Banished: A Katrina Baker Novel 01

by D. L. Harrison

  I’d also taken the time to stop by the stables and check up on Stormy, she was happy when I’d left, and seemed to understand we’d be leaving in the morning, which made her content.

  After dinner I learned two more spells, light, and create food and water, both seemed pretty useful especially for me. My need for a lot of food was one of my weaknesses. I’d try to learn two a day if I could, the rest of the spells available to a paladin were dispel magic, cure poison, cure disease, purify water and food, divine dream, and miracle.

  Most of those are self-evident by the name. Divine dream was a sort of a divination spell for followers of Arella, who gave visions during dreams. Miracle was the ultimate eject button, if everything went south I could beg the goddess for assistance, but there were no guarantees there either.

  Not many spells for during a fight in that list, except for magic weapon which I learned last night. I guess paladins were supposed to use other abilities, like weapons skills for fighting, and I supposed my super abilities are what counted that way for me. I imagined I could learn to use a sword, and might someday, but not anytime soon.

  After that, I got to bed, it would be time to start off to the north first thing in the morning…

  It felt really good to get back on the road. I’d felt too much like I was just in limbo while in the castle. I supposed Gerard’s continued internal debate had something to do with that feeling as well. Regardless, both Stormy and I were happy to be on the move, and I had a purpose. In a way it was almost like being a super hero, I had my first mission, and saving the world, at least the human part of it, was a pretty important one. I didn’t even mind the times we slowed down to a trot, I’d perfected the art of bouncing in unison. Really, it was all in how I held my legs than anything else.

  “So how far to the border?” I asked when we stopped for lunch.

  Gerard answered absently, “Three days. We’ll hit a city each day, Bellmeadow, Lorbridge, and then Ironcastle. Although Ironcastle is more of a military keep to guard the pass at the border with Jendas, it has minimal commoner support for a few farms, it’s not a true city or even a village. They get most supplies sent to them that way. Might as well warn you now, the assignment is kind of a punishment, so the troops up there can get a little… unruly.”

  “Bellmeadow?” I asked, what a weird name.

  He smiled, “You’ll understand when you see it.”

  “Unruly?” I asked curiously.

  He frowned, “They’ll be rather forward, and quite possibly very drunk if we get there late enough. I don’t think they’d try anything without your approval but you’ll need to watch yourself.”

  I sighed, I wished he’d watch me. I blushed at the thought, I seemed rather shameless about him, which was pathetic because… never mind. I needed to get over it.

  The plains of south and central Trelin gave way to thicker forested areas, and low rolling hills as we moved farther north. The last few hours of the afternoon, we were inside a forest and I couldn’t see the other side of it. The lane was only cut back a few feet from the road, so not a whole lot of sun made it through. It wasn’t dark exactly, but it looked closer to twilight than the middle of the afternoon.

  The road rose and fell as well, the forest wasn’t completely flat, though it wasn’t really mountainous either. Rolling hills. It was getting late when we reached the top of a hill, and then I laughed as we looked down the other side.

  The city of Bellmeadow was literally built in a gigantic meadow in this forest, and from the top of the hill it was shaped like a bell. The meadow was I mean. I kind of got what he meant, it was impossible to miss the reason for the name. I also kind of got the idea they weren’t very creative with cities in this kingdom, they’d found a setup that worked well and left it alone.

  Bellmeadow city looked a lot like Linmoor, at least how it was modeled, and the other two smaller towns to the south. One major road down the center with all the shops, and then houses surrounding it to the east and west on secondary and smaller streets. It, like Linmoor, also had no walls.

  “What about food? How do they grow enough for so large a city in the middle of a forest?”

  Gerard laughed, “We’re only a few miles from the northern edge of this forest, there are a lot of farms up there. Only an hour or so even by slow wagon.”

  I frowned, “Why put the city in the forest then, if there’s plains available?”

  Gerard shrugged helplessly, “Who knows why nobles do these things, maybe he just liked the forest?”

  I snorted in laughter, “Fine, good point.”

  We rode down the hill and into the city, the streets were already mostly empty, and the sun was very low in the sky. One of these days I’d look around the shops, probably back in the main capitol, and see what they really had available, but until I had a place to live and store stuff there wasn’t much point. I could only carry what would fit in my saddlebags.

  I supposed I had some dresses at the castle in Magehaven, but that was a far cry from loading a guest room with stuff. I had a lot of plans, and most of them included Gerard, if we got through this, and he finally got over his bruised ego.

  We easily fell into what we’d done in the past when we reached the inn, I grabbed a table and ordered two meals while he got a couple of rooms. By the time the food got out, he’d made it to the table and given me a room key.

  I asked, “So tell me about the undead in case that’s really something we have to face.”

  He nodded, “Skeletons and zombies just take normal damage, but a lot of it, before they go down. Specters and wights require a spell or magical weapon, like my sword. They aren’t really corporeal, and can drain your life if they get their hands on you. None of them will like us very much, and our holy symbols will glow and harm them when they’re close.

  “They aren’t very intelligent, except for specters and they are usually controlled by a mage through the art of necromancy. There are other more powerful kinds, but they are extremely rare.”

