“You’re being mean, little brother,” she mutters.
“That’s the second time you’ve called me that. Why?” Luke asks.
Nyx repeatedly smacks him on the temple until her palm turns red. “You’re eighteen and I’m almost twenty. That makes you the little brother and me the big sister. I always wanted a little brother to play with. I’ll call you that for as long as we travel together. The two of us make a good team, so we should wander around Windemere for a while. Get some experience under our belts and see the world. We also have to defeat this great darkness that Cyril told me was coming.”
Luke stops a few feet from the party and looks at Nyx. “Great darkness?”
“Yuppers,” she happily replies. “Cyril said that my leaving Gaia was a sign that a great darkness would be threatening the world. I’m going to face it. I think. He was rather vague about what it had to do with me. You want to help me?”
Luke smiles at the drunken caster who is staring at him with half-closed eyes. “Sure. We can fight the great evil after we bring Kellia home. Now, you have to get some sleep before you find any more trouble.”
“Not great evil. Great darkness,” Nyx corrects him.
“I’m sorry. I will help you defeat the great darkness,” Luke says, his smile growing wider.
“Thanks, Luke. I knew you would be the one to help me if I asked. Kellia was right about you. You’re very kind and nice even though you can be a stupid jackass at times,” Nyx says, a crooked grin growing on her face. She yawns and playfully tussles Luke’s hair. “It’s like having my very own little brother. Someday you have to introduce me to my little sister-in-law that I keep hearing about.”
Luke quietly sneaks her below decks to her room and lays her on the bed without saying another word. He checks the waterskins that he finds around the room until he comes across one that has water instead of wine. Nyx takes it with minimal whining and drinks like a baby with its bottle until she falls asleep. Luke leans back in a creaky chair and keeps an eye on her for the rest of the night. He can hear the party end as the sun begins to leak through the partially covered porthole.
“I’m going to remember this night for a very long time,” Luke yawns, falling asleep in the chair.
9
After the incident with the demons, the rest of the trip to Hero’s Gate is filled with tension and fear. So, it is an amazing change of atmosphere when the entire population of the River Scout cheers at the sight of the white walls of the city appearing from behind the trees. It is not long before the entire crew gathers on the deck and stares at the calm city. The dark blue rooftops sparkle a warm greeting to the weary crew. Several of the crewmen point at the towering blue stone grotto in the north where a pounding waterfall plunges under the city. Aedyn attempts to explain that they are pointing at the Flooding Falls, which are rumored to have created all of the rivers on Ralian. Nobody listens to him as the crew start begging their captain for some time to relax. It takes some time, but Captain Higgs eventually promises that they can take a few hours of shore leave before they pack up their fresh supplies.
“This city is nice,” Nimby whispers.
“After Rodillen and that battle on the boat any place would be nice,” Aedyn says, leaning back in his chair. The quiet of the tavern is soothing to the priest as he gazes around the table at his friends. “I will always prefer a city run by the stuffy Paladin Order over of one run by a corrosive thieves guild. You can see the difference immediately. Hero’s Gate is so much brighter and happier than Rodillen. Actually, the Zaria Gardens are here. I hope I can find some time to see them before we leave.”
“This reminds me of Gaia,” Nyx mentions, stretching her legs under the table.
“I guess they are similar. The big difference is that Hero’s Gate is primarily a farming village,” Aedyn states, turning a serious glare on Nimby. “You will have to be careful. Produce stealing is a very big crime behind these walls. Behave yourself, halfling.”
“What about warning Fizzle?” Nimby asks.
“No catch Fizzle. Fizzle wind. Nimby slow,” the sleepy drite says from Luke’s shoulder. Nimby sticks his tongue out at Fizzle, which the drite happily imitates. His tongue shoots across the table and waggles in Nimby’s face.
“That is gross,” Kellia mutters under her breath.
“Sorry,” Fizzle whimpers.
Fritz returns to the table with a large tray of fresh fruits and vegetables, which he is barely able to balance over his head. He places it in the middle of the table and takes the empty seat next to Aedyn. Luke swiftly grabs Fizzle by the muzzle to make sure everyone gets some of the platter. The forest tracker grabs a green apple that he hands to the whimpering drite. Luke takes a handful of grapes and blueberries for himself.
