by Cory Barclay
He realized he could use his dream-leaping as an expert tool for subterfuge and reconnaissance. That was not the purpose for his frequent visits, at the moment, but it was something he put aside for later. A few times, he reached the wrong mind and found himself in the midst of a blackguard or Brethren scout. He had to escape before the enemies noticed their minds had been compromised.
As the night dragged on, he grew weary, famished, and exhausted. He exerted tons of energy during his travels. Simply leaping outside of his own mind took some gas out of the tank.
The more he traveled, the more he understood how someone could get lost in this spiritual, makeshift world. The act of dream-leaping sparked his adrenaline and showered his body with endorphins. It was a feeling of extreme elation. When he returned to his own body, a withdrawal of sorts took hold—a dull headache and dehydration.
Every so often, Selestria escaped from the room to beggar refreshments for Steve. Other times, Geddon shifted and placed more logs in the hearth, to keep the room warm and cozy. They stayed by Steve’s side throughout the night. Their hard work paid off.
The first Mythics to arrive at the Lees’ manor were the leaders already en route, Lord Jasper and Lady Amber. They were former Brethren Council members. They were fauns: half-human, half-goat bipedal creatures with hindquarters and hooved feet. The red and gold fabric of the Brethren covered the furry legs of the married couple.
Though they wore the Brethren colors, Lady Moonstone greeted them warmly. She vouched for them, though Steve still had his reservations about her allegiances. It seemed too convenient for a Brethren leader to abandon her cause and turn coats while her husband remained one of Jareth’s confidants.
But Steve’s opinion went unheard and, after a while, he felt his premonition was unjustified. Lady Moonstone had already helped the Vagrant revolution by bringing two more Council members into the fold. With the faun leaders came an army of forest dwellers and woodland creatures.
Lady Moonstone, Lord Jasper, and Lady Amber had some control over the denizens of Central Soreltris.
Moonstone was a powerful sprite, a dryad who conversed with trees and laughed with flowers. She was the consummate hippie. Steve imagined she would be a Deadhead if she traveled to Terrus.
If Moonstone directed the flora, Jasper and Amber had a connection with the fauna. The creatures that arrived with the fauns were the rebuffed citizens of Mythicus. They protected nature. On Terrus, they’d have been eco-friendly advocates, fighting deforestation and climate change. The squirrels and wolves and birds of the forests were the 99% of the Mythic realm. The Brethren were the 1%.
Constantin and Mariana noticed they did not have enough floor space to accommodate all the woodland creatures. Nor did they want to bring the natural scents of the outdoors into their house. The fauns were given rooms, but their followers stayed outside, where they were most comfortable.
Jasper and Amber had woodwind instruments they could blow to summon their allies. They could also speak with the animals and gain precious knowledge of what was going on in the woods. News traveled fast between birds and such.
After the fauns and animals came other members of Mythicus’ 99%. A group of incensed imps and goblins showed up. As did a small faction of elves who knew Lord Sunstone had killed their kinsman, Dakathiel. They refused to follow Sunstone to the Brethren side.
Every group of people that arrived had a bone to pick with the Brethren. The Vagrant Kinship 2.0 was off to a good start.
One of the imps, a small woman named Zeta, was the leader of her crew and the most vocal about her disdain for the Brethren.
During a simple dinner of soup and bread, Zeta screeched her contempt.
“Lord Obsidian himself came into our building and killed Krik, our chief officer, in cold blood!” She shook her little fist as she spoke, standing on a chair to make her voice even louder.
The mass of people surrounding the long dining table grumbled and slapped their palms on the wood.
Zeta continued. “All the witnesses from that room have come in support of the Vagrant cause!”
A cheer rose up. Beside her sat a bigger, muscled imp named Pigmar, whose eyes were starry as he watched Zeta. Next to him stood a trembling, skittish imp named Bilboo. Fifteen or so other imps stood behind them, squeezed together like sardines.
Lady Moonstone finished her soup, pushed it aside, and folded her hands on the table. Calmly, she said, “Your support is treasured, Zeta of the imps. Know that we will protect you from the Brethren.”
