Jade laughed. “I could have healed you if I’d been there. In fact, if you happen to see a low-growing plant with kind of thick, hairy leaves, let me know.”
“Huh?” he glanced around at the profusion of scrubby plants and new growth in the ploughed fields.
She blushed. “It’s Indian Borage – great for coughs, fevers, insect bites and stuff. I use a lot of herbs in my magic.”
Phoenix raised his eyes to the sky and shook his head. Now she was just showing off. He glanced around. Behind, Brynn glowered at Cadoc’s back and Marcus’ impassive expression had settled into stone.
Cadoc eyed her in obvious admiration. “Really? And do you often have to heal your friends with them?”
“Sure,” Jade said with a too-casual shrug. “All the time. In fact, my main job seems to be healing people and coming up with brilliant rescue plans – usually in the other order.”
“Well,” Cadoc laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure they appreciate all your hard work. I know I would.”
Jade fell silent, staring down between her mare’s twitching ears. Phoenix watched her, wondering what she was thinking. She flicked him a quick, frowning look, full of doubt and hurt.
The Player murmured something about scouting ahead. He kicked his heels into his mount and trotted away. Jade looked after him for a long moment. Phoenix’s sense of unease and annoyance grew. She could have agreed. She could have defended him and the others. Instead, she acted like he was the badguy here.
He edged his stallion closer. Marcus and Brynn came alongside. The four friends rode abreast on the path. Ahead, Cadoc cantered smoothly toward the next bend. Phoenix eyed the man, feeling disgruntled. He rode a magnificent, black war-horse fitted out with the best gear and led Llew’s now-empty mount. The Player looked like the perfect warrior – muscular and bristling with pointy weapons. Add to that the fact that he was charming, intelligent and ridiculously good-looking and Cadoc was just so darned perfect it was irritating. He must have scored all twenties when he rolled his character’s avatar and skills.
“So what do you think of him?” Phoenix demanded of Marcus.
The Roman watched their fellow traveller for a few moments, taking his usual amount of time to mull over his answer.
“I’m not sure. There’s more to him than there seems,” he replied at last. “He is not just a simple sword for hire.”
“What do you mean?” Phoenix turned to look at Marcus in surprise. He hadn’t actually expected a definitive answer, just an opinion.
“I am sure I’ve seen him somewhere before,” Marcus admitted. “I just can’t remember where. Perhaps Londinium?”
“Yes! That’s it!” Brynn slapped his thigh. “I thought the same thing. Now I remember. I stabled his horse for him when he came through our village just a few days before I met you two. He and his father were riding to Londinium to meet the Roman Governor. He paid me a measly copper piece – cheapskate.”
“He went to see my father, Agricola?” Marcus asked. Brynn nodded and Marcus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Yes. You’re right. Now I remember. His father is Corio, King of the Dobunnic territories. They came to make a deal with my father. Corio retained his title and territory in return for tithing half his peoples’ crops to Rome. He also, if I remember correctly, met with Zhudai in private. Cadoc did not attend the meetings, though.”
“Half!” Brynn was appalled. “How could they survive?”
“I don’t think King Corio cared,” Marcus’ grim expression said everything.
“But you can’t blame Cadoc for his father’s greed,” Jade interrupted. “Maybe he even left the country to get away from what his father was doing – like you did, Marcus. Don’t judge him on his father. You said he wasn’t in the meetings. Anyway, I like him.”
Marcus bowed his head but his eyes were hard. “You’re right, of course.”
“So he’s a Prince, is he?” Phoenix regretted the comment immediately. Jade’s green eyes took on a dreamy expression while Marcus’ frown deepened and Brynn began to glower again.
“I still say he’s a cheapskate,” the boy muttered, glaring at Jade.
Jade huffed and urged her mare into a trot so she could catch up with her new friend. Phoenix exchanged worried looks with Marcus but there was really nothing they could do, so they went to join her.
