Hákon studied Kastle for a moment before a big grin broke out to cover his face. “Are you sure you’re a holy man? You sound more like a bandit to me.”
“I haven’t always been a priest. I was a rogue in another life.” He cast a sideways glance at Tariq and Callistra and winked at his companions.
Tariq stifled his own grin. He knew that the priest was referring to playing a different avatar in the game which in turn, caused Brandon to think of some of the other ‘toons’ he’d played over the last few years. Maybe by remembering those characters and classes, it would grant him more understanding when dealing with the archetypes of this realm. It was something he needed to think about. Realizing that the brigand had asked him a question but since he had no idea what he’d asked Tariq responded, “Huh? I’m sorry. What was that?”
Hákon glared at the little assassin and repeated himself slowly as if he was talking to a child. “Is…There...Anything…You…Want…To…Add?”
Tariq resisted the urge to draw his enchanted katar but consoled himself by just fingering the hilt and staring at the large brigand. The movement wasn’t lost on Hákon. He could tell the brigand was remembering the sting of falling to the assassin’s poisoned dagger. Finally Tariq asked, “How many men will Jagoda have with him?”
Hákon shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“What is the morale of his men? Are they well cared for and highly compensated for their loyalty?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do they prefer stealthy night attacks or daring daylight raids?”
Hákon took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
Tariq shook his head. “It seems to me that there’s a lot you don’t know.”
Hákon placed both fists on the table and leaned forward until he towered over the assassin. “Listen here little man; this is my raid and my plan. You will follow my directions or die.”
Tariq just leaned back in his chair, laced his hands behind his head and smiled.
Before the assassin could say anything else that would alienate the brigand anymore, Kastle interrupted. “Hákon, we are not questioning your ability to lead but you must understand that where we come from we were raised with the concept that detailed knowledge of your enemy’s movements and disposition to be critical for the mission’s success. We understand that you have limited resources but our necks will be on the line just like yours during this raid.”
The large brigand looked over at the cleric. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was thinking about what he had just said but was confused as how to reply. “I guess you’re right. I’m just not used to being questioned about my attack plans.”
Tariq was about to say something when Callistra placed one hand on his arm and leaned forward ever so slightly. The view she offered the huge brigand was vaguely seductive. “If no one ever questions your plans, how do you recognize the weaknesses in them?”
Flustered by his view and her straight question, Hákon didn’t have an answer and just shook his head.
Kastle grinned. “When do we need to leave to make it to the ambush location on time?”
“We need to be on the road by noon. Given normal travel times, we should make it about two hours before the target arrives.”
“How many men are you taking?”
“Twenty, plus you three.”
“Is that enough?”
“It has been in the past. These are all experienced men.”
Kastle glanced at his companions but left his doubts unspoken.
Callistra stood up and casually stretched, showing off a fair amount of cleavage in the process. “Very good, we will gather our things and be ready shortly before noon.” Turning away, she seemed to add a bit extra sway to her hips as she exited the room.
Kastle and Tariq soon followed. Minutes later, all three were in their room and Callistra leaned in to whisper. “We were being watched.”
Tariq looked around. There was nothing in the room except the three of them. He thought back to the earlier meeting. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except maybe the extreme cockiness of Hákon. “Are you sure? I didn’t notice anything. In fact, ever since Ragnar passed the word on us, I’ve felt welcomed. Well, that is if you don’t count Hákon’s manners. ”
Kastle studied his sometimes lover for a moment before asking, “Can you elaborate? Are we in danger from Hákon and his men?”
Callistra shook her head. “It isn’t Hákon or his father, it is something else. Something….” Her voice trailed off.
“Are we being watched magically?” Kastle asked.
The witch shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure. I can’t really explain it. I just know that during our meeting with Hákon we were being watched.”
Kastle nodded. “I believe you. We need to be on our toes in the future.”
Tariq moved over to the window and gazed out. The townsfolk moved about their daily lives, totally ignoring the thieves and brigands as they went about their business getting ready for the upcoming raid. He nodded outside. “They don’t seem alarmed.”
Callistra moved up next to him and followed the assassin’s gaze. She absentmindedly chewed on her lip. Her actions slightly revealed her enlarged canines which Tariq found unnerving.
After a moment she said, “I don’t think anyone else is aware of the spy. I can’t explain it but I know we were being watched.”
Kastle asked, “Is there anything we can do about it?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Tariq shrugged and moved over to the bunk to collect his meager belongings. “Then let’s get ready to ride and keep our eyes open. I for one do not trust Hákon.”
“Neither do I but our situation dictates our choices.” Kastle slapped the assassin on the shoulder. “Didn’t Shakespeare write something like necessity makes for strange bedfellows? Our best chance for locating Aaliyah is finding Jagoda and Hákon is our best chance for that.”
Chapter 15
Gamble, Mathias and Pixi had left the second morning to scout out Antioch. After the debacle in Saebroc, they were the logical choice. Tao had dropped them off at the edge of the forest within a day’s walk of the city. The plan was simple, get in, get information and get out. The companions had pooled their money, so they were well funded. The trio had walked all night and arrived at the city gates an hour after sunrise.
