Shepherd's Wolf

by M. Andrew Reid

  Kogan’s mace caught another fighter in the face, killing him instantly. Heroes’ long spears buried themselves two or three ranks deep into the enemy lines. Some Heroes left their spears embedded and waving in their targets and drew their swords to press the fight. Other Heroes wrenched the spears free and continued to stab into faces, legs, and anything that was not behind a shield or covered in armor.

  Some Conquerors attempted to fight back. They chopped and hacked at the tower shields, or tried to stab through them. A handful of these thrusts made contact with a Hero, and a lesser number actually pierced a gap in a Hero’s thick plate armor. Even these successful attacks were futile. Any wound that opened up - any scrape or slice - disappeared with a flick of Neveah’s delicate hands.

  One Hero had his throat opened ear to ear by a savage swing from an immense sword. The blood scarcely had time to flow before the wound closed, and the Hero returned the blow.

  Confused Conquerors reeled back. Their line closed around the Explorers, attempting to surround the attackers. Arrows fell as the Explorer bowmen moved into range. Anyone attempting to flank the Heroes chose to turn his back on death raining from above. Mass confusion took hold as some fighters raised their shields overhead to block the arrows, and others charged forward to flank their enemy. Men tripped and fell. Some stumbled directly into spear points as their fellow Conquerors at the rear pressed forward. The charge had its intended effect, demoralizing the enemy and destabilizing their lines. The Heroes were a small force, but they carried discipline and heavy armor.

  When Kogan gave a signal, Viper joined the fight.

  He vaulted over Kogan’s back and landed amongst the enemy. An instant later, combatants staggered back in a bright flash of lightning. Scorched bodies exploded skyward, trailing smoke and ash. Viper continued to cut a hole into the enemy forces, sword in one hand and lightning flowing from the other. Nevaeh raised an arm toward Viper, surrounding him in an orb of light. Any sword, axe, or spear that snaked close to Viper as he whirled and slashed was turned aside. He was a tornado of destruction, slicing a gaping wound in the Conqueror army. His allies followed, forcing their way farther and farther into the mass of enemies. Helpless to stop Viper or the driving wedge, the Conquerors were split into two confused groups.

  Kogan fought at Viper’s back, surrounded in his own shield of light. His mace glowed white hot, knocking aside anyone foolish enough to press forward. Kogan swatted full-grown men and Brutalli like flies. Broken bodies left the earth with each brutal swing. One brave Agilus tried rolling underneath the mace and stabbing at Kogan’s belly with a short sword. Kogan simply stamped down on the would-be assassin with his heavy plate boot, crushing his attacker’s ribcage flat. Blood bubbled from the Agilus’s mouth before he vanished in a green mist. Kogan roared in triumph, and golden light radiated from his mace. Emboldened Heroes slashed and hacked with newfound vigor.

  When the light hit Viper, he went into a frenzy, spinning like a turbine blade and throwing blood and fire and gore in every direction. The lightning storm that surrounded him grew in intensity, with white hot bolts licking out to sear flesh and melt metal.

  Limerick watched all this from afar. He grunted in satisfaction when the main body of Explorer infantry crashed into the Conquerors. A wave of moving bodies and steel sent ripples through the battle lines. Limerick signaled his archers to cease fire, directing them to the flanks to chase down any routers.

  “It’s going well, sir,” Doc said. The huge Brutalli brought a plate with tea and some sandwiches to his master. He set the plate on a small folding table that stood beside the hovering depiction of the battle.

  “Seems that way,” Limerick agreed. He grabbed a sandwich from the plate. Triangle cut, no crust.

  “Were you expecting it to be this easy, doll?” Kate peered at the battle through Limerick’s spyglass.

  “No. To be honest I’m a little apprehensive. But somebody has to win, right?”

  Limerick focused on two figures standing opposite him on the far side of the battlefield. Grave and Tungsten had not joined the fight. They were watching carefully. Limerick’s goggles zoomed in on Tungsten’s face. He saw a tight grin, not a look of disappointment. Grave said something to Tungsten, and Tungsten shook his head. Grave twirled a knife impatiently.

  “Did you see that?” Kate asked.

