Absalom’s Trials

by J. D. L. Rosell

  “Fine. But how did you get here so fast?”

  Her gaze drifted back to the hut. “Ah… you won't really like this, but—”

  Another figure burst from the hut. She was right — I didn't like it one bit. “Not him,” I groaned.

  Sulfel, Farelle's father, glared at me as he strode over. He was finally wearing clothes, which made it a bit easier to look at him, but only barely. “You,” he growled, stopping a few steps behind his daughter.

  “Hello,” I said with unconvincing cheerfulness. I looked back to Farelle. “So you teleported here? Like after the barrow — er…”

  Sulfel’s eyes narrowed to slits, and I winced. Mentioning the time I almost got his daughter killed was probably not the way to get off on the right foot. At least he didn't know about the time she actually died.

  “Yeah,” she rushed to save me, glaring back at her father. “But anyway, I think we have things needing doing, don't we? We have a battle to win last that I heard.”

  “We?”

  Farelle rolled her eyes. “I didn't teleport across Kalthinia just to say hi. Yalua told us the task before you. If you’re trying to face down the Cerulean Empire, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

  A slow smile spread across my face. I wasn’t alone. “Yeah. I think you’re right.” My eyes flickered to Sulfel, but I didn’t dare ask.

  Farelle read my question in my expession, though. “Yes, he’s helping too.” She reached back and patted his cheek. “He’s a good father, isn’t he?”

  Sulfel scowled, but he let his daughter tease him. He could be gentle as well as scary when it came to her.

  “Well, if you’re offering… I think we could use a Wilder scouting out the enemy. I don’t trust the information that Brandeur Three-Horned provided, that’s for sure.”

  She gave a mock salute. “That’s what we’ll do then. Should be a lot faster when you don’t have to travel the whole way on foot.”

  I eyed the older Satyr once again. It was an excellent point. Hopefully I could ingratiate myself with the man and tease out his secret to teleportation before too long. It looked like I’d have to be in a dozen places at once to pass this trial, and teleporting would sure make that easier.

  “I must pray before we leave,” Sulfel said while looking at his daughter. “It may take a couple hours.”

  Farelle glanced at me. It was only then that I realized her father was talking to me. I blinked. Was he reporting to me?

  “Fair enough,” I stumbled to say. “Most important thing is to be careful out there and get back when you can.”

  “Will do.” Farelle looked ready to walk away, but at the last moment, she turned back and grabbed me to plant a rough kiss on my lips. I blinked, surprised, and couldn’t help but notice her father scowling behind her, but he didn’t say anything. That was an improvement already.

  Farelle didn’t let go after she pulled back, but looked me fiercely in the eye. “Don’t go following will-o’-wisps this time, okay?” she said in a low voice. “Not without me.”

  “Deal,” I said with a small smile. Part of me couldn’t believe I was sending her away so fast, but she was right: I needed all the allies I could get, and not just standing by my side.

  Speaking of which… I cleared my throat. “Before you go. You said Sheika’s here in the Everlands?”

  Farelle nodded. “I saw her in Maluwae most recently. But I think she was coming after you as well, so she might be here soon.”

  She’d be good to have on our side as well. Two self-aware individuals were better than one. Not to demean Farelle; I knew she was incredibly capable and I admired her for who she was. Just because she was programmed didn’t change that. After all, weren’t all people programmed by our surroundings and genetics? Remove the limitations on Farelle, and she was the same as any of us. Part of me had always realized that, but thinking of the whole picture reassured me all the more about how I felt toward her.

  I squeezed the Wilder’s hand and started to turn away, but she held on. “Marrow. You’re acting a bit… different than before. Definitely from when we first met.”

  I didn’t have to think about it much to realize she was right. “Yeah. I guess things have changed since then.”

  “Don’t let yourself change too much. I didn’t follow a worrywart into the sky and back.”

  “You didn’t technically follow me,” I pointed out. “We were kind of captured.”

  She grinned. “Still. You’ve always been the most upbeat person I’ve met. Just don’t lose that in all this, okay?”

  My smile widened to match hers. “Yeah. Okay.” She was right. The Everlands was supposed to be all about fun. Worrying about what might happen if I failed wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I loved a good challenge; why not enjoy it? How like her to say exactly what I needed to hear.

  “I’m going inside,” Sulfel said drily. “Follow when you’re done.” The druid stalked back inside the hut without a backward glance.

  The Wilder watched him go and took a swig of the flask at her hip. “Some people don’t change at least.”

  I watched her with a raised eyebrow. “You can say that again.”

  She grinned briefly, then quickly grew serious. “Hey. When all this is over, what do you say we see what we have still? Try and, I don’t know, rekindle things?”

  I took her hand and squeezed it. “Yeah. I’d like that.” All the more reason to succeed, and make sure that time came.

  Farelle looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read for a moment, then looked back to the hut. “Off we go then. Now go set us up to win a battle, would you?”

  I nodded, and we went our separate ways.

  13

  Desperate Times Call for Very Desperate Measures

  I did more strategizing in those next few days than I had in any game of Starcraft or Age of Empires. In those games, all you did was click a button, and a few seconds later a troop popped out of a barracks. Not so here. Here, you had to recruit the man; train him enough so he wouldn’t stab his fellows on accident; find him equipment; then set him up within the rank-and-file with all the necessaries to survive. Oh, and you had to have money for all of these things. It was made easier in a virtual reality like this, but I didn’t imagine by much. The Everlands was so realistic as to be infuriating at times.

  But I managed to get my head around the tasks before me and, instead of doing the impractical thing and trying to do all these things myself, I recruited from among the Ignobles and elevated people to the necessary roles. Some of them wouldn’t be any good, and they’d be inefficient because they were new at it. But considering reports said we had about a week before the enemy was here, I’d take my chances with a bit of lost efficiency.

  In three days, we gained 300 mercs. Not a bad statistic, but not nearly enough. I needed more warm bodies, and I needed a plan that wouldn’t get us all killed.

  My strategy skill had advanced to level 5 by the morning of the fourth day, but I was no closer to figuring out my master plan. To make matters more annoying, I’d been summoned by Duke Rodalt two days ago, and couldn’t put off the meeting any longer. No doubt he’d try and rein me in, which was the last thing I — or anyone in Stalburgh — needed right now. But he still commanded the majority of the troops I needed, so it was off to his castle I went, Malik and three of the other captains accompanying me. I wasn’t pleased with who opted to go, as one of them was the balding Human who had mocked me most, and another was the Drakon who had seemed displeased I hadn’t “proven” myself. The last was the only woman among the captains, an autumn elf who seemed to keep her counsels close. I wondered how someone as reserved as her had risen so high in bombastic Brandeur’s company.

  We rode horses to the castle, keeping up a good clip to reach it. I was hard pressed to just stay in the saddle; I’d never been on a horse beyond a slow walk. I breathed a sigh of relief once we reached the castle stables and the stablehand took them away from us.

&
nbsp; Then the Human, Cam, finally showed his true colors. “So your Satyr hussy thinks there’s eight-and-a-half thousand, not ten thousand, eh? Pah! We’ve had scouts circling them for the past two weeks! You think we didn’t get an accurate count?”

  I didn’t, actually. Before she’d left on her scouting mission, I’d lent Farelle my Broach of Farseeing, so I knew for a fact she’d have better vision on the enemy encampments than any Ignoble or Burghman, as residents of Stalburgh were called. Besides, if my Wilder said eighty-five hundred enemy soldiers, I’d take her at her word.

  That being said, it didn’t put me any more at ease. A hidden factor had occurred to me from my prior dealings with the Cerulean Empire, one that the other captains and the commanders of Duke Rodalt’s army wouldn’t think of. But I kept that piece of information up my sleeve until I knew what to do with it.

  To Cam, I barely responded, so he kept prodding. “And First Captain — hah! Taking on a new title so you can feel better than us, is that it? What in the thousand hells Brandeur was thinking when he promoted you, I have no idea. Must have been the three woman he was with muddling his mind, eh?”

  “Brandeur has proven himself,” the Drakon, Talfith, said sharply.

  “Yeah, but he hasn’t.” Cam jabbed a thumb at me. “You really want to take orders from a half-grown boy?”

  “He’s taken sensible action thus far,” the Devalyn woman, Arala, spoke up. I looked at her in surprise, and she nodded to me. It was nice to see I had someone’s approval at least.

  Cam looked put off his game. “You don’t think that?” he asked, disbelieving.

  She met his gaze steadily. “Done more than you, hasn’t he?”

  Cam flushed, and I smiled to myself. Maybe it was my increased perception, or maybe it was the fact that the Human captain didn’t take crap from anyone else. Either way, it looked like someone was disappointed his feelings weren’t reciprocated.

  Conversation ceased as we reached the double doors to the duke’s great hall. Malik, who had sulkily accompanied us the whole time, spoke a word with the guards, who then hauled open a door for us. The four of us slipped in.

  “Ah! Captain Marrow-Marrow and company!” Duke Rodalt greeted us with an expansive grin. He looked much the same, which was to say very rich, incredibly dull, and well-fed. From our dealings last time, I knew him to be a shrewd man. I’d have to be careful what I said around him.

  “Hello, Duke.” I stopped a number of feet away from the duke’s great chair, but Cam moved a few paces past as if to assert his position. I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes. Now that I had rank, I had to compose myself a little better than before.

  “Well, well! You’ve certainly risen in the world!” He beamed down at me. “Good thing I snatched you up as a vassal while I had the chance.”

  “A very good thing.” I didn’t bother to keep the sarcasm from my words.

  The duke pretended not to notice. “Now I hear you’re doing an excellent job of organizing the defense of the city. And your recruitment tactics are marvelous! Incentivizing by selling off future loot — a great way to pay a whole lot of men nothing!”

  I shrugged. “It should benefit both us and them. I intend them to have it in plenty.”

  “Perhaps they will. If we win.”

  “If we win,” I conceded.

  “Which brings us to the thing I wanted to talk to you about.” Rodalt folded his saucer hands on his belly. “I regret to inform you that the men of Stalburgh won’t be joining you on the battlefield. You and your Ignobles must defend the border with your own valiant courage.”

  I stared at him, uncomprehending for a moment. “Wait. You're not fighting? What are you doing then? Your city will be sacked if you don't defend it!”

  Cam was chuckling for some reason while Talfith gave the duke the severe look he'd so often turned on me.

  It was Arala who guessed the truth. “He’s staying behind his walls,” she said softly.

  Duke Rodalt beamed down at her. “Precisely, my dear! I mean to protect Stalburgh by staying within her sturdy walls.”

  “It will be your death,” I assured him. “You think there will be a siege, but you're wrong.”

  “Oh? And please, Marrow-Marrow, enlighten me as to how you, a green captain, would be able to ascertain this theory?”

  I grit my teeth. Time to let the cat out of the bag. “Because the Naiads won't come alone. They're bringing allies who won't be impeded by walls, no matter how high.” I paused, then blurted, “The Valyn will attack with them!”

  A stir started all across the great hall, from the watching nobles to my company to the duke himself. Rodalt's expression didn't shift for a moment, but he considered me very carefully.

  Cam was the first to openly laugh. “The sky elves? Boy, you just get better and better!”

  “My scout say their sun-fliers bring messenges to and from the sky,” I said loudly over him. “And before, when I was captured, I saw how closely they work together.”

  “Am I the only one hearing this?” Cam looked around. “Tell me I'm not the only one hearing this!”

  “Quiet now, man,” Rodalt said firmly. “I wondered when you would deduce this. Yes, Marrow, the Valyn will attack. All the more reason for Burghmen to defend their own when their king has abandoned them.”

  This last he said bitterly. I saw now how he viewed this situation. Rodalt had been offered up as the sacrificial lamb to King Fredrick's ambition.

  But at the moment, I couldn’t care less. “What am I supposed to do then?” I demanded. “Get all of the Ignobles slaughtered for nothing?”

