Sol Boxset

by Samuel Small

Lindsey placed her bound hands toward the structure that she created to split up the room, and it melted into the ground like wax before a bright flame. On the other side were Flint and his companions, poised and ready for battle, but when they saw everyone’s more relaxed posture they follow suit. Flint obviously wanted to ask what the hell had happened on the other side of the wall to make such a combative girl suddenly so docile, but he must have set his mind on more important matters at the last minute.

  “When do y’all plan on doin’ this thing then?” he asked.

  “Eh, tonight if possible,” Bolt said.

  Flint obviously took offense at this as he scowled and made a dismissive noise. Jake folded his arms and nodded at him. He hadn’t been with this group for too long, but it was enough to know that they would do something that crazy.

  “Tonight?” Flint said, “We can’t possibly get everyone ready by ton—”

  “We won’t need everybody,” Thun interrupted.

  “To be honest,” Bolt said, “you don’t have to help if you don’t want to. The three of us can send ’em into real shambles no problem.”

  This time when Flint looked to Jake for advice he had nothing for him. Three people take out an entire mercenary group? he thought incredulously. He turned to Bolt, hoping that it was all a joke, but when Bolt caught his eye he only smiled and gave a thumbs up. From behind, Jake heard a shifting and was surprised when Lindsey came forward.

  “You won’t be able to do that. They’re an entire military unit and all are more than competent,” she said.

  “If they’re as competent as you, I think we’ll have a shot,” Thun said, causing the girl to roll her eyes.

  “I’m nothing compared to our leader, if that’s what you’re insinuating. You’ll never get past him,” she said.

  “Let me guess… you have no idea what his Sol is,” Jake said. Lindsey jumped and turned to him. He couldn’t blame her. Up until now he was just rolling with the punches, but if he ever wanted to earn Bolt and Thun’s respect, and maybe get a little leeway in trying to convince them to stay out of the rebellion, he had to take a more active role. When she was done being surprised that Jake was an actual living human and not a clay golem she’d unknowingly erected during her attempt at escape, she gave him a wary look that confirmed his suspicions. Jake nodded, satisfied. Bolt’s gears were seriously turning and in a few seconds he dropped his posture and his mouth fell open.

  “He’s that guy with the weird circles!” he yelled, pointing at Lindsey. Her wary look became confused.

  “Yeah, I think so too,” Thun said, then turned to Flint. “He took the three of us out yesterday. We didn’t even know what happened.”

  “And you think you can beat him now?” Lindsey said. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Jake, why don’t you tell her?” Thun said.

  Jake had no idea what he was talking about, but stopped and tried to think about it anyway. He placed his fingers on his chin and lowered his head, trying to think about the encounter, but it all happened so fast.

  “Don’t tell me I’m the only one who noticed,” Thun said.

  “I don’t know what you want me to see, he looked like a traveler so we let our guard down. As soon as we did… that’s it!” Jake said

  “Oh come on? What’s is? I don’t get this at all,” Bolt said.

  “He was disguised as a traveler. Not only that, but when we saw him, we dropped our guard and that’s when he attacked,” Jake said.

  “Yeah, and?”

  “If he was so tough, why would he have to rely on a sneak attack? Why would he be so cautious when he approached us?”

  “Aha!” Bolt said. “A big faker!”

  “That isn’t—” Lindsey began but stopped. She dropped her shoulders and opened her mouth as if some stunning revelation had suddenly dawned on her.

  “What?” Jake asked.

  “It’s just…” she began, her voice incredibly soft, as if it wasn’t entirely there. She looked up for a moment, seeming incredibly vulnerable, like the young kid Flint said she was. She must have caught the sympathy in Jake’s eyes and rejected it, as she turned away and pouted. “It’s none of your business!” she yelled.

  “You tell us right now,” Flint said, then stopped, apparently in thought. “Wait, no – I think I know what she’s talkin’ about but I thought that was just a rumor.”

  As if her big secret just came out, Lindsey coiled into herself. “It’s true then, isn’t it?” Flint said.

  “What’s true?” Jake asked.

