by Jeff Sabean
Tiane slid his hands back to the handles of his kama. “That would be unwise, I am no spy. I was with my team, and there was a freak storm that came out of nowhere. There was red lightning, we were lifted in the air, then hurtled toward the ground, and I woke up in this place. I have no idea where I am, who you are, or why anyone would want to spy on you. I simply want to link back up with my team and be out of this place. I already told you, if you want to make a move, you die first.”
At the mention of red lightning, a look of recognition crossed Eogaon’s face and he nodded. Seeming content with that answer, Jurian motioned for Tiane to come with them. “Come, we have better food than rodent, and if you are a hunter you will find a place among us while we discern what happened to your friends.”
Picking up his pack from inside his shelter, Tiane started off into the woods behind the group. He kept a watchful eye out for landmarks as they lead him deeper into the woods and further from the mountain. He was sure they were trying to confuse him, as they changed direction regularly, switched back on trails they had already walked, and after an hour or so of walking they came upon a small camp. Tiane looked to the mountain and discerned they had travelled less than a kilometer from their original location, although they had walked closer to four by his pace count.
Jurian waved him over and pulled up a seat on a log next to the fire pit in the middle of the camp. “Here is the situation as I see it, Tiane. You clearly know how to survive in the wild. I do not know how you killed that rat, or where you come from, but if you are looking for a safe place to sleep at night you may stay here with us. We stay to ourselves, hunt for food, and avoid interaction with everyone out there.” He waved his hand toward the mountain and back again. “If they do not bother us, we do not bother them. If you work and provide food, you are welcome to stay. If not, we will take you back to where we found you and leave you there.”
The feeling of loneliness crept back into Tiane each time Jurian mentioned him leaving. A plan developed in his mind to stay here and search for civilization while he hunted, testing his communicator every day to see if his team would respond. He reached his hand out to Jurian: “where do I sleep?”
◆◆◆
“That was three months ago, Top. I tried to radio the team every day. I searched the area around the camp when I went out to hunt, and never saw anything but wild animals. You wouldn’t believe the animals here, Top. Those rats are the least of the weird things I have seen, but you are the first people. I switched to using a bow to hunt to conserve ammo because I have no idea how to get more out here, and some of these things will make your blood curl if you hunt it with a long bow.
This morning, Jurian, the one you shot, came running into camp. He said there were invaders on the path, and that we should get ready to fight for our lives. Something never sat right with me about that guy anyway: he would disappear with one or two of the others for a day or two at a time and when he returned, they would all huddle together and there would be a lot of whispering. When you shot him, I almost put a bullet in you, but I saw him reach for his weapon first. I was trying to figure out who else had a gun out here when I saw your sword light up, and I knew somehow that my companions had instigated the fight. And here we are.” Tiane shook his head as he finished, clearly overwhelmed by his own story.
“Welcome back, son. We will figure this out. Come on, let me introduce you to my team and go see if your buddies there have anything worth scavenging.”
Chapter 8 – The Path
After introductions were made, the group made their way back to the path where the bodies of the slain lay. Each member rifled through the belongings of their kill, taking extra arrows and knives. Other than the elf, who Heishi now new as Eogaon, the weapons used by the bandits were second rate at best. Heishi acquired the dagger the elf had used in his offhand, which was exceptionally made. Shenroc peered at the blade jealously, “That blade is of elvish design. It would appear this one lived with his people in the past, as it is near impossible to come across elvish blades outside the realm of elves. Consider yourself fortunate, my friend, you have received a treasure.”
Picking up the short sword and inspecting it, he realized it was of a similar design to the dagger. Smiling, he put it through a few attack routines, marveling at the light weight and superb balance of the blade. He flipped the sword in the air and caught the blade, holding the handle out to Shenroc. “I have no need for a short sword, you take this one,” he said as his smile broke into a full grin.
