Both men looked at her but it was Kastle who asked, “How do you know that?”
“I know the Keepers. On the other side, they were my old guild. Tariq, judging from your descriptions, I would guess the party layout was something like this; Tao was the leader with Gamble at his side. Bjǿrn and Moira are inseparable, so they were there. Pixi was the faerie and you mentioned an archer, which I would guess was Mathias Strongbow. How did I do?”
Tariq had to remind himself to close his mouth since he was so dumbfounded. “Unbelievable.” He hesitated for a second before asking, “So…so you knew the paladin?”
Callistra nodded. “Yes, Roland. His real name was Steve but I don’t fault you for your actions. I understand the struggle you have with the Chaos Spirit. I fight it every day.”
Kastle waited for a moment before asking, “How good are these Keepers?”
“Real good,” Callistra replied and Tariq nodded.
Kastle nodded. “Then they should survive the fear and hatred of the townsfolk. So the question remains, where would they go next?”
“Tao will keep working his way toward their goal, no matter what.”
“Seriously?”
“He would say that every decision leads to gain or loss and for failure to occur, you only have to do nothing.”
Kastle thought about that for a minute. “That is an interesting mantra but what does it mean?”
“It means that as long as Tao is alive he will not stop striving to accomplish his goal.”
“Which is to get home.”
“Yes. Nothing short of his death will stop him.”
“Sounds like you know this guy pretty well.”
“Yes…yes I do.”
Kastle waited to see if she would elaborate. When she didn’t he turned to the assassin. “Are you sure they didn’t say anything else?”
Tariq thought about it for a minute before nodding. “Now that you mention it, Tao did say something about a bubble theory and how Avalon was connected to all the other realms in the game. Honestly, I wasn’t really listening.”
Kastle slapped himself on the forehead. “Holy shit! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Callistra grinned slightly. “I told you he was resourceful.”
Kastle nodded. “Agreed. We need to find them and hook up. I really want to meet this guy. But where are they now and how do we find them?”
Callistra said, “Aaliyah would know where to find them. After all she is a Sha’ir.”
Tariq glanced up. “You came across with a Sha’ir?” Tariq whistled. “Those are rare in game and supposedly one of the hardest classes to play.”
Callistra nodded. “She could summon a djinni to find the information we needed.” She paused before asking, “Do you know where she is?”
“Probably still with Jagoda.”
“Will you be safe?”
Kastle shrugged. “Only the gods know for certain but my apology is long overdue.”
“Do you know where to find them?”
Kastle shook his head. “Nope but I know how they can find us.”
Callistra raised an eyebrow at that remark but realized that Kastle had a plan and asking him to explain wasn’t going to aid in the situation. So, she just began packing her belongings and before long the three companions were off.
* * * * *
By the time Mathias and Bjǿrn returned to the battlefield, Tao had discovered much about the riders. The other three had been similar in age to the young man who killed himself and their equipment had been of average quality. Their weapons were old and well-used but nothing special. On the other hand, the rider he’d killed with his flying side kick was the only bandit that was old enough to be considered experienced. Only he had anything of worth.
His armor and weapons were of excellent quality, not nearly as good as their own but very serviceable. Along with the standard rations and basic camping items that Tao had found in every saddlebag was a crudely drawn map. This was something they truly needed for it marked several towns. Of course it did not show the reputed location of Atlantis but it was better than nothing. Tao did notice other marks on the map but those would have to wait until later since it was approaching dusk.
Bjǿrn was limping but seemed no worse for the wear. The large Norseman gestured to the flying serpents. “What are we going to do with them?”
Tao just grinned. “Ride them of course.”
Mathias snickered. “Ride them? Are you nuts?”
“Nope. You saw how all four followed the alpha wyvern. They exhibit the herd mentality. They simply follow the leader or alpha just like horses.”
Bjǿrn said, “But they’re flying serpents.”
“It’ll sure beat walking back don’t you think?”
Bjǿrn cocked his head to the side. “There is that but you don’t know if you can ride them.”