  “I did. I don’t like it, but we have to move forward. Give me the blue flare. It’s time to mop up.”

  Kat walked over to a blue rocket stuck into the hillside. The rocket was made of thick paper and sported a conical nose; a cartoon caricature. She lit it by pulling a derringer from her bodice and firing it at the fuse. She blew on the tiny gun to cool it off and slipped it back inside, casting a coy smile in Limerick’s direction. Limerick rolled his eyes.

  Cascades of blue sparks followed the rocket upward. Hundreds of feet up, it exploded. The Explorer’s heavy horse surged forward. Limerick could hear the thunder of hooves and blasts from war horns as their charge gained momentum. When the knights struck home, they would smother any fight left in the Conquerors. Now, all he could do was wait.

  Viper shouted to Kogan, “I need to recharge!”

  Kogan nodded and roared, “Turtle up!”

  In a heartbeat, the Heroes locked their shields into an impenetrable wall. Nevaeh cast a warding spell that pushed all enemies in the area back several feet. Viper slid underneath Kogan’s shield before it crashed down, sealing the wall shut. He knelt, and held his hand near his sword, drawing energy from the Spark Katana. As magic power flowed into Viper, the blade grew dim.

  Furious Conquerors pushed through the ward and scrabbled against the shield wall. Without fighting back, the Heroes would lose ground. Viper smacked Kogan on the back, “Ok.”

  “Open up!” Kogan raised his shield and slammed it into the enemies in front of him, sending them sprawling. The Heroes unlocked their shields and resumed their forward press.

  Viper vaulted into the air once more.

  From his perch on the hill, Limerick frowned.

  Kogan’s perfectly executed turtle maneuver gave Viper a safe place to recharge his magical abilities. Viper was a Spellsword, an offense-oriented class not renowned for its sustainability in battle. “Fry them fast and get out” was advice often given to novice Spellswords.

  Limerick frowned not at Viper’s actions, but at what Grave and Tungsten did when Kogan ordered the turtle. For the first time since the battle began, Tungsten motioned to one of his aides. Several seconds later, a black rocket screamed skyward on the Conqueror’s side and exploded in an oily gray cloud. Committed to battle, the Explorers would not think twice about the signal from the enemy lines.

  “Not good.” Limerick swept aside the plate of sandwiches, “Coat! Rifle!”

  Doc held out Limerick’s coat, and Kate handed him the flintlock rifle once he had put his arms in the sleeves.

  “What’s wrong, sir?” Kate had worry in her voice.

  “Maybe nothing,” Limerick replied. “Maybe everything.”

  He bounded down the hill toward the battle’s right flank. Rifle in one hand, he used the other to hold his top hat in place. If he was going to die, he was going to look good.

  Viper did not land inside the Conquerors. He landed behind Nevaeh, who was unaware of him as she continued healing her allies.

  Neveah’s eyes went wide with shock when the Spark Katana sizzled out of her chest. Before the Priestess could react, Viper pulled the sword free and sliced her head off clean - no magic could heal this. Three golden halos fell to the earth and grew dim. Behind Neveah’s crumpling body, a trail of flowers withered and died.

  Viper sheathed the sword and swept his arms forward on either side. Thick walls of ice, six feet high, grew behind the Heroes. The walls separated them from Kogan, who was laying waste with his mace - oblivious.

  Some of the Heroes noticed that Neveah’s “buff” spells disappeared. Those near her had benefitted from auras of strength and speed. They tu
rned to face the ice wall, and could see the distorted shape of Viper moving behind the ice. One man tried to scream a warning before an axe caught his temple. The Conquerors were pressing harder, using the distraction to their benefit.

  Limerick saw Nevaeh go down and saw the ice walls go up. His fears were coming true before his eyes, “Kogan, you idiot. I warned you.”

  He ran faster, bringing the heavy rifle to bear. The top hat fell off, but he forgot about it. Viper was rushing forward; Limerick could see his head bobbing above the ice wall. Holding his breath, Limerick stopped and dropped to one knee. His finger squeezed the trigger.

  Viper leapt with all of his might and drew the Spark Katana. White metal flashed to life as he pointed it down toward the earth rushing beneath him. He screamed with fury, and Kogan turned. Something tugged briefly at Viper’s shoulder, but he ignored it. Everything was slowing down. There was only Kogan.