  “’Bout a week ago a mercenary came into town. Didn’t say much, just headed straight for the ridge. Most people assumed he paid his toll and was on his way, but there’s a rumor going around that he just mowed through the lot of ’em.”

  “One guy took out all of the Dragon Fang?” Jake asked.

  “That’s the rumor. I didn’t believe it myself but in light of recent events… I’m convinced.”

  Lindsey looked to the side and didn’t even spare Jake a glance. It was true. Jake went up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She finally turned toward him, but her eyes were narrowed.

  “Who was he and how did he do it?” Her eyes locked on him, angry for a moment. Then she spoke.

  “I wasn’t there at the time and they won’t really talk about it.”

  “Well, that’s useful,” Flint said.

  Not one to be discouraged, Bolt shot his arms into the air and smiled. “It sure is! Now we know that they’re not some undefeatable force. Hell, if one guy can do it we can as well – no problem.” He had goofy grin on his face and nodded in affirmation at his own delusion. When he caught Jake’s skeptical eye he only feigned ignorance, shooting the boy an over-the-top thumbs up.

  “I guess that settles it then,” Jake said, sighing. “So what’s the plan?”

  “We fuck ’em up,” Bolt said. Jake and Flint both moved back in horror, as if his overconfidence was some contagious disease that would infect them if he got too close. They looked at one another, their eyes wide and trying to find confirmation in the other, but soon realized that wasn’t the case and they turned to Thun. He only nodded, his arms crossed, and Jake repressed a sigh.

  “Noted,” Jake said, “but can we at least survey the area? I haven’t even seen it yet.”

  “No need – Thun and I already have. In fact there really isn’t much to see. Just some planks and pulleys, and only one path so there isn’t much point in sneaking around. We’re just gonna hit ’em hard!”

  “You guys are idiots. There’s three of you and about 100 of us,” Lindsey said.

  “Don’t doubt small numbers, mi’lady,” Bolt said, and gave their roped companion an eccentric bow, “that whole bug problem was squashed by two Republic trainees, a prisoner, and a drifter! Four people solved an entire world crisis! Just think what the three of us can do! And with Flint and this town’s support, it’ll be a piece of cake.”

  If only he knew how useless Jake really was for that whole endeavor and how much the drifter carried the team. Jake clenched his fists. Not this time.

  ***

  Looking down, Jake began to doubt their whole plan. Deathridge was massive, the ground so far below that he momentarily felt dizzy and thought he might fall. There really wasn’t much in the way of security at night, just a few large tents where presumably everyone slept.

  The path down was a wooden structure built along the side of the canyon that sloped at a steep angle, not too complicated but plenty conspicuous. There were some torches along the way to light the path, as well as a few flickering lights at the bottom. Jake tried to take note of how many there were patrolling: just two walking around it seemed. On the opposite end the guard just finished his round. He walked up to the top of the wooden structure and looked about, although he must’ve not seen the group in the dark as he went back down.

  Jake turned toward his comrades. Behind him were Bolt, Thun, Flint and some villagers, and, strangely enough Lindsey as well. Jak
e didn’t kick up too much protest when Bolt tried to bring her along as for better or worse he was used to having comrades who tried to kill him, and he knew that despite Bolt’s goofy exterior he was actually pretty calculating and probably had a good reason to bring her.

  “Our best bet,” Jake whispered, “is going to be to take out the guard when he comes up. Hopefully the other won’t notice for a while and we’ll be able to get pretty far down before they catch on.”

  Bolt looked disgusted. “What?” Jake asked.

  “You don’t think we’re gonna sneak around them do yuh?”

  Jake looked to him and Thun in turn, neither of whom looked at Jake as if he was a sane man.

  “I said ‘take ‘’em out’ and I meant it. No point beatin’ around the bush,” Bolt said, and pulled out his pistol from the inside of his jacket, playfully throwing it into the air and catching it. He began to aim at the tent one handed, shutting an eye, and sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth. Jake jumped up, waved his hands, then gently lowered Bolt’s arm.

