I turned to Vynn and Dwan. “Do you both still think I am The Legend?”
Dwan smiled. Vynn looked over the edge again, then nodded.
“Then you must trust me. Vynn you have no need to prove your courage. That is not in doubt. You will now prove your intelligence and help me to protect Dwan. We will fight as one, all three of us. If you trust me then do as I ask. I promise you, we will prevail.”
Dwan showed absolutely no hesitation. Vynn just a little. We laid our lances on the ground just outside of our cave. I leaned my shield against the wall then we all stepped to the edge of the overlook. We no longer had any doubts that our presence was known to the stalkers. Some thirty feet below we saw the advancing horde scrambling up the rock face. The one in the lead saw us and growled a triumphant snarl. The others responded in kind. They seemed to think us incapable of escape or defense.
At my urging we quickly started gathering rocks. It was unfortunate that this particular location had few of the size that we needed but after a few minutes we had amassed a fair number. I was also successful at dislodging a few larger stones that were buried in the sandy soil. These we carried to the lip of the overlook. Our stalkers were now only twenty feet below us. I stepped fully out into the open, letting them see me. The sight of me spurred a blood lust or hunger in them, encouraging them to double their efforts to reach us. I kicked sand over the edge at them and laughed. They howled in rage. I let them advance another ten feet then signaled to my companions.
While I kept their attention on me by kicking sand at them, Vynn approached the edge holding a large rock over his head. The Grey in the lead looked up just in time to dodge the stone but the beast behind him took a painful blow to the shoulder and roared in pain as he pin-wheeled down the hill. Dwan and I joined in, tossing rock after rock down at our adversaries. Vynn landed one directly on the head of the Grey in the lead. The unfortunate creature was stunned and fell some ten feet down the hill. He lay there until two of his followers pulled him behind an outcrop, protecting him from additional harm. Each time the Greys would stop climbing and seek shelter from our missiles I would stand on the edge of the cliff and laugh at them. They would then become so infuriated that they would leave their protected places and continue their climb. Then we would treat them to another barrage. Seeing that one of the beasts was being especially brave (or stupid, depending upon your point of view), I recovered the largest of our rocky weapons and hoisted it above my head. Even with the lower gravity it was all I could do to lift the thing. Thus armed I staggered to the edge of our position. The lead Grey was now only eight or nine feet below and had no cover. He looked up just in time to see the boulder hurtling down at him. He was able to turn his back to it but the action did him no good. The rock smashed into his spine right below the shoulder blades. The impact made a sickening crunch and the monster fell like a broken rag doll. The stone continued on making the others jump out the way as it continued crashing down the hill. The Grey that had been struck slid downward until his companions grabbed him. But there was no help for him, the big stone had done its job well. The beast had slaughtered his last human. The others howled and roared in fury.
We had been fortunate so far. Our actions had delayed their advance and taken one of them completely out of action. But we were running out of stones and the ones we had left were too small to have any really damaging effect. And something was going on below. Three of the remaining Greys were behind a protective outcrop having a discussion. I wanted them to remain an unthinking mob not a calculating team.
To my surprise and dismay the Greys separated into three groups of three. Each cluster started taking different paths upward. The different routes would take longer for them to obtain our position but the result would be the same. We would soon be facing assault from three different points. That threw a wrench into my plans. It was my fervent hope that they would continue to mindlessly climb up the easier path, eventually exposing themselves one-by-one to the thrusts of our spears. I hadn’t counted on it but I sure wanted it to happen that way. We would now have to fall back on plan ‘B’.
We used our remaining stones to inflict as much injury on the climbers as possible. We didn’t knock any more off of their perches but we were successful at scoring a few blows that had to be painful and slowed their progress. But eventually all three of the groups were near the top and preparing to charge over the lip.