Luke pats the tiny creature on the head. “Sorry about that, Fizzle. I just know your appetite around apples.”
“Green? They come green?” Fizzle squeals in delight. He cherishes every bite of the apple and spins into the air while sending apple seeds flying. Several people in the tavern turn to look at the celebrating creature.
“So, much for being like the wind,” Aedyn says, wiping bits of apple off his neck. “It seems we have a world of apples to show our little friend. It is the least we could do in return for him helping us.”
“What? He hasn’t done anything,” Kellia argues, pointing at the tiny dragon. “I barely see him at all. He’s more useless than the halfling.”
Nimby is about to jump to his feet in anger when Luke places a calming hand on his shoulder. Fizzle looks like a wounded puppy while munching on his apple and dropping pieces onto Luke’s shoulder. The forest tracker avoids eye contact with Kellia as he wipes the pieces to the floor. He gently scratches the drite on the top of his head.
“I believe you owe him an apology, Kellia. Fizzle has been keeping an eye on you this whole time. The reason you don’t see him is because he remains invisible and stays quiet. This drite is the last thing standing between you and death if the rest of us fall,” Nyx explains, her temper flaring brighter with every word. ”Now, I won’t tell you to apologize to Nimby since he’s used to the abuse, but he is another person that has proven to be invaluable on this journey. If it wasn’t for Nimby, we would have been killed in Rodillen.”
She leans in close to the heiress to delicately whisper, “I don’t care who you are, Kellia. Stop insulting your escort. The hell is your problem anyway?”
“I’m being hunted by chaos elves, a Lich, and demons,” Kellia defiantly retorts. “My problem is that all of you are taking this with far too much ease. I’m sorry, Fizzle, but I feel that I have a right to get angry.”
“This conversation is getting old,” Fritz declares, looking at the ceiling and rubbing his eyes. “Kellia, I have reason to believe that you’re no longer the sole target of the Lich and Trinity. To be honest, I think you have taken a significantly lower priority in their hunt. Trinity taking the time to examine Luke and Nyx when she could have simply killed them and escaped had me thinking about this. I believe Luke and Nyx have become more important targets than you. It might be because after you’re safely brought home, Luke and Nyx will still be a threat to them. If it makes you feel better, they have to be planning something for you since you’re supposed to be their main target.”
“None of that makes me feel better,” Kellia says with a slightly nicer tone. “What you describe doesn’t mean that they no longer care about me. It means that they are planning to kill two of my best protectors, which will make it easier to get to me.”
“My intention was to show you that all of us are in the same boat,” Fritz claims, losing his patience with Kellia.
“Fine, we’re all screwed. So, what are we going to do about it!” exclaims the frantic heiress.
“We try to find out where the trap in this city is before it’s sprung. Trinity said that a trap was prepared in every city along our route. Unlike Rodillen’s thieves guild, there is nothing obvious for her to use against us in Hero’s Gate
,” Luke says while finishing a yellow and red pear. “I think I may have found out what our enemies are planning to hit us with. I heard some rumors when we came ashore. People were talking about bandits gathering two hours to the west. It started yesterday, so people believe an attack is coming. I think this might be part of the trap.”
Nyx shakes her head and smiles. “That’s too obvious.”
“That’s why I was thinking that Nimby could look into the bandits while the rest of us watch Kellia,” Luke suggests.
“I can’t. I have a date with Myilia today,” Nimby whines.
“You set it up for today?” Luke asks.
“Vorgabog doesn’t have anything that would work for a date and we’ll be too busy in Freedom for me to spend time with Myilia. I only ask for this one date,” begs the halfling, dropping to his knees.
“Don’t grovel. You’re making a scene,” Luke hisses while looking around at the curious patrons. “Fine, Nimby. You can go on your date with Myilia. Just keep an eye out for trouble. If you see something that looks like it will be a threat then get back to Kellia and lead her back to the ship where it will be safe.”
Nimby rolls up to his feet and straightens his shirt. “Thanks, buddy. I promise to keep an eye out.”