Tao chuckled. “I’m from Kentucky. I’ve been around horses my entire life. Trust me. It’ll be easy.”
Too tired and sore to argue, Bjǿrn relented. “Okay but it’s been decades since I’ve ridden.”
Tao talked Mathias through some basic horsemanship skills, grip with your calves not your thighs. Don’t jerk on the reins but pull slowly and evenly. Lean into your turns and try to keep your weight in your hips, not your shoulders. Once he felt confident that the archer understood the instructions, Tao had them mounted up.
Bjǿrn was mounted on the largest wyvern in the herd. It was a reddish brown and seemed the only beast capable of carrying the Norseman. Mathias had opted for one of the two green wyverns which didn’t seem too skittish when he mounted.
Tao walked up to the alpha and patted the grey-skinned serpent on the neck. Keeping his voice low as he talked to it, he moved forward to scratch the great beast behind its hooded eyes. “Alright boy, I don’t know what your old master called you but you need a name. How about Shadow? It seems like a fitting name?”
Whether or not the wyvern understood him, the serpent leaned into his touch and hissed. Tao wasn’t sure what that actually meant but took it as a positive sign and climbed on. Glancing over his shoulder at his friends, he leaned forward and called out. “Lean forward and hang on, cause here we go.”
Kicking the wyvern in the flanks like he would a horse Tao called out, “Giddy up.”
Even though he was expecting it, the way that the flying serpent shot into the air jerked him back into the saddle and nearly threw him off. Tao peeked over his shoulder at the other wyverns and sure enough, all four serpents leapt into the air to follow Shadow.
Bjǿrn and Mathias managed to hang on as they circled the battlefield. Tao leaned left slightly and with minimal shifting of the reins, Shadow responded; the same to the right. Through trial and error, Tao figured out the basic commands of controlling the wyvern. It was very similar to a well-trained horse. The gait was a bit different but the view was spectacular. Within moments, they were on their way back to their friends and whoa…did they have a surprise for them.
* * * * *
After Cozad had watched the samurai run off, he began to make an assessment of their situation. Their only healer was wounded, the skald was tired and Arieal seemed shaken to the core. Add in the fact that they were barely out of bow shot from the city and this was a recipe for disaster.
Knowing what he had to do, Cozad moved over to the druid and took a good look at the arrow. It was lodged just below her left clavicle. From the way it was wedged in, he knew the arrowhead had to be barbed. Cozad said to no one in particular, “You know that has to come out.”
Gamble nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. But given its location, we won’t be able to push it through.”
“That leaves two options. Leave it in or cut it out.”
That seemed to shake Arieal free of her fear. “But she may bleed to death. She’s our only healer.”
Pixi popped into view overhead. “The guards are getting organized and the mob is back. I don’t think we have long before they come after us.
”
Cozad’s eyes flashed from blue to red in a split second as he glanced at the gates of the city. “Let them come. Many of them won’t return to their homes.”
“We won’t be able to stop them all. Our only hope is to put a bit more distance between us and them before they come.” Gamble lifted the injured druid and added. “Lead on. I have enough energy for another run.”
Seeing the wisdom in his words, Cozad lead the way. They followed the river south for a short while until he spied a group of rocks. They weren’t overly large but they would give them something at their backs when it came time for battle and would make it more difficult for the townsfolk to surround them. Glancing back the way they came, they could see that the mob had actually left the city. They were still milling about the gate. However, Pixi was right, it wouldn’t be long before they screwed up their courage enough to follow them.
Cozad pointed at the necromancer. “Arieal, move up to the rocks. It will be your responsibility to make sure no one flanks us.”
She chewed on her hair for a moment before nodding. “I’ll do my best.”
Cozad looked around. “Pixi?” When the faerie popped back into view he said, “Once they get here, I want you to cast your wall of flame again but I want you to let at least five passed by first. I don’t care if the rest get caught in the flames or not. Got it?”
Pixi furrowed her brow. “You want me to let a few pass first? Why?”