At my signal we all took up positions at the mouth of our cave. I stood in front with my armor, shield and sword. My war mace was in my belt along with my knife. Behind me Vynn and Dwan held our two spears with their swords and knives stuck into the ground within easy reach. My gut tightened as the man-beasts began to pull themselves over the top to our level.
As the first head appeared I charged. The Grey saw me coming and scrambled to get over the top. He didn’t make it. I caught him with a sword slash between the head and shoulder and he went screaming back over the edge. To my left Vynn skewered another beast through the eye with his lance. Dwan tried to intercept the leader of the third group but he was able to swat away her spear thrust and pull himself over the top. He then pushed her backward and raised his sword. Vynn and I both rushed to her defense. I blocked his sword strike aimed at her head with my shield and Vynn buried the head of his spear deep within the beast’s chest. He then planted his foot on the beast’s chest to free his weapon and send the Grey back over the edge.
We had now whittled our attackers down from ten to six but our actions at rescuing Dwan had given the others time to reach the level clearing. We fell back to the cave entrance again. I briefly wondered where Tinker had gone but had no time to ponder the question. The six brutes were now cautiously closing in on us.
“Remember our plan”, I shouted, hoping Tinker was close enough to relay the thought. My two fellow defenders were behind me on either side. Any attacker would have to get through me to reach them. With my shield and armored forearms and shins I was the most protected. I also towered over and greatly outweighed the Greys.
The stalkers were talking to each other in their language. I didn’t want them scheming. I wanted an angry and mindless mob so I stepped forward and kicked loose sand in the face of the closest one. He reacted exactly as I’d hoped. Shaking the dirt from his eyes he screamed in rage and charged.
I had experienced similar charges on multiple occasions in my position on the prison REACT team. Through time and repetition I had learned to meet charges of enraged inmates by absorbing the brunt of their attacks with my Plexiglas shield then pivoting my hips to redirect their energy and put them off balance. My backup officers would then swarm onto and overpower them.
When this first beast attacked me I reacted from instinct, catching the swing of his large battle axe on my shield, turned my shoulder and then smashed the shield into his face. The action drove him to the ground and his momentum landed him slightly behind me. I heard a sound that told me that Vynn or Dwan had finished the job with a spear thrust but I didn’t turn to make certain. By that time the remaining five got smart and charged as one.
We had chosen our position well. The area near the cave entrance was narrow and did not allow more than two of the creatures to approach at one time. I hacked and jabbed, blocking their attacks with my shield while Dwan and Vynn dealt savage killing thrusts from behind me with the lances. At some point my sword was wrestled away from me and I had to snatch my mace. There were now only three Greys left. It was here that I learned I was much more effective with a blunt instrument than a sword. I swung the mace with all my might back and forth. My forehand and backswing pummeled our attackers and drove them back. Only one of the three had a shield and it was a thin copper-looking affair. He tried to use it to deflect one of my blows and had his arm shattered for his trouble. Vynn rushed forward and rammed his spear through the unfortunate beast’s neck.
And then there were two. If it had been me and I had watched my group of ten be whittled down to only two I would have turned and ran.
But the Greys seemed to have only one mode and that was to attack.
We had driven the remaining two back to the wider part of the clearing. Vynn now came forward to my right side with Dwan on my left. Both held their spears ready. I started to advance but then had a flash of insight. I held both hands up to signal my comrades to back up. We retreated a few paces watching the sub-humans as they prepared for what was coming.
I turned to Vynn. “Take a warrior’s vengeance,” I said.
Vynn looked at me then at Dwan. He smiled grimly and drew back his spear, throwing it directly into the chest of one Grey. The monster died on his feet, falling backward over the cliff edge. Vynn then drew his sword and charged, raining blow after savage blow upon the last remaining beast. I could see the rage on Vynn’s face, spawned by what he had seen happen to his fellow warriors. He hacked with furious anger, the sword wielded in both hands. By sheer force he beat the Grey back to the edge of the cliff and down to his knees. He countered a desperate sword strike from the beast by slashing off the hand that held the weapon. Vynn then raised his own sword high over his head with both hands and drove it through the light chest armor of the beast and down into the sandy ground beneath. The Grey struggled, his eyes on the sword, showing that he was aware of his imminent death. Vynn gave the sword one last shove pushing it deeper and added a vicious twist to the blade. The Grey struggled, twitched, and then died.