Cadoc’s charismatic charm rapidly overcame the moment of awkwardness that followed and the group soon laughed and chatted as they rode through the sultry morning. The green, terraced mountains that wrapped around the river gradually opened up and the floodplain got wider. They passed a village that lay on the north side of the Mula river but its people didn’t seem as friendly as those of Paud. Brightly-clad women, casting the travellers scared, hurried looks, ushered their children inside. Barechested men working in the fields, stopped to stare silently as they passed; dark eyes narrowed and knuckles white on their tools.
Phoenix glanced across at Jade, wondering what she made of it. It didn’t look like she’d even noticed. She was busy talking with Cadoc. Under his attention, she blossomed: laughing and smiling, flirting even, he realised with another spurt of irritation. In fact, he’d never seen her so relaxed and happy. He had to admit, it was hard to dislike Cadoc. He laughed openly and frequently, white teeth flashing and eyes crinkling in genuine amusement. Phoenix sighed, trying to keep perspective. He seemed a nice enough guy and if he could keep Jade in good spirits after the morning’s disaster then Phoenix was willing to try and put aside his own childish jealousy and automatic distrust and get along with him.
By early afternoon the sun beat down on their bare heads. They were all hungry and sweaty. Having forded a small river that joined the Mula, they now approached a smaller series of mountain ridges. According to Cadoc, once they rounded this last arm of the mountain range, the Mula would turn southeast and lead them straight to Pune before nightfall. As they headed for the shade of a large fig tree to eat lunch and water the horses, Phoenix reflected on what had been a surprisingly calm morning.
The group dismounted. Phoenix heard Cadoc growl and Jade sigh. Behind him, Brynn groaned. “Oh, come on. We only just got here. Don’t we even get time to eat now?”
Phoenix looked around and froze.
Stepping out from behind the huge tree and standing in a loose semi-circle, were thirty or more men. They all bore weapons and basic uniforms of a white shirt and a once-white dhoti; but all of them looked worse-for-wear. In fact, Phoenix realised, they looked like they could use a good feed. Gold-brown skin stretched tightly over delicate bones and stomachs that were clearly empty. Their clothing hung in tatters and their weapons were notched and rusted. Feet, calloused from lack of shoes, carried thin bodies topped by gaunt faces and lank, black hair. Only their dark eyes seemed alive – sparkling with hunger, desperation and a hint of fear. One of them stepped forward half a pace, raising a ragged-edged, curved sword.
“Give us everything and we will spare your lives,” he snarled, showing broken, yellowed teeth.
Jade stepped forward and pushed back a piece of white linen she’d draped over her head to protect her face from the sun. “You poor things. You look half-starved. Let me…”
“Vetaala!” The leader gasped, pointing. His eyes widened and his hand shook. He took a wobbly step back, almost colliding with one of his fellows. The others took up the word; whispering it at first then crying it aloud when Jade held out a hand toward them.
“No, no!” she denied. “Please, I’m not.”
It was too late. At the sound of her voice, the pack broke. Staggering and screaming, the would-be robbers turned and fled down the long valley. In silent amazement, the companions watched until the last of them vanished into the scrubby forest and their high-pitched yells had faded. High overhead, a circling eagle cried in imitation.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As one, Phoenix, Marcus and Brynn looked blankly at each other and then at Jade.
“Well,” Phoenix laughed, “I hope all
our fights are that easy.”
Jade drew up her head-cloth again, hiding the white-blonde hair, green eyes and pale skin that had caused such a ruckus.
“What was it they called you?” he grinned at her discomfiture.
“I don’t know,” she said tartly. “They were so starved they were probably hallucinating anyway.”
“No,” he replied, unable to resist teasing her. “I’m pretty sure I heard them call you a ghost.”
“Vampire,” Brynn put in, giggling. “It was definitely their word for vampire.”
“Oh shut up,” Jade turned to her horse and made a show of loosening the saddle-girth.
“A vampire,” Brynn repeated faintly, still laughing. Phoenix couldn’t help chuckling along with him. It was pretty funny.
Ignoring them, Jade tied up her mare and started pulling out supplies with more force than was strictly needed. Phoenix looked at her, feeling a twinge of guilt as he spotted a sheen of tears in her eyes. She dashed them away.
