Unchained (Master of All Book 2)

by Simon Archer

  The mayor nodded. “Yeah, we’ll have beds for them when they get here.”

  “I would not have gotten that from what Thorton said if I were a dwarf,” Petra confessed. “I’d still be standing here, twiddling my thumbs and wondering what ‘longhouse’ meant.”

  “They’re quite the simple lot,” Reggie explained to her. “I think building is where their culture really shines but not anywhere else, really.”

  “Should we tell them to prepare food as well?” Amalthea suggested. “It would dampen morale if we starved our army.”

  “Please feed them, Thorton,” I added. “Make sure they all get enough food.”

  “No problem, laddy.” The dwarf nodded.

  “Thank you so much for your help,” Petra added, kissing Thorton on the forehead. “You’ve been more than generous with everything you have.”

  “Ah, we’re makers, lass,” Thorton said, twisting as he blushed. “We don’t much care for the things we got, ‘cuz we can always make more from other things we got.”

  “Really, you’ve saved our arses.” Reggie walked up to him, slapping him on the shoulder. “We thank you graciously.”

  “What did I do wrong?” Thorton rubbed his shoulder as he looked up at me.

  “Oh, nothing,” Sir Reginald said, pulling his hand back. “It was supposed to be endearing.”

  “Why did you hit me?”

  “I was merely trying to make a friendly gesture,” Reggie explained. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend in any way.”

  “Oh, it didn’t hurt,” he said, rolling his shoulder. “Just confusing is all.”

  No, you dwarves were confusing, Thorton. Lovable, but confusing.

  “We should leave,” I said to the group, “before we overstay our welcome.”

  “Right-o, sport.” Reggie rigidly walked up to the rest of us as we started heading out. He pulled up a few bags from the cart and handed them to each of us. “Food and essentials, friends.” As we all strapped them to ourselves, Amalthea carrying a few more like saddlebags, we headed north towards the Stalkers.

  “Thanks again!” Shikun shouted back to the dwarves as we headed out.

  “For what?” a random dwarf asked from the crowd.

  “For…” Shikun almost couldn’t believe the bewilderment. “For all of the hospitality?”

  “Oh,” the same dwarf answered as if the thought had never occurred to him. “You’re welcome.”

  With that, we officially headed out. As we reached the edges of town, I heard a dwarf say one last thing.

  “Weird folk, those tall people. They don’t quite talk right.”

  21

  Solannus

  Oh, by the Great Queen, my mind was free again. I could already feel the savage illness leaving me. I could complete sentences, remember names, and my motor controls were completely restored. I think I missed those the most. For a while, after William had left, I felt the savage impulse swell again, but it had waned for the past day or so, and now, I felt like myself, like I hadn’t in years. Oh, what a blessing.

  Bless him and his team.

  The girls seemed to be very fond of him, including the sphinx Amalthea. Perhaps they were a harem? It would make sense. He was quite the hero, after all. He could have a host twice that size following him around, and I wouldn’t be surprised. The older gentleman followed them around, too, though. Was he also part of the harem? I didn’t know William was into that sort of thing.

  Nonsense. Obviously, Reggie was William’s attendant. A man of his stature should have one, of course.

  Also, the kobolds were doing much more splendidly than I could have ever expected. When I found them in my savage state, I could barely make sense of their garbled speech. Now, they were talking in full sentences like normal people. Perhaps it was my prejudice that blinded me to the possibility of intelligible conversation with these scaled people I found myself surrounded by. They were kind enough to take me in. I should have given them more benefit of the doubt.

  Ah, well, we were here now, and the past was in the past.

  Toda and Kai, whose names I now could remember with supreme clarity, were especially chipper as of late. Every day was a blessing with them. I believed that it was because they treated each day like it was a gift. They were saved from the owlbear by William and his harem, and William paid a dear price for his kind act. I so wished that we could repay that kindness twelve times over.

