by Eden Redd
Lorta smiled and nodded, a half spear in her hand and leather armor covering her from her shoulders to her boots. Several daggers were sheathed at her hip.
Hynrik stood on his spider legs. He had a dour expression. His arms were crossed in annoyance. A sword was sheathed over his shoulder, the pommel stabbing up beside his head. A thick leather armor graced the humanoid part of his body. The rest of him was spider-like with a natural, hard exo-skeleton. Sunlight shined off his black abdomen and bent legs.
Kavan made his way off the porch and to the main gate. The moment he opened the gate, he heard a voice from behind him. Durzol, Lorta, and Hynrik looked up to the naked upper half of a taur waving from an open window.
“Bye master! See you later!” Abby shouted as her arm and breasts swung from side to side.
Durzol chuckled.
Lorta grinned.
Hynrik tilted his head forward and shook it.
Kavan sighed.
“Let’s go,” the dragonkin said with a sharp brow.
Without another word, the small group began walking the dirt road toward the beach. Abby leaned her elbows on the windowsill and watched them go with bright, relaxed eyes.
The walk toward the beach moved quickly. Silence filled the group as eyes were peeled and senses alert. Kavan listened and took in a quick inhale through his nose, trying to detect anything that was different.
The group reached the western edge of the forest by the beach. The faint scent of blood still hung in the air.
“We may not encounter any xykks, but the blood could have attracted other creatures. We should keep our senses sharp,” Hynrik said.
Kavan looked to the forest and then back to the arachnix. Hynrik’s body was large. Too large to fit through a dense forest.
The arachnix noticed Kavan’s questioning gaze. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
The arachnix moved to a tree and instantly climbed up with little, to no trouble. Long bent legs moved with amazing dexterity as he climbed over the trees near the road and over the top of the thick forest.
Kavan turned his gaze to Durzol and Lorta. The orc and troll nodded to him, signaling they were ready. The trio made their way into the forest, the sounds of birds along the beach filling the area.
The trek through the woods was slow. Above them, Hynrik moved easily across the canopy. When they reached the dregger nest, the group slowed to a halt.
The dregger nest was mostly intact when Kavan and Durzol saw it yesterday at sundown. Now, it stood like a ruined crater. Dried blood-stained small patches of trees and the ground. The edges of the nest were ripped up and destroyed. Tiny pieces of egg shells littered the ground. Among them were different sized footprints from a variety of creatures.
Hynrik slipped down from the trees, a thick strand of web stretching from the end of his abdomen. He crawled down a thick tree and reached the ground. Dark eyes looked around, taking in the area.
“Split up and investigate the area,” Hynrik commanded.
Durzol and Lorta looked at Kavan.
“We should split up and look over the area,” Kavan said.
The orc and troll nodded before they split up to look around.
Hynrik’s hand closed into a tight fist. He relaxed his fingers and moved easily along the nest edge.
Kavan looked around, trying to find a xykk shell or something else that could prove they were involved.
The wind blew through the trees as the four residents of Moonvale continued their investigation.
“Many scavengers came through here during the night, trying to find any scraps,” Hynrik said with a dark tone.
“It seems some were disappointed, considering how ripped up the nest is,” Kavan said.
Hynrik scuttled along the edge, taking in every broken branch and patch of dried blood. “They were looking for any eggs that may have been missed.”
A nagging feeling touched Kavan’s mind as he glanced at the arachnix. A memory floated along his thoughts of Hynrik seeing him and Zellee outside of her shop.
“Hynrik, about the other day,” Kavan began.
“Don’t bother,” Hynrik said plainly as he looked around. “It’s not my place or business when it comes to my ex-bonded. She is free to live her life and so am I. We had our time and now it’s different.”
Kavan nodded and continued to search.
Hynrik spoke up again, “If I were you, I would be careful with Mayor Sunaxe’s ambitions. He has a good heart, but doesn’t have the conviction to bring Moonvale to greatness.”
Kavan stopped and looked over to the arachnix. “That is your opinion.”
Hynrik shook his head slightly. “It’s true you haven’t been with us that long, but don’t let your lack of time in Moonvale distract you from what is really happening. Our town must grow and prosper if it wishes to survive. Our dear mayor has placed his faith in you to help achieve that. I would place my trust in many more. A single person cannot change an outcome. A larger population will.”
“How did you come to this conclusion?” Kavan asked with half-closed eyes.
Hynrik kept his stony expression, shadows covering his eyes. “As I said, I fought in the xykk war along the border of the Shadowsand desert. The colonies had grown too large and threatened every town along the border. We had to fight back or it was only a matter of time before they came for us.
“There were many of us, banded together for a common cause. We worked side by side, exterminating every queen and drone per colony. Every single warrior that boasted about taking on xykks by themselves met their end. They didn’t work with the established teams and met their fates. Only a combined force is effective against those monsters.
“After two years of fighting colonies of xykks, we reduced their numbers to make them less of a threat. We also lost a lot of warriors and soldiers to them. It’s the reason the last ten years have been generally peaceful, with only the occasional sighting of those monsters.
“If there is a colony close by, this entire region will be in peril. In the right conditions and large enough food sources, