He thought about the brush panthers that had stalked them as they returned from the Broadnose village. Apparently it was unusual to see three together, and now he thought he knew why it had happened. One of them had been Bel. It didn't matter much, but it eased his conscience a little to know that she had spied on them. It explained, too, how she had moved so fast to scout out Deluca's tower. She had probably been doing it in cat form.
"Let's return to town and get a short sleep," Nigel said, "then leave to find Deluca before dawn. He needs to be stopped, and he needs to be stopped now, and I think if we wait until morning he may get notice we're on our way. Bel, how well do you do without a good night's sleep?"
"I can skip one night, if need be," said Bel. "As long as I get a few quick naps the next day."
"Cat naps?" he said. "Okay, fine. Bel, I have a special job for you."
He took her to the side to explain it.
"But how--" she said. "Oh. You're like me. You can sense it."
"We'll go with that," he replied. "You won't show up there naked are you?"
She gave him a funny look. "Anything that comes from plants or animals stays with me."
"Ah. That makes sense." And explained why she used bone for arrowheads. And her dagger, which was metal -- she had been carrying it in her mouth when she was stalking them in the brush. It had caught the sun now and then, but they'd never seen it clearly.
"What are you? Why are you able to sense me, and I can't sense you?" Bel asked.
"It's a skill, like anything else." Nigel shrugged. "Let's rejoin the others. Your secret is safe with me. It would be safe with them, too, I expect, but that's your call unless it becomes a matter of life and death."
"Thank you," said Bel. It looked as if she had another question, but Nigel walked back toward Khoraja and Emma, and the question went unasked.
When they got back to town, Windstar was standing in the town square, to Nigel's surprise. "Excuse me," he said. "I need to talk to her alone."
"How many women do you need, anyway?" Bel asked.
"As many as he wants," Emma said.
"It's not like that." Nigel was relieved to avoid visiting the castle, which would have been a perfect place for Deluca to ambush him. He waited for the women to enter the inn and then sauntered over to Windstar.
"What brings you here?" Nigel asked.
"I thought this would be more convenient."
"I killed the wyrmkin," he said.
"Just barely," said Windstar.
Nigel shrugged. "I don't like to do more killing than I have to."
"I've noticed that," said Windstar. She unbuckled her sword and handed it to him. He took it in his hand. The blade was longer, but light enough he could still wield it one-handed with ease. Maybe that was part of its magic. He tested the blade with his finger and pulled it away quickly. It was as sharp as a razor blade, and he had a thin line of stinging red on his finger to prove it. The hilt, wrapped in soft black leather, fit his hand perfectly. The pommel was silver, and a single large blue jewel that shimmered when it caught the light was inset in the butt. The guard of the sword curved slightly toward his hand, and while it looked a little flimsy, it didn't bend when he tried.
"That is a nice sword."
"Thank you," said Windstar. "Don't try to sell the jewel at the end -- the magic of the sword will go with it."
Nigel chuckled. He hadn't been planning on it. "Have you had ascendants do that before?"
"Maybe," said Windstar.
"Thank you," he said. He wanted to as much sleep as possible, so he turned toward the inn.
"Don't you want to know about your next quest?" asked Windstar.
Nigel sighed. He didn't, really. But the quest might involve something he'd be doing anyway. Kill five demons. Slay Deluca. Whatever. "Sure. Go ahead."
Windstar looked at him. "Your next quest is..."
Apparently, the next quest came with a dramatic pause.
"Stay alive for two weeks," Windstar said.
"Just that?" asked Nigel.
"It might be rather difficult."
Fuck. "Got it. I'll be on my way then. I'll work on that."
"Good luck," said Windstar.
"Thanks," Nigel said, but he didn't know if she heard, because he was already heading into the inn.
Well, there's a quest that'll help me sleep at night. Not.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Khoraja and Emma were naked in bed when he got home, and they made it clear when he got in that they were happy to fuck the night away. Nigel was tempted. There was no guarantee they'd survive a fight with Deluca. But their odds of survival improved if they were as alert as possible, while still getting there in time to have an element of surprise. He wished he was one of those men who conked out immediately after an orgasm. It might not make them great lovers, but Emma could get him to sleep in minutes. He promised them sex would be his principal ambition once they took care of Deluca and told them to sleep. With one girl on each side, he tried to still his mind. Windstar's quest struck him as ominous. But he'd rather die trying to accomplish something than hide. He focused on his breathing, forcing himself to relax, and eventually fell asleep.
Bel knocked on his door a few hours before dawn to wake them up.
They all got dressed. He tried not to get distracted by the sight of Emma's beautiful naked curves, or Khoraja's supple body, but he couldn't help but take a few moments to appreciate.
"Want some morning attention?" Emma asked. "I bet I can get you to come in just a few minutes if I put my mind and my mouth to it."
Nigel's cock twitched at the thought, but he shook his head. "When we come back."
Despite Nigel's determination, by the time they got downstairs, Bel had her head on a table and was asleep.
"I see you kept one of us up all night," Emma said. "Not going to tell us what your big plan is?"
"She's entitled to her secrets."
"So how did you get her secrets?" asked Khoraja. "You -- you didn't?"
"Didn't what?" Nigel asked.
"Sleep with her," Khoraja said.
"No, I didn't," Nigel said. He put his hand on Bel's shoulder. "Time to go."
Bel snapped awake instantly. "Okay," she said, grabbing her quiver and putting it over her shoulder.
They traveled in darkness. Nigel couldn't see well, but Khoraja led the way with her excellent night vision. When they arrived in the Burning Wastes the sun was peeking over the horizon. At dawn, the wastes were cooler than in the middle of the day.
"We'll head cross-country," Nigel said.
"It won't save us any time," Khoraja pointed out. "And we might run into something nasty."
"It will keep us from detection," Nigel said. "Deluca might have someone stationed at the trading post to let him know when people are coming. We could handle a ten foot tall snake demon. I think it's worth a risk."
Nigel's optimism was well-founded. They occasionally saw a shape to the side, but most things gave them a wide berth. Occasionally large birds would circle overhead, but from the frayed look to the edge of their wings it looked like they were, like buzzards on Earth, built more for circling than for diving, which meant they were probably scavengers. Whether they were expecting the humans to die or to cause death was uncertain, but they definitely took an interest.
Two large scorpion-like creatures, each of which was nearly the size of a person, attacked them in the desert. Emma and Khoraja used them for casting practice, and they dispatched them easily. Bel led them through the brush to the place closest to the tower. On the far ridge, they could just barely make out a lone humanoid figure.
"Khoraja," Nigel said. "Move off to the right a few hundred feet, and shoot a fireball, straight up in the air. Then hurry back."
"Won't that attract attention?" Khoraja asked. "I suppose that's the idea."
"Yeah, people from the tower might see it," Nigel agreed. "So we'll have to be ready if they investigate. But they won't know what it is, or why, and the
y might not notice. If they do, hopefully they investigate where you fired it off, rather than here."
Khoraja nodded. "You want to be mysterious. Fine."
A minute later the flame bloomed in the sky. The humanoid on top of the ridge lifted his axe. Behind him, nearly forty orcs rose as one, and charged the tower. Nigel watched as the orcish wave crossed the plain and then came to a sudden halt a hundred and fifty feet away. Some of them lifted bows and fired. The two demons that guarded the front of the tower charged forward, apparently unwilling to stand and be shot at.
"That's our cue," said Nigel, as Khoraja rejoined them. "Now we run for the door."
The wide opening in front didn't have a door, but it apparently had a gate. Made of one inch thick iron bars in a pattern of one foot wide squares, it was descending with the sound of a creaky chain. Nigel ran as fast as he could, cursing the heaviness of his armor even as he knew he might be grateful for it later. He got there when the gate was four feet from the ground, dropped his sword, and grabbed the bottom bar. It was like lifting a thousand pound barbell. His muscles strained. Adrenalin kept him going, but he could feel the pull on his muscles. He'd been in good shape on Earth. Fortunately, Nightwolf the Warrior was even stronger.
Unfortunately, four soldiers were charging him. The tower was presumably on full alert now. Hopefully, the inhabitants would be firing arrows at orcs. But they weren't catching anyone else by surprise.
Bel rolled under the gate, got to her feet, and fired at a soldier in one easy motion. That distracted the guards from Nigel, but left Bel defenseless. A moment later, Khoraja dove under the bars. Swords struck Bel, and she cried out in pain. Emma healed her and then ducked inside. At last Nigel could let go. He grabbed his sword and rolled into the keep just before the gate caught him. Behind him, the metal crashed into the ground with a bang.
Nigel got to his feet and charged the soldiers. More were hustling down an iron spiral staircase in the middle of the room, but Khoraja enveloped them in flame. Bel dodged away as Nigel took up position. He hacked one down with his sword, blocked a second, and got hit by a third in the side. It was a deep wound, one that would be fatal in time. Nigel didn't worry about it. Facing just two, with Emma ready to heal him -- that was easy. The pain in his side quickly went away in a flash of white. He kicked one opponent and stabbed another. Bel put a bone-tipped arrow in a guard's head. He swung his sword and all four were down. Three reinforcements were smoldering on the steps. The room smelled like charred flesh.
"Go go go!" yelled Nigel. It might not be a sophisticated plan but the faster they moved the less organized the opposition would be. A heal from Bel cured his remaining pain and helped his sore arm muscles. Emma healed Bel at the same time. Khoraja was right behind him as he ran up the stairs. The stairway went to the top of the tower, and there was one floor in between. Each floor was twenty-five feet high.
A dark-haired man dressed in black leather looked down from above, holding a bow in his hand. A gold teardrop dangled from a chain around his neck. "Really," Deluca said. "You are all going to die." He fired an arrow. The spiraling staircase provided a little cover, and the arrow missed with a clang as its steel tip hit the iron staircase.
Nigel glanced around at the middle floor. There were more soldiers, but they were focused outward, firing through arrow slits at the orcs. There was a mage in red robes, too, fire streaming from his hand out a window. Pausing would mean letting Deluca take more potshots. He kept climbing.
A familiar feeling of lust rolled over him, but he shook it off. Just a little extra info about what we'll be facing. He took an arrow in the shoulder. He ripped it out with his shield hand. Emma healed him a moment later. Deluca backed away as a fireball bloomed upstairs. The fire sucked against demons, but humans were burnable.
Nigel made it to the top of the stairs.
Deluca was behind the giant snake demon. The demon's body was still lined with wounds, a scar on her belly and burn marks on her chest. Even her gravity-defying huge breasts didn't look good with that much damage. Either Deluca didn't have a healer, or healing didn't work on demons. Three imps fired their fireballs at him. They didn't catch multiple people like Khoraja's did, and his amulet protected him. He charged forward, ignoring the pain, counting on another heal. He got it -- from Emma again, which was good because he doubted one of Bel's would be enough. He knew the others could take care of imps. He needed to clear a path to Deluca, who was speaking a language Nigel couldn't understand. Casting, probably.
The demon swung one of her flaming swords. He'd noticed from the fight before that she never swung them at the same time. Perhaps she lacked the coordination. He blocked it with his shield, and swung his sword at the demon's abdomen, cutting deep. The magic sword made a difference, slicing through the armored scales like they were butter. He swung his shield around to block the other flaming sword, which came in right in rhythm. Predictability in combat was fatal, even if one had an advantage in mass and reach.
Steaming black goo oozed from the demon's wound. A freezing bolt slammed her in the face, throwing off her rhythm and giving Nigel a chance to attack again. Rather than swinging, he thrust his sword upward, just under the ribs. He drew the sword back out, and the demon fell to the ground.