  I frowned, “Like what?”

  He shrugged helplessly, “Vampires, liches, those two are smart, and very evil. They are usually mages who trade their life in order to live forever as the undead. I have no idea how they create themselves. I’ve never run into one, or know someone who has, just read about them during my education. Oh, and none of them can stand the sun’s light.”

  On that happy note, I started to chow down on our dinner.

  I asked, “If the story was true, then what can’t be destroyed?”

  He frowned in thought, “I don’t know, fire or sunlight will kill a vampire. A lich is indestructible if you can’t find his heart, it’s removed and put somewhere safe. If that’s what’s up north, maybe they couldn’t find his heart, or maybe it’s something completely different. Something new or unique.”

  “I thought you said they can’t bear the sun?”

  He nodded, “If you put its heart out it will die, but so will cutting it up, it’s the only weakness they have. If the lich’s body is somehow forced out into the sun it will burn, blacken, and greatly weaken him, but the lich would recover quickly once the sun goes down.”

  “That’s just great. Anything else I need to know about them?”

  He shrugged, “They are usually arch-mages. Obviously a lich is stronger than a vampire, but only the most powerful and twisted mages can survive the transformation.”

  I sighed, “So wooden stakes don’t kill vampires, and there’s no such thing as mummies?”

  He frowned, “Who told you that stake thing? It might slow him down a second, before it rips your head off, and what’s a mummy?”

  I shook my head, “Never mind, something from my world. Think zombie on steroids.”

  “Steroids?” he asked in an even more confused voice.

  I giggled, “Sorry, think zombie but much stronger, and smarter. Never mind if it isn’t real here.”

  Not that it was real back home either, or that steroids made normal people smart.<
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  I figured I could use telekinesis to take out skeletons and zombies, either fire or just bash them like a hammer, and that I’d probably have to use magic weapon on my dagger to kill the wights and specters. Not that I’d get close to them to stab them, I’d telekinesis my dagger attacks, preferably while standing or flying out of range.

  It sounded good in concept anyway, but if they were non-corporeal they could probably fly too. That would make things a little more exciting, or terrifying.

  Gerard nodded dubiously, “I’ll take your word for it. We should turn in soon, we’ve got another full day’s ride ahead of us.”

  I held in my sigh and just nodded in agreement…

  Chapter 13

  “You, paladins, stop!”

  We were just about to leave the city and reenter the woods, as the road at the top of the bell shaped meadow headed north.

  We turned around, and saw a man riding toward us, he was dressed rather nicely and was in his early thirties. I guessed he was a mage, because he had a staff in his left hand, the end of which stuck in his stirrup next to his boot.

  Gerard asked, “What is it my lord? We are on an important mission.”

  The mage ignored that and said, “I need your assistance in the king’s name. The city was beset by bandit raids three times last month. I have twenty troops with me, but need all the help I can get. They are said to number almost twice that, and are led by a witch.”

  Gerard turned to me, “You don’t have to assist him since you’re independent, but I’ve no choice.”

  I nodded, I certainly wasn’t going to sit it out, “I’ll help, do we know where the bandits are?”

  The mage nodded sharply, “I am Lord Thiessen, the mage and noble of this town,” he nodded his head toward me, “Thank you for your assistance paladin,” he turned back to Gerard, “What mission?”

  Gerard tried to keep a straight face, “I’m going on vacation, up north.”

  The mage’s face went through several emotions and finally settled on humor, “Very well, this shouldn’t take long. They outnumber us, but with two paladins and myself we shall route them straightaway.”

  Oh my. I tried not to giggle at the formal speech.

  I replied in a grave voice, “It is nice to make your acquaintance Lord Thiessen. When do we ride out?”

  Somehow I kept a straight face. I know my girly tendencies were showing, but this formal speech thing was kind of fun. Gerard looked at me with an amused smile.

  He smiled, “Eager, I like that. We leave as soon as my men arrive, and they better be hopping soon. Pray tell, what kind of paladin are you, I see no sword or armor.”

  I considered how to explain it, and then said, “I use a form of mind magic, it isn’t very common.”

  He looked interested in hearing more, but the soldiers arrived on horseback.

  “Scouts, lead on!”

  The two of us rode next to the mage nobleman as we moved into the forest, but were shortly forced into single file as we took game trails toward our quarry. I guessed at the amount of racket, a surprise attack was out, but I was also scanning ahead with telepathic and empathic sweeps, hopefully they wouldn’t be ambushing us either.

  This time I had no qualms about killing humans anymore. I’d thought long about what Gerard had said, and I was sure I’d feel sick at the end, and feel bad, but these men preyed on others, and it was how this world worked. Even if I captured them, they’d be summarily hanged on the nearest tree. Banditry and murder simply got the death penalty, only stealing and other petty crimes were dealt with differently.

  It was barbaric, but a small part of me thought it might be better that way, murderers, rapists and thieves they were, and they deserved what was coming. I just couldn’t imagine why a witch would be leading them. Unless, a witch didn’t have to be a woman? Just someone who used the magic of nature. Like a mage didn’t have to be a man, just someone that used the magic of the elements. Most likely, I guess I’d see.

