Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas

by Craig Martelle

  Zyena nodded and launched herself into the air, diving to the side of the wagon as she beat her wings and heading west toward the road into the rainforest. Her eyes focused on the rainforest as she flew, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

  The first part of the trip was uneventful, for which Braden was thankful. Those stuffed into the back of the wagons wanted to get out and stretch once they stopped. Braden was surprised that Akhmiyar wasn’t waiting for them. They had to enter the rainforest at Bliss with the next sunrise.

  Timing was critical.

  Bronwyn started walking toward the rainforest, Braden close behind with his hand on the grip of his blaster. The other humans were milling about the wagons when the leaves rustled, and Akhmiyar appeared. Bronwyn ran to him and gave him a hug. He patted her head, comfortable with her, but he couldn’t understand the human need for physical contact. Braden approached and put his hand on the Amazonian’s chest.

  “We are pleased you were able to come,” Braden said, smiling as more Amazonians materialized from the trees. Bronwyn helped them to carry on the conversation, turning from one to the other as they talked.

  “Akhmiyar would have it no other way and appreciates the help from the Free Trader and his companions,” Bronwyn said after a period of silence where she and Akhmiyar talked how only they could hear. The Amazonian considered this to be their war. He also knew that they couldn’t win it alone.

  “We are in a hurry. We need to get to Bliss by nightfall,” Braden informed him. The young girl interpreted and waited for Akhmiyar’s reply.

  “Akhmiyar wonders where Aadi and the Lizard Men from the ship are. I already answered him that they are part of Micah’s group coming from the south,” she said.

  “I think you will like Pik Ha’ar and Tup Dal. They are good people. I hope you will see them soon, if everything goes like we planned. Well, mostly according to plan,” Braden added.

  The Amazonians found space in the wagons. They decided that they’d take turns standing so everyone would fit. Braden looked back at the mass of creatures, both human and other, crushed together as the Aurochs pulled them all to war. Two Wolfoid snouts were pressed against his back while the Rabbits rode up front on the buckboard with him. They would have gotten stepped on had he left them in the back.

  Zyena flew ahead and backwinged to a landing on a high branch where she could watch the wagons and the road ahead. The Aurochs struggled mightily to get the wagons going and then pulled harder and harder to pick up speed. Once the wagons were rolling, Braden feared that they wouldn’t be able to stop without running over the great beasts helping them. He passed his concerns to Brandt, who said he had a plan. Braden didn’t want to know what Brandt had in mind, but expected it would be spectacular and result in at least one wagon getting its wheels ripped off.

  They pushed forward, hard. Braden hung on with both hands as Brandt ran back and forth between the Aurochs, encouraging them. Lomen was replaced by a much larger Aurochs when they picked up the Amazonians. He ran with Brandt while three from the original Earthshaker Herd showed what they were made of.

  Zyena watched the rainforest closely as she flew ahead, staying in front of the Aurochs’ ground-eating strides. She saw a movement and raced toward it to get a better view. A Bat-Raven took to the air as she approached, attempting to fly into the rainforest away from her. But she was already flying fast when he jumped from the tree. Sensing she was closing quicker than he could gain speed, he started to swerve between branches. She was younger and more nimble than Skirill, even though she was a little larger. She rammed into the back of the Bat-Raven when he made a predictable turn. She grabbed him in both claws, dipped her head, and ripped through the thing’s neck with her harshly curved Hawkoid beak.

  She dropped the body and watched the head spiral downward after it. She turned to fly from the rainforest, running head first into two other Bat-Ravens. They unfolded their claws and both tried to rip across her head, but she dropped and spiraled through the air, knocking one of the Bat-Ravens away, while the other veered off. She regained control and dove to gain speed. She zipped in between trunks and finally burst into the open, beating her wings hard to gain altitude.

  Braden had seen her shoot into the trees and watched intently for her to emerge. G-War’s thought voice yelled into their minds, ‘Bat-Ravens!’ Braden felt helpless because the wagons could go no faster. He couldn’t jump down to help her, so he pulled his blaster and hoped for a shot.

