The Kings of Edonis: Omegaverse 4

by G. R. Cooper

  “Video store?” laughed Lauren, “jeez, you’re old!”

  Rydra let out a shriek of laughter, “You want old? I saw that movie in the theater. First run!”

  “He wins,” Snorri added, the others nodded, then Snorri looked back up at Wulfgar, “Hey! I heard that you finally missed it!”

  Wulfgar shrugged, nodded, “I did, this morning.”

  “Missed what?” asked Rydra.

  “Taking a shit!” roared Snorri, “damn I miss taking a huge shit in the morning.”

  Lauren shook her head and laughed.

  “I sure as hell don’t,” said Rydra, “but I had plenty of time to get over stuff like that. I can’t even remember from before this world what it was like to take a good, roaring piss,” he shook his head, “last few decades, all it did was dribble out. I’m glad to be done with all of that.”

  “And on that note,” laughed Lauren, “shall we continue our journey?”

  Narri hadn’t been at her desk when they entered, so they went directly through her office into the catacombs. After their brief introductions, they had discussed how best to go about finding the Aos Si and Rydra had wisely pointed out that the Rat King of Wet, if they could find him again, would be an excellent source for that - since it was his territory that the Aos Si were invading anyway.

  They once again tasked Bear with finding the king and they all set off following the same path that they’d taken the day before. After a time, they came into the large cavern, the site of yesterday’s battle, now cleaned of all signs of the struggle that had taken place.

  “It’s interesting,” Wulfgar said to Lauren, “how what felt like took forever yesterday went by rather quickly today.”

  “Finding this place? Yeah,” she smiled, “it always seems quicker the second time you go anywhere.”

  After the exchange, the group heard some rustling from one of the passages off the far end of the cavern. Lauren unsheathed her sword and Snorri a double-bladed battle axe while Wulfgar and Rydra moved in behind the tanks, Wulfgar pulling out his short sword while Rydra drew twin knives - evil looking curved daggers.

  A large rat - the King of Wet, Wulfgar thought - entered the room and the party relaxed and holstered their weapons.

  “My King,” said Wulfgar, walking forward and bowing, “we have come to seek your assistance in our quest.” He assumed that since he had accepted the quest for the party, it was up to him to speak, “We need your assistance,” he repeated, “in finding the Aos Si. We are all unfamiliar with your realm.”

  The rat nodded and hissed, “Of course. I will assign one of my people to guide you. My son, in fact. Follow me.”

  The king turned and moved back into the same passageway from which it had emerged and the party followed.

  “That was easy,” whispered Wulfgar.

  After a short trip through unfamiliar caves, they came to another, smaller, cavern. This one bustled with a large number of rats, many of them much smaller.

  “This,” began the king, “is where we’ve been forced to. Our females and pups are here, squeezed between two enemies, while our bucks hold the lines between the Aos Si and the Dark King’s folk.”

  The party moved toward another light gray rat, nearly as large as the king, who turned to face them.

  “My son,” said the king by way of introduction.

  “My prince,” said Wulfgar bowing. The rest of the party followed his lead. Bear sat and began scratching behind his right ear.

  “Our saviors?” asked the prince to his father, who nodded. The prince looked back up to the party.

  “We hope so,” answered Wulfgar. “We’ll try.” Then, for no reason he could think of, he added, “I pledge our lives to this quest.”

  “You have promised to complete this quest. You will lose reputation if you fail.”

  “You have gained in reputation with the Rat folk.”

  He heard low groans behind him.

  “Dumbass,” whispered Snorri.

  The prince and the king, however, bowed low before the party, and the king responded, “I pledge my oldest son to the completion of the quest, as well, he will accompany you. As will,” he added, “one of my healers.”

  The king turned and summoned, without speaking, a small long whiskered rat. She had large eyes and a delicate mouth, and her paws looked amazingly like small, rounded human hands. She came forward and bowed.

  “She does not,” said the prince, “have a human tongue, but I will speak for her.”

  “She has no small skill in healing,” added the king, “and should hopefully be of assistance should the Aos Si prove intractable. She has proved invaluable in our recent struggles.”