Cadoc went over and tied his mount alongside her mare. She turned her face away. Phoenix edged forward, trying to hear their low conversation. He glared as Cadoc rested a sympathetic hand on hers.
“I’m sure they don’t mean to hurt you,” the Player said simply.
She shrugged one shoulder. “I know. I’m just….tired.”
“We all are but that’s no excuse. A leader should…” he stopped, closing his lips with a sidelong glance at Phoenix. She sighed.
Phoenix felt the sharp sting of anger when, again, she didn’t defend him. He scowled at her. He was trying to be a leader but he wasn’t perfect. She wasn’t perfect either. Sometimes he couldn’t help acting his real age. Not even Marcus and Brynn knew that Jade and Phoenix were both not even fourteen years old in the real world. Couldn’t a guy have any fun here anymore? He laid a hand on Blódbál’s hilt and the anger flared higher. Startled, he took his hand off and backed away, shaken by the strength of his own reaction.
Cadoc put his hands on Jade’s shoulders, turned her toward the tree and gave her a little push.
“Why don’t you let me get the lunch? You look like you could use a rest.”
“Th..thanks,” she stuttered, staring at him.
Phoenix’s anger faded into guilt as he watched her smile gratefully at the Player. He grimaced. Clearly he’d overstepped the mark and really hurt her feelings. Another quick look at Marcus told him everything he needed to know. Marcus was like a weather-vane for the group morale. If Phoenix did the wrong thing, all he had to do was look at Marcus’ normally-calm expression. A slight frown on that handsome face meant he’d been more than usually stupid. So that dark scowl meant he’d really stuffed up this time.
OK, the whole vampire thing had been a bit juvenile but the expressions on those Indian guys’ faces had been priceless. Phoenix sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Being an adult; being a leader – it was all a lot harder than he’d ever thought it would be. Cadoc’s presence wasn’t making that job any easier, either. Phoenix felt intimidated and unsettled with the handsome Player in the group. His presence was subtly affecting their relationships. Now, more than ever, their group had to work together. Phoenix couldn’t afford to alienate Jade or be angry at any of his friends again. Resting his hand on the hilt of Blódbál reminded him of that. The sword sang its unsubtle spell-song in his head, urging him to fight, kill and die. He had to resist it or it would control him through his already-quick temper.
He walked over and laid a hand on Jade’s shoulder. She sent him a hurt, flickering look.
“Sorry,” he cleared his throat, feeling awkward. “That was stupid. I’m an idiot.”
She looked at him expressionlessly for a moment then pressed her lips together and nodded. “Yeah, you are sometimes but so am I.” She sighed. “I guess I was feeling guilty about losing another life, losing Llew and letting Cadoc down...so I kinda overreacted when you teased me. Plus,” she pressed her fingers to her pale, heat-flushed cheeks, “I’m not feeling one hundred percent.”
“What’s wrong?” Not really knowing how to deal with her confused emotions, Phoenix wrapped loving fingers around the hilt of his sword, glancing around in the hopes of seeing a more physical danger he could just chop up instead.
“No, it’s just...” she hesitated then shook her head, “No, nothing really. Just feeling a bit off. I’ll be ok. Thanks, though.”
Relieved, he gave her a thumbs-up and went off to answer a call of nature.
After lunch, they packed their gear in more comfortable silence, mounted and continued to ride, following the river downstream. The humid heat was more draining than the dry heat of Egypt and they were all drooping by the time they neared the last of the foothills.
Jade called a halt and sat on her mare, staring into the dusty northeastern horizon.
“What is it?” Phoenix edged his horse alongside hers, shoving in between her and Cadoc.
“I thought I saw a flash of something metal out on the plains,” she shaded her eyes. Everyone watched but her Elven eyesight far outstripped theirs. All they could see was a great pall of dust hanging over the flatlands. Eventually, she shook her head and shrugged.
They rode on for a few minutes then Marcus spoke up. “Did anyone else notice that those men were all wearing a uniform of some sort?”
