by Pwyll Duggan
The Heavy and I impact shields, neither giving ground. His axe comes down, again and again, ringing my shield, driving me back. I slowly step back, making sure Rose is clear at the healer. I watch her clip the side of the healer’s head, making sure she stays down. The heavy is infuriated, angry blows raining down on my shield, starting to warp it as his grinning gets bigger.
I start returning blows with my fist, denting his shield with every blow, his turn to be pushed back. He steps back once more, and I grin, shooting backwards and airborne, swinging around him. The kneeling rogue doesn't see me as I fly by, reaching out for her. I land, her ankle in hand, rogue screaming at what's going on. I start using her as a helicopter, swinging her around my head, Heavy looking on in shock.
"Catch" and I trigger Power Strike and let her fly. He's dropping his shield, forgetting he is in plate mail as she hits. Her screaming stops as his start. He howls in anguish as parts of her splatter on his armour, other parts flopping to the ground. I stride forward, Princess coming to hand and bring her down on his helm, splitting it. I leave her to drink her fill as I walk over to the kimono dressed mage, examining her.
She's pale, breathing shallow. I pull open her bloody kimono. I strip her of all the jewellery I can see, leaving it in a pile beside me. I drop her wand and check her hair bun, pulling out more things.
Hand down on her chest, I trigger heal and remove poison as I rip the dagger out. Dropping it to the side I take her sash and bind her hands, wrist cross ways as she regains colour and her breathing deepens. Blood has soaked most of her robe and top. Her undergarments are ruined, even if they once were nice. She has a tattoo across the top of her chest, three circles crossing over the next one in line. I laugh. It's the Audi symbol missing one circle, and they are all blood red.
Rose is next to me, the robed Healer trussed up the same as the mage. I look around and breath deep, letting Princess call in all the tiny blue floating globes and send them to me. The troops at the carriage are looking on in silence. I send away the tower shield, calling forth a waterskin, drink, passing it on to Rose. She takes a long swig, looking around, nods to herself.
"I'll loot and check the dead mercs. You go to the troops and see if they need healing." I walk off to do as she commands, hand up.
"Welcome to my world Captain. Hope you can stay."
Chapter 13
Gerald's pouring a potion on my back, after his troops are all taken care of. Unlike James, he won't talk to me or look me in the eyes. Same goes to half the troops here. The others don't have that shock or fear and thank us for their lives and help their shell-shocked comrades. James is cataloguing the dead on their side. Pure luck left us with injured and not dead. The greatest wound was a coachman from the crash, but a heal from me turned him from a broken mess to up on his feet in a few seconds. Isn’t magic grand.
As he walks, James is talking to Rosie, telling her she's a good girl while feeding her apples. She neighs happily. Rose has piled all the gear; the dead are laid out. A few troops are digging a trench, ready for their burial. I stretch my back out, testing the wounds.
"Thanks." I speak up, but he's already moved away, climbing back into the large carriage. Taking a deep breath, I head over to the dead and the gear.
I wave my left hand over it all, triggering my ring. The various items from the mages glow, a lot of the jewellery and the wand and staff. The archer's bow. The rogue's daggers, Heavies axe and a pair of the berserker’s bearded axes. We also loot the mage's messenger bags with books and notes. I bag the lot, in various sacks based on size, sending them to storage. I grab both bags and walk over to the bodies.
Everybody has that same three ring tattoo. Every tattoo glows magical, but inert somehow. Princess in hand, I chop off every head, kicking them into the trench. I throw the bodies in and help bury them. All done in silence. The burial crew share drinks, I decline stating water is safer for me. That gets me approving nods, slaps and comments. Drunk super people aren't fun.
The coachman runs over.
"If we leave now, we will still make it in plenty of time for lunch at the Lodge my Lord." I look up wearily.
"Sure, let’s go."
Rose ties Rosie to the rear of the carriage as the troops climb on the outside and I go inside, letting Rose in first. I barely look up as I crash on the back seat, barely feeling the very cushy seats. The interior is immaculately done in leather, the bench seats having pull out desks for writing. The centre has a small island bench, drinks and food below, cup holders and plate positions all done in brass, or maybe gold. Too tired to really care.