Zeta scowled. “We don’t need protection, my lady, we need vengeance!”
From the head of the table, Constantin said, “You would rise up against Lord Obsidian, then?”
Zeta and her two comrades nodded.
Constantin mulled that over. He valued the enthusiasm of the imps, but how useful were they in battle? He said, “Your people are renowned for their detective work. But can you fight?”
“Put a spear in my hands and you shall see, Lord Constantin.”
A shadow of a smile played on Constantin’s lips. Yes, these people would do just fine. Their attitude would be a boon to the army’s morale. He said, “I’ve gotten word that Lord Obsidian will be leading Overseer Onyx’s primary army. You do not mind facing an army of dwarves?”
Zeta shook her head. “Not so long as we have allies at our back.”
“Very well,” Constantin said with a nod. “I will place you under Geddon and Selestria’s command. Their force will be the vanguard of our army—the spearhead that will break the walls of the Brethren forces.”
“No!” Zeta cried.
Everyone at the table eyed her curiously.
“With all due respect, Lord Bloodstone, we don’t trust Geddon. We have reason to believe he brought Lord Obsidian to our doorstep and we place Krik’s death at his feet . . .” Zeta trailed off and other imps booed.
Someone nestled deep in the throng of people yelled, “Wouldn’t be the first time!”
“Very well,” Constantin said, trying to regain control from the lapse of grumbles that erupted. “Then you will be placed with Pua Kila when—”
“What is our target?” Steve interrupted from the other end of the table. This was all news to him, as he’d been trapped inside the hearth room for hours. Since sitting at the table, he’d wolfed down two bowls of soup and half a loaf of bread. No one questioned him for it. He’d been the reason so many Mythics had shown up to support the uprising, after all.
Constantin turned to Steve. “Overseer Onyx has stationed himself at his household nearby. That is where we will strike. He has garrisoned and fortified his estate, expecting a bloody battle. We should expect the same.”
Steve nodded. He had had a conversation with Lig earlier in the day, before dream-leaping to the allies. He knew his role, and it wasn’t in the vanguard.
“And we will only have one ‘spearhead,’ as you call it, Lord Bloodstone?” He used Constantin’s honorific to show the crowd of fifty who was boss. Constantin smirked at the identification: earlier that day, Steve had called him “Con.”
“One vanguard, Koa Steve,” Constantin said, returning the favor by using Pua Kila’s title for the man: “warrior.” She had not returned from her journey to retrieve Dale, Scarlet, Shepherd, and Aiden’s gold. She was expected soon. Her Nawao warriors were renowned across the forests.
“But,” Constantin continued, raising a finger, “we’ll have many other points of attack. Once Pua Kila has returned from her mission, I will be placing her in command of the skirmishing arm of our force. They will be our flanking regiment, striking to cause confusion. If we’re lucky, we’ll destroy the Brethren morale and break their ranks.”
Steve put his hands into a steeple. It was clear Constantin had experience with this sort of thing. Probably during his time as an ancient Romanian general or something, Steve figured.
“Lord Jasper and Lady Amber will command our reserves. If our skirmishers must fall back, our reserves will
sprout up like Mother Nature herself to defend their retreat.” He cleared his throat and turned to Lady Moonstone, who sat beside him. “I have spoken with Lady Moonstone and she has agreed to watch the battle from afar. When she can, she will command her woodland folk to do our bidding. If that doesn’t cause chaos within the Brethren ranks, I don’t know what will.”
“Seems you have this all planned out, mate,” Aiden quipped, sitting across from Steve.
“Not entirely, Aiden O’Shaunessy. We have a fortuitous battlefield. Though it was picked for us, the forest is as good a ground as any, given the makeup of our army. But we still don’t know the plans of Jareth Reynolds and his people.” A few gasps rose at the mention of Overseer Onyx’s birth name, but Constantin ignored the gripes. “I can’t imagine every soldier in his militia will be entirely sold on his undertaking. The folk fighting for Jareth will see our people on the other side of the battlefield and they’ll see neighbors and acquaintances. Will they be able to stand with a tyrant, knowing he leads them to a bloodbath?”