  I prepared healing salves in my little hut, each wrapped in two leaves for easy release and use. Now that my mind was clear, I remembered how to heal with magical medicines as well as spells. Of course, I mayhap overdid the production of the salves, as now there were more than a hundred to use. I couldn’t help but feel the compulsion to make as many as my hands could stand. Why? I wasn’t sure.

  Call it a premonition.

  When I finished the latest salve, I figured my work for the day was complete and so resolved to enjoy the village a bit. As I ventured out, the kobolds were playing, as happy as they could be now that they were free to live as themselves again. While Toda and Kai worked hard on renovations to one of the huts, I turned my gaze to all the previous huts before it, witnessing their handiwork in turning each hut before into an extravagant palace… or at least as much a palace as a hut could be like. Needless to say, they were luxurious in their own way. The pair should have been proud of what they’ve done in their time.

  As I listened to the gentle breeze brush through the treetops, I calmly let the music of nature take me away. I could never find this kind of peace back at the Solspire. I initially regretted leaving my home there in such a cowardly way. When the bandaged maniac came all those years ago, his presence was… like a grave. I could feel my will to live draining from me as I stood near him. When he brought my sister, in all of her power and stature, low to his whim like she was a belligerent child undergoing discipline, I couldn’t help but run. I ran, and I flew, and I ran some more until I couldn’t remember why I was running. But now, I was here. At peace with the nature of everything.

  The calm rhythm of the wind was quite abruptly stifled by the unfamiliar rustling of people. The kobolds could see it, too. The women guided the children to their huts, coming out with sharpened pieces of wood. The women each gave a stick to a man, and every kobold became armed. Whoever was coming was about to feel the wrath of the Stalker Tribe.

  Maybe I wasn’t so overzealous to make so many healing salves, after all.

  The kobolds snuck away to several distinct hiding spots throughout the village camp, disappearing from my sight. Clearly, that was why they called themselves the Stalkers. Soon, I was alone. Maybe the healing salves were meant for me. Regardless, I drifted to the center of town, ready to be the bait for the Stalkers to capitalize on with a swift and deadly strike.

  The rustling grew louder, the size of the creature we now faced revealing itself to be monstrous. Or many. Or perhaps both. I stood my ground, prepared to battle the wary foe. Louder and louder it grew as the enemy drew closer, inching its way towards me to kill me where I stood. I could not waver. I would not stand down. I would show my courage this day.

  The rustling stopped. As if it was never there in the first place. I wondered if I imagined it. Obviously, the other kobolds heard it. Were they playing a collective trick on me? That seemed highly unlikely. What was more likely was the force behind the rustling had ceased its movement to prepare to strike.

  Then, suddenly, From one of the bushes, a small creature leapt out. It was a happy lizard about the size of a large hound, curiously worming its way into our fair camp. I recognized it immediately: This was the rock wyrm Silver that William’s harem carried around. My heart fluttered in my chest as the fear turned to excitement

  “Stand down, Stalkers,” I called my hidden allies out. “We are safe here. William Tyler has returned.”

  A small javelin flew from behind me, lightly bouncing off the rock wyrm’s hide before softly and harmlessly falling on the ground.

&nb
sp; “I said, stand down!” I called out louder. “The rock wyrm is a friend! And he should have more.” I knelt down to the miniature dragon who erratically licked my face as if it were a delicious slice of meat. “Where are your friends, little Silver?”

  Before the wingless beast could not answer, William stepped out from the thick of the bushes, adorned in golden armor. He held the Brand of Freedom, as always, but now wore a sword upon his back. A moment later, the dryad woman Petra emerged, followed by the draconian Shikun, the sphinx Amalthea, now adorned in a similar plate to William but much more regal, and finally Sir Reginald, his set of armor more complete in its protection.

  “Dear friends!” I said to them as I shook William’s hand. “It is so good to see you all again.” Slowly, my kobold neighbors found themselves in sight of the intrepid heroes one by one.

  “You as well, Solannus.” William’s grip on my hand was firm and solid, like a true warrior. “You seem to be doing a lot better. How are things here?”

