Shepherd's Wolf

by M. Andrew Reid

  “So what are you like out there? Are you really a big red cat?” Wisp grinned.

  “Only occasionally,” Athena replied. “I do have red hair. And my eyes are actually violet. My mother is from Iceland; my father owns a huge shipping company. They met at some dinner before I was born.”

  “That’s usually how it works.”

  Athena laughed, “That was a rather silly thing to say, wasn’t it? What about you? Do you dress like a ninja all the time and hide in the shadows to strike down your foes?” Athena made a dramatic stabbing motion.

  “No,” Wisp shook his head. “I’m poor and skinny. My mom is a drug addict and my dad is an alcoholic. He can get…” Wisp’s voice trailed off.

  “I like skinny,” Athena attempted to lighten the mood.

  “What are you going to do when you quit? Where will Athena go when she hangs up her bow?” Wisp asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Athena smiled, “I’ve never been to America.”

  …

  It was still dark when everyone signed back on. Wisp covered the dim embers of their fire, and the group climbed down the ridge in silence.

  There were no landmarks on the plain - only grass. Viper picked a star to the north, and told Laura to mark it. After a brief argument over what she was and was not capable of, she finally attempted to mark the star. Several attempts later, a bright light appeared in the sky to their north, and Laura received a round of applause.

  Viper, as serious as ever, did not join in the applause, “That should take us to the plateau. We’ll have to skirt east for a bit to miss a few outposts and towns.”

  When the sun finally rose over the horizon, they were deep into the grass. The star remained - a bright beacon guiding them to their destination. Careless breezes rustled the green blades as the group traced a line across the plain. Christine cast racing shadows as she circled in the pale, chilly skies.

  Bishop shielded his eyes against the sun and looked west. A thin line of smoke marked a town or an outpost far away. Between the group and the town was a vast herd of hurnts. Bishop did not even bother estimating how many of the beasts covered the landscape; the herd rumbled over the grass as far as he could see.

  Several minutes of flying saw the smoke grow slightly thicker. This was puzzling to Bishop; they were moving away from the town, not toward it. He pointed Christine at the town, and was shocked to see another column of smoke appear, and then another. Before long there were five pillars of smoke rising, growing thicker and drifting toward the herd. The brown mass of animals wiggled away from this smoke, sending ripples through the sea of hurnts. Slowly, the flow of leathery beasts picked up speed, moving as a solid mass.

  Bishop realized what was happening and dove toward his friends. They were easy to find, trailing a silver line of trampled grass behind them. A set of low hills separated them from the herd; meaning that they could not see the stampeding hurnts. Christine thudded in front of Venom, frightening the black horse.

  When Viper gained control of Venom, he shouted up at Bishop, “What’s going on?”

  “Someone is lighting fires to the west. There is a herd of hurnts on the other side of these hills.”

  “And the wind is blowing this way.” Viper frowned, “Do we have any cover?”

  “I believe there are some rocks to the east.” Bishop pointed to his left.

  “Change of plans!” Viper yelled to the group. The ground trembled beneath them. “Run.”

  Viper and Venom were disappearing over the next hill before anyone reacted. The rumbling grew stronger. Bishop thundered into the air and rushed toward the advancing herd. He could hear them bellowing; the pounding of countless hooves drowned out Christine’s wingbeats.

  Christine dropped low and flared her wings at the front rank of charging hurnts. They flowed around her as if she were a small stone in a river; it was futile to attempt to curb the flood. Bishop pulled Christine up and they raced back to aid their earthbound friends.

  Despite injury and two passengers, Gabe closed ground with Venom. The rest of the group was lagging behind, with Haymaker in a distant last place behind the others. Athena and Wisp were neck and neck. Bishop found it amusing that they were turning this very serious situation into a competition.

  Christine screeched and opened her claws. She clamped around Haymaker’s shoulders and dragged him, straining to gain altitude. Haymaker was too heavy for her to lift, and she eventually abandoned her efforts to climb. Instead, Haymaker was forced into an awkward jumping motion to avoid being scraped on the ground.

  They passed by Wisp and Athena, and Gabe, and finally rushed past Viper; close enough to rustle the wings on his saddle. Droning like a squadron of fighter planes, Christine flapped for several miles before opening her claws.

  Haymaker stumbled and rolled when he was released; the shield on his back clanging each time he completed a rotation. He clattered to a stop in a swirl of drifting grass and dirt clods. Bishop jumped off beside him, lightening the load on Christine. On the horizon, they could see the small outcropping of rock that was their only chance of salvation.

  Christine banked sharply, turning back toward the stragglers and the oncoming brown wave. Dust and smoke blanketed the western sky. Bishop and Haymaker watched in awe as Christine disappeared into the approaching cloud.

  She returned several minutes later with Wisp in one claw and Athena in the other. Flying low and fast, she shredded grass with her screaming wings. Dark talons opened and delivered two packages. Athena and Wisp choked and coughed out clouds of dirt and dust; Christine had plucked them out of the stampede with only seconds to spare.

  Whistling anxiously, Christine snatched Haymaker in her talons. She was able to gain some altitude without Bishop weighing her down. Soon, Haymaker’s feet were dangling high above the earth as they sped toward the rocks. Bishop summoned his blue riding disc and cast speed buffs on Athena and Wisp. Together they chased after the dragon and her bulky cargo.

  They had scarcely began running before hooves thundered up behind them. Venom flowed past, black liquid, with Viper hunched over on her back. The white wings on the saddle fluttered violently, whipping like flags in a storm.

  Gabe was close on Venom’s heels. His red tongue lolled to one side, spraying his riders with wolf spit. Pained three-legged hops swiftly carried him over the grass. Ben waved at them as he passed; Laura brushed slimy saliva off her arm.

  Christine returned with fury, her thrumming booster wings kicking up blades of grass and clods of earth. She wheeled around and came up on Bishop from behind. The dragon dropped low and ran beside him with her main wings extended and rigid. Bishop grabbed the rope trailing from her neck and swung up onto his perch.

  Kicking at the air, Christine was aloft again. She roughly grabbed Wisp in one claw and Athena in the other. Grass below them was a green blur as they skimmed the earth. Soon they passed over Gabe, and Venom galloped beneath them.

  When they reached the rocks, Haymaker was waiting on top of a smooth granite boulder. Christine unceremoniously dumped Wisp and Athena before landing and allowing Bishop to dismount. He was extracting his robe from one of Christine’s spikes when Venom trotted up to the rocks.

  Viper hopped off his saddle and slapped Venom on her rump. The black horse whinnied and dove into the earth, wrapped in purple fire.

  “Why don’t we just follow her?” Haymaker asked. Everyone ignored him.

  When Gabe arrived, Viper and Haymaker helped him up onto one of the larger rocks. The others made their way to the center of the outcropping. Together they turned to the west, searching for the impending chaos.

  Stones rattled as the herd approached. Soon, all other sounds were buried in a constant dull roar. A pillar of dust and smoke, advancing before the stampede on swift winds, smashed into their tiny granite island.

  Darkness consumed the sky. Brown, heavy bodies shifted around them, bellowing and grunting. Leathery hides rasped against the stones in a constant shuffle. High above, the pale n
orthern sun barely succeeded in reaching them with feeble light. There was nothing to do but wait.

  Two long hours passed before the stampede thinned out. By this time, the party was caked in dust, and the carpet of green grass had been stamped away. Any fires that had ignited the stampede, having no more fuel to burn, had died out long ago; crazed hurnts had continued to run out of blind fear.

  Bishop leveled his staff and blasted most of the dirt off everyone. An exhausted Gabe half slid, half fell off the smooth rock. His wound was getting to him after the exertion and being cramped in one spot for so long. Perching on the rock and being choked with dust had done more damage than running; Gabe hung his head and fell back on his haunches; whining softly as Ben patted his furry brow.