  The Rabbits readied their laser pistols. The passengers, as one, watched every movement. Time seemed to slow as they watched Zyena burst from the rainforest, flying hard and trying to climb. Two Bat-Ravens emerged behind her, gaining quickly. She turned in mid-air to face them, hovering for an instant as they both crashed into her, seeking her neck with their fanged mouths. She twisted and dropped toward the ground, barely able to flap her wings. The watchers held their weapons, hoping the Bat-Ravens would let go, but Zyena continued to plummet.

  Brandt tore up the ground as he raced ahead at breakneck speed. G-War crouched on his head, ready to jump. They met Zyena just before she slammed into the ground. G-War flew from the King’s head and twisted in the air as he was flying past to hook claws in the backs of both Bat-Ravens. His momentum shifted their descent so the bundle of fur, skin, and feathers hit the ground sideways and rolled. They group broke apart, G-War was first to his feet and with a vicious pounce, slashed a Bat-Raven nearly in half. The other mutant bird hopped up and attempted to get away, but Zyena flapped a wing and knocked it over. G-War was on it, holding it down while it screamed at his face.

  The ‘cat’s eyes locked on the thing, and it quit screaming as he attempted to wrest secrets from its mind. Bronwyn cried in anguish as the Aurochs angled the wagon away from those on the ground. They couldn’t stop. The wagon rattled past, followed closely by the other two. All eyes were on the ‘cat, the Hawkoid, and their captured prey for the few heartbeats they were near enough to be seen.

  When G-War was satisfied, he nodded to his large friend. Brandt carefully reached a hoof past the ‘cat and held the Bat-Raven down. G-War stepped away while the King of the Aurochs crushed his arch enemy into the dirt.

  Braden was frantically trying to communicate with them over the mindlink as the wagons raced away.

  ‘I need some of your attention, Master Braden,’ Zyena said. ‘But I can fly.’ She jumped into the air and slowly flapped to gain speed. It wasn’t long before she flared to land on the front of the buckboard. Bronwyn was first to give the Hawkoid a hug, getting blood on her from the wounds on Zyena’s chest and neck. Braden applied numbweed, then added a couple stitches, which was a risky prospect since the Aurochs kept running, bouncing the wagon over the rough road.

  When Braden finished with the two rough stitches on each of the bite marks, held tightly with a small strand of Max’s tail hair, Brandt and G-War had returned and ran alongside.

  ‘The creature did not know much, but he knew enough. He’d been to the place where the Overlords live. It confirms what the clones told us,’ the ‘cat said without preamble. ‘I also saw four different Overlords. They are ancient, but they live. They have some Old Tech, but it meant nothing to the Bat-Raven. I don’t know what they have.’

  “They use Old Tech devices that the survivors thought were communications devices of some sort. The thing didn’t see a blaster or anything like that?” Braden asked, more comfortable talking aloud.

  ‘Would it have been better had it seen a blaster, so you could worry even more than you already are? No. It is a good sign that the creature didn’t see a blaster. There are more Bat-Ravens, but not many. There were five watching us. Two have escaped,’ the ‘cat shared.

  “They’ll know we’re coming,” Braden said darkly.

  ‘Wasn’t that our plan?’ Loper asked. Braden felt the Wolfoids’ heads against him. He stroked Zyena’s chest feathers absentmindedly as he looked at the ‘cat riding on the King’s head and nodded.

  “Yes. Eve
rything is going according to plan,” he agreed.

  No Road Ahead

  Braden had used Bronwyn’s communication device to let Micah know they made it to Dwyer mostly without incident. He asked her to tell Patrice and Delavigne that Ferrer looked great and that the two Rabbits insisted on coming along. He also told her of the humans and Amazonians who were joining them. Micah wasn’t surprised that Braden had gathered an army around him. She expected nothing less from her mate. He attracted people and creatures like flowers bring the bees.

  It had been two turns since they talked, and Micah had her own group that was heading toward the rainforest. Dr. Johns and the others would make sure that New Sanctuary functioned exactly as it had been to fool the Overlords into thinking that only Braden was coming. The group gathered at the lake for one last time.