  “We could not be more elated, thanks to you,” I informed him. “Your efforts are already felt here. I’m sure it’s safe to assume that both Great Beasts are taken care of?”

  “Yes, we laid them to rest,” William said, a hint of remorse in his tone. “Now, we’re gathering what forces we can to Hillrock to attempt to mount an attack against the Solspire.”

  “We were hoping your kobolds would be willing to take up arms with us.” Sir Reginald walked up to William’s side. “Can we count on you to help us, good sir?”

  “I can speak for my own services, to be sure,” I told them. “My powers as a healer and scholar are at your full disposal. I’ve even collected a great many ingredients to aid your journey.” I’m glad I could now feel justified in all the work I put into creating those salves.

  “Which we’ll need, no doubt,” William said. “But we’re also going to need bodies. Every person you could afford to bring with us would help immensely.”

  “I do not speak for them,” I told them. I was not the leader of the kobolds. I was merely a guest, a tenant who traded in healing favors for lodging and protection. “You’ll have to ask their permission, not mine.”

  “Do they have a leader amongst them?” the dryad Petra said as she scanned the crowd, no doubt, looking for someone to step forward.

  “They are not as structured as other groups you might find yourselves dealing with,” I replied. “They are not the kind to place such burdens on one of their tribe needlessly. But, when a decision must be made for the good of the tribe, the people elect a leader specifically to make that decision, someone they feel is the most likely to make a wise one on the subject. Such leadership is seen as a stress upon the kobolds, rather than a position of power.”

  “Then who would you suggest we ask to rally the blighters, then?” Sir Reginald questioned me. “We very well can’t ask each one individually.”

  “What about the two we saved?” Shikun said, referring to Toda and Kai, I presumed. “Maybe they could help us in collecting the kobolds.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt to try.” William took a quick look through the crowd and soon found the two kobolds.

  “Keep in mind, friends,” I added as a final thought. “This is a fairly large decision. They will convene to elect a decision-maker, and the decision-maker’s ruling is absolute. He or she is treated as the authority on the matter. You will need to respect it.”

  “We understand, Solannus,” the sphinx Amalthea said.

  William walked towards Toda and Kai, who quickly gave him a hug as soon as he broke away from our conversation.

  “Thank you so much for saving us, William!” Toda said, crying into his pant leg.

  “We cannot be more grateful,” Kai said, wetting the other pant leg.

  “Oh, geez,” William said, patting them on their heads. “You’re more than welcome, guys. Really, it was the least I could do. I’m glad to see you’re doing better. You can speak in full sentences!”

  “Yes!” Toda said, breaking from William’s leg. “Thank you! The polluted air cleared up, and we could think again! I’m so glad I can put my thoughts into words.”

  “No kidding.” Kai nudged her mate. “Even when we were still savages, I was trying to get this one to wash away that smell, but I couldn’t remember the word ‘stink!’” She laughed a snorting laugh. Toda smirked and blushed as much as a small lizard man could. “Can you believe that, Toda?”

  “Yeah, the savage thing was bad and all,” Toda said, “but I forgot how much Kai yapped before we lost our minds.”

  “Oh, you scaly jerk!” Kai nudged him again. “If I didn’t do the talking, then you’d have to. Is that what you want?”

  “Definitely not. It’s why I picked you as my mate.” Toda gave Kai a crocodile kiss on the cheek. Both Shikun and Petra let out an ‘aw.’

  “Could you two do us a favor?” William bent down to their level. “Could you call for a decision-maker to see if we can send you down to Hillrock? We need all the people we can muster to try to free the Marches.”

  “The decision-maker ceremony is sacred, William,” Toda said, standing fully upright. “We can do as you ask, but if you stay and watch, are you willing to uphold all of our traditions?”

  “As long as we don’t have to die, I’m game with almost anything,” William said in agreement to the terms.