  Viper summoned Venom in a storm of purple fire. He jumped in the saddle, “We need to move. We’re being flanked by whoever started the fires. They will be north of us now waiting to intercept.”

  “Gabe needs to rest,” Laura protested. “We are going to kill him if we keep this up.”

  “No way.” Viper shook his head, “Every minute we waste is another minute that the Conquerors can put obstacles in front of us. We may already have lost too much time to beat the Dalton team.”

  Athena knelt beside Gabe and scratched between his ears. She shook her head, “He needs to rest for a few hours at least, and he needs water.”

  Venom pranced nervously and Viper swore under his breath, “We can’t stop moving. We’re going to get blocked again and they will overtake us long before we reach the Plateau.”

  Ben was silent, and all eyes turned to Bishop. “It won’t do us any good to kill Gabe before we even get close. Gabe will need strength for the final leg of the journey. We should let him rest.”

  “We’ve already lost too much time.” Viper jerked a finger northward, “If we move, he has a chance. At least he will die trying. Right now he’s going to die sitting.”

  Ben sobbed, and he wrapped his arms around Gabe’s muzzle. Athena glared at Viper, but he stared back at her until she looked away.

  “We can’t move him,” Bishop sighed.

  “Then get on your dragon and scout,” Viper said, scowling. “I’m going to do something productive while you wait. Five hours, like we planned.” Without a further word, he galloped away, heading northwest.

  Gabe moved into the scarce shade provided by the rocks, and went to sleep. The others logged off for much needed rest. Bishop swung himself up onto Christine’s neck and launched skyward. He flew west and south, looking for signs of the approaching Dalton team - a line of angry ants marching across the grass.

  …

  Viper returned several hours later, his face hard and angry. He had seen no signs of the Conquerors, which only meant that they were lying in ambush farther north than he was willing to ride. It would be hard to be taken by surprise with Bishop watching over them, but he was anxious nonetheless. Viper knew he would feel better facing a foe that he could see and deal with directly.

  Bishop glided in shortly after, brow furrowed with concern. He approached Viper, who was waiting impatiently by the rocks for the others to sign on, “I found them.” He spoke in a low voice, as if the others would wake up.

  “How far off are they?” Viper asked. He had calmed down, but his eyes were cold.

  “Two days? Three? It’s hard to tell. They were just leaving the hills. They move so fast.” Bishop shook his head, “They aren’t tanks; they have wheels and they are eating up this grassland. Some sort of Armored Personnel Carrier, I would guess.”

  “It doesn’t matter what they are,” Viper replied. “That wolf can’t outrun bullets.”

  “We are going to need God on our side to make it,” Bishop said.

  Viper cracked a cynical grin, “God blesses the prepared, the good-looking, the rich, and the humble; lucky for us I have three of those qualities.”

  Bishop’s eyes went wide, “Where did you hear that?”

  Viper hesitated, “I picked it up somewhere.”

  “So what do we do now?” Bishop asked, staring thoughtfully at Viper.

  “You’ve got two hours to rest; might as well use it.” Viper slumped down with his back to a rock, “I’ll stay here. When everyone comes back, we move and we don’t stop until the wolf can’t take another step.”

  Chapter 19

  Shards of Glass

  Valor Pharmaceuticals Headquarters

  Seattle, Washington

  Patrick Downs, the aging steward of the Valor kingdom, worried over a set of legal documents on his desk. It was dark in his office; an old lamp provided barely enough light to read. Outside his windows, the parking lot of Valor Pharmaceuticals was empty; employees had gone home long ago. This office was his home, and it had been for over forty years.

  His desk phone rang, and a slightly shaky hand reached for it. Yes, it had a cord; no, he was not going to buy a new one. He rested the receiver against his ear. “Downs.”

  “Hi Pat, it’s Chuck.”

  A voice from the past - as timeworn as his own. Downs smiled, “It’s been a long time Chuck. How are you?”

  “You know how it is. I got your flowers last month. They were lovely.”

  “Your wife was a wonderful lady. She left us too soon, Chuck.”