  Not that a woman couldn’t be evil, but I just couldn’t see even an evil one leading a band of men that raped women. Maybe that was just naïve.

  I wondered how much this world was changing me, and how much was just me growing up. I’d been eighteen when I was sent here, but I hadn’t even known my world yet, not really. I’d been sheltered and in school. Outside of my mother’s laboratory, I was never in any real danger. Now I was justifying the death of almost forty people in my head, like it was just… normal.

  Though I doubted I’d ever grow to like it.

  The camp was coming up ahead, probably a small clearing, I could feel the people in it. There were a few sentries, and I hit them with a mental punch while we were still a quarter mile away.

  I whispered, “Three sentries out cold, we’re about a quarter mile out from their camp.”

  The mage looked surprised, and then nodded once in acceptance. I guessed that a paladin’s word was never questioned, did that mean I wasn’t allowed to lie? Maybe I should have gotten a class or two before running out, just the basics.

  I patted Stormy on the neck and asked her to stay here, I was pretty sure she would obey, and then I waved to my companions and took off into the air. I hadn’t flown in like a week, and it felt really good. I didn’t rush off like an idiot either, instead I flew right above the tree tops off to the right at an angle, to flank the meadow and the enemy, and then hovered there hiding in the treetops on the edge of the small meadow, until the lord’s soldiers rushed into the field with a war cry.

  I couldn’t bring myself to fry their minds, so I started knocking them out with telekinetic punches. Okay, that’s a lie, I was totally killing them with my telekinetic punches, but I wasn’t enjoying it, at all. It was almost too easy to snap their necks from up here in my hiding place.

  The soldiers were definitely better trained, they were stabbing and slashing their foes. On the movies back home sword fights always lasted forever, but in real life the most skilled swordsman usually won in a few seconds. Perhaps two master swordsman going at it would be a different story, but not at this level.

  A couple of parries and a mistake, followed by death.

  Gerard was in the middle of it as well, and the mage was throwing fire at the enemies. Then a man walked calmly out from the trees, and raised his hands, and vines rose from the ground and ensnared half of the guards, and then a pack of wolves ran out of the forest and growled fiercely as they attacked.

  In just a moment, the battle had turned and not in our favor.

  Some of the soldiers had their sword arms free and killed the wolves, the others just died when the wolves took their throats. It all happened so fast.

  I reached out with my telekinesis, and found the witch shielded somehow. I prayed for the first time since I became a paladin, and my dagger glowed white. Then I used telekinesis to send it faster than any arrow or spear could be thrown, more like a bullet from my old world. It struck the barrier and stopped, but the man took a step back and grunted.

  I didn’t allow the knife to slip around the shields as the swords did against the goblin mage. I kept pushing with the power of my mind. He must have sensed me, because he looked up at me with an evil grin, and then he barked a few words, and the branches of the trees reached up and snagged my legs.

  It was too late to save himself though, a moment later I broke through his shield of magic, and the dagger went right through his eye socket. I shuddered and looked away from the gruesome spectacle, and then down at the camp as the branches released me. Most of the wolves were dead, but I sent a mental blast at the ones that still lived. They whined and ran for the forest, the spell that held them broken when the witch had died.

  The battle was over. I retrieved my dagger, and cleaned it off before returning it to my boot sheath. I looked down again, and gasped as I saw Gerard lying on the ground. He was bleeding heavily from a leg wound, one of the wolves must have taken a chunk of flesh. Fear flashed through my mind and heart at the thought of losing him.<
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  I suddenly stood next to him. Did I fly down that fast? Or did I just teleport for the first time?

  I shook my head, that wasn’t important right now. I knelt next to him and the words of the healing prayer fell from my lips as tears gathered in my eyes. I felt the soothing presence of Arella, as my hands glowed white, and his leg healed before my eyes. My tears weren’t just from fear of losing Gerard, they were partly in awe of Arella, my goddess, as her power poured through me and gave life.

  His leg looked whole again, but his skin was pale and clammy from blood loss. I could feel the goddess’s love for me, and I realized then what I felt. I loved him, and I also felt that he was a big idiot for making me wait, and making me worry.

  It was insane, but I was so angry at him for getting hurt like that I scowled at him harshly, and then got up and stomped off into the woods without a word to retrieve Stormy…

  Gerard and I didn’t stay long after that, since the lord was present, he claimed all of the weapons and bounty from the raid for his city, to rebuild what was damaged and return the goods to his people. I supposed I couldn’t argue with that, and I still had plenty of gold left from my original sword sales on this world, and what we’d gotten for the last bandit loot. Still, it made me wonder how I’d make coin in the future, eventually I would run out.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked, “We can spend an extra day in Bellmeadow.”

  Gerard shook his head stubbornly, “I’ll be fine thanks to you, I can rebuild my strength on horseback, and that fight only delayed us an hour, we can still reach Lorbridge by sundown.”

  I nodded reluctantly in agreement, “If you’re sure.”

  Gerard smiled, “I’m sure, and I’m not an invalid.”

  I laughed, “Fine, are you saying I’m being a mother hen?”

  Gerard snickered, “Is that a saying on your world? Mother hen?”