  Toda let out a guttural call up into the air, echoing through the forest. All the nearby kobolds gathered into the center of town, sitting down side-by-side. A quiet rumbling softly thundered through the camp as several kobolds entered into it, many more than were here originally. Before long, the entire camp was packed together tightly with kobolds sitting knee-to-knee, shoulder-to-shoulder. They’d left only enough room for us taller folk to stand. When they all settled, they stared at those of us who were still standing. I’d lived here for years, and I’d never seen even half of these new kobolds.

  We stayed like this for longer than I would have admitted to anyone who was not present.

  “I believe we are supposed to sit,” I whispered to them, attempting not to disrupt the sacred ritual.

  “Are we to sit on their heads, then?” Sir Reginald said, slowly losing his balance as his arms swayed to counter. “There’s not a single inch of ground for our arses.”

  The knight lost his battle with his balance, falling to the ground on his rump. As he did so, the kobolds shifted open like a living mass to give him the room to do so. When he sat fully upright, the little creatures filled the space behind him.

  “I guess we’re sitting.” William planted himself, the kobold collective opening to allow him the liberty. They did the same with all of us as we followed suit. Without the slightest degree of trouble, they accommodated the sphinx in all her size. When we all finally settled in our places, the kobolds began to all make the guttural call that Toda made, joining into a disharmonious choir that threatened to split my head open. I attempted to keep my calm, as I saw the rest of them seemingly having no trouble with the hellish noise.

  When the kobolds stopped their choir, they put their heads onto the ground. In one choreographed movement, they lifted their bodies above themselves, all standing on their heads. Once they were all in position, they looked at us again.

  “You cannot be serious,” the sphinx said in understandable disdain, given her anatomy’s lack of functionality in this regard.

  “I can’t do that,” Shikun said. “I’m not trying to be rude, I swear. I have horns.” She tapped the long bony protrusions from her head. “I’m not going to be able to balance.”

  “I can help, you big babies,” Petra chided, an amused smile on her lips as she quickly stood upon her head, creating a cone of wood around it to help stabilize her. She then grew vines to reach out to Shikun and Amalthea, wrapping them up in the leafy cables. When they were properly wrapped, Petra lifted them into the air, placing them upside down on their heads. Shikun wriggled a bit as she looked around uncomfortably, while Amalthea stared straight ah
ead in disgust.

  “I am not okay with this,” the regal sphinx said in defiance.

  “We need their help,” William said, rolling to a headstand. “You’ll have to bear with it.”

  “I am participating in this ritual under protest,” she said as a final word.

  “Can we just get on with this?” Shikun said, breathing a little more shallowly than before. “The sooner we’re done, the better.”

  “Right-o, lads!” Sir Reginald took to a headstand with enthusiasm, wiggling his feet in the air. “I could keep a headstand like this for hours back in the Armed Forces. We can do this all night.”

  “Oh, please, no.” Shikun meekly let out. The blood had begun to rush to all of our cheeks. As the only one not in position, I rolled to my head so we could continue the ceremony.

  The kobolds all hummed in unison, this time in perfect harmony. It was absolutely magnificent, and I would have loved it if I weren’t sore from standing on my head at the moment. Given the circumstances, we could only wait for them to stop and continue with the decision-making. Finally, they stopped, and Toda spoke out.

  “A decision has been made!” Toda shouted to the crowd before falling forward. Every other kobold fell individually until only the tall ones were left.

  In keeping with tradition, I fell as well, trying and failing to avoid any kobolds as I did. The others did the same, with Shikun and Amalthea being cradled to their positions as the wrapped vines released their grip. All the kobolds stood back up, some of them having to crawl out from under us tall folk, and we promptly did the same as we awaited the verdict of the ridiculous ceremony.

  William rolled his neck as he helped Petra and Shikun up. The draconian looked properly unnerved by the whole experience. Amalthea kept a constant look of disgust and anger without a word. When his girls seemed to be alright, he turned to Toda.

  “So?” William asked in anticipation. “What did you decide? Who’s making the decision?”