  Their eyes met as Viper plunged his sword down, deep into the gap between Kogan’s jaw and collar. Bolts of lightning streaked from the sky, engulfing both of them and scorching the earth. The ice walls exploded, instantly transformed to steam. Bolts from the sky struck again and again. Kogan breathed smoke and fire as he burned to a crisp from the inside out. His eyes, however, remained locked on Viper’s. As Kogan toppled, a charred hand reached out and grabbed Viper’s arm. The weight nearly pulled him over.

  Viper stared down at Kogan’s charred corpse. A look of shock - or remorse - was dashed away when Tungsten galloped up on his undead steed.

  “Take them, you fool!” Tungsten shouted at him, waving a bag in Viper’s face. He leaned down from his undead horse and tossed the bag at Viper. “Leave this place now! You are not welcome on either side! Everyone will be swinging for you. Quite frankly, you disgust even me.”

  Viper clumsily caught the bag; he needed to get off the battlefield. His shoulder was throbbing - Limerick had not missed completely - and blood was trickling down his arm. Viper reached into the bag and pulled out a glittering, glowing marble. He thought about a safe place, where his horse, Venom, was waiting for him. He vanished.

  Limerick cursed at Grave. “I hate cats!”

  Grave had appeared from thin air, attacking Limerick and sending his shot wide. The Agilus must have sprinted through the grass, invisible, while Limerick focused on Viper.

  Limerick knew that he had failed to prevent the betrayal. Viper’s lightning was visible for miles, marking Kogan’s death.

  Now, the two circled each other warily. Limerick had a cut on his ear. He tossed his spent muskets away. Grave had wriggled around the shots like a snake - his ability to dodge was unnatural. Limerick drew his cane from his belt and pulled out a narrow concealed blade, separating the compass-rose handle from its wooden stem. He held the stem in one hand to parry. The blade licked out at Grave.

  Grave spun away and slashed with his black knives. He bared his teeth and stabbed again. Limerick parried with his cane and took a swipe at Grave’s legs. Grave laughed and sidestepped the fruitless swing. Limerick was not a swordsman; this fight would not be a long one.

  Grave tensed to pounce when there was a crack; a spout of earth danced at his feet. Soon another crack rang out and a second fountain of dirt erupted. Limerick turned to see Kate and Doc racing toward him.

  Kate had at least six pistols crammed into the pockets and folds of her dress. Doc was carrying an enormous brass blunderbuss. He raised the monstrosity; there would be no dodging whatever escaped that golden maw. Limerick realized he was in the cone of fire and took a step back.

  Grave vanished in a cloud of dark smoke and shadow. His footsteps padded away, bending grass as he fled back toward the battle. Limerick turned to his companions.

  “I think it’s time to pack it in.”

  When they crested the hill, Limerick turned back to watch the death of his Explorer friends.

  Using dark magic, Tungsten had resurrected Kogan’s lifeless body. The Warlock controlled his enslaved corpse from the saddle of his undead horse. This abomination screamed a hideous scream as it bashed its way through the Explorers and feasted on their flesh. Kogan’s charred white armor was covered in blood and viscera. No spear or spell or arrow would bring Kogan’s shade down.

  Sentinel, the white mace that had slain many foes, was wrapped in shadow, and it pulverized everything it touched. Kogan had dropped his shield, instead picking up a fleeing Explorer from time to time. He would occasionally take a bite from his helpless captive, or use the body to bludgeon others.

  The Explorer heavy horse had continued their charge. Some of them were able to disengage, but many were trapped in the press of bodies. Terrified horses trampled friend and foe alike in their attempt to escape the monstrosity that was bearing down on them. Kogan reached out to grab a horse by the muzzle. He tore the poor beast’s head off, soaking the grass in warm blood.

  Not even Conquerors were safe from destruction. They quickly moved themselves away from Tungsten and stayed behind him. Kogan stomped forward, helpless to do anything but watch as he crushed and maimed his own friends. His eyes rolled in fear; he had a front row seat to unwanted destruction at his own hands.

