Another said, “We are not going to let our families die because you don’t want to share what you have.”
“There is nothing to share, I tell you,” shouted the man on the steps. “You must go south to the larger cities. There may be help there. The Elf Friend has headed north to see the Oracle. Maybe she can stop the evil. But you cannot stay here. We have nothing. You must go. That is your only hope.”
The crowd began murmuring even louder. Richard knew the situation was becoming dangerous. He’d seen a riot before when he’d lived on the streets back on Earth. He could almost sense the flow of emotions and energy. Richard noticed a man to his right pull a knife out of its sheaf. Another shifted a staff he held in his hand. A third hefted an axe to his shoulder. Richard felt the animal called a mob come slinking out of its hole. He could feel the mob tensing its muscles as it prepared to strike. Soon, it would attack. Once it did, only blood would satisfy its thirst.
Richard looked at the armed men in front of the man on the steps. They were not soldiers. He looked at their weapons. Some of their swords showed signs of rust as if they’d been stored for a long time and hastily retrieved. They were fidgeting. The guards could see the mood of the crowd as easily as he. Richard suspected they were local villagers. Perhaps they were brave men in their own way, but they weren’t soldiers. They would not be able to stop the crowd. They knew it. The man on the steps knew it. And the crowd knew it.
Suddenly, the animal that was the mob began to surge forward. Richard saw fear in the eyes of the man on the steps and his guards. Richard had no doubt they saw their own deaths approaching.
Richard heard Dren give a little scream as the crowd jostled her.
“Rick,” Dren yelled in a high-pitched voice.
Both children drew closer to him. Their eyes were wide and full of fear.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It took a moment for Richard to realize what had happened. He found himself standing there with his right arm raised. Smoke trickled out the barrel of the .44 caliber AutoMag he held in his hand.
Rick, said Nickelo. What did you do that for? I thought we weren’t going to draw attention to ourselves.
Richard didn’t answer. He didn’t have an answer. He vaguely remembered thinking about an incident with a mob from his past. He had acted instinctively this time to stop the beast that was the mob before it got started. Whatever the reason was, the die was cast. He was now committed.
The animal called a mob shied back, partially returning to its hole at the sound of the shots. The crowd stopped their forward movement. Those men nearest Richard and the children pressed back against their neighbors in an attempt to escape the source of the noise.
It’s not over, Rick, said Nickelo. Don’t give them time to regroup.
Richard pulled Dren and Brachia into the small clearing between the crowd and the guards at the base of the steps. He turned and faced the crowd as he pulled back his hood to reveal his battle helmet at three quarters mode. At the same time, he grabbed his phase rod in his left hand. With a single movement, he clicked the activate switch and moved the charge lever to destructive. The meter-long shaft of brellium was thrust out the end of the handle. Red arcs of plasma energy began crawling along the shaft like miniature lightning bolts. The phase rod had originally been designed as a riot baton to strike fear in a crowd. It did its job now.
“That’s enough!” Richard said. His voice echoed loudly as he used the helmet’s external speakers to amplify his voice.
The anger in his voice combined with the uneasy feeling given by the phase rod shocked the crowd into submission. Even Dren and Brachia took a couple of steps away from him. Richard had a feeling they were more scared of him at that moment than they were of the crowd.
“There’s nothing for you here,” Richard said as he gave a flourish of his phase rod towards the crowd. His dislike of crowds and his hatred for mobs came out in his voice. “I swear by the Creator’s name, I will kill every one of you if you take another step towards this man. Now, be gone. There’s nothing here for you in this village. There are tens of thousands more just like you only a few hours to the north, and they are headed this way. They will sweep the land ahead of them like locusts and steal every crust of bread and drop of fresh water in a hundred kilometers. Your only hope is to stay ahead of the mob that is coming. Now, be gone.”