James is making notes as I look around.
"Um, where are the prisoners?" Rose looks around at that and it makes James laugh. Gerald is unnaturally quiet, eyes distant.
"In trunks on the back, not in here my dear, I assure you." He finishes writing and bends, bring up a bottle and cups.
"Cut that tension away. Nasty business as always, fighting." He is all smiles and grins, kind words and compliments as he pours and talks. A strong spirit from the smell, adding ice as requested. Rose nurses one while Gerald gulps down two in quick succession. I get the feeling he needs the Dutch courage.
James is looking at his notes, and his head comes up to speak as Gerald blurts out.
"How do you do that to people?" He's staring at me, third glass untouched in his hand.
"If I don't, people die. Lots of people." I look out at the passing countryside.
It's breathtakingly beautiful. Reminds me of New Zealand, Great Britain. Okay, Middle Zealand.
"On my world we have a saying. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I pause and keep staring outside. "No idea if I'm good, but damned if I'll do nothing when I have the power to stop it."
Gerald nods in the corner of my eye, sculls the drink and leans back. James begins again.
"They were Blood Mercs. Vy King mercenaries from the East. Those tattoos are their sign and power. If they can get three kills in combat that somehow trigger the fill up of one of the circles, they can level to the next tier. It's not every kill, and it's pretty rare, but it gets them thousands of recruits, all willing to fight. Strange to see them this far west."
I could go for a nice walk in the woods, find a nice stream. Rose kicks me in my metal shins. Fine, back to things.
"Cherry Blossom kimono. Same symbol I saw beyond the wall. Helping the Night Ladies, trying to get me. Stone given skill tells me it belongs to the Murdock’s. Heard it from the Inn you spent last night in. Rode to save your arses. Saved you, killed them. And now I get to be the main attraction at a freak show." James looks ashamed.
"Not what we wanted or planned. Just ended up that way. We know she's up to something. We do know she needs allies. All the northern nobles will be here for the week, all within her sphere. Bribes, threats, coercion, blackmail and whatever else she will use to get power, for her shot at the dukedom, then the throne." I sigh.
"So, time for us 'good men' to do something." Gerald chimes in, eyes still closed, head back.
"Anything. I don't wish to be a slave. I don't wish that on anyone." And the mood just gets worse and worse.
I'm rocking slightly as I wake, James' hand on my shoulder. Gerald is doing the same to Rose.
"We're on the driveway now. Won't be long." I look out and pause.
This place must be huge. The driveway is four lanes, middle divider all manicured shrubs. Fields stretch out as far as I can see, inter-spaced by wooded areas. Paths with small carriages on them dart about. Fountains and ponds dot the landscape. All as far as the horizon. I turn to the other sides window. It stretches maybe a mile before a forest starts. A large, tall and ancient forest. Again, as far as I can see.
"Wow."
"Wow indeed Shielder Walsh." Gerald seems back to normal. "This is Duke Reynolds hunting lodge. We simply call it the Lodge. He does a lot of his business here, but the court is seated in Dukehold. He spends half the year here, in various i
ntervals. The grounds cover 10 miles in all directions, connected to the Duke's Wood, his personal hunting grounds. Loch Inell is to the south, as is Dukehold. The manor has been extended several times, but his Eminence prefers the older wooden section, which is where we will be for the duration." He stops and looks at his notes,
"James, did you find a tutor." James eyes light up at that.
"Oh yes I did. He's scheduled in for this afternoon, just in time for the ball this evening."
I rub my eye, doing a half face palm.
"So, classes on dancing all afternoon to dance all night." Sighing times here. "Hopefully the food's good." Gerald looks down at his notes.
"Oh, you might get time to eat." I stare at him and his lips stretch to a thin smile.
"Har fucking har."
That gets James and Rose laughing. Gerald looks down again.
"Captain St James will be at the ball as well. Princess Charlotte is in attendance this week. Hopefully that means Prince Karloff is off somewhere else. Anywhere else."