Deluca, however, had not been idle. His hands waved as he spoke in a strange, guttural tongue. The teardrop around his neck glowed, and a booming noise filled the room as three large demons appeared, one next to each of the girls. They looked like oversized blue grizzly bears, but with metal horns and spikes down their back.
Nigel knew he couldn't tank them all, and Deluca was right in front of him. He charged. Deluca dropped his bow and pulled out two curved swords. He parried Nigel's swing and stabbed him in the shoulder before he could block. Deluca didn't have the same coordination problems his demon did.
Nigel kicked him and sent him careening backward. Deluca got his guard back up and circled. Nigel circled with him, keeping Deluca in front of him. The two men locked gazes. He'd caught Deluca by surprise with the kick, but he probably wouldn't if he tried it again.
He could see the others now, and the fight wasn't going well. Khoraja blasted the demon facing her with a bolt of freezing water. It damaged the creature some, but it didn't stop it from picking her up and holding her tight, pinning her arms. Emma also got one spell off before being grappled effectively.
Bel danced and dodged, firing arrows into the one facing her. For a few moments Nigel thought she might hold out, but after four arrows she, too, was captured in the arms of a large bear-like demon.
Deluca laughed. "Now it's just the two of us," he said. "How fitting. You against me. But you're on a time limit, because my demons are slowly choking the life out of your women."
Nigel focused on the man in front of him. A fight between him and Deluca one on one was probably as good an outcome as he could get, now that the demons were on the girls. Maybe they'd disappear if their master did. He could hope. He couldn't change his focus and let Deluca take potshots at everyone, or do more summoning.
He swung, Deluca dodged back. Deluca was faster; Nigel hoped he had the advantage in strength and resilience. Deluca slowly circled around, trying to spot openings, playing it safe. Time was on Deluca's side, as he'd said. Nigel wanted to charge, but he knew the other man's knives would be deadly if he did, and Deluca would be ready for his kicks now. He needed a new trick.
He knew what he had to do to save the girls. He circled with Deluca, seemingly playing into the other man's hand. The situation with the demons hadn't improved. Each one still had a girl in its grasp, hugging them tightly so they could neither fire arrows nor cast spells, and compressing the air from their lungs.
"We are both pawns, you and I," said Deluca. "But at least we get to move others around as if we are players in the game. You have your girls, I have demons and others I can bend to my will. It provides some satisfaction, doesn't it? And hey, quests are kind of fun."
"Fuck you," said Nigel. All h
e cared about was saving his women.
"Don't be like that. We could join forces, you and I. Build a kingdom here."
Keep talking. Nigel waited until Deluca's back was to the open stair, feinted as if he was going to reverse the direction of circling, and then charged.
Deluca fell for the feint, but was ready for the charge. He dodged to the side. Nigel spread his arms, leaving himself open, and Deluca took advantage as Nigel knew he would. He stabbed Nigel in the belly where the plates of the hauberk didn't quite reach. Nigel didn't care. He'd been banking on the idea that Deluca couldn't resist an opening, and he had given the man one intentionally. His sword hand was wide to his right, clothes lining Deluca, who had probably expected Nigel to pull up short rather than keep charging full tilt. The only way Deluca could avoid the sword itself was to dodge back inward, toward Nigel, as he collided with him. Nigel's momentum carried them both over the edge.
They fell.
"I never liked being a pawn," Deluca said. As they fell he stabbed Nigel again, right under the rib cage. It probably punctured a lung, which would be fatal. The fall would be, anyway. Nigel brought his sword in between him and Deluca. They hit the ground, fifty feet below. The sword slammed into Deluca, severing his neck.
Everything went black for Nigel.
Back again, said a familiar voice.
Yeah. I guess I have to re-roll, huh? Are the girls alive?
You don't get to know that. What class would you like to be?
Is Deluca dead?
You don't get to know that, either.
He wondered if Deluca was re-rolling too, popping up somewhere else. Maybe he'd been around long enough he wouldn't be coming back. Hopefully, the girls were safe, and the demons went away when Deluca died. He'd done his best for them. He had to be content with that.
Ascendant of Aldrya Page 21