“I have no use for a sword that small, my friend, but the gesture is appreciated.” It was difficult to tell through his green skin, but Heishi swore Shenroc was blushing a bit as he gracefully refused the offer. Not wanting to embarrass his friend further, he removed the sheath from the dead elf, slid the blade into it, and attached it to his pack.
“There is no need to leave a fine blade out here for a bandit to find, right?” Heishi quipped as he completed the action.
Heishi continued to search and felt drawn to a spot on the left forearm of the body, where he discovered a set of three throwing knives in a carrier hidden beneath the sleeve. He removed one of the knives and felt the same sensation as when he discovered the ring he now wore. Focusing on the blade, he knew it was imbued with something but could not discern what it was. Not wanting to lose this treasure, he removed the case for the knives and strapped it to his own forearm. A wave of understanding flowed over him as he cinched the buckle tight on his arm, and on a whim, he threw the knife he was holding and embedded it into a nearby tree. Focusing his attention on the knife in the tree, he was shocked to see it appear back in the sheath next to the other three.
“Next time, any elf we kill is mine,” Shenroc laughed as he watched the knife reappear in the sheath. “You have been here for three days and already have more powerful weapons than most. I consider myself lucky to have made your acquaintance early, my friend.” He slapped Heishi on the back and turned to the rest of the group. “It would appear these robbers had nothing of interest to us, except for him,” he said pointing his thumb over his shoulder to the dead elf. “Shall we continue on to see what treasures the orcs have in store for us?”
The party set off once more, with Shenroc and Yutri out front, leading the way down the path and watching for danger. Di’eslo walked in the middle of the formation, several paces behind the two in the front, but staying far enough ahead of Heishi and Tiane to allow for some privacy.
“So, you saw Aldith burn in?” Heishi asked after they had walked in silence for some time.
“Roger that, Top. I could be wrong, but her chute wasn’t deployed, and I saw her bounce. That narrows down possible outcomes in my opinion...”
“When we return to Terminus, we will take time to mourn for our newest team member, but for now we cannot focus on such things. What a waste, though, she seemed to be a decent fit with our team.”
“Top, I have to ask: do you think we will ever get home again?” Tiane had a look on his face that was difficult to read as he asked.
“Well, I honestly don’t know my brother. I still have no idea where that storm came from, or how we were sent here. I suppose if there is a way to predict these shifts in the planes of existence then we could go through another one, but there is no way to know where we would end up. We really need to find Zatus, if anyone can figure this out, he can.” Heishi looked Tiane in the face as he spoke, trying to judge the reaction his words would have on the young sniper.
“I have had over three months to think about it. I don’t see what the difference is whether we stay here or go back. I have no family there, other than you and the guys, and now that I found you and know there is civilization here, I say we explore and see what this world has to offer. Besides, if what you say is true that we might be able to predict a shift and go through it, who is to say we don’t end up somewhere worse than this place?” Tiane stared at the ground as he spoke, as if he was ashamed to even consider not going back to his own worl
d.
“You have an excellent point. If we can find a way to do some good here, we should. But let’s call staying here Plan B for now and see if going back is even an option. I must admit, though, that living in a fantasy novel sounds a bit appealing. Let’s just hope we don’t get eaten by a dragon,” Heishi laughed, which did much to lighten the mood between the two.
As they walked and talked about the possibilities before them, dark clouds began to gather above the group. The day had been rather pleasant, but the further they walked the more the wind picked up, blowing against them and making it difficult to continue. As the path narrowed further and began to climb the side of the mountain, rain began to dump on them, making it dangerous to continue.
“Is this type of storm normal for this region?” Heishi asked the party members.
“Do you want more lightning, little man?” Yutri laughed, and Shenroc slapped him in the back of the head. “It is just a joke, my friend. Yes, these storms are common this time of year. Usually I find a room with a fire and stay there, but it appears we shall stay out and get wet today! If we are lucky, it will only last a short time, but it could go on for a day or more.”