After the simple log palisade of Saebroc, the stone walls of Antioch seemed impressive even to Pixi. Growing up in London, the British teenager was no stranger to castles but Antioch surpassed them all. The walls were of a grey-white marble-like stone that none of them recognized, even the dwarven mindset of Gamble. He judged the walls to be seventy feet tall and smooth to the touch. Even with the stonemasonry skills imparted to him by the transfer, the dwarf couldn’t figure out how the builders of Antioch had crafted the impressive barrier.
There were only two gates visible, both chocked full of merchants and farmers bringing their wares to market. Pixi shrunk herself to her smallest size, about six inches tall, and remained invisible as Mathias and Gamble hopped in line to wait their turn to enter the grand city. Mathias kept his hood up to cover his slightly pointed ears and planted a friendly smile on his face.
The guards gave them the once over with a practiced eye before one of them focused his attention on the half-elf. “First time to the big city woodsman?”
Mathias nodded. “Is it that obvious?”
The guard gestured to his partner. “Not to everyone but Mal and I have been working this gate for nigh on eight years now. We can tell the newcomers. You all have the same look.”
“I have heard of this city all my life. I finally decided that I needed to see it in all its grandeur.”
The second guard with the sour look on his face that the friendly one had identified as Mal asked, “What’s your business in Antioch?”
Mathias had been expecting this question and rattled the coins in his belt pouch. “Shopping. My father’s birthday is in a
fortnight and I wanted to get him something special.” By the way both guards nodded, Mathias guessed it was an acceptable reason. “Since we are new here can you direct us to a map vendor? This place seems so huge.”
The guards chuckled at his tone and the friendly guard said, “Aye. Pinon’s is right around the corner. Best maps in the region.”
Mal looked down at the dwarf. “Not the talkative type?”
Gamble jerked a thumb at his firend. “He does enough talking for the both of us.”
That brought a grin to Mal’s face as he glanced at his fellow guard. “I know the feeling.”
As the pair began to walk past, Sal held out his hand to bar his passage. Mathias paused. “Sir?”
“One suggestion, stay away from the docks, that’s a rough neighborhood. And hide your purse, you don’t want to tempt the street urchins.”
Mal spit in the dirt. “That’s two suggestions you dummy.”
Seeing the guards’ attention shift away from them as they began to bicker in what seemed to be a long standing debate, the three Outlanders followed the line of merchants and entered Antioch.
Pixi whispered, “That was easy.”
Mathias hid his smile. “Yes it was but I have been through many checkpoints over the years. Crossing back and forth from Canada to the United States on a regular basis you learn a few tricks.”
Gamble raised an eyebrow. “Why would you have to distract the guards at the border?”
“Because as much as I hate to admit it, I like my weed and I never leave home without it.”
The dwarf just shook his head.
Mathias felt Pixi land on his shoulder as she asked, “Okay. What’s next?”
Gamble said, “Just like Mathias asked, first we find a map and then we find something to drink, preferably a nice Guinness.”
Mathias shook his head. “I seriously doubt we will find a Guinness here.”
Gamble shrugged. “Well, it might take a while to find one similar but I’ll enjoy sampling the local brew.”
Both Mathias and Pixi laughed as the trio moved through the crowded streets of Antioch in search of a good beer.
* * * * *
Tao enjoyed the solitude of his afternoon ride on Shadow.
They had been in Camp-Five for two days and truth be told, Tao was getting restless, hence this afternoon flight on his wyvern. Even though he was extremely well rested and relaxed, he had no idea where his relationship with Arieal was heading. She seemed to ignore him throughout the day, only answering direct questions and keeping herself busy in a different section of camp. But each night, long after everyone had gone to bed, she appeared in his room, undressed and attacked him with unrivaled passion. Although it was strange, it was in many ways satisfying.
Turning his attention back to his flight, he nudged Shadow slightly downward. He wanted to keep low over the trees as he winged his way east toward the coast. Almost as far as the eye could see were trees; the only remarkable feature was the towering volcano in the distance. He knew from his captured map that Camp Five was actually on the northern side of the Dark Forest with a dormant volcano near its center. It was also the legendary home of the elves before they disappeared from this realm. It was still marked with a rune for ‘forbidden’ which Tao took as a warning not to travel there.
Shifting in his saddle to his left, Shadow banked slightly to the north. He knew if his map was correct, there would be a village just past the upcoming river and he didn’t want to fly over it, so he banked left to follow the river as it wound northeast which would allow him to study the village. This precaution kept him several hundred yards away but close enough that he could study the simple community.
Most of the buildings were simple log built homes but at least two seemed to be constructed from some sort of grey stone, one looked to be a church but he had no idea about the other one, at least not from this distance. If he had to guess, there seemed to be a couple hundred people in the village and no walls present. It actually looked to be very inviting. But he knew that looks could be deceiving. Twice now he’d been accused of being an Atlantean and both times that had heralded hostilities. Why he had been singled out, he didn’t know, yet. But it was obvious that the Atlanteans weren’t very popular in these parts. Then, there were the original wyvern riders. They had acted like bandits and the townsfolk had obviously been in fear of them. Tao couldn’t help but wonder if there was any form of centralized government or ruling body in the region?
Following the curve of the river, the village was temporarily out of sight when the sounds of battle echoed through the trees. From this height, he could tell that this was a robbery gone wrong. It looked as if bandits had attempted to rob a stagecoach only to have it go bad. The bandits had attacked just after the transport had crossed the river. Judging from the fallen outriders, the bandits had taken out the escorts quickly and surrounded the coach. It looked to be an expertly executed robbery. At least until the trap had been sprung.
The stagecoach wasn’t full of passengers, it was full of warriors. As soon as the twenty or so bandits concentrated their attacks on the warriors inside the stagecoach, a shrill horn echoed through the trees and suddenly, the bandits found themselves surrounded by more warriors as they emerged from the forests. All the new warriors wore silver chainmail covered by white tabards emblazoned with a red symbol of a crossed key and sword while their heads were covered with some sort of hood.
Tao’s first impression was that of a holy order of knights, similar to the Templar Knights of medieval England. They were well trained and supremely disciplined as they attacked, staying in formation and letting their shields cover their partner’s flank. It was going to be a massacre but Tao banked his wyvern around for a second pass, curious about the outcome.
* * * * *
Kastle was impressed with the efficiency in which Hákon’s men dispatched the outriders. They were clean kills and utterly silent. Of course, the brigands probably had plenty of practice. As the bandits pounced on the stagecoach, something seemed out of place to the priest. Maybe it was the steely eyed driver or the extra doors on the stagecoach? Something seemed wrong. He was about to call out a warning to Hákon when the double doors on the coach flew open and out poured nine Peacekeepers. Kastle knew at that moment that they were toast.
The Peacekeepers were a military order out of the Southland which promised to keep the peace through force of arms and strength of faith. As a priest, Kastle had been treated with courtesy and respect but he had always been leery of the knights. They had arrived in Crooner’s Gap six months earlier but knew way too much about the land and its people. He had always suspected that they had some sort of underlying plan for the area. Now it seemed that he had discovered it. They were planning on winning their way into the hearts of the common folk by destroying all bandits. Kastle knew it would work too. The bandits who preyed on the people of the Forestlands were the subject of daily conversations. The simple folk of Crooner’s Gap and the other small villages in the area just wanted to be left alone. If the Peacekeepers could do that, then they would find support from the townsfolk.
Of course, Kastle knew that nothing came without a cost. You don’t pay a wolf to kill the fox that has been eating your chickens. Sure it will work. Soon you won’t have a fox but then, you won’t have any chickens either.
* * * * *
Callistra knew something was wrong the moment the two outriders fell to Hákon’s archers. She didn’t know what or how but everything was wrong. Maybe it was the fact that the escort riders fell soundlessly to the arrows? Maybe it was the impending sense of dread she had felt growing all day? Whatever it was, she held Tariq back slightly as the bandits moved in for the kill.
“Something’s wrong,” she said in a faraway voice.
The assassin hesitated. He had already realized that there was something special about the witch. The moment the doors flew open and the armored knights attacked, Tariq slipped into the shadows and faded from view.
<
br /> Callistra was more direct.
Realizing that this was a trap, she turned her attention to the surrounding woods and wasn’t surprised to see more of the Peacekeepers charging the brigands. Ever practical, she contemplated fleeing but that meant she would have to leave Kastle behind. He wasn’t her husband and she didn’t love him but to be honest with herself, she had grown fond of him. Besides she knew that Patrick would never leave a companion behind, no matter the odds and he would never forgive her if he ever found out. So, she pulled out her wand and began casting spells.
* * * * *
As Tao circled the battlefield, he watched in fascination as the bandits fought a valiant but futile battle. Outnumbered, they were quickly surrounded and decimated until there were only two pockets of resistance, one group of five bandits lead by a large warrior with an axe and a smaller group of three with their backs to a large tree. He estimated that there were at least fifty knights in white surrounding the two groups. It was only a matter of time before the knights prevailed.
Tao turned Shadow into a tight circle to keep the battle in sight. He was extremely interested in the trio that was surrounded. The red cloaked warrior with the warhammer was making short work of any of the knights which came inside his reach. A grey robed assassin would pop into view for a split second as he struck a knight before fading away once again. The third member of the trio was a dark haired female who jumped and moved with unearthly grace; sometimes casting a spell, sometimes striking with her feet and hands. There was something about the way she moved which tugged on his memories. The trio had done so much damage to their attackers that the knights were moving men from the other battle to reinforce their position.
As the dark lady completed an attack, she looked upwards and spied him. They made eye contact for just a brief second. Tao didn’t recognize her nor did he see any malice in those sapphire eyes. That was until she pointed her wand at him and suddenly, Shadow was falling.
Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis Page 12