  “We should at least try to take out as many as we can covertly, right?” He looked at Flint and his companions, the only sane people he now recognized. They all nodded their agreement and Bolt sighed, knowing he was outvoted. “Fine, we’ll do it the wimpy way.”

  Just then muffled footsteps began ascending the walkway, growing louder. Jake looked toward his companions and they all looked back, even the fickle Lindsey. Jake placed his hand behind his back and gripped his sword. The muffled steps got closer and soon the plank reverberated from the guard’s footfalls. Slowly to ensure it did not make a sound, Jake unsheathed his sword then held it so that the handle pointed forward.

  When he saw a head begin to appear, Jake sprung into action.

  He leapt off the rocky surface and onto the wooden plank below, landing with a crash that shocked the guard before him. The guard took a step back and Jake lunged for him, sending the hilt of his sword into the man’s jaw. He stumbled a bit, then began to fall toward the chasm below. Jake dropped his sword and grabbed the man’s arm and hoisted him up. Meanwhile, his sword began to slowly slide down the walkway.

  Having set the man down on his back, Jake turned to the sword that Major Miles gave to him, which picked up speed and was about to plunge off the edge of the walkway and into the dark rift below.

  He ran down the path, closing the distance between his blade but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it in time. Just before it went tumbling over the edge Jake dove for his sword and grasped it between both hands. His momentum continued to carry on the smooth surface of the wood and he was terrified that he might now plummet along with it. Then he felt a firm grip on his ankles and his momentum halted. Behind him, Thun held him steady. He exhaled a sharp breath of air and thanked him, then got to his feet.

  Thun walked toward the man Jake knocked unconscious and pulled out his gun without a moment's hesitation. Jake stomped on the wooden plank and the boy looked toward him. Jake shook his head. That wasn’t necessary. Thun looked disappointed, but respected Jake’s wishes and nodded toward one of Flint’s friends. The man hoisted the prone guard over his shoulder and ascended the walkway.

  As they continued down, Jake was sure to douse each torch they came across. His sneak attack was lucky, and the other guard had descended the set of stairs on the opposite end of the ridge. That meant he was less likely to look at the walkway across from him. No, Jake had done plenty of monotonous guard duties as a trainee: he was sure he wouldn’t look. That guard would be so bored his senses would be dulled. He probably wouldn’t react even if an enemy jumped down right in front of him.

  As Jake stepped off the wooden plank and onto the rocky surface below he felt the temperature drop and his nerves tense. It would begin soon. Ahead was the tent, a faded canvas material that stood eerily still, as if unaffected by any kind of outside influence. Down here there was no wind, no storms. Just stillness.

  The clatter of more feet upon the ground rose from behind Jake and he turned. The feeling was gone now, he wasn’t alone. He smiled at them and realized for the first time that he was grateful for their presence, all of them – including Lindsey.

  Oh shit – Lindsey, he thought, but it was already too late.

  The ground beneath Jake suddenly shifted.

  “Sir, they’re here!” Lindsey shouted toward the tent. Jake turned his head, terrified as the awning opened. He wanted to charge at the man and fight, but it took all of his concentration just to stay upright on the unstable ground. He turned back to Lindsey.

  “You had this much power?” Enough power to manipulate the entire ground they were standing on, yet before it looked like an effort for her to send out little fissures and outcrops. Lindsey didn’t respond, not verbally. She only squatted with her hands placed on the ground, smirking. Dammit.

  Jake turned back to the tent where the man who took him and his squadron out only a few days before exited. Behind him were several guards scrambling for their weapons and ready to follow. He raised an arm to them and they stopped.

  Behind him, a shout brought Jake’s attention away from the leader. There, Bolt tried to pull out his gun, but Lindsey focused her attention on him once more. The ground beneath him began to shake and ripple violently, but the soil beneath Jake didn’t seem to stir as much. Bolt lost his grip and the gun flew out of his hands and hit the twisting earth below. As it did he turned to Jake and winked. Jake understood immediately and turned toward the enemy leader, who seemed to be enjoying the show.