The group halted, staring at each other in consternation. As one, they turned to look again at the dustcloud ahead.
“You don’t think…” Brynn began.
“Yes,” Marcus said. “I think there’s probably a very large army somewhere under that cloud of dust.”
“I’d say you’re right,” Cadoc frowned and nodded toward the nearby ridge. “Perhaps we should head up to higher ground and get a look ahead before we run straight into a full-blown war.”
Phoenix gritted his teeth, annoyed that he hadn’t thought of it and said it sooner. Everyone else took it for granted that Cadoc’s idea was a good one and turned their mounts to follow his. Reluctantly, Phoenix did the same. It was a good idea, after all.
It took them longer than expected to find a safe path up to the top of the ridge. Underfoot, broken blocks of black basalt made riding and walking equally hazardous. It was hard to look where you were putting your feet and also watch for ambush at the same time.
By the time they finally reached the summit, the sun balanced on jagged mountaintops behind them. Overhead, streaky clouds once more flamed with the hot pinks and oranges of a subtropical sunset. Shadows lengthened. Night was not far away and they had not yet reached Pune.
They peered through the gathering dusk. Spread out below, a vast floodplain that stretched to the eastern horizon and beyond. Behind them, the massive mountain range from which they had come marched unbroken to the north and south as far as they could see. Slowly, the sun sank behind the western peaks and their jagged shadows speared across the plain. The sky darkened to purple and the first stars began to come out. Below, as though the sky had fallen to earth, dozens of little sparks of light flickered to life on the dark floodplain. Flickering like earth-stars, more and more popped into existence as the friends watched in awe.
“There are…thousands and thousands of them,” Brynn whispered.
“Campfires,” Marcus said. “If we assume there’re maybe ten men around each fire, there must be over…..”
“A hundred thousand,” Cadoc finished.
Phoenix frowned at him. “You sound pretty certain. How do you know for sure?”
The warrior shrugged. “Llew and I heard about it as we travelled this way from Karla Caves. Bhumaka, a king of sorts from the coast - over those western mountains - was coming behind us from his base in Śūrpāraka, with an army of a hundred thousand men. He’s trying to stop some petty king on this side of the mountains from getting too big for his boots. I was hoping to get to Pune before their armies destroyed it. Knew I shouldn’t have bothered with the Naga treasure.”
“Well thanks for sharing,” Phoenix said sarcasti
cally.
Cadoc spread his hands, “Like I said, I thought we’d get to Pune first. The army moved faster than I anticipated.”
“So where is Pune from here?” Jade jumped in.
He pointed just south of east, into the inky night. “It will be about ten kilometres that way. You can’t see anything because there are still a couple of hills in the way. It’s only small, anyway.”
“Can we just cut straight across to it and bypass the army completely?” Brynn suggested.
“Hang on, I’ll check,” Cadoc stood still and stared blankly off into space for several moments. Phoenix exchanged knowing looks with Jade. Cadoc was probably Googling Pune on a map – looking for the best route to the town. It was kind of eerie to have their new companion put himself on pause.
Seconds later, he blinked and they knew he’d returned to the game. “There are two valleys and two more high ridges between us and the town. If we try and climb them at night, we’ll break an ankle. If we do it during the day, we’re sure to be spotted by the army scouts and captured as spies.”
“Fabulous,” Phoenix grumbled. “So what, we’re stuck up here until the army moves on?”
Cadoc shook his head. “They’re not going to move on in a hurry, I’m afraid. Llew and I heard that the other army is coming in from the northeast. Bhumaka will most likely take possession of Pune then ford the river and meet the other army on the plains north of the city. They may even raze the town to the ground – which would make completing our Quests pretty difficult, I’d say.”
Phoenix began to pace, sending irritated glances at the twinkling army camp below.
“Would we be able to negotiate safe passage into Pune to complete our quest without getting involved in the war?” Marcus asked.
The Player shrugged. “I don’t know but once you walk into the middle of an army and offer money, what’s to stop them from killing you and taking it anyway?”
The Sudarshana Page 6