I came up behind my warrior companion, putting my hands on his shoulders.
“Tell me again how it takes two warriors to fight one Grey.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Journey
After the battle we quickly gathered our gear and left the area. I was a little disappointed to be leaving the relative comfort of the cave. Strangely, I was now considering a cave and fur pelt as something of a luxury when, only days before, I was living in a carpeted apartment with a fully functional kitchen and bathroom, not to mention central heating and air conditioning.
Vynn and Dwan had a brief conference in their language then set out in the direction that I had decided to call ‘West’ because it was the same direction in which the sun would set. Once again Vynn took the lead, setting a brisk pace. All of us wanted to be far from the scene we’d just departed. While walking Dwan and I talked and she continued filling me in on more of her world’s history and geography.
No one really knew if Maltania was the only continent. As she had previously stated no visitors from the sea had ever appeared. The mountain ranges on either side of Olvion had been explored but the traversable paths in both directions took long, looping arcs that eventually ended up on the edge of the ocean.
The mountain range to the ‘East’ was not explored in recent history because of the existence of the Grey Ones there.
Sometime way back in their past the four kingdoms had fought against each other. There had been shifting alliances, two against two, one against three, etc. That was the reason each kingdom still had a warrior sect when the Greys first came down from the East in the war that spawned the arrival of The Legend. After the defeat of the beasts two hundred and some years ago (again, I am using English terms for clarity), it was decided that the warrior caste would be enlarged. There was also much emphasis put on the need for better weapons and other equipment. I gathered from Dwan that things such as gunpowder or other chemicals that could be used in the creation of firearms had never been developed. Whether this was by chance or the fact that this world was devoid of the elements needed for such weapons was anyone’s guess.
When Dwan mentioned missing hot showers I questioned her further and found that, in plumbing at least, the humans of this world were much more sophisticated than I’d thought. She made reference to hot water heaters, steam rooms and even flushing toilets.
Food was not a problem for Olvion either, but the supply of fighters was. Once again war was using up the young men and veteran warriors. King Zander had scored numerous important victories against the grey invaders but each came at a price. The Greys died by the thousands but they were reinforced by the thousands too. Unless the seemingly limitless supply of raiders began to dry up the war would soon reach a critical phase. Already large patches of land had been ceded to the beasts as Olvion’s troops fell back closer and closer to the city stronghold. Outposts which, from Dwan’s description, were much like the cavalry forts of our old west, were now being attacked with greater frequency. It was beginning to feel as if the tide was turning against humankind once again. The Greys were a vicious and determined enemy and they were extremely difficult to plan against. They would appear in some locations in just the tenfold groups for which they were known but in other areas the human warriors might find themselves surrounded by hundreds or even thousands.
As we were discussing these events Tinker was riding in her preferred location, perched upon my shoulder with one delicate hand clutching my earlobe, transmitting her translations while outwardly appearing to study the passing scenery. She seemed to like Vynn well enough but she was growing especially fond of Dwan. Whenever we would take a break for a meal or to slake our thirsts at a lake or stream she would always take the opportunity to get close enough to her to get stroked and scratched. Dwan loved the attention and never failed to give her whatever affection she was seeking.
On the few occasions when Dwan would be allowed to take the point for our group, Vynn and I would get to know each other better. He reminded me a lot of the men on my prison REACT team. He was smart, tough and had the stamina of an Arabian stallion. I was a little surprised to learn that he was considered tall by his peers. For that matter he related that Dwan was especially tall for a woman.