The crowd hesitated. Richard targeted several men who seemed to be the ringleaders. He aimed his AutoMag at a large man carrying an axe. Richard prepared to pull the triggers. In his mind, he was not looking at a man. He was looking at a part of the animal that was the mob.
“There is food in the next village to the south,” yelled Dren. “We just came from there. The king has sent supplies along with a company of soldiers to distribute the food fairly. The leader of the soldiers said there were other food stations being placed in several villages to the south.”
The crowd grew quiet. Richard sensed the animal called the mob snarl and crawl back into its hole.
“Don’t die here for no reason,” said Dren. “Think of your families. Do not leave them all alone when there is food to the south. There is nothing here. Please go.”
The crowd still hesitated.
Dren spoke one last time. Richard detected a note of desperation in her voice.
“My bodyguard is a powerful mage,” she said. “He can and will kill all of you if you do not disperse. Once he starts killing, I will be unable to stop him. Please, go now while you still have the chance.”
A few people at the back of the crowd started moving away. Richard saw the look in the eyes of some of the men in the front. They wanted to believe the girl, but they suspected a trick. They needed time to think. Richard did not give them time.
Seal me up, Nick.
The force field that was his visor came down as the lower part of his helmet completed the seal with the rest of his battle suit. With a sweep of his hand, Richard tore off the front of his robe. The black armor of his battle suit was revealed to the crowd.
“Then die,” Richard yelled as he fired two more rounds from his AutoMag into the air. He took three steps towards the crowd and made a couple of wild flourishes with his phase rod over his head.
The crowd broke. Men ran in every direction except towards Richard. Within seconds, the area in front of the wooden building was deserted.
Richard thought the command to unseal the battle suit. The helmet returned to three-quarters mode. Richard looked at the children. They stood together a couple of paces to his right. They looked scared. They looked scared of him.
Forcing the anger out of his voice, Richard told Dren, “Smart girl. Thank you for saving their lives.”
He turned and looked behind him. Only two of the guards and the man on the steps remained. One of the two guards dropped his rusty sword and took off running.
Richard deactivated his phase rod and attached the handle to the left side of his utility belt. He replaced his AutoMag back into its holster.
You should reload, Rick, said Nickelo.
In a minute, Richard said.
He faced the man on the steps as he held out both hands to show they were empty.
“We mean you no harm,” Richard said. “I’m sorry for the little display, but I didn’t know how else to stop the mob.”
The remaining guard took two backward steps until he stood by the man in the velvet suit. The guard whispered in the man’s ear. The man nodded his head.
“Please, come inside,” said the man in the suit. “There are too many ears out here.”
Richard made a quick pass with his passive scan. He sensed two other lifeforms in the building. He detected no danger from them. Richard motioned the children forward as he followed the man and his guard inside the building. They entered into a wood-paneled foyer. An open doorway to the left held a small office. A doorway to the right led to a small living area with a fireplace. The hallway continued on ahead into a larger room with a table and chairs. A younger
woman stood next to the table clutching a small boy. They both looked frightened.
“Dorthea,” said the guard. “Please continue with your packing. It’s getting worse. We need to be on the road before nightfall.”
The woman did not speak, but she did nod her head and usher the young boy through a door behind her.
The man in the velvet suit waved to the office on the left and said, “Please. Please have a seat.”
Richard and the children moved into the office, but none of them sat down. Richard took off his dimensional pack. He then removed the remaining shreds of his robe. He noticed the man in the velvet suit and the guard eyeing him, but they said nothing. Richard removed the magazine of his AutoMag and replaced it with a fresh one from his pack. Next, Richard pulled a new robe out of his dimensional pack and put it on. When he was finished, he spoke to the children.
“Are you two okay?” Richard said.
Both children nodded their heads in an affirmative motion, but they did not speak. Richard had a feeling they were more than a little leery of him at the moment.
Nothing I can do about that now, he thought.
Turning his attention to the two men, Richard said, “My name is Richard. These are my wards, Brachia and Dren.”
The man in the velvet suit spoke, “I am Carl Marginsis. This is my son, Servilus. The woman and child you saw are my daughter-in-law and grandson. I am the part-time mayor of Chinto’s Crossing. I am also the fulltime proprietor of the village’s trade-goods store. It was pillaged last night by a group of the refugees.”
“I’m assuming there is no food to the south,” said Servilus.
Richard eyed the man. He still had his sword drawn. It was rust free, and the blade looked sharp. Richard detected the unmistakable bulge of chainmail beneath the man’s tunic. He looked competent to Richard.
“Would you mind putting your sword away,” Richard said. “You’re scaring the children.”
“I’m not scared of a sword,” said Brachia. “May I hold it?”
Servilus’ lips curled into a small smile. He sheathed his sword.
“Maybe later, little one,” said Servilus.
Brachia’s lip came out in a little pout.
“Aw, little one,” said Servilus, “even my son is not allowed to hold this sword. It was given to me by the late General Derviali Carparon after the battle of Jacabson’s Ford two years ago. It is very sharp. I am sure I could trust you with it, but if my son found out I let you hold it, then how could I deny him?”
Brachia seemed mollified a little. Richard noticed his lip went back into its normal position.
“Are you military?” Richard said.
“Ex-military,” said Servilus. “I was a captain in the king’s dragoons. I hurt my back during the battle of which I spoke. Since I can no longer ride a horse for any extended period of time, I was discharged and sent home.”
“Without pay, I might add,” said the mayor.
“Do not bore our guests with past grievances, Father,” said Servilus. “Now, Sir Richard, you were going to tell us about the food in the south.”
“You guessed correctly,” Richard said. “Dren exaggerated a little. As far as we know, there is no food.”
“You may have prevented a riot here, my friends,” said the mayor, “but I fear you have done no favor for those in charge of the villages to the south.”
“It’s going to get worse here as well,” Richard said. “You should leave. Everyone should leave.”
“We are,” said Servilus. “The only question is where to run.”
“The girl said you were a mage,” said the mayor. “Is that so?”
“Don’t speak around me like I am not here,” said Dren. “I have a name, you know.”
“Dren, please,” Richard said. “We need information. Starting an argument will not help any of us.”
“We need information as well,” said Servilus. “Are you a mage?”
“No,” Richard said.
“Yet you have on strange armor and have strange weapons,” countered Servilus.
“Yes, I do,” Richard said. “But I am not a mage.”
The two men waited, but Richard did not elaborate. When it became obvious he was not going to answer further, the mayor spoke.
“Then tell us this, Sir Richard,” said the mayor. “Are you here to join the gnome and her party?”
Remember our mission from ‘the One’, said Nickelo privately. We’re supposed to ‘help the children help her’.
I know, Nick, Richard said. I’m not stupid. Now, stop distracting me.
“Perhaps,” Richard answered. “Did she come through your village? If so, when was she here? And, where was she headed?”
You’re blowing it, Rick, said Nickelo. You’re too anxious. Have you even heard of the word subtle?
Stop distracting me, Nick.
Richard noticed Servilus’ eyes narrow slightly, but he did not interrupt when his father answered.
“Yes,” said the mayor. “The Elf Friend and her party came through our village early yesterday. As to where they were headed, they left on the north road.”
“You’ve mentioned the Elf Friend twice,” Richard said. “Is that the name of the gnome?”
Rick –, said Nickelo.
Nick, stop it, Richard said. I hate subterfuge. I can’t keep even small lies or nuances of truths straight.
This time even the mayor looked at Richard suspiciously. Richard noticed Servilus’ hand move slightly closer to the hilt of his sword.
“Sirs,” said Dren. “Let’s be honest with each other. We mean you no harm. We have been sent on a mission to help someone. Sir Richard was given a mission to ‘help the children help her’ and to ‘find what they need’. We are the children, but we do not know who she is or what it is that needs to be found. We are merely trying to determine if this gnome, this Elf Friend, is the one we seek. If so, then we need to aid her in her search. We’ve been given a time limit of only thirty days, so we don’t have a lot of time to waste.”