“We should make a shelter under the trees and see what this storm will do,” Di’eslo recommended as he looked at the sky. “I saw a clearing a little way back,” he shouted to be heard above the wind.
Agreeing with his assessment, the party moved back down the path until the clearing came into view. As they closed in on the objective, the ground became continually slicker as the torrential downpour turned the ground the consistency of soup. As Tiane lead them into the clearing and found an outcropping of rocks to break the rain, a growl rumbled across the empty space. As the humans watched, a monster burst from the trees to the right of Yutri, knocking Shenroc to the side and pinning the dwarf beneath a pile of wet fur and muscle. Yutri yelped with surprise, struggling to keep teeth the size of his fist from ripping into the exposed flesh of his neck.
Leaping into action, Di’eslo rushed the beast, leading with his shield to protect him from the six legs, each ending with razor sharp claws that ripped at Yutri. If not for his mithril armor, the dwarf would have been shredded in the initial assault, but Dwarvish armor would not fail so easily. Di’eslo whispered a word under his breath, and a web launched from his shield, glowing purple and wrapping two of the legs together, immobilizing them. He swung his flail with abandon, each strike sparking with power as the spikes glowed brighter and brighter each time it connected with the beast.
The beast rolled to the side and kicked out with a free leg, smacking Di’eslo in the chest and sending him sliding in the muck. Shenroc could not gain footing to use his claymore with any weight behind the swing, so he let out a bestial roar as he charged in with his twin daggers. He immediately scored several hits, and blue blood began to flow freely from the beast. The head snapped his direction, two rows of five eyes each focusing on the half-orc, and razor-sharp teeth closed on his left arm. It began shaking side to side, grinding into the armor his forearm. The mithril held, but a sickening crunching sound emerged as his bones popped under the powerful jaws.
A trio of throwing knives flew past his head as he tried to break free of the beast, each sticking into a different eye. It screamed, releasing Shenroc from its grasp, and turned fully toward Heishi as he followed the flying blades with his katana, green lightning flashing as he swung and cut off one of the legs that had Yutri pinned. Di’eslo held his shield forth, his eyes glowing a brilliant shade of blue as he focused on Shenroc and a wave of healing energy engulfed the half-orc, knitting bone back together as he focused. Yutri, now released from the bulk of the beast, stood and began a battle song as he repeatedly pounded his war hammer against the head.
Realizing it was outmatched, the beast, which resembled a grey six-legged tiger, attempted to disengage. It was able to push back a few paces, but two legs were still ensnared in the web Di’eslo threw from his shield and a third leg had been removed by Heishi, so the movement was too slow. Tiane, not to be left out of the melee, too a few strides, used Yutri’s now raised shield to spring from, and landed on the back of the beast, green flames flaring as he hacked into the beast with his kamas. The beast rolled on its back and attempted to swipe the maniac, but all that accomplished was to give Tiane a clear path to its neck, where he buried a kama blade fully. The remaining seven eyes opened wide as the beast realized it was about to die, and Tiane pulled his blade to the side, ripping the head half off. Panting, he rose from the mud and blood as the beast stopped moving.
“Those are easier to kill with a .308 round to the head,” Tiane muttered as he stumbled away from the corpse.
“What was that?” breathed Heishi, clearly rattled by the sudden appearance of the prowling nightmare, now dead before him.
“The orcs call them ‘ekastatu,’ although I have never met a human who has seen one and lived to tell the tale. They prowl the mountain regions, where they rule as the top predators. We are lucky to have such powerful companions,” he nodded to Di’eslo as he spoke, “especially one who could save my arm. Let us take shelter before the storm before anything else decides Yutri looks like a meal.”
The outcropping of rocks turned out to be a cave, which went deeper into the mountain than the group thought it would. The companions struggled to bring in wood from the surrounding trees, now wet from the rain, and Tiane used a chemical compound created by Zatus to start a fire. The chemicals burned hotter than white phosphorous, drying the wood almost instantly and within minutes the group had a fire to begin drying their gear while they ate a small meal.
“Amazing, I have never seen wet wood catch fire so quickly,” Shenroc commented as he slid his feet a bit closer to the blaze to warm them.
“If we can find our other two lost companions you will see even more wondrous things than that,” Heishi grinned.
“This must be where the ekastatu was headed when it found us,” Di’eslo commented, looking around the cave. “I found some old bones deeper in the cave, it would make sense that the beast called this place a home. I would suggest vigilance while we weather the storm, it would not do to be surprised by another such beast in these close quarters.”
Agreeing with his assessment, the companions decided to leave a guard and let the others rest while it was possible. “I’ll take the first shift,” stated Heishi, “the rest of you seem to have an easier time seeing at night than I do, and it will be dark soon. Which reminds me, how was Tiane able to attune to the darkness and I have not?”
Di’eslo took a few moments, poking the fire with a stick, then answered, “The Art comes differently to everyone. In my experience, we all can interact with the energy surrounding us, though most never take the time to learn. Call it ‘natural talent,’ if you will, but the gifts we discover relate to the person. If you are naturally able to swim well, you may find yourself able to hold your breath for longer periods than should be possible. In the case of Tiane, he must be naturally comfortable in the dark, and as he focused his senses became sharpened inadvertently because of it. If you take time to focus, you too may find a gift you were previously unaware of.”
Confused, Yutri asked, “Is that why the ladies love me so much?”
“No, you oaf, that is just your delusions deceiving you,” Shenroc laughed.
The conversation gradually declined, and the companions each drifted off to sleep as Heishi stood watch over them. Pondering what Di’eslo had explained, he spent some time focusing on his surroundings, trying to feel the energy that surrounded him. He passed his time trying to feel the rain, trying to see the wind, and nothing came of it. Frustrated, he woke Yutri for his watch and drifted off to sleep.
◆◆◆
The night passed uneventfully, and early the next morning the rain stopped as the sun was rising. The group ate a small meal as the sun came fully into the sky, beginning to dry the mud caused by the deluge of the previous day. When the meal was finished, Heishi consulted the map, an
d they once again began the trek to the orc cave. There was less talking this day, as the surprise attack had them each on edge, and their pace quickened with expectation of getting out of the woods.
After noon had passed, they came around the edge of the mountain and saw a lake below them while the path wound higher up the mountain. “This has to be it,” Heishi stated. “The map says there is an entrance toward the peak of the mountain and another down in those trees next to the lake. So, the question is, which should we take?”
“I have dealt with many orcs before I left my people,” Di’eslo began. “I lived deep under the surface, where the light is never seen, and we used orcs and goblins as slaves. From all I know of their kind, they like to come out at higher elevations when they raid the surface, as it gives the advantage of high ground if they must fight their way out. My guess is the lower entrance will be guarded mostly by goblins or other fodder races to give the orcs advanced warning of intruders while the upper entrance will be guarded by orc warriors. Shenroc, what say you?”
Sheepishly, Shenroc looked at the ground as he answered, “I do not know much of orc tactics. My mother was not exactly what one would call a ‘willing participant’ in my conception. When I was younger, I attempted to learn more of my orc heritage, especially when the human children began to bully me because of it. Orcs are less kind to half-breeds than humans are, so I chose to live in Terminus, where even a half-orc can find his way if he is not opposed to moral grey areas.”
It was clear Shenroc was uncomfortable speaking of his past, so Di’eslo stepped in to save him. “Well, it would appear I have the best understanding of our enemies then. Is it agreed we enter through the lower cave?”
Chapter 9 – The Caves
The companions made their way as stealthily as possible to the bottom of the mountain, always angling for the trees that separated it from the lake. Di’eslo had assured the group that goblinkin were sensitive to sunlight and that they should be relatively safe outside the caves during the day, but no one was willing to trust too fully in that assurance. As they closed in on the targeted group of trees, they slowed their pace considerably, not wanting to be surprised by any animals that might make the area their home.