  “Does she understand us?” asked Lauren. The little rat nodded.

  “Does she have a name?” the blacksmith continued.

  “An unmated female is called a doe,” said the prince. “That will suffice, as will prince for me.”

  “Prince, eh?” snorted Rydra under his breath. “Does he party like it’s 1999?”

  Wulfgar stifled a laugh and, hiding his smile, bowed deeply again, “Our thanks, my king. We will now surely have no problem fulfilling your quest. I hope to have your people in their homes soon.”

  The party, now four humans, two rodents and one very large canine, made their way through the caves, directed by the prince. As they moved, eastward Wulfgar presumed, a dampness absent from the earlier catacombs enveloped them; a humidity that seemed to increase the dank quality of the cavern. They also began to smell the first tang of sea salt. They entered a large cave, larger than any that they’d seen, and found themselves surrounded by a large number of rats. One approached the prince and bowed, looking, Wulfgar thought, like a Lipizzaner stallion - dropping to one fore-knee while extending his other leg forward, his snout brushing the ground.

  After a few moments the prince nodded and the rat returned to its ranks.

  “We are at the limits of our territory,” began the prince, “after this we are in the control of the Aos Si.” He pointed to one of three passages off the eastern end of the cavern and looked back to Wulfgar, “Which should we choose.”

  Without thinking Wulfgar answered, “Take us to your hearth. Your home. I imagine that’s where we’ll find their rulers.”

  The prince nodded and turned, “The center path.” He moved toward it.

  “Wait,” said Snorri, “uhm, my prince, I think you should let me go first. Just in case.”

  The prince nodded and the party moved away, through the line of rats and deeper into the caves.

  Lauren dropped back to cover the rear as they entered the passage, motioning for Doe to move into the center. The little rat did, timidly moving in next to Bear and walking on the dog’s left flank. Just ahead were Wulfgar and Rydra, then the prince, all following as Snorri led the way.

  “Never,” said Snorri softly over his shoulder, “volunteer me for another oath, OK?”

  “OK,” agreed Wulfgar. He looked to Rydra.

  “You should never pledge yourself either,” continued Rydra placatingly, “oaths have effects here. They truly bind you in more ways that just giving your word.”

  Wulfgar nodded, embarrassed.

  “As it is though, this one isn’t too bad. It might be worth the risk,” he looked forward to Snorri who, without looking back, nodded.

  “How so?” asked Wulfgar.

  “Can’t tell yet, but the pledge will likely serve to increase our reward. Not only with this quest but for all of the associated quests. I guess,” he shrugged, “whether the pledge applies to the entire chain.”

  The group entered a small chamber and Snorri halted looking around. When he was satisfied that they were alone, he put up his axe and pulled off his backpack. Opening it, he pulled out a glass jar full of a white liquid and a small bowl containing a large, yellowish cube.

  “What’s that?” asked Lauren from behind them.

  “Milk and butter,” said Snorri over his shoulder.

 
“Hungry?” asked Wulfgar.

  “I take it you’re not lactose intolerant,” added Rydra.

  Snorri laughed quietly.

  “No. Unlike you uneducated heathens, I did my research. The Aos Si are often bribed with gifts, and one of the traditional gifts is milk and butter.”

  “Bribe is such an ugly word,” said a voice in Wulfgar’s ear. He felt a small, cold, blade pressed against his throat, its pinpoint pressed in toward his carotid artery. “You should really call it a, uhm, what Tane?”

  Wulfgar froze. He saw a small man-like creature suddenly appear on Snorri’s shoulder, holding a finger length blade at the man’s neck.

  “Offering, I think. Offering is a much nicer word, Bael,” it said.

  “Does everyone have someone sticking a blade in their neck?” asked Wulfgar. He was answered by low grunts from around him and a muffled growl from Bear.

  “Everyone does,” said the voice in his ear, “but does everyone need to be told what happens if they do anything remotely uhm, what’s the word, Tane?”

  “The word stupid should suffice, I think, Bael” said Snorri’s captor.

  “Does everyone need to be told what happens if they do anything remotely stupid?” concluded the voice.

  “I don’t think so,” said Wulfgar, then flinched as the blade’s pressure increased, “No. I mean, no I don’t. No we don’t.” The pressure relaxed.

  “We also don’t have to be told,” he said louder, “that we are all at your mercy. That even if you were to remove the blades from our throats and then engaged us in conversation, that we would be in no less danger. At all.”

  The voice, closer to his ear this time, whispered, “Good. Any questions?”

  “Want some milk?” asked Wulfgar lightly.

  “You’re right,” Rydra conceded, leaning in to whisper in Wulfgar’s ear, “she is cute.” He laughed a little, then added, “If you’re into that sort of thing.”

  Wulfgar smiled. He, Rydra and Snorri, along with Bear, Prince and Doe, were huddled, sitting, in the middle of a large cavern watching Lauren speak to the leader of the Aos Si. She was in front of a small, elevated area within the cave, on which was sitting a pair - two of the most beautiful people that Wulfgar had ever seen. They lounged with careless insouciance, regal in shining robes that spread around their small bodies. It seemed that they shimmered, whether from some artificial light or an inherent magic, he couldn’t tell.

  “Your majesty,” began Lauren, bowed and speaking to the floor in front of them.

  “How many kings of Edonis are there?” whispered Wulfgar sardonically.

  “Too many,” said the male of the pair, standing and looking toward Wulfgar, who blushed, cursing himself for his stupidity.

  “Too many,” the king repeated, walking toward Lauren, “but we are not here by choice.”

  Lauren looked up at him, “And we’re here to help.”

  “All of you?” asked the king, looking to the Wulfgar’s left.

  Wulfgar turned his head and watched the rat prince walk forward and give a perfunctory nod.

  “Yes,” hissed the prince, “if we can be of service to help you all return to your home. We will.”

  “Yes,” agreed Lauren, “but first we need to know where your home is and why you had to leave.”

  The little king looked back up to his partner, who began to speak with a voice like soft music. Wulfgar felt drawn to her, he felt that he’d gladly do anything she asked. The world began to change, to brighten - he was overcome with a warmth, a surety that everything would be fine thanks to the queen. He was overcome with the desire to die for her. Then he shook his head, pushing the thought away.

  “You have successfully resisted the Charm of the Faerie!”

  He looked to Rydra, who smiled back, nodding. They both looked to Snorri, who seemed to have glazed over and was nodding, drool hanging from his lower lip.

  Wulfgar reached forward and flicked the big man’s left earlobe.

  Snorri shook his head, stunned, then looked back at Wulfgar and whispered, “Thanks, owe you one.” They all looked back at the queen, who chuckled softly.

  “You’d have not so easily escaped my snare if we were on my island, Baile,” she shrugged, then continued, “In any case, if you would help us willfully, I am still pleased.” The king, once again taking his seat by her side, looked less so. He frowned at the group.

  “We were forced away from Baile,” he said, then his voice lowered, “by the Baen Si.”

  A shudder went through the room. The rest of the Aos Si seemed to have been physically assaulted by the words and the light emanating from the royal pair lowered, for a second, before returning to its previous brightness.

  “Will you help us?” pleaded the queen.

  “We will,” answered Lauren, speaking for the group.

  “You have accepted the quest Baen Si’s Wail I by the Faerie Queen!”

  The message, Wulfgar thought, somehow felt orange. He couldn’t describe it in any other way. When he had accepted the previous quests in the chain, there had been no particular feeling at all. That could only mean one thing, he thought - this quest, unlike the previous ones, was more difficult. More dangerous.

  “At least,” he thought thankfully, “it didn’t feel red …”

  “Our thanks,” said the king softly, then his voice rose. “When the Baen Si arrived on Baile, we were sore afraid. Her cry is usually a harbinger of death for one of the folk. But this time, her cry didn’t cease. It continued, for days. There was nothing that we could do.”

  The queen nodded, “We were forced to leave, beginning the cascading effect you’ve seen before you. We do not want to be here,” she looked to the prince, “to have invaded your homes. We want,” she finished simply, “to go home.”

  “Why would the Baen Si do this?”