The two men seemed to ponder Dren’s words. Neither man appeared inclined to discuss serious matters with such a young girl.
“You let this child speak for you?” said the mayor.
“Sometimes,” Richard said. “She’s smarter than I am in a lot of ways. And, she speaks the truth. We do not mean you any harm. If the gnome is the one we seek, then we would do our best to help her.”
“Who sent you on this mission?” said Servilus dubiously. “Was it the king?”
“No,” Richard said. “We have never met the king. We are not at liberty to say who sent us on the mission.”
“You put us in a difficult situation, Sir Richard,” said the mayor. “You want us to provide you with information, but you refuse to give us the same courtesy in return.”
Nick? Richard said. Any suggestions?
Sorry, Rick, said Nickelo. I wouldn’t want to distract you.
Thanks, old buddy, Richard said. See what I do next time you need help.
“Fine,” Richard said. “I give up. This has obviously been a waste of everyone’s time. We’ll be on our way. Please don’t draw that sword, Servilus. I would take it ill.”
The young man’s hand moved away from his sword hilt.
Richard turned to leave as he motioned for the children to head out into the hallway.
“Wait,” said the mayor. “These are strange times, Sir Richard. You did us a good turn, and we have repaid you poorly.”
Richard turned back to look at the mayor.
“Which way will you go?” asked the mayor.
“North,” Richard answered honestly “That’s the only information we have to go on. We will catch up with this gnome if we are able. Maybe she will be more helpful.”
“North will take you into the path of the Northern Mages’ army,” said Servilus. “It would be a fool’s errand.”
“It wouldn’t be the first such mission I’ve been on,” Richard said.
�
�Would you take these two children with you into the nightmare that is the north?” said Servilus. “Do you not realize what is there?”
“No, I don’t,” Richard said. “Tell me.”
“It is said as the Northern Mages move south,” said Servilus, “the graveyards give up their dead. A messenger from the north passed through here three days ago. He told me he saw it with his own eyes in one of the villages. Later, from a hillside, he spotted the pavilion of the leader of the Northern Mages, the necromancer himself. The messenger estimated any dead within a half day’s walk of the necromancer is brought back to life.”
“Even a contingent of elves and dwarves were easily defeated by the Northern Mages,” said the mayor. “Their corpses now serve the necromancer.”
“So I heard,” Richard said. “What part does this gnome play in all this?”
“She is a priestess of the Lady,” said the mayor. “The elves have named her Elf Friend. She rides with a dozen of her kind and another two dozen elves as escorts. One of her gnome guards told me her faith in the Creator will be able to stop the necromancer and his hellish army.”
Hmm, said Nickelo with a laugh. Once you get these guys talking, you can’t shut them up.
Hush, Nick.
“Do you know the gnome’s route?” Richard said. “Even better, do you have a map?”
Servilus reached behind him to a cluttered shelf and pulled out a rolled up parchment. He spread it out on the desk. It was a map. For the next fifteen minutes, the mayor and Servilus showed Richard the lands surrounding Chinto’s Crossing. They were located in the kingdom of Denor. Far to the south was the land of the elves. Their capital was Silver Town. From what Richard could gather, the elves worshipped some kind of tree. Apparently, the gnome also worshipped the same tree. Richard didn’t quite understand how the Creator fit into the scenario. The end result, however, was that the elves had declared the gnome an Elf Friend and sent her off to destroy the Northern Mages’ army of undead.
What a great honor, said Nickelo.
Yeah, Richard said. It sounds like the type of honor I usually get conned into. The elves declare the gnome Elf Friend, pat her on the head, and then send her off to die while they stay back safe in their little forest. Some honor.
Wizard Cadet (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 2) Page 17