  Micah watched the stars as they disappeared into the sunrise. A Hawkoid and a Tortoid, Wolfoids and Aurochs, Lizard Men and a human. They were finally taking the fight to the Overlords. Her plan was to walk west until they reached the spot where the group would enter the forest. It wasn’t far. They’d walk it during the daylight, make camp, and enter first thing with the next sunrise.

  Holly insisted that a Security Bot go with Micah to protect her as the President, but she talked him out of it, using the logic of why they removed their implants. They couldn’t let the Overlords know they were bringing technology otherwise they’d know and the Lizard Men would disappear. The rainforest was far too large for Braden, Micah, and the companions to search. Even with the help of friendly Amazonians, they could never find the Overlords if they wanted to hide. They had already disappeared for four-hundred cycles of the seasons.

  At daybreak, they walked away from the oasis. Chrysalis walked with them, leading the horses who carried extra water to keep Pik and Dal hydrated and wet, along with food for a feast that night. She wanted everyone to be at their strongest when they started the difficult hike into the swamp and tangled undergrowth of the rainforest.

  The Aurochs traveled easily, jogging around the group on occasion to keep themselves active. The Wolfoids pulled Aadi along as the others set their pace at a slow run. They covered the open ground quickly and were in position well before the sun set. They made a small fire near the edge of the rainforest, while Aadi, Pik, and Dal ventured inside to make sure that there were no hostile Lizard Men watching them. They returned later, having found no signs of any Lizard Men, either recently or in the past.

  They settled in and ate well, while Chrysalis rode Max, pulling Speckles behind him, back to New Sanctuary. They made short work of the return trip, arriving at the oasis at nightfall, where he turned the horses loose to roam the fields as they were used to doing.

  When the sun rose, Micah was tired as she hadn’t slept well. She figured she wouldn’t sleep well until the war was over. As she watched her companions rise, they all looked rough, except for the Lizard Men and the Tortoid. They seemed unaffected by what lay ahead.

  With the Lizard Men in the lead and the Wolfoids close behind, Micah walked with Aadi while the Aurochs brought up the rear. Although smaller than Brandt, they traveled loudly, crashing through the underbrush and ripping apart vines and small trees as they passed. Skirill flew ahead, weaving in and out of the trees, but spent most of his time trying to avoid flying into an obstacle. He apologized for his inability to watch where he was going while also looking for the enemy.

  It was still early morning when Micah called a halt. She turned around and looked at the two young bulls. “This isn’t going to work. I need you two to turn around and go back to the oasis,” she ordered.

  ‘No. We stay. We help,’ Malo pleaded. Micah shook her head.

  “You are too big to travel in the rainforest. We have to go much more quietly, leave no trace of our passing.” The young bulls hung their heads, devastated. They never considered that the Aurochs wouldn’t be able to travel through the Amazon. “You have tried your best, and it isn’t you. It was a bad plan where we forced you into a place you can’t go.”

  Micah slogged through the water until she could rest a hand on their foreheads, scratching around their ears. They leaned into her hands. She hugged their necks, careful of their horns, then patted them gently. “Go on back to the oasis now. We’ll be safer moving quietly, but thank you for trying. We’ll be back as soon as we can.” She waited while they turned around and walked deliberately back the way they’d come.

  Once the group could no longer hear the Aurochs, they moved forward, far more quickly and more silently. Micah’s relief was short-lived as they slopped through the puddles and muck of the Amazon, and a light rain began. By midday, it was a deluge. Everyone who had a cloak or a covering hugged it tightly about them, dreaming of a time when they would be dry again. It rained so hard that Skirill couldn’t fly and settled for riding on Aadi, squinting in the rain ahead, trying to see anything that needed to be seen.

  They plodded forward behind Pik and Dal, who relentlessly followed a path they said was there. No one else saw anything.

  The Army Moves

  Braden only had one Aurochs who would trample the undergrowth and knock down small trees as he plowed into the Amazon. The twenty humans wanted to follow the young bull as that would be easier on them. The Lizard Men didn’t want any of that going on anywhere near them. The humans were loud, but the Aurochs created a cacophony of sound. The sensitive hearing of the Amazonians made them feel actual pain from the sounds behind them. They called a halt to talk with Bronwyn and Braden. Braden waved at Lomen to stop and the humans quickly followed.