  The duke shrugged. “If that is what it takes to defend Stalburgh. Is that not what you're paid for?”

  I suddenly suspected there wouldn't be any merc army left if this got out. And with Cam present, there was no chance of that happening. I couldn't lose the only soldiers I had left. But how could I stop it?

  What I had to do suddenly crystallized with horrible clarity in my mind. I couldn't stay here any longer now that I knew. I turned on my heel and left without another word, the Duke’s sad smile following me out.

  “Well, that went well,” Cam said cheerily as we stepped out of the great double doors. “At least we’ll be able to move on to greener pastures now! That Rodalt was a miser with his money.”

  I found my voice, wrapping my mind around my task. “How about we get a drink?”

  “Sure, sure! I know just the place.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “That's the resigned spirit I wanted to see! Has he proven himself now, Talfith?”

  The Drakon just stared stonily at us both.

  We went toward Cam’s tavern. Just before we entered, I grabbed the man’s arm. “Hey. Can I have a word with you?” I nodded toward the back alley.

  “Sure, sure,” he said easily. He waved to the others. “We’ll see you in a bit.”

  They edged toward the door, and I waved them in. “Back here,” I said to Cam. My voice felt very dry as we went further back into the alley.

  “That’s far enough for a private word,” he said, halting. “Now what did you—?”

  My mithril knife was in his gut in a flash. With the surprise attack crit, it took down over half his health. But as the big man grabbed my arm in a painful grip, his eyes filled with rage. He wasn't finished yet. “You bastard!” he spat in my face, then threw me into the wall.

  My status flashed to Stunned for a moment, during which the merc captain drew a short sword and a dagger from his belt and charged. I ducked the sword swing, but his dagger caught me in the shoulder. It tore through my recently mended cloak, but fortunately, my new armor was strong enough to deflect it from any actual damage.

  As I ducked past him, I swung my sword back, using Hamstring to make him fall to his knees with a cry.

  “You bastard!” he yelled, trying to get himself into a defensible position.

  “Sorry, Cam.” Sheathing my sword, I held out a hand toward him and channeled Icy Plume. Frost covered the
big man, and his desperate gestures slowed. I quickly came closer and with my dagger in hand, I dealt him a final blow in the neck. The big mercenary fell to the ground.

  -10 Alignment: Moral

  I was facing the entrance to the alley, so I saw a shadow flit away as Cam’s corpse fell to the ground. Malik, I instantly knew. The man wouldn't let a conversation go unheard, and had probably witnessed the murder. Considering his vendetta against me, I didn't see how I could let him go free too. I ran after him, leaving Cam where he was.

  I didn't have far to run. Talfith and Arala had Malik held between them, the Devalyn holding a knife to his throat. “Let's quit blathering, shall we?” she said softly as the three scooted into the alley. Their eyes flickered toward Cam’s body, but neither seemed surprised.

  “Wait, wait!” the rogue cried. “I won't tell anyone, I swear! I—”

  The Drakon grabbed his throat. “Quiet,” he hissed.

  Arala met my eyes. “You killed him.”

  I nodded. My numb mind couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  Talfith suddenly wore something strangely akin to a smile. “You have proven yourself.”

  “Uh…”

  “Cam was a terrible captain,” Arala agreed. “But no one had the courage to take him out. That you did speaks well of you.”

  I looked from one to the other, disbelieving. Only in a mercenary company would murder be praised.

  I nodded at Malik. “What do you two want to do with him?”

  The autumn elf stared at me. “That's your decision, First Captain.”

  I don't know what it says about me that I only hesitated for a moment. I stepped forward and, pushing aside Arala's knife, whipped my already bloodied blade across his neck. With such a vulnerable position and at such a low level, the rogue’s health plummeted to nothing.

  -10 Alignment: Moral

  I stared dully down at the man's body. He hadn't exactly been a friend, but he'd been one of the first NPCs I'd encountered in the Everlands. And I'd murdered him. If my hands hadn't been bloody, I would have put my face in them. What was I doing? I barely knew any more. It had seemed strategic, but now…