Oh good, royalty. I point at Rose.
"Your fault. I wanted somewhere nice and quiet. A peaceful weekend away. But no, you said we had to go. Thanks a lot." James eyes are beaming as Rose stutters and blushes bright red.
"But but, I didn't. What. We are not." James can't hold it back and burst out laughing. Wiping the tears from his eyes he goes,
"Lad has some spunk after all." He cautions me. "Beware the Ladies revenge oh Sir, she will be wicked." The daggers shooting from her eyes confirm it and I start laughing too. Rose goes even redder.
As the carriage turns towards a huge building, I blurt out another wow.
"Just the stables my boy." James adds. Three story building, all arches and roadways. Huge pillars and so many horses and centaurs as well.
"Um, are there any Stone Temples here?" James and Gerald swap glances.
"We will organize that for you tomorrow Lord Shielder." Staring out I nod, rather distracted.
Carriages of all designs are either parked or zipping off on all the roads. From small two-person rickshaw like ones to the marvellous one we are in. Some are battered, others decked for war. All are attended, servants scurry about, busy dealing with all the needs before them.
We pull into what seems to be the royal area, attendants rushing to the carriage before we even stop. I'm out and staring in no time, getting in the way as I look at all the sights. Rose grabs my arm and Rosie's reigns and leads me off.
"Come on bumpkin, out of the way." I just mumble a yes and stare. And getting stared at. But not me, in full armour, but Rose. Attendants point and whisper. Visitors and guest gasp and comment. Rose holds her head high with pride. An attendant runs to us, decked out in a green version of a butler's outfit.
He bows low as he speaks.
"Captain St James, it is truly an honour to have you and your fine steed grace these humble stables." I chuckle but that doesn't stop him at all.
"We have a special stable prepared. Although it is far to the rear, it is almost on the water garden and ponds that are out there. We thought it would be more appropriate for you." She passes the reigns to the attendant, beaming a smile.
"You always do you best Thomas. You never let me down." His turn to beam, this time in pride.
My head is on a swivel, looking at everything I can see. Rose is smiling as I ask things.
"Drakes?"
"Yes."
"Way cool. Eagles? Elephants?"
"Yes, and Yes."
"Dinosaurs!"
"Don't know those."
"Dragons!"
"Don't be stupid, they'd kill us all."
"Oh. what about Wyverns?"
"No-one has seen them in years."
"Really? Maybe I shouldn't have killed one."
"What! Bullshit."
"Check my arachne silk armour - Nyssa sowed some scales in there. She said the larger ones need to be worked properly first." She's staring at me. Thomas is listening on intently, smiling as we walk.
"Next you'll be telling me you have Night One armour."
"How, they fucking melt when they die. Plus, they smoke and burn and smell worse than an uncleaned stall. See, I got in a good reference that time."
Thomas stops and turns to me, mouth agape and eyes wide, shaking a little.
"You have truly killed a night one? Truly?" I stop in my tracks.
"Three. Check with a Stone Priest. Um, you have those, here right?" Rose elbows me in the side at that.
"Hey. Like I would know. Nobody lets me into their libraries to catch up." Thomas bows to me.
"Sir, may I tell someone, so they can contact you about a Night One nearby?"
"Um, sure. You know Captain St James here. She bound to be somewhere close to me, struggling to keep me out of trouble, right?" She's staring at me, her turn for the jaw dropping look.
"See, I was right. Contact her and I'll see what I can do."
"Thank my Lord..."
"Shielder Paul Walsh, Thomas. Paul's fine."
Rose's jaw is still down, eyes glazed over and standing still.
"Didn't I tell you? I thought everyone in the village knew. Well now you know!"
With that an ear-piercing scream comes from around the corner. A human scream of a woman in trouble, followed by cries of "no! No! no!"
I'm sprinting before Rose can react, around the corner and at a stall with two armed guards. The woman screams again as the guard’s hands go to their hilts, hands out in the universal stop sign. Yeah, I don't think so.