  Behind him, Tungsten cackled. A stream of purple energy flowed between his staff and Kogan’s chest. He led his undead slave forward, scattering the Explorers before him like ants. The Spark Katana jutted from Kogan’s neck, a hateful glow surrounding the wound that oozed black blood. A horn blew - sounding a full retreat - and a blue Verdian sky filled with puffy white clouds became the backdrop of a massacre.

  Verdia City

  Limerick’s Office

  Limerick leaned back, “I opened with that battle because it really set the tone for my career; I had a set of clear rivals and I wanted to beat them at every turn. Up until that point I was driven mostly by curiosity; after the battle, I needed to be first at everything to steal as many victories from the Conquerors as I could.”

  Sitting quietly in Limerick’s office, in a chair that was slightly too small for his long frame, Bishop looked down at the small sack on his lap. Cool light from within reached up to his face. He looked back up to Limerick.

  “Well what did you think of the story?” Limerick asked. “Not bad, huh? I tried to stay neutral, but it’s tough.”

  “Why would he give these stones to me?”

  “That’s not all of them. He made a deal with the Conquerors. His payment was a magic pouch full of those things. You can take as many out as you want and it will always be full. It is the only pouch like it in Verdia.”

  “Why would the Conquerors give that away?” Bishop asked.

  “Control,” Limerick answered. “They probably have a vault full of them, and the best way to control inventory was to give the bag to someone who won’t share and has no desire to sell them. The Conquerors don’t trust each other. If they kept it, eventually someone would steal it or there would be a big fight. They are cruel but they aren’t idiots.”

  “How do they function?” Bishop pulled out a small handful of marbles.

  “I don’t know? Greed? Denying the truth about their insecurities? I’m not a psychologist,” Limerick replied.

  Bishop returned a look of confusion, and Limerick held up a hand in apology, “Oh, you mean the stones. I thought you were asking about the Conquerors. Officially, they are called reverta stones, you’ll usually hear them called bail-outs. They will take you anywhere in Verdia you have been before. Each stone is good for one two-way trip once an hour. The stone vanishes either at the end of the two-way trip or about twenty minutes after a one-way.

  “They are the single most powerful item in the game. I think current market value for one of those is five thousand USD. They are the main reason that Viper has never died. Any time he gets in a bad spot- poof.” Limerick made a mock explosion with his hands.

  “Five thousand dollars?” Bishop was amazed.

  “Yup.” Limerick slapped his desk, “You are holding a quarter million easily. But Viper doesn’t care
about money. He just wants things so that no one else can have them.”

  “You’re sure you don’t want them?” Bishop asked.

  “I don’t need the money and I don’t need the stones. I’m an Explorer class. If I’ve been there before, I can go there again.” He pointed to his cane. The compass-shaped head glimmered with green light.

  “Viper won’t betray me. He knows he has to play my game to get what he wants.”

  Limerick gave a rueful grin, “Are you sure of that? He doesn’t seem to know what he wants sometimes. That’s another pitfall of working with him.”

  “I have no choice but to take the risk.”

  Limerick sighed, “Tell you what: tell me your crazy plan and I might give you a hand. I have no interest in helping Viper, but if he double-crosses you it won’t affect me in the slightest.”

  Bishop decided it was best not to hold back. If Limerick was not trustworthy, he was smart enough to figure things out anyway. He took five minutes to explain his plan.

  Limerick chuckled, “That’s great! You are going to piss off the Conquerors even if you fail. Let them chase you all over Verdia. Does Kogan know about this yet? He might lend a hand.”

  Bishop shook his head, “He will shortly.”

  “Does he know about Viper?”

  “Athena will handle Kogan as she sees fit. I believe she will tell him.”

  Limerick darkened, “I would advise against telling Kogan about Viper. You won’t get anything out of him if you do.”

  “Honesty is the best policy.”

  “Not this time.”

  Limerick stood and approached a large bureau of drawers. He shuffled through a drawer for a bit before he pulled out a rolled-up map and spread it on his desk. A crude schematic of rooms- there were eight of them in all.

  “This is it,” Limerick said. “My guide goes to seven. Our official story was that a couple of us almost died in room six and we decided to pull back after reaching a safe spot in room seven. The truth is that we all died in room seven. I was intentionally vague in my book.”