Steve drummed the tabletop. He reached out for his bowl, pouring himself more soup so his hands would have something to do. He hesitated to speak, but clearing his throat drew the attention of the entire table.
Finally, he said, “Can we trust the same thing . . . from our side?”
Muttering voices rose in protest. Steve had questioned the loyalty of every person sitting at the table. His error became immediately apparent.
Constantin flared his nostrils and clenched his jaw. It was all he could do to keep from shouting at Steve from across the table. He rose to his feet.
The vampire tried to speak over the raised, angry voices of the rebels, but it was futile. They waved their hands in dismissal and loudly scoffed. The leaders at the table—who knew Steve’s loyalty—were quiet and observant of the bluster around them.
Constantin pounded the table with his fists like a judge striking a gavel. The boom quieted the crowd.
As the voices died, he said, “You raise a valid question, Steve Remington. But remember, you are human, while your constituents at this table are Mythics. We are full-blooded natives of this world and will not see it overrun by despots and dictators. Am I correct in assuming that?”
A wave of cheers followed, fists banging the tabletop.
Aiden eyed Steve, and when they locked eyes, Steve shrugged. Leaning forward, now that attention was drawn away from him, Steve whispered, “I had to get a feel for the room.”
“That might be true, mate, but did you need to disrespect every man and woman at this table to do it?”
Steve said, “If anything, I think I’ve done them a service. Look how pumped up they all are.” His eyes scanned the table and saw Mythics patting each other on the back, smiling and yelling. “We could send them to the Reynolds house right now, surround the place, and likely overthrow the Overseer. All we need is the command.”
Aiden shook his head. “Nay, lad, not with the fortress he’s made. Jareth still has the weight of the Brethren army behind him. He outnumbers us. In comparison, we are a ragtag group of dirt farmers with a lot of heart. It’s not the worse thing, but we’ll be lucky to win.”
Steve frowned. He didn’t like hearing that. He raised his head and said, “Lord Constantin, what will you and your wife’s position be on the battlefield?”
Constantin scratched his cheek and sighed. With great reluctance, he said, “If the battle takes place during the day, I’m afraid we won’t be able to take part in the main attack, due to the sun—”
“Is that when we strike, tomorrow afternoon?” Geddon blurted.
Constantin gave him a woeful eye for interrupting. “No. I would have our army adequately reinforced, so we can understand our numbers and parts in this play. That being said, if the Brethren army strikes tomorrow, we must be ready. If that doesn’t happen, I would like to attack tomorrow evening, when Lady Mariana and myself can command the army. Furthermore, as stragglers arrive here, I have no doubt Onyx sees our army building. He’d be blind not to. We must protect the roadways and paths through the woods, so our people can get here safely. I would like Pua Kila’s skirmishing group to provide that protection, once she makes it—”
One of the many doors to the large dining room thundered open. The guests looked confused as it appeared no one stepped through the door—that it had opened by itself.
Then a few chuckles arose. Lig the house brownie stood in the doorway, his small frame dwarfed by the enormity of the doors and the room. Poor Lig seemed flustered and nervous, his hands fidgeting.
“Yes, Lig, do you have something to report?” Constantin asked.
Lig nodded his big, wrinkly head. His eyes bulged and jumped about the room. “Pua Kila and her Nawao warriors have arrived, master. As well as some odd friends.”
“Speak of the devil,” Constantin said.
At that moment, the short, wiry woman entered the room, using her spear as a walking staff. Her taller, broader Hawaiian warriors stood behind her in perfect unison. It was an awesome sight, and more than a few people at the table gawked.
“I am not a devil, Lord Constantin,” Pua Kila said dryly, without a bit of humor in her voice.
Then a taller woman squeezed in through the crowd of Nawao beefcakes. She ran her hand along more than a few bared collars, shoulders, and abdomens.