  His hands were clasped behind his back, as if he were a teacher prepared to give a long lecture. That pissed Jake off, and he crouched down and jumped as far as he could in the man’s direction. He met the ground and discovered that it was flat and stable. Jake stood upright and looked at the man, who removed his hands from behind his back and began to clap softly. They were slow and deliberate gestures, and the only sound in the ridge aside from the rustling of the ground behind Jake.

  He placed his hand behind his back and began to slowly remove his sword from its scabbard while the man continued his methodical clapping.

  Chapter 7

  Some of the men tried to leave the tent, but their leader kept his hand raised and shook his head. “It’s only a few rats, I’ll be happy to deal with them myself. Lindsey, you just keep them at bay.”

  Lindsey nodded at the man, then focused her attention on the group. She looked at each in turn, trying to work out if any would put up major resistance so she could focus her energy on them. Jake turned his head from her and toward the leader, who patiently waited for him to finish analyzing the situation.

  “Allen Gray, at your service,” the man said, giving a theatrical bow, complete with the removal of his fedora and exaggerated hand movements. He raised his posture and rolled his arm toward Jake.

  “Jake Re— just Jake.”

  “Well, ‘Jake Just Jake’, you’re quite the bold lad, aren’t you? Thinking you can take out my entire army with only a handful of troops? Truly impressive. However, one – just one – of my female recruits is able to hold your entire posse at bay. Behold the might of the Dragon Fang! Now I – and just I – shall deal with you. That’s only fair, isn’t it?”

  Jake had a good idea of what this Allen Gray guy was getting at and he thought he could play along just as well. Staring at the cocky man, Jake lowered his sword from its battle-ready position and let its tip rest on the ground. He leaned on it, using the hilt to support his elbow. “Really? Fair, you say?” From behind someone began to chuckle – Bolt, Jake assumed, then Lindsey told him to shut up.

  Up ahead, Allen Gray’s brow creased.

  “Yes. I’m nothing if not a gentleman. I prefer to keep my fights fair.” He was unnaturally stiff, and Jake ventured a guess that it was because he was resisting the urge to turn toward the tent and assess his lackey’s reactions.

  “Keep your fights fair, eh? Well, Mr. Gray, that’s interesting because I’m not sure this is the fir
st time we’ve met. Actually, I’m positive. You’re pretty tough. You took me and my friends out without much effort.”

  “Aha! My reputation precedes me,” Allen Gray said, extending his arms out as if to an audience, and there certainly was inside the folds of his tent. “Yes, I do believe I recognize you now, Jake Just Jake! I remember taking you and your teammate out quite clearly.”

  “Yeah, you sure did,” Jake said, intentionally trying to look disinterested and checking his nails. “It was quite the sneak attack as I recall.”

  Allen Gray’s eyes widened at the suggestion. “Sneak attack? Me? Never! I must have taken you out so fast you didn’t even recognize the strategy in my planning!”

  “No—” Jake began, but Allen Gray cut him off.

  “As I recall, you killed a few of my men. That I cannot forgive,” he said, then pointed his cane at Jake. Jake tensed for a moment and considered raising his weapon, but decided it was best to keep up the brash act. It was driving this guy bonkers. Slow as to feign indifference, Jake turned his eyes from his fingernails, and looked up at Allen Gray. He smirked.

  And that was all it took to make his gentleman pretense crumble. Allen Gray extended his hand and unleashed the purple waves of energy. Jake grasped his sword by the handle and rolled out of the way, springing up to the side of the formally dressed man, his blade at the ready. He didn’t take advantage of the opening, and rather opted to wink. It did more damage than any sword slash could have. Figuring he’d need it, Jake jumped back to give his opponent some distance.

  Allen Gray’s features tensed and he shot out more rippling waves of energy. Jake now realized that he was all smoke and mirrors. The purple waves were slow moving and easy to dodge. The only reason he got Jake and his team before was because he attacked them inside a narrow cavern.

  Enjoying the show, Jake ran toward the attack and leapt straight into it. He felt momentarily nauseous as he passed through, but he wasn’t inside long enough for it to have a significant effect on him, and when he landed in front of Allen Gray the feeling was gone completely. He continued moving forward and swung his blade at the man, deliberately slow so that his opponent would be able to block.