Chapter 14
A left hook followed by a right, drops both guards and I burst into the stall. A man and a woman are wrestling, the man’s pants around his ankles. The body of an attendant is on the ground, bejewelled rapier thrust thru his eyes and out the back of his head. Empty scabbard attached to the pants around the man’s feet points to the perpetrator. I reach down, grabbing the velvet vest he's wearing and pull, rolling him backwards and out of the stall. The woman is a maid, uniform torn, eyes puffy, from both crying and the bruises that are appearing. Her black hair dishevelled, straw everywhere. She has a necklace locked in her hand as she sobs.
I tilt my helm back and slowly raise my arms. I reach down to my side and whisper "tada' and pull out a cloak, holding it up. She's barely here as I move forward and cover her, bending and picking her up in my arms. I walk sideways out of the stall, if only so she doesn't see the body.
Outside is a circus as armed guards show up as well as an army of attendants.
"That dickwad rapist left his rapier in the eye of an attendant in the stall. Microdick was too busy raping this girl to retrieve it." The brown-haired man must be early thirties goes to grab the hilt of his sword, pants held up, proving me right. His dark eyes go wide and his body shakes, straw failing off him and his curly hair. He screams.
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME? DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO STANDS BEFORE YOU!"
I shrug as two attendants, Thomas being one, take the girl from me. More guards arrive, hands on hilts.
"Some tiny dick murderer and rapist caught red-hand and in the act. Normally that would be the death penalty, or life in prison where I'm from." I'm smiling now as I look around. All the guards are looking at me, not him. Oh, shit. A fucking noble. He's grinning now, grabs his gloves from one of the guards and walks to me. He swings them hard, hitting my cheek. I barely feel it at all.
"I, Prince Karloff, challenge you to a duel. Set the time and place. Weapons I choose."
Silence descends on the crowd.
"Today, now. Water garden out the back here." He grins.
"Great. We need to set up. I'll send someone for you once it's all prepared. Hopefully you can get your affairs in order in time." He laughs that stupid evil laugh, then coughs and continues. Seriously, what is it with the nobles on this world. Some of the guards stay and I see Rose off to the side, nearly in tears. Some of the guards stay, watching me.
"What is wrong with the nobles on this world?" I say it out loud and ge
t a few nods from the guards.
Rose is looking at me, tears in her eyes. Walking over she's standing still.
"He cheats. You must remove all your gear and he wears the royal vest, giving him protection. His rapier is the most magic item people know off in the kingdom. And he's royalty and one of the most skilled swordsmen known. So that's why he gets away with everything. He 8th in line for the throne, so nobody cares."
"And?" she looks at me incredulously.
"He's better with a sword than you. You can't use your armour or weapons or gear. No spells or items allowed - for you." I laugh.
"Has he ever leveled?" she thinks.
"No. It's never been wasted on him." I chuckle.
"Those conditions just make it a challenge. Well maybe a challenge."
Thomas rushes back in to lead us to Rosie. Guards follow us, ornate plate mail, but not the Duke's crest. Just a plain crown on blue. Don't need heraldry for that. Thomas whispers.
"Betty's safe. We whisked her away to the Duke's lodge before the guards got her. Her brother was the one killed. He was new and walked in on them from what Betty has said." He looks around, the guards clearly not interested, just there to keep me from fleeing.
"So, what's happening out in the gardens then?" I ask.
"I'm showing you now. You can watch it from the stall." Oh snap.
We turn a corner, and all is revealed. Tents dot the open landscape before me, buffets being served as three grandstands are being moved into place.
"Should I be shocked they have grandstands ready or just accept it."
It's a racetrack in the middle of derby season, or a huge state fair. Um, idea. Bad idea. Begets another bad idea. I grin.
"Thomas, are they betting?" He looks around cautiously.
"Yes. Your odds are long, but no one would willingly bet on you, not a noble anyway. The Princes’ Uncle, not our Duke, but Duke William takes all the bets, keeping score. They use magic trinkets, from the King's Hall to make it all official. And impossible to fake." My grin gets wider.