by Pdmac
“I’ll do no such thing,” she snapped.
Ignoring her, Karl continued. “Then we’ll need two thrones, imposing things that will show who’s boss around here, set up high on a platform, which means we’ll need a throne room. I figure we can temporarily use one of the rooms towards the main doors until we find a more suitable place. Might have to knock out a wall or two and raise the ceiling.”
A servant girl entered carrying an ale and a plate of sausages. She was a buxom lass with narrow hips and long auburn hair done in a braid. Her blouse, though demurely buttoned was more than snug over her large breasts.
Karl’s eyes brightened with delight. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Come over here you young filly.” Waiting for her to place the ale and food on the table, he grabbed her and sat her on his lap. Giving Mavie a lascivious stare, he winked while ticking his head at the girl. “You’re a succubus. What say we have a little threesome.”
Mavie thrust back from the table and bolted up to standing, an arm outstretched pointing at the door. “Out,” she bellowed, glaring at the girl who leaped off Karl’s lap and raced out the room.
Leaning heavily on the table, Mavie gave him a withering look. “Let’s get one thing straight. I rule this domain and when I rule the kingdom, you will learn your place.”
Unfazed, Karl noisily chewed on a sausage chasing it with deep swallows of ale. “Dream on little girl. You may be a succubus, but you ain’t ruling a damned thing without me and my friends who, by the way, will expect some reward for their help. I figure since I’ll be king we’ll give them a part of the kingdom to run, either here or Westhaven.”
“Like hell, I will,” she fumed.
A knock on the door elicited a loud and angry “What?” from Mavie.
The door opened and a guard cautiously poked his head in. “M’Lady. A messenger from Queen Gwen has arrived.”
“Tell him to wait,” she snapped, knowing full well why he was here. “No, tell him I’ll be right there.” Flashing a fierce stare at Karl, she said, “I’m not finished with you.”
“Of course not,” he flippantly replied. “We still got a date in the bedroom with that servant girl who was just in here. Y’know, I never did get her name.”
Gritting her teeth, Mavie whirled around and stormed out.
For two days, Gwen’s messenger was kept waiting for Mavie’s final answer. For two days, Karl made life odious in the castle, so odious that Mavie refused to share her bedroom or meals with him, forcing him to happily seek companionship with the servants who were at first wary of his advances until Mavie gave the ‘go ahead.’ After that, Karl never lacked for partners willing to share his meals and especially his bed.
It was after two days that Mavie’s messengers returned with the fated news.
“They’re gone, m’Lady,” one man said. He was a trim fit man, tired from the rush to get back. “They’ve crossed the bridge.
“Damn,” she exploded. “You were supposed to stop them.”
“I did my best, m’Lady,” he nervously answered. “They had a head start and barely paused to sleep. They were across the bridge by several hours by the time I got there.”
“Damn it, damn it, damn it,” she fumed, pacing the floor in angry strides. Storming to the door, she commanded the guard to “Get Gwen’s messenger.” Whirling around to her own messenger who wearily wobbled after the long ride, she yelled, “Get ready to leave. Now get out of here.”
So it was that Karl found himself on the road back to Durness, escorted by six of Mavie’s finest warriors as well as the poor messenger who had been placed in charge of the escort. Not wanting to appear too subservient, Mavie specifically chose an ox and wagon as the means of delivery, horses being much too quick.
With a wide grin, Karl stretched out in the back, hands interlaced on his stomach, head propped on a bedroll. His grin split wider as he remembered their parting words.”
“You’re sending me back?” he had blurted, surprised. “What about you wanting to rule the kingdom?”
“I changed my mind,” she dismissively answered.
Karl stared at her then shook his head. “Where’s my team?”
“There not here,” she crisply replied.
Karl stared at her for a moment then sniffed in disdain. “They crossed the bridge and now you realize you can’t do squat without them. So now you’re sending me back like some peace offering.”
“What I do is my business,” she exclaimed then narrowed her eyes at him. “But you want the truth? I’ll give you the truth. You’re boring, uncouth, crude and quite honestly the worst lover I’ve ever had.”
“Well don’t sugar-coat it,” Karl yawned. “Tell me how you really feel.”
Titters erupted from the waiting guards that just as quickly vanished under her harsh glare.
“Don’t forget what I said about what’s gonna happen when I become king,” he said as a not so subtle threat.
Mavie sniffed in derision. “After a week with you, Gwen will be begging me to take you back.” Turning to the messenger, she added, “I hold you responsible for his safe return to Gwen. If anything happens, your head will roll.”
“Yes, m’Lady,” he replied with a hard swallow.
“Go,” she commanded. “He’s wasted my time too much already.”
Now riding in the wagon heading for the first stop towards Hillfurt, Karl chuckled. His plan was working well so far. All he had to do now was figure out how to escape from his guards who, unfortunately, were well trained and quite alert… and all armed with crossbows and swords.
Mavie had initially contemplated shackling him, but when he pointed out that Gwen would hardly want her lover shackled like some common criminal, she wavered. He then gave his word that he would be good and nothing would happen and she relented. Of course, he had his fingers crossed behind his back. It was juvenile, but for some reason he found it appropriately absurd considering he was being sent to another woman like a peace offering.
Despite the early start, the slow pace made the day drag and Karl alternated between sleeping in the cart and walking along with some of the guards who were reticent to engage in conversation. The one individual willing to talk was the original messenger whom Karl convinced to sleep in the cart after the sergeant of the guard nodded his assent.
By late morning, the man awoke, refreshed to see Karl contentedly strolling by the cart.
“Thank you,” he said, sitting up and stretching.
“No problem. You needed the rest. It’s not like we’re in any danger and I’ve already promised to be good.” Karl flashed a winning smile. “What’s your name?”
“Nervel,” he answered, pushing himself over the side of the wagon to walk beside Karl.
“Sorry she made you come along,” Karl said.
“Me too. This is baby-sitting and nothing more.”
“I’ve already given my word,” Karl pointed out. “You all could just let me go on by myself.”
Nervel frowned at him then laughed when he saw Karl’s innocent look. “It’s my head, remember?”
“Ah, I had forgotten about that.” He then looked around at the six guards who repositioned themselves every so often, yet always in a circle surrounding Karl.
“I didn’t,” Nervel soberly replied.
“I guess you wouldn’t. So tell me, you’re sure that my team got across the bridge?”
“Quite sure,” Nervel replied. “The last guard at the checkpoint not too far from the gate told me.”
“There’s a gate at the bridge?”
“Of course,” he frowned as though the response was obvious. “No one is allowed to cross unless they know the password.”
“There’s a password?” Karl startled.
“Naturally. And if you don’t know the password, the gods help you because the land giant guarding the bridge will rip you apart.”
“Land giant?” Karl cocked an apprehensive eyebrow.
“Yup. Biggest, nastiest pie
ce of work you’d ever want to see. Don’t recommend pissing him off.”
“Um… do you know the password?”
“Of course not,” Nervel sniffed then leaned in closer and whispered, “but I know what it is.”
Karl cocked an eyebrow at him. “You don’t know the password, but you know what it is. That doesn’t make any sense.”
“What I meant is that while I don’t know the password, I know what it is.”
“You’re still not making any sense.”
Letting out a sigh of frustration, Nervel leaned closer and whispered, “The password is the name of the island on the other side of the bridge.”
Karl blinked at the revelation. All this time, his gaming map only filled with the present island. As far as he knew, there had never been a name listed for the next island. He was about to call up his screen when he realized the others could see what he was doing. Deciding there was a reason the name was kept secret, he simply nodded and settled back to light conversation, though pleased his team had made it across, at the same time wondering how they figured out the password.”
Thinking of Raquel and Annabeth caused him to ponder how Conrad and the others were faring. Since their parting, he hadn’t seen them though he had heard they had moved on, back towards Durness. While part of him understood their desire to live a carefree life, he wished either Tina or Kendra had stayed. The team needed a medic.
That evening after they stopped to make camp in an abandoned house, Karl settled into a corner and pulled up his screen. Pressing the map icon, he saw that they were not far from Hillfurt. Scrolling the map to the corner, he looked to where the bridge ended at the partial edge of another island. The two word name for the island was initially crisp, but quickly disappeared before Karl had a chance to focus on it.
Closing down the screen, he surmised that the name would reappear once he got close to the bridge. If he was going to catch up with the team, he needed to escape… very soon.
They were half a day’s journey from Berismo when they stopped for the night at an abandoned cabin tucked at the edge of the forest at the end of a long unused path off the main road. Karl silently chuckled once inside, noting the cabin had the same look as all the other small houses in the game, down to the table and chairs in the center of the front room and the bed in the back room. Even the scratches in the window frames looked the same.
Nervel had quickly inspected the place and pronounced it suitable before commanding a fire built in the fireplace.
“Spiders?” Karl asked when two guards returned with armloads of branches.
“Not anymore,” Nervel said. “The last of the chimney spiders were run off a long time ago. Still, old habits run deep and one never knows if they might not return. Better safe than sorry.”
“No arguments from me.” Karl glanced around the front room then ambled to the back room where he checked the shutters to the windows.
“Thinking of going somewhere?” Nervel wondered aloud, stepping into the room.
“The last time I was in a place like this we were attacked by goblins,” Karl informed him. “Like you, I like to be prepared.”
“You won’t find any goblins in these parts,” Nervel told him, “nor orcs or trolls or anything else that goes bump in the night. Nothing much happens in these parts except for the occasional highwayman and they keep to the lesser traveled trails.”
The sergeant of the guards, a tall man with a scar across his collar bone, stepped in the room. “I think we have trouble.”
“What?” Nervel frowned.
“Egan went for a piss and hasn’t returned.”
“So send someone to look for him,” Nervel impatiently replied.
“I did that already,” the man huffed. “He’s gone too.”
“What?” Nervel stormed across the room, Karl and the sergeant of the guard following. Yanking open the front door, he saw the four remaining guards probing the forest areas close to the cabin. “Well?”
“Nothing,” a guard called back.
“They can’t just disappear,” Nervel groused.