Scarlet smiled salaciously. More gasps came from the congregation, albeit for an entirely different reason.
“I am, though,” Scarlet said sweetly.
It was clear more than a few men at the table instantly fell in love with the succubus in that moment. Her tone and appearance gave off a sexual energy that was hard to ignore.
Constantin smiled. “You are a devil, aren’t you, Scarlet my dear?”
The succubus giggled. “You’re too kind, Conny. How long has it been?”
“Eons, it feels.”
Steve’s eyes darted from the succubus to the vampire. With a creased brow, he wondered how these two knew each other. Conny?! He glanced back to the head of the table and saw a none-too-pleased look on Mariana Lee’s face.
Uh oh, Steve thought. Drama!
At that moment, another body pushed through the stoic wall of strapping Nawao fighters.
Dale’s head popped through two well-muscled chests, his face a mix of surprise and excitement.
Steve’s heart swelled at seeing his best friend. He nearly leaped from the table to embrace him, but didn’t want to come across as undisciplined.
And he didn’t need to, because Dale took care of that for him.
“Holy shit!” Dale exclaimed after scanning the packed room and seeing the multitude of races and mythical creatures. “It fuckin’ looks like FernGully in here!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Next morning, the first sounds of war broke the peaceful silence of the forest. Pua Kila returned to Manor Lee, as they called their base of operation, to give a report.
She was straightforward and unbothered about what she’d seen. She was a bit out of breath, though. Constantin and Mariana Lee were sleeping for a couple hours. They hadn’t expected any conflicts to take place so early in the day.
Pua Kila gave her report to Geddon, the de facto leader of the rebellion while the vampires slumbered. He’d finally gotten his wish: leadership of the Vagrant Kinship, even if it was only for a few hours.
“We’ve made first contact with the Brethren scouts stalking through the woods,” Pua Kila said. They stood near the stable behind the house. Steve and Selestria stood beside Geddon. Ten of Pua Kila’s Nawao warriors were with her.
“It was inevitable we’d run into their lookout party,” Pua Kila continued. “If Overseer Onyx did not know our force was congregating at Manor Lee before, he certainly does now. I suspect all attention will be focused on this house.”
Geddon absorbed the intel with one hand tucked under his flabby neck, pulling at the skin under his chin. He nodded slowly while he mulled over Pua Kila’s words. He sai
d, “It seems this battle will rely wholly on guerrilla warfare.”
“That could work to our advantage,” Selestria said, tapping her quarterstaff. “We own the forest, after all.”
“True,” Geddon replied. He turned to Pua Kila. “Were there any casualties on either side?”
She shook her head. “A few arrows were loosed from both sides, but we were much too far to engage. We retreated here. I still have seven scouts in various pathways and entry-points surrounding the manor.”
“So their scouts escaped and they’ll be gathering their main force,” Geddon muttered. He sighed. “It seems this battle comes to us much quicker than we anticipated.”
He was talking too slowly for Steve’s taste. Steve stepped forward and said, “We have to round up the troops and prepare to defend the estate. I don’t think we should attack without Constantin here to lead us.”
Geddon bristled at Steve’s words. “I’m perfectly capable of sounding the attack, Steve. Everyone knows his or her part already—”
“I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t capable, Geddon, but we must put our forces into action,” Steve clarified.
“We have multiple areas of contention blocked off by our forces,” Selestria said. “Steven is correct. We need to inform the leaders of our various regiments to be on the lookout. We have no excuse to be flat footed with this newfound information from Pua Kila.”
“We don’t need to attack,” Steve added, “but we need to have our defenses ready.”
“We’ve had our defenses ready since dawn,” Geddon spat. He sighed again. Even if he wouldn’t listen to Steve, he would listen to the woman he loved—even if that love wasn’t reciprocated. He said, “Very well, we’ll do it your way, Sela. Pua Kila, thank you. Return to the trees and make sure we aren’t flanked. Sela, if you could go inform our reserve force, I’ll give our vanguard the news.”