As part of the warrior caste Vynn had begun training when he was young. I’m not really certain yet about how to calculate the seasons and ‘years’ of this new world but I think he was somewhere around twelve years of age. The physical conditioning that his caste demanded was brutal but necessary. Warriors were all that stood between the grey savages and his people. Only the most athletic boys and girls were chosen to be warriors and it was considered a great honor to the initiate and his family. After the equivalent of two years of preliminary training the new warriors left their family homes and were housed in a military barracks. They were still able to see their families when off duty but life changed a great deal for them. Every morning started with running and calisthenics, then a quick meal followed by the day’s assignment. This usually meant some sort of guard duty or physical endeavor such as digging defensive moats or building walls.
With no hint of bragging, Vynn explained that he was one of the most experienced warriors, having survived dozens of battles with the Greys. A person with that type of history was well regarded because he or she had been able to gather a considerable amount of battle knowledge. Other warriors strove to have themselves placed in his chain of command. I was surprised to learn that he was not an original member of the caravan that had been attacked. Rather he had been assigned there as a special favor for King Zander’s mother, Queen Mother Dannis, to watch over Dwan. Good healers were highly valued and Dwan was one of the best. After failing to dissuade her from going into the field to work, the king’s mother had asked for a personal guardian to be appointed. Vynn, being one of the best, had drawn the appointment. I now knew why Vynn had felt so responsible for what had happened to Dwan and the rest of their caravan.
When they had been attacked the wagon train had been heading to one of the outposts that still existed near the front lines. Some of these were large forts that were heavily defended. When warriors fell elsewhere in battle they were taken to the outposts and treated by battle healers. This dangerous work was what Dwan had insisted on doing. My respect for her, upon learning of this, grew considerably.
Vynn told me he had a woman and a son. He smiled when I asked about Dwan’s romantic status.
“Healer Dwan has many who seek her attention. Healers make good mates. And, even if she is too tall for most men, she is one of the most beautiful women
in Olvion. She has put many warriors and merchants into a state of frustration by rebuffing their advances. Why do you ask, Tag-Gar?” Another smile. “Are you seeking a mate?”
I scratched a non-existent itch and coughed an unnecessary cough. “Just asking. I’m curious about both of you.”
Vynn’s gaze swept from me to Tinker and back. His smile broadened and I wondered if my little friend was now making small embarrassing comments to my new comrades without my knowledge.
We made a good twenty miles that day and spent the night inside one of the hollow cabbage trees near the edge of a beautiful lake. We were all tired and happy to be off of our feet. Vynn took the first watch promising to wake me halfway through the night. This ignited another argument with Dwan about her doing her part in standing watch. Vynn finally convinced her that our lives may depend on her being well-rested and clearheaded should we need her services as a healer. She finally agreed after we consented to call her if we felt we needed relief. After Vynn slithered out of the cavity inside the tree we both fell asleep under the glowing blue luminescence of the overhead leaves. Vynn nudged me later that night and I climbed out and shimmied down the trunk.
The night was gorgeous, the stars shining brightly and the temperature a comfortable seventy degrees or so. The starlight flickered and twinkled on the surface of the lake. Tinker climbed down after me and scampered to the lake for a drink. The lack of streetlights and traffic noise was incredibly relaxing. For the first time I began to consider the fact that I might enjoy spending the rest of my life here. And even though there were many things that I would miss (especially pizza and the Clovis Rodeos) I just couldn’t feel all that bad about the prospect. Having left no special person behind certainly made it easier. Sure, I would miss my two brothers but they were both married, living in different parts of the country and enjoying their own lives. I hadn’t seen either of them in several years. It was the same with Dad. He was living the life of a widower and trying to find love again. They would miss me but it would eventually be like it was with Mom. The hurt would ease over time and I would be talked about with fondness at family gatherings.
The Olvion Reality (The Chronicles of Olvion Book 1) Page 12