“And they wouldn’t just take off,” the sergeant stated. “I know them. They’re good professional soldiers.”
When Nervel looked up he noticed there were three guards. “What the hell? Where’s Caulrun? He was there just a moment ago.” He pointed to a crop of trees twenty paces from the rear of the cabin.
As the remaining three hurried over to inspect, two stumbled and fell in succession, impaled by arrows through the throat. Not waiting to see if they were dead, the last guard bolted straight for the front door only to be hit from behind, an arrow protruding out his chest. Glassy eyed, he stumbled across the threshold as Nervel and Karl dragged him in while the sergeant slammed the door closed and bolted it.
“Hallo in the cabin,” a voice called out.
Karl quickened as he recognized it. “Hello Kevin. What brings you here?”
“You do.”
“And why is that?”
“You know why. That’s twice you’ve destroyed me. It’s my turn now.”
“What happened to you was your own fault,” Karl called back.
“Who is he?” Nervel hoarsely whispered.
“An old acquaintance who wants to kill me,” Karl calmly replied.
“Why?”
“Long story,” Karl shrugged, glancing down at the now dead guard whose blood was pooling beneath his body.
“You in the cabin,” Kevin called out. “I’ve no beef with you. Give me the Viking and you’re free to go.”
“Like the rest of my squad that you killed?” the sergeant shot back.
“An unfortunate consequence,” Kevin said. “I had to whittle down the odds. As a soldier, I’m sure you can understand that.”
“Be careful,” Karl quietly warned Nervel. “He’s an assassin and he’s good.”
“Dammit,” the sergeant muttered.
“I can’t,” Nervel called back. “I’m responsible for escorting him to the Queen Gwen.”
“I’m afraid that mission has changed,” Kevin answered.
“How so? Gwen is still queen, is she not?”
“Oh, she’s still queen,” Kevin said, “But your Viking friend will never get there. So do yourself a favor and turn him over to me so you can save your own lives.”
“Then you do not know either Gwen or Mavie,” Nervel retorted. “We do as you ask and we condemn ourselves. Why not let us deliver him to Gwen and then you can do as you wish?”
“Sorry,” Kevin said. “Can’t do that. And I know that you’re thinking. You’ll wait for the mist and escape. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’ve set traps all around the cabin. It would be a pity to fall into one of them.”
“He’s bluffing,” Karl softly cautioned, “otherwise we’d have seen them. Still, while we’re in here, he has the advantage and the time to set new traps.”
“What do we do?” the sergeant growled. “I’ll be damned if I stay in here like some quaking new recruit afraid of battle.”
“It’s not a question of being afraid,” Karl countered. “It’s a question of eliminating the problem. He has the advantage because he knows where we are, but we don’t know where he is.” He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Douse the fire.”
“Why?” the sergeant asked.
“The roof,” Karl answered. “It’s thatch. One of us gets on top of the roof and finds out where he is.” He focused on the sergeant. “You’ve got a crossbow and can get a good shot from up there. Once you know where he is, we can create a diversion down here for you to get off a shot.”
Liking the idea, he briskly nodded and went over to the dying fire, kicking and spreading the embers, crushing some under the heel of his boots.
“So?” Kevin said. “Will you give him to me?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Nervel answered. “Don’t see how this works to my advantage. Either way I’m a dead man. At least here and now I have a slight chance of succe
ss.”
“How you figure that?” Kevin demanded, his irritation mounting.
“Good, good,” Karl whispered. “He’s getting mad. Keep it up.”
“There’s three of us,” Nervel pointed out, “and only one of you. Now that we know there’s just you, we do have a certain advantage.”
By now the fire was out and the sergeant positioned the table in the back bedroom.
“Keep him talking,” Karl urged as he went to help the sergeant.
“You forget I’m an assassin,” Kevin retorted.
“Even assassins make mistakes,” Nervel said. “You still haven’t told us why you want him.”
“Ask him.”
“I did. He said it was a long story. So why don’t you tell me your side, or at least give me some justification for what you ask.”
There was a pause before Kevin replied, “He killed me not long ago.”
“Killed you?” Nervel snorted a laugh. “If he killed you, how is it that you are here now talking to us?”
“I… I am like him and some others. Though we can be killed, we do not die.”
“Now you are making no sense,” Nervel said, glancing back to see the sergeant worming his way up through the roof. Once through, Karl handed him the crossbow.
“It’s hard to explain,” Kevin said.
“Go ahead and try,” Nervel answered. “We’ve got all night.”
“Ask the Viking to explain it,” Kevin snapped. “Also ask him what he did to me.”
Karl came up to stand beside Nervel by the door. “That’s because you’re a coward,” he called out. “You were a coward before and have proven to be a coward once again by killing innocent men who were sent to escort me to Durness. Your beef was with me, yet you had no qualms about killing five innocent men though they had nothing to do with your perverted concept of revenge.”
“It couldn’t be helped,” Kevin replied, his tone apologetic.
“That’s your excuse?” Karl sniffed in disdain. “It couldn’t be helped? Why don’t you tell them why you were branded a coward, Kevin. We’d all like to hear that tale.”