Kellia is about to say something to Nimby when Nyx suddenly screams. She is on her feet and rubbing her butt in surprise. Glaring around the tavern, the half-elf’s eyes lock onto Fritz. The gnome is chewing on some raspberries and looks up at Nyx with a confused look on his face. She storms around the table and lifts Fritz into the air by his greasy hair. He slips out of her grip, so she picks him up again by his shirt collar.
“You tweaked my ass,” Nyx growls.
“I couldn’t,” he coughs, frantically kicking his legs.
“Nobody was behind me and you’re an illusionist,” Nyx states while roughly shaking the gnome. “That grip had the ‘invisible hand’ spell written all over it.”
“You might want to fess up, Fritz. She is angrier than usual,” Aedyn points out.
“I swear that I didn’t do it,” the gnome says desperately.
“Then, who did it?” she asks.
“A dragon did it.”
“A dragon?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of idiot do you take me for?”
“I’m serious.”
“Other than Fizzle, I don’t see a dragon around here.”
“He’s over there,” Fritz gasps as Nyx tightens her grip. He points at the bar where an elderly gnome is sipping some tea. Nyx looks at the gnome minding his own business and gives Fritz a sideways glance.
“Don’t blame innocent bystanders, Fritz,” she snaps.
“It’s him. I swear,” Fritz cries, slapping at her hands.
“Hey, mister! The gnome in robes! My friend here claims you tweaked my ass with a spell!” Nyx shouts. All of her friends try to cover their faces in embarrassment when everyone looks over at them.
The gnome turns around with a kind look on his face. “I didn’t tweak you, my dear.”
“You’re a lying bastard, Fritz,” Nyx says, her voice still uncomfortably loud. “Calling this poor guy a dragon and blaming him. I should turn you into something for that.”
“He called me a what?” the gnome asks with a touch of concern in his voice.
“A dragon,” grunts Fritz, whose face is bright red from struggling.
“I see. Well . . .” starts the old gnome.
Without warning, he spins off the barstool and bolts for the door. Everyone can see him change into a green-scaled Darkvawn Dragon with leaf-like wings once he gets out the door and is standing in the wide street. Dirt and dust kicks up as he soars a mile above the azure rooftops. A light rain drizzles from his wings and bathes the paved streets of Hero’s Gate. The citizens who are caught in the rain look up and give friendly waves to the large beast. Nyx and Fritz dive for the window to watch the dragon land on top of the caster’s tower attached to the wall. Slowly the dragon vanishes as if he is sucked into the tower.
“Was that your idea of a joke?” Nyx mutters in shock.
“I’m not that good,” Fritz croaks.
“How did you know he was a dragon?” she asks.
Fritz refuses to look away from the distant tower. “I didn’t. He was the only other gnome in the bar and I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Can I pass out now?”
“Sure. Sounds like fun,” Nyx mentions. Both casters faint from the shock of seeing a real dragon hanging out in a tavern. Only Nyx is able to hang onto the window while Fritz’s face drags down the wall.
“I do not believe this. They went into shock,” Aedyn says with a chuckle.
Kellia looks over at the priest and shrugs nonchalantly. “Well, a dragon is an awe-inspiring creature.”
“Change of plans,” Luke announces, showing no interest in the dragon or his passed out friends. “Nimby goes on his date with Myilia. Fritz will apologize to the dragon and see if he can get us some help. Fizzle will go with Fritz in case he needs a dragon to help him apologize. That should keep all of the usual troublemakers busy for most of the day.”
“What about me and Nyx?” inquires the priest.
“How many gold coins, milady?” Fritz sputters as he jumps to his feet.
“It’s far too early for this, Fritz!” Kellia angrily yells. “You’re going to apologize to that dragon and Fizzle is going with you.”
“Yes, ma’am. Come on, little guy. I’ll buy you some yellow apples,” Fritz promises.
“They come yellow too?” Fizzle whimpers in delight.
The drite wastes no time getting to Fritz’s shoulder and nuzzling him. Fritz notices that Nyx is still out cold and flips a gold coin. Nimby catches it first and puts it in his pocket with a smug grin. The gnome simply shrugs and reaches down to pinch Nyx on the rear again. She wakes up with a jolt and turns to see Fritz walking out the door.
