”

  Kimi stuck the last broken stick piece into her belt, taking a deep breath to calm herself. This would be different from the hiccup. She would be killing real people, not misshapen humanoid creatures like the goblins. She knew when she got into character, she would be the character. Her mind would see nothing wrong with it. But right now, and after it was over, Kimi would know. Even if they all came back to life once the anomaly was fixed, Kimberly would know.

  “Prince Edward, you make sure you stay behind us. I’m sure you want to get all down and dirty clashing blades, but if you do, you will die.”

  “I shall doest as thou sayest fair angel. Ye have proven that it is not in mine best interest to deny thy words.”

  Tipping her head in his direction Kimi turned her head to the left. “Bree, if you will.” Bree nodded, coming in close to kiss Kimi once more. After three days of planning and hiding, this moment was the best chance of success. With most of the soldiers spread through the city on wild goose chases, the defenses of the castle were much reduced. There was still a lot of soldiers, but more manageable to her needs. Kissing another girl still felt weird, felt wrong. But just thinking about licking off her sweat or something like that was even weirder.

  This time was different from the last two, but that electrifying feeling still filled Kimi to the brim. As she was mentally suiting up, it was almost like the power had grown, had evolved. Instead of the story she had made up for the character being spoken in her own voice, this one sounded male. Like some deep-voiced movie narrator as the commercial for the movie rolled on TV. Just like she had always imagined it before.

  In a war torn world, where the rich rule and corruption runs rampant. Where the only law is survival, and justice is equal to the money spent on it, comes a vigilante. A renegade who brings justice for the poor and the weak. Only, her justice comes at the end of a barrel. She is judge and jury, and all who face her are guilty.

  She is Klashnikov Kim, better known as-- The Gunslinger Girl. A chick with attitude. And guns. Lots, and lots of guns. Like-- seriously, where does she put them all? Innocents have nothing to fear, but the guilty best hide when they hear the snick of a bullet being loaded. If you are in need of her services, dial K for Kill. It’s going to be a bloodbath.

  Leather creaked when she opened her eyes. The studded black jacket settling as she rolled her shoulders. The feel of straps along her back, sides, and arms holding the tools of her trade were a comfort. Curling her fingers felt good, the open fingered gloves caressed her flesh like lovers. The weight of weapons riding her spine, her hips and ribs, and up her sleeves was comforting. Kim unwrapped a stick of gum sliding it into her mouth and turning to look at the women next to her. With a quick raising and lowering of her eyebrows, the black sunglasses resting on her head dropped into place.

  “Showtime ladies.”

  Standing, she began to walk towards the front gates of the castle. Only two guards stood before her. Such a paltry task. As they drew their swords, Kim slowly slid a Makarov out of its holster, taking careful aim, she fired two shots. Each shot downed a man with a hole in their head. Sliding it back into the case at her side, Kim blew a bubble. Stupid to bring a sword to a gunfight.

  Kim made it another two feet before yet more soldiers streamed out the gates with drawn weapons. Blowing another small bubble, she taunted them with the mouth of teeth she showed when she smiled. This was a little more like it. Reaching across her chest, Kim flicked the clasp along her left shoulder. Widow-maker, her compact Minigun, rotated under her arm to point at the masses. Setting her left hand around the handle, she depressed the trigger. Instantly the morning air was filled with the glorious sounds of rapid fire. The vibrations of the machine turning her on as she mowed down her foes. The smell of gunpowder her daily cocaine, and the flashes along the muzzle her whiskey.

  The satisfying click of an empty weapon turned the world suddenly silent. Only a few remaining shells bouncing on stone breaking it. Flicking the remaining latches, the Minigun dropped to the ground just as Kim stepped through the archway. As yet another set of guards began filing into the hall, Kim slid the Klashnikov AK-47 from her right shoulder, emptying its contents into the warm bodies methodically. When that too was empty she dropped it as dead weight. Time enough to collect her weapons once everything stopped breathing. Or she could just buy new ones.

  Yet still, soldiers just kept coming. That was fine. They were all guilty. If they came to their own execution, it saved her the time of hunting them down. Their crime was standing against the Gunslinger Girl and her destination. Dropping the empty Markarov and Magnum, she was down to her hidden weapons. It had been a while since she had used them, and it got her blood boiling. Would she run out of ammo before the enemy ran out of bodies? The prospect was exciting.

  Flicking her hands, three shot “Lady Pistols” nestled themselves in her palms. Kim smirked at that, she was no lady. She emptied them quickly, dropping them and flicking her arms once more. Again two more Lady Pistols slipped out of her sleeves. So silly of them to just run headlong to their deaths. If they didn’t have the sense to try and hide from such advanced weaponry, they deserved what they got.

  Once she had spent the three pairs up her sleeves, she reached down to grab the ones strapped to the outside of her legs. Another six down and she was reaching for the ones along the inside next. By the time even those were down, and Kim was reaching for the ones in her breast strap and stomach holster, the soldiers finally stopped coming.

  Inside the throne room stood a final wall of knights and soldiers. Now she was wishing she had held onto her heavier weaponry to punch through the metal armor. Still, there were always openings. Rapidly firing and retrieving her fast dwindling supply of weapons, Klashnikov Kim put bullets between the thin visor slits of helmets and into eye sockets with deadly accuracy. With two bullets left, she took down one final guard protecting Mortimer and the Queen Isabelle. A sneaky backstabbing wench like her was no different than a corrupt politician. Her crime of deceit and betrayal was worse than all the others.

  She gave Mortimer a feral grin, blowing a bubble as she drew her dagger. The el
astic gum burst with a loud pop, causing him to jump. Holding out her empty hand she taunted him, beckoning him to engage. Sliding one foot forward she pulled back the dagger so it was parallel to the ground over her right shoulder. Again she taunted Mortimer with four fingers and a raised eyebrow. Seeming to realize she had no more weapons that could kill with a single shot from a long distance, he grew confident. Kim could see it in the slight bit of swagger as he pulled his sword. He thought she was still just any old woman, unaccustomed to the blade.

  Kim swung, meeting his longer weapon without fear. Death could not scare her. Not anymore. Pain could not scare her. One could not master the arts of the gun without enduring a little pain. As he swung, she dodged, watching his shoulders and chests to read his movements, she only needed one shot. Mortimer gave it to her when he lunged forward. She pivoted around the thrust. But it was only a feint. Already he was swinging his sword around and up in an attempt to gut her.

  That was why Kim kept spinning out of reach behind him, pointing her knife at the back of his head and pushing up on the hidden trigger. The blade shot forward, sliding through hair and skull, lodging all the way up to the base in his brain. She had never known much about blades. But explosives and anything that fired, no one knew more than the Gunslinger Girl.

  Calmly Kim walked over to the throne, where the crown sat on a pedestal to the side. Picking it up, she pointed at Edward of Windsor, then at her feet.

  “Kneel.”

  The Prince did so, bowing his head in preparation for the crowning. As Kim lowered the crown, Jasmine stayed her hand.

  “Wait, in order to make this official, doesn’t he have to swear an oath or something? Like-- like maybe when a soldier is knighted? When Uncle Gram told his stories about Camelot, and King Arthur’s crowning, he said that’s what they did.”

  Nodding, Kim set the crown down again. “I’ll knight him with what I know best sweet cheeks, guns are my swords.”