Cozad pulled off his helm for a moment and scratched his bald scalp. “I have a plan.”
Pixi shrugged. “Okay.”
Cozad turned to the dwarf. “Skald…you have the hardest task.”
“What? Blend in and backstab the leader?”
“Nope. I don’t want you to attack at all.”
Gamble cocked his head to the side. “I don’t understand.”
“You were wrong when you said that Moira is our only healer. I too can heal, sort of. When the mob arrives, I want you to cut out that arrow as quickly as possible and staunch the flow of blood. But you cannot act too soon or too late. For when they arrive, I will use my powers to drain the life force from the leading idiots and transfer it into Moira. If you do it too soon, she could die before my spell goes off. Too late and you waste my one spell.”
Gamble grinned. “Nothing like a little pressure to calm the nerves.”
Replacing his helmet, Cozad took two steps out from the rocks and waited. From the position of the twin suns, he guessed they had less than an hour before dark and he figured the mob would work up their courage long before then. He was right. When the mob came it was almost exactly as he predicted. The guards were sprinkled in throughout the crowd to bolster the mob’s courage, while the townsfolk kept chanting, “Death to all Atlanteans!” over and over. A few bows were present but the mob wasn’t going to rely on arrows or finesse, this was going to be a mad rush forward meant to completely overwhelm them and Cozad knew it. Using the butt of his axe, the Dreadknight drew a line in the dirt before backing up to the boulders and waiting. The mob got closer and closer, then paused about ten feet short of the line. Keeping his voice low Cozad said, “Get ready.”
Hefting his axe into battle position, he yelled. “All right you bastards! Come and get me! You want me? Cross that line and die!”
The mob almost faltered. They weren’t expecting someone to stand up to them and didn’t know how to act. That was until one of the young guards screamed and charged. A split second later, the rest of the mob followed suit.
Pixi couldn’t believe her eyes. Here was a full fledge mob on a rampage like those she had seen on the ‘telly’ back home, kind of like the riots in Egypt or Libya. She had read about other riots in school but had never expected to see one or worse be the object of one. Feeling her fear grow, Pixi glanced at her friend Moira. She was extremely pale and seemed completely lifeless. Gamble was poised to dig the arrow out of her shoulder and was just waiting for the right time. Pulling herself out of her fear, Pixi began her spell but held off on the last phrase. Once the forerunners crossed the line, she would cast her spell and damn those that were caught in the conflagration.
For Arieal the attack was different. Once danger loomed, her fear fell away. To her it was simple, live or die. She and her friends were going to live, even if the rest had to die. Seeing a few townsfolk break off from the pack and try to flank them, she pulled out some bat dung from one of her pouches. She tossed it at the onrushing mob and waved her wand. Seconds later, a flight of bats spewed forth from her wand to engulf the villagers.
As soon as Gamble saw the villagers begin their charge, he dug his dagger into Moira’s skin around the arrow. It was messy but he knew it had to be done. One part of his mind heard the charging mob and wanted to run away. It was the natural ‘flight or fight’ response built into every human. But he had an injured companion relying on him and he had a job to do. No matter what the cost, he was going to do his best. So, he poked and prodded with his dagger until out came the odious arrow.
Cozad’s and Pixi’s spells went off almost simultaneously. The young faerie had timed her spell perfectly and allowed seven villagers past the line. The rest were caught in the inferno. The smell of burning flesh and the scream of the dying filled the area.
The wave of heat behind them and the screams of death caused the charging villagers to waver.
However when the leading four villagers just dried up into lifeless husks right before their eyes, they halted. Eyes wide with fear the three remaining looked around for a means to escape. That’s about the time they heard the screeches of the returning wyverns and they bolted. The mob wasn’t fleeing; it was a full-fledged rout. They dropped whatever they were carrying and ran as fast as they could back to their homes. If a buddy fell, they didn’t care, they didn’t help…they just ran.
Cozad glimpsed back at Moira. Her color had returned and the arrow was out. His wager had worked. But now, the wyvern-riders were returning and he was unsure how to handle them. They couldn’t out run them, which left only one option. Hefting his axe, Cozad strode out to meet them on the field of battle.
Tao, Bjǿrn and Mathias circled the battlefield once. It was obvious from Cozad’s body language that he wasn’t expecting them but the raiders. The look of surprise on their faces when they landed was priceless. Bjǿrn’s red wyvern had barely landed when he leapt off and rushed to Moira’s side.
Cozad and Tao met each other on the battlefield but it was the dreadknight who spoke first. “I see you have a story to tell.”
Tao gestured to the burned bodies. “I see that you have your own story. Both can wait, how’s Moira?”
Cozad turned back to the rocks and Tao fell in beside him. “She’ll live. The arrow is out and the wound is healing but she’s weak and needs rest.”
“I think we all do.” Seeing Gamble approaching Tao grinned. “Heya mate. How’s it going?”
“Not bad. We’re alive thanks to Tinman here.”
Cozad chuckled. “Tinman?”
Gamble rapped his knuckles on the dreadknight’s plate armor. “You know, from the Wizard of Oz? It’s a pretty famous movie, perhaps you’ve heard of it?”
Cozad chuckled. “Yes. I‘ve seen it. I was just finding the humor in your nickname for me. I’ve been called that before, in real life.”
“Really? Why?”
Cozad pulled off his helmet and pointed to his head. “I have a metal plate in my skull from a motorcycle wreck when I was a teenager which left a large scar right here. One of my friends back home started calling me Tinman and the name stuck.”
“Works for me,” Gamble answered with a sly grin.
Tao knelt down in the dirt and pulled out the maps he had liberated. Cozad and Gamble joined him. Tao pointed to an ‘X’ on the map that was marked ‘Camp Five’ and said, “That looks like the closest campground for these raiders.”
Gamble asked, “How do we know there aren’t more of them waiting there?”
Tao shrugged. “We don’t
but it looks like our best option. Unless you want to camp here tonight?”
“No thank you.” The dwarf nodded his head towards the village. “I’ve had enough of their hospitality.”
“Alright, then lets mount up.”
Leading his friends over to the waiting wyverns, Tao went through his spiel concerning riding once more. Bjǿrn and Mathias added their two cents about liftoff and settled back on their flying steeds. As much as Bjǿrn wanted Moira to ride with him, they were uncertain if the red could carry both of them, so she rode with Gamble on the other green. Arieal climbed on behind Mathias, which left Cozad on the last wyvern which Tao described as a ‘buckskin’ since the wyvern’s hide was a light grayish-white with black etchings along its wings and eye ridges.
Even though Pixi could fly, Tao knew the wyverns would fly much faster than the faerie so he insisted that she ride with him and had her sit in front of him on the saddle. “Hold on tight, real tight. Takeoff is like the downhill ride on a rollercoaster except we’re going up. Understand?”
Pixi gripped the saddle pommel even tighter. “Yeppers. I’m ready.”
Unable to resist himself, Tao kicked Shadow in the flanks and called out once more, “Giddy up!”
The great grey serpent leapt into the air with a loud screech. The other four wyverns of his flight followed and the companions were airborne.
Chapter 12
The two guards who had the late watch crowded near the fire pit to warm their hands. It wasn’t necessarily cold but the warmth of the fire gave them something to do. Neither guard was happy about being stuck on the graveyard shift and grumbled about their bad luck.
Of course, it’s a soldier’s lot to complain. To a soldier, there is never enough food or sleep or liquor or women or any number of other complaints. But being stuck with gate duty during the overnight hours on a fortress in the middle of nowhere was the worst or so they thought, until their commander appeared at the gate unannounced.
Jerrick snapped to attention and quickly assessed the condition of his armor and spear. They weren’t perfect but far better than his partner’s. As his commander strode through the gate, Jerrick surreptitiously scrutinized the dangerous Outlander.
Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis Page 9