Nyx suddenly leaps to her feet and a small fireball appears in her palm. “I’ll get you, Fritz Warrenberg! I know where you sleep at night!”
“Calm down, Nyx. We have more important things to take care of than Fritz making it hard for you to sit down. Aedyn will be taking Kellia to the Zaria Gardens. The reason is simple and I bet Aedyn will be proud of me for this,” Luke says with a grin. He can see Aedyn raise an eyebrow in curiosity. “Zaria Gardens is considered holy ground, so Aedyn will be able to tap into more power for his spells if something attacks them. He will also be in sunlight and surrounded by things that live off sunlight. I pity any creature that attacks him there. Correct me if I’m wrong about this, Aedyn.”
Aedyn is beaming when he stands up and hugs Luke. “I am impressed. All of that is true and I am happy to know that my teachings have reached your ears. I will promise to keep in contact with you in case there is trouble.”
“Thanks. Nyx and I will be meeting with the local guard,” Luke announces, nodding to the caster. “I want to look into those bandits and see if they are a threat. It shouldn’t take too long to deal with them. If a problem occurs and any of you are near the Zaria Gardens then go there to help get Kellia to the ship. If you’re too far away then get to the ship and make sure it’s safe for her arrival.” He turns to Kellia with a wry smile. “Is this plan acceptable, boss? I’d hate to disappoint you.”
“Just get out of my sight,” Kellia mutters in a very low voice.
“Great. Good luck, Aedyn. You’ll need it more than any of us,” Luke states. He ignores the furious glare from Kellia as he follows Nyx out the door and away from the temperamental heiress.
*****
The center of Hero’s Gate is filled with men and women who are ready for combat. They calmly stand around the towering statue of a centaur knight and wait for the call to battle. Eagle-eyed archers and battle-hardened knights share war stories while they wait for orders. Only a few take notice of two people pushing through the forest of armor and blades. Several older warriors point and yell at these fresh-faced adventure
rs pushing through the armored ranks.
“Hey! Go back to school, kids!”
“A bandit hunt is a bad first date, boy!”
“Get out of here, halfers!
Nyx glowers at the ground as she mutters, “Just one spell. That’s all I’m asking for.”
“Let’s just find the man in charge,” Luke says as he squeezes between a barbarian and a knight. The barbarian turns to look at the forest tracker and gives him a curious look before turning back to the knight. “I heard somebody say that there was a sign-up table. Kind of odd to have signing up for a simple bandit hunt, but I guess that’s how they do it around here.”
“They have a lot of power and distance here, but I haven’t seen a single caster in the group,” Nyx mentions in mild surprise.
“I get the feeling that people like you are a population of one in this mob,” Luke whispers.
They eventually find a small table at the base of the statue. A knight standing at eight feet and carrying a giant, metal hammer is calmly talking to everyone who approaches. At first glance, Nyx thinks he is a very large human. When she gets closer, she sees the pronounced lower jaw and the wide pupils of a half-orc. Even his ears are slightly perpendicular instead of pointing to the sky, which is a trait Nyx has never seen in other half-orcs. She guesses that it is a sign that his orcish heritage is stronger than most. His dark orange hair falls to his broad shoulders in tender braids as he turns from warrior to warrior. A symbol of hands in prayer is emblazoned on his breastplate. It is several minutes before the half-orc finds time to acknowledge Luke and Nyx who are leaning over the list of volunteers.
“Excuse me. My name is Lord Highrider. I’m in charge of this bandit hunt,” he politely says. The large man sits on a wooden stool to bring his face down the half-elves’ eye level. “Can I help you two?”
“We wanted to join the hunt,” Luke claims. Several warriors listen intently to the exchange while others blatantly laugh at the two youngsters.
Highrider sighs and locks eyes with the forest tracker. “I’m sorry, son. You look a little too young to be involved in this. I can’t have your deaths on my hands if I let you come along. Just wait until you get more experience under your belt.”
Legends of Windemere: 02 - Prodigy of Rainbow Tower Page 20