  “She was happy at the end,” the voice said. “That’s what matters.”

  Downs nodded, “What are you up to these days?”

  “I’ve got a hobby that keeps me pretty busy. A little different than what I thought I would be doing at my age, but it’s enough.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, Chuck,” Downs leaned forward in his seat, “but do you need help with something? It’s been a while since we’ve talked and it’s strange to hear from you out of the blue.”

  The voice sighed, “I guess it’s just nostalgia creeping up on me. I got to thinking about Vince the other day. I thought about his family. Whatever happened to his boy, the one who’s still… shouldn’t he be about twenty now?”

  Downs blew air through his lips, and his eyes wandered to the window. In a plaza below him, a spectacular fountain adorned the entrance to Valor Pharmaceuticals HQ. Atop the fountain sat a giant steel heart, thirty feet tall, with a golden eagle spreading its wings to form a V.

  “I’m looking at this fountain out here. You know, the eagle? When Vince made that the emblem for Valor, I asked him why it needed to be a heart of steel. Why not silver or platinum or gold? Vince said that good people had to make tough choices sometimes; that they needed hearts of steel. I’m making one of those choices right now Chuck.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You asked about the boy, Victor. He’s turning twenty-one soon. Don’t tell anyone about this, but I’m looking at papers right now to request an injunction. We are preparing to block him from taking over the company. It’s bad, Chuck.”

  “That’s sad to hear, but I’m sure you’ve got your reasons.” The voice was reassuring.

  “It’s my fault.” Downs’ voice cracked, “I should have taken care of him. I sent him off after his brother died; I didn’t know what to do.”

  “You weren’t his father, Pat.”

  “But I should have been there. I could have done more.” Downs shook his head ruefully, “I never had a family; what was I supposed to do with a kid? This company has been my life. I promised Vince I would take care of it, but I forgot what that really meant. He didn’t care about this damn company; he cared about his kids.”

  “Come on now,” the voice spoke softly, “You did more than most men would have done.”

  “We aren’t most men,” Brooks said with a wry smile.

  “You got me there,” the voice chuckled. “Vince had quite a few words that stuck with people.”

  “If anyone else said hat, it would have been corny. He made it true,” Brooks grinned tightly. “But I guess his legacy died with him and Vince Jr.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do the right thing Pat, you always did. You certainly made my j
ob difficult.” The voice paused for a moment, “I’ll let you go. God bless you, Pat.”

  “You too, Chuck.” Pat laughed, “Here’s another one: God blesses the prepared, the good-looking, the rich, and the humble; lucky for me I have three of those qualities.”

  The voice laughed, “Vince was a character. Have a good night Pat.”

  Northern Plains

  “I think this game would be more fun,” Haymaker huffed, “if everything was within walking distance.”

  “Everything is within walking distance.” Athena shouted back at him, “You just have to walk further to get to some places.”

  “I guess I sort of threw you a softball on that one,” Haymaker replied.

  Viper had grudgingly picked up a passenger; Laura rode in the saddle behind him, relieving Gabe of her added weight. She pointed out various animals of the prairie, taking photos whenever the opportunity presented itself. She wondered aloud about their life cycle, how many teeth they had, whether or not they could swim. Viper largely ignored her; his eyes searched for something more sinister than grazing stiltmen.

  A glitter in the blue sky above them betrayed Christine’s presence. The dragon rode waves of warm air, circling endlessly. Bishop swept his gaze over the horizon, seeking signs of approaching enemies. He found nothing but grass, and a small lake shimmering in the east. Far to the north, he could see the first low rolling hills. Beyond those hills would be the mouth of a gorge, and that gorge would take them to their destination. After that, he would hand Christine over to Viper and sign off forever.

  The group was startled when Viper suddenly chuckled to himself. He pushed Laura out of the saddle without saying a word, and pressed Venom into a full gallop.

  Laura had the wind knocked out of her. She angrily got to her feet, half bent over. “What was that for?” she wheezed.