  They’d only gone one hundred paces into the rainforest, and it was only going to get harder.

  Without moving, Bronwyn talked to the young bull, informing him that he was too big and damaged the calm of the rainforest. He started to protest, but Bronwyn told him it wasn’t negotiable. He needed to go back to Village Dwyer. He turned without another word and jogged from the woods.

  As the traders fiddled with the wagons, the other Aurochs grazed, so when Lomen left the Amazon, he almost ran into Brandt, but Bronwyn had already told the King what had happened and that it was not Lomen’s fault that he was too big, which Brandt found to be quite humorous.

  Akhmiyar said he preferred the humans leave the rainforest, too, but Braden couldn’t agree, because they wanted their chance to contribute, to help bring the peace. He needed them to fight for themselves, earn the victory that they desired, even if it was only to conquer their fear of the rainforest.

  The Amazonian conceded, as long as Braden talked with the humans to get them to take more care as they moved, walk as the Lizard Men, and be absolutely quiet. They’d learn as they went, but he challenged them to watch how Akhmiyar and his people navigated the obstacles. They nodded, though some verbally agreed, to which Braden put a finger to his lips. Absolute silence from here forward, no matter how long it took.

  Akhmiyar started again and appreciated the efforts of the humans to move quietly, although they were still far louder than any Amazonian. Over time, they’d learn or they’d be dead, picked off by the enemy from their positions in the shadows.

  Braden liked having such a large force, but didn’t yet know if it was a benefit or a detriment. Akhmiyar had no idea where the enemy was. He could only keep his men fanned out to cover a broad front as they headed south, always south until they found the place that the Overlords called home. The ‘cat had pulled its location from the mind of the Bat-Raven. He’d shared it with Bronwyn who shared it with Akhmiyar and his people. None of them had ever been that deep into the rainforest.

  The Overlord stronghold was a long way from anywhere.

  The rains started soon after the young Aurochs departed. It was steady, not too hard, but not light. Zyena found that she could fly in it, racing forward then circling back. Bronwyn walked with Akhmiyar and shared what the Hawkoid could see, even if she’d seen nothing. Braden walked with the Wolfoids, who he found to be nimble and able to walk as silently as the Lizard M
en. They concentrated on their movements, using their spears as walking sticks while also having them ready to return fire in case of an attack. They were wet and looked miserable, but Loper and Sunny didn’t complain.

  Unlike the Golden Warrior who delivered a long dissertation regarding his discomfort and Braden’s complete failure in keeping him dry and well-fed. He also suggested that Braden should have gathered the friendly Amazonians, given them all blasters, and turned them loose against the Overlords and their forces. Braden thought that was humorous, but after ten more turns of being wet, he suspected he might find himself agreeing with the ‘cat.

  The Rabbits, on the other hand, seemed more suited to movement in the rainforest than either the Wolfoids or the Hillcat. Once they were wet, Braden saw how sleek they were. Their big feet allowed them to stay on top of tree roots and out of the ponds and the mud. They hopped and skipped from one spot to the next, making it look almost like a game. Once Braden mentioned how the Rabbits were adapting, G-War became more agreeable, although he remained in the trees, running along the limbs and staying above the others.

  They continued through the rest of that daylight and when the Lizard Men would have continued into the night, Braden had to call a halt. The humans were exhausted. Braden and the companions were tired, and although he could have kept going, would have preferred to keep going, he didn’t want to split the force. With Bronwyn’s help, they established a perimeter guard consisting of two Amazonians and two humans. Braden picked people at random to stand the watches, giving himself first and last watch.

  The humans sat with their backs against the trees, falling asleep sitting up before eventually sliding downward until they were resting in the water. The Wolfoids curled up in a spot where Bronwyn could rest in between them. They threw a flap of their armored coats over her to keep her from the rain and keep her safe. The Rabbits squeezed in, snuffling and sneezing, slightly ill from having never been this wet before.