  The queen sat thoughtfully for a second, “I can think of only one reason. Her home is beset as well. Rid that of whatever drove her out, and she will, I hope, return.”

  Wulfgar gulped, then spoke up, “What could drive her from her home?”

  The queen shook her head, “The Baen Si has power. Great power. But she has no physicality. I can only guess that whatever drove her away is immune to her magic, and likely, all magic.”

  “Or,” added the king, “it is even more powerful than the Baen Si.”

  Wulfgar, with Snorri, Lauren, Rydra and Bear, walked onto a long pier that stretched out into the man-made harbor whose walls completed the great circle that was Edonis. He looked back the way that they’d come. A large half-bowl seemed to have been carved out of the mountain face, within which was the eastern portion of the city. It looked, Wulfgar thought, like the city had been built into the face of a half-domed amphitheater.

  He turned back, to the east, as they made their way through the various sellers of fresh seafood that lined the part of the maze of docks near land. He tried to keep from looking down, from trying to spot the two rats and two Aos Si that were accompanying them, underneath the pier. He hoped that they would be able to keep up with their pace, as they were moving from one piling to the next, but Prince had assured the humans that it would be no problem.

  “Does anyone know where we’re going?” asked Wulfgar.

  Snorri nodded, “Yeah, there should be some boats for hire. Out nearer the end of the docklands,” he shook a small purse that the faerie king had given them for that purpose. Once they had contracted with a captain for the cruise, the rats and the faerie princes would join them on the boat. Extra coins had been provided in case the captain proved to be intractable about the extra passengers - especially the extra passengers in question.

  Wulfgar followed the rest of the group, enjoying the smell and breeze of the ocean air and the cries of the gulls. He was looking at Rydra when he noticed the man shimmer for a second, then return to normal. It wasn’t the first time that he’d seen it happen. Frowning, he squinted at the man, trying to figure it out, when it dawned on him.

/>   “Rydra,” he began, catching up with the man, “are you activating Stealth?”

  He looked up at Wulfgar and grinned, “Oh yeah, man. Gotta keep practicing.” He waved his arms, encompassing the area, “there’s just about no way I could successfully do it, it being sunny and seeing how I’m in the middle of a crowd, but even failures can result in a gain of experience.”

  Wulfgar nodded, wished he’d thought of that earlier. He activated the skill.

  “Stealth Failed.”

  Rydra added, “You just gotta be mindful of when you do it. Don’t ever forget that ten minute cool-down. Don’t want to be practicing the skill in some dungeon, then not be able to use it to get your ass out of a hot little fire!”

  “We really could use a watch,” laughed Wulfgar, “maybe a nice Rolex.”

  “I was always an Omega man, myself,” chuckled Rydra, “but if you just think on the skill, it’ll tell you about how long you have ‘til you can use it again.”

  Wulfgar did. He thought about using Stealth and knew, just knew, that he had a little over nine minutes until the cool-down period ended and he could use it again.

  “That’s handy, thanks.”

  “Ain’t no thang,” grinned the little man, “I imagine that before too long, you’ll have plenty to teach me as well.”

  They continued walking, moving through the crowds of shoppers and mongers, along the boulevard-wide docks that stretched out from the city waterfront toward the encircling harbor wall. As they reached the halfway point between lands edge and the wall opening - a high arch topped with a large, glass walled room that Wulfgar assumed was some sort of light-house - the docks began to branch out into smaller piers where many of the larger boats were docked. None of them that he could see seemed to be longer than about forty or fifty footers, about fifteen meters long. Decent size for a sailing yacht, but nothing he’d want to take on a long sea voyage.

  The walk, the smells, sights and sounds brought back memories for Wulfgar. About the time, before he’d ever heard of the Omegaverse, a friend had invited him on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina where they would be part of a crew to ferry a forty-seven foot yacht to Norfolk, Virginia. Duncan, his friend and her boyfriend, and another couple had driven a rental car from Charlottesville, Virginia to Charleston where they’d boarded the boat. It was beautiful, long and narrow. It sat low in the water - from the pilot’s seat, you could almost reach into the water on either side.