by Noah Layton
‘So we’re going to need to kill them,’ I said resolutely, rapidly considering my options for attack.
I had a stash of Infernal Fire Explosives in the Storage Building that had been gifted to me by Artrix. Each one was capable of laying waste to a huge swathe of land and reducing it to burning cinders.
There was no time for it; the mercenaries would be here shortly, and the closer they got the more that I put my tribe at risk. It wasn’t an option.
The only other option was-
‘We stay quiet for as long as possible,’ I commanded. ‘Keep low and listen. These guys aren’t exactly stealthy, and the more of a point they make of their location the more we have the upper hand. They’re going to try and get inside, but we need to make them believe for as long as possible that we’re either asleep or not here at all.’
‘And then?’
‘We pick our moment and attack simultaneously when the time is right. The easiest way to win a fight is to make it a slaughter rather than a battle. We need to get the drop on them.’
‘Do we know for sure that they’re all coming from the same direction?’ One of the warriors said. ‘What if they split up?’
‘That’s what the red xevea beaks are for.’
A muffled shouting was beginning to emerge from the forest. A savage barking followed.
Against the treetops past the fence I could see the glimmer of light from a series of torches approaching.
The fox-man on watch got down on the ground of the lookout-post platform, hiding himself from sight.
Warring shouts and voices followed.
‘Hold!’
A commanding voice from the head of the group spoke up.
The growling voices and shouts lowered to a murmur, but the grunts from the dog remained.
Then, a conversation with an untraceable number of participants began.
‘Shit.’
‘You know this tribal land was here?’
‘No.’
‘Where is that lanky fucking elf? You don’t think he went inside there, did you?’
‘Nobody on watch… Everything’s dark. Probably deserted.’
‘There are alliance flags here. You know that one?’
‘Nope, but I know the other one. Sun-elves,’ one voice piped up. ‘Probably one of their old outposts.’
‘Pretty fucking big for an outpost.’
‘Think there’d be commotion inside if he was here.’
‘The dog seems pretty fucking sure that he’s around here somewhere’.
‘No shit, we’ve been chasing him for a mile. He’s got to be nearby. Doesn’t mean he’ll be inside there.’
‘I say we split up and check the forest around this land for any sign of him.’
‘The dog seems pretty sure he’s inside, boss…’
‘That dog of yours also eats its own shit. That should give you some indication of how much I trust its stupid-ass judgement.’
Holy shit, I thought. There’s a chance they might get out of here and not come back.
Then everything turned to shit.
‘AGHH!!!’
A high, short scream came from the northern side of the land. All 12 of us turned and looked over our shoulders in its direction.
It stopped as sharply as it had begun, but it quietened every one of the mercenaries on the other side of the fence. Even the dogs had reduced its sounds to heaving breaths.
My men, warriors and sun-elves alike, looked around at me with faces asking the same question as the one on my mind.
What the fuck was that?
Briefly I wondered whether my people were under attack, but:
‘Did you hear that?’
‘Mm.’
‘You think it’s him? If this place is deserted he could be hiding inside.’
‘Sounded like a trapped animal. We should check this place out anyway considering how much the bitch is worth. If anybody knows where this she is it’s this guy. You guys, you’re with me. The rest of you stay here. Might be nothing but I got no doubt there’ll be a northern entrance. We’ll head there and give the rest of you a signal, then we’ll head inside from both points. Trap this fucker like a rat.’
Shit.
They weren’t responsible for the scream we had all heard, but it had got their attention.
I pointed to two of the warriors, then to myself, then to the northern reaches of the land where the scream had come from.
Our eyes had become used to the darkness, and in it I gave a single order as they crowded around me in the most hushed of whispers.
‘The moment they get in, cut them all down.’
Flanked by the two warriors, I kept low and set off with muted footsteps through the pasture.
As I passed the treehouse with them at my side I heard another howl. It was quieter this time, as if something was muffling it.
It was coming from the house where the rest of my tribe were holed up.
It was still dutifully bathed in darkness. The warriors kept watch while I turned to the door and opened it quickly.
Everybody was crowded inside and the furniture had been pushed to the side.
The moment I stepped in, I heard Lara’s bow swing around so fast that the air cut, then an arrow drawn, the spike of which was pointed right at my head.
‘It’s me,’ I whispered frantically, holding up my hands as Lara rapidly relaxed her grip and lowered her weapon. ‘Where’s that noise coming from?’
It sounded again, reduced to a low whimper from the corner of the room.
Eri was seated in the corner against the wall. Santana and Tormus were crouching next to her.
All three of them looked up at me with fearful eyes that told me exactly what was wrong.
Eri pulled a patch of cloth from between her teeth that she had been biting down on.
‘Not the best of timing Jack,’ she moaned with a stifled laugh. ‘I do apologise.’
‘Now? Jesus Christ, you do pick your moments.’
‘I am about to squeeze a child out of me, Jack!’ She said in a disgruntled whisper. ‘Just because you’re tribe master doesn’t mean I won’t come over there once this thing is out of me and shove my foot up your ass!’
‘You kiss Tormus with that mouth?’
‘Wouldn’t have it any other way,’ he smiled. ‘What’s going on out there?’
‘Nothing you guys need to worry about. All I need is for you all to stay low and keep safe. Anybody know how to deliver a baby?’
‘I’ve delivered baby taurem and piglets before on the farm,’ Santana said confidently but frantically. ‘I can do it.’
‘Are you really comparing me to a pig, Santana?’ Eri asked.
‘That really isn’t the most pressing matter at hand right now,’ I said. ‘Elera, Lara, Ariadne, you’re with me. Come on.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘To bottleneck these bastards.’
‘Which bastards?’ Tormus asked. ‘I thought that there was nothing to worry about.’
‘We might be under attack, but trust me, we’re going to take them down.’
A murmuring broke out amongst my people.
‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘We’ve got the advantage. All of you stay here. We’re going to be fine.’
‘What about me?’ Talia asked. ‘I can fight.’
‘Then stay here and keep everybody safe. Lock the door and the window shutters and don’t let anybody in except me or the girls.’
She nodded apprehensively, her wide green eyes narrowing as she focused on my face.
I gave her a final look before heading out the door with my wives and closing it behind me.
Our group of six set off quickly to the northern gate.
Alorion was still situated in his home, the platform of the lookout tower.
I couldn’t hear the mercenaries yet – their journey would take longer, and I doubted they were moving as fast as us considering their size.
Still, I was reluctant t
o make even the slightest sound. I drummed my finger against one of the huge wooden columns that composed the frame of the tower. Alorion’s silhouette appeared over the precipice and looked down at me.
He was in the same boat; not a sound.
He just shook his head. Then he turned to look over his shoulder, before spinning back to me and pressing a finger to his lips.
They’re coming.
Granted they weren’t being too stupid – they had managed to keep their voices down, but their lumbering footsteps smashing against the dried undergrowth on the other side of the fence were unmistakable.
I briefly wondered what there sophisticated signal was going to be. Maybe they would have red xevea beaks just like we did.
Or-
‘We’re here!’
The yell roared across the land, and from the southern gate a sharp boom sounded.
Then one came from the northern gates just five yards before me.
‘There’s got to be around eight of them,’ Ariadne said, listening to their footsteps. ‘At least. What’s the plan?’
‘We’re going to bottleneck and cut them down. Wait.’
BOOM.
The gates shuddered on their hinges
‘Sounds like they have a battering ram,’ the warrior to my left warned. ‘That gate won’t hold long.’
‘It doesn’t matter. Once they’re inside, I’ll wipe them out with my telekinetic blast and we can cut them down. Be ready.’
BOOM.
The panel that barred the gates shut began to splinter, and the gates shoved further towards us.
It was too dark for me to see the bar, but it would be clinging on by mere strands right now.
‘One more hit!’ A merc yelled out.
A pause, a grunt of effort-
BOOM.
The bar snapped, the gates swung open, and I sprang forwards.
‘Telekinea!’
My spell burst forward and struck two huge mercs holding a battering ram. They flew backwards into the forest, one slamming into a tree and the other disappearing into the undergrowth.
‘HOLD!’
The deep voice echoed across the land.
A flicker of a flame moved on the left, but its holder had moved out of sight and I had no line of fire.
To the south, the booming of the mercs on the southern gate ceased.
All of the mercs on our side were nowhere to be seen, hiding either side of the gates. Thanks to the defences they would be unable to climb over, and even if they did flock to the eastern side where the trench hadn’t been completed yet and managed to clamber over the spikes, it would take them so long that Lara would be able to take them out with a few swift arrows fired to their heads.
But that isn’t what happened.
‘STOP!’ The deep voice called out again.
‘Me, stop?’ I shouted back, in awe at the nerve of this asshole. ‘You’re the one breaking into my land, motherfucker. Where I’m from you get shot in the fucking head for less.’
‘We didn’t know that this land was inhabited.’
‘Did the big-ass flags situated outside of both entrances not give it away?’
‘We made a mistake,’ the voice responded. ‘I’ll admit that. We don’t mean any of you any harm. We’re just looking for somebody.’
‘Well they’re not here. The only people here are members of my tribe.’
Technically the truth, but I would lie through my teeth if it meant getting the upper hand on these guys.
‘I’m sure that’s the case, but the person we’re searching for is slippery. She knows how to get away and how to hide. We believe there’s a decent chance she could be here, and our dog seems to think so too.’
‘Dogs are unreliable. Wouldn’t blame it, but I can guarantee you that she’s not in here.’
‘Would you mind if I came and spoke to you face to face rather than hiding behind this gate?’
‘Be my guest.’
The figure appeared, moving in slow steps to the centre point of the entrance.
He was no doubt the leader of the group. I had seen this poise countless times since arriving in Agraria; control, a semblance of stoicism, an air of the ability to instil fear into those around him.
And the Hand of Chains fist holding the chains was unmistakable.
‘Okay, you’re in sight,’ I called over, standing and facing off with him from ten yards away. ‘Now that I can see you would you like me to tell you to fuck off to your face?’
The leader laughed.
‘Least you’ve got a sense of humour.’
‘I’ve also got more than a few weapons at hand, and plenty of trained warriors.’
‘Fair enough,’ he replied, casually passing off my not-so-veiled threat. A show of power, like he wasn’t worried by my fighting force. The leader looked off to the left briefly, then back to me.
‘Would you mind if spoke with one of my men for a moment?’
‘So long as you stay on that side of the fence.’
The leader looked back to his left and nodded. One of his men moved to him. He whispered something, and together they looked to me.
The new man’s eyes set on me, and as the flicker of the flame passed over his features, I knew who I was looking at.
It was the merc that I had had the argument with at Ichabod’s Cove, right after we had bailed on the place and left them in our dust.
Shit.
The leader nodded to the merc and looked to me.
I placed a hand on the handle of my sword and moved my other hand almost into the sign that would bring up my power stone selection screen.
‘Look,’ the leader said, focusing his attention on me again, ‘regardless of what you tell me, I have reason to believe that the individual I seek is on your land, and I’m going to need to ask you to grant me access to search this place.’
‘Yeah, well I’m going to need you to turn to your mercs, walk back into the forest and climb up each other’s asses.’
The leader moved to snarl at me, but instead smiled.
‘I don’t want to cause any trouble to you or your people. This is your last chance, tribe master.’
‘My last chance or what?’
He didn’t respond, but looked either side of him to his guards in unseen numbers and nodded.
Lara, Elera, Ariadne and the two warriors all looked to me.
I glanced between them sharply and nodded.
The focus of my enemies would remain on me; I was dead centre, willing to take an arrow for my people.
The leader glared back at me.
‘Move in!’ He suddenly yelled.
I switched rapidly to my telekinetic power stone.
And then all hell broke loose.
Everything happened rapidly.
Three guards moved in from either side. The two on the edges were brandishing crossbows, while the four on the inside carried huge longswords to match their formidable sizes.
On the hand of a final guard that appeared among the roster was the feral dog, a snarling, husk of a hairless beast with saliva dripping from its fanged mouth.
The very same kind as those in the cage at the back of the caravan.
The group moved as Tobias’s people had when I had first met them; a phalanx.
All of them condensed together in a single spot.
This was too easy.
I raised my hand.
‘Telekinea!’
But just before the spell broke from my palm, another word was loudly uttered.
‘Clypeus!’
The familiar explosion of energy burst from my hand towards the mercenaries, but not a single one of them went flying back.
The force of my spell vanished, the whispers of its edge wrapping around an invisible shield that briefly revealed its rectangular shape, protecting the group.
The invisible shield was stemming from the hand of the leader – and I could see the power stone in his other hand.
‘Telekinea! Tel
ekinea!’
Two more bursts flew from my palm in quick succession from my palm. The shield lit up, and the leader grunted with effort as the shield started to show cracks, but it was still holding.
I hadn’t recharged the stone at the power well recently, and now it was blinkering at a big fat zero.
‘Shit.’
Our eyes met.
‘Your little tricks don’t work here, tribe master,’ he grinned.
‘I’ve got others that might work.’
This time the leader’s smile descended into an angered snarl.
‘KILL THEM ALL!’
He dropped his shield, and the wave of men exploded towards us.
Lara fired off an arrow immediately, aiming straight ahead of her. She struck the crossbow wielder across from her directly in the neck. The crossbow dropped from his hand and he collapsed to his knees, fumbling with shaking hands as he choked on his own blood.
Take out the ranged attackers – that was our first priority, but another on the right still remained.
And he was aiming to cut the head off the snake in the hopes that the body would die – the head being me.
His crossbow spun in his grip to aim at me. As he did, Elera fired a needle-thin stream of frost in his direction.
The frost struck the archer in his crossbow-arm, wrapping his skin in an icy-encasement. He yelped out and swung his aim too wide.
But his finger was still on the trigger.
TWANG.
The bolt coursed at me through the near-darkness. A terrible string ran through the side of my left arm as it grazed through my overshirt and spun off into the crop field behind me.
The crossbow fell from my attacker’s hand, and Ariadne had enough time to hurl one of her throwing knives for a direct hit, the blade slamming into the side of the archer’s head and sending him down for the count.
I raised my sword and moved towards the leader of the mercs. He held back, pocketing his power stone and raising his sword, while the warriors to my left engaged the two mercs on that side.
But we still had four to deal with on this side, plus the ravenous dog that was desperate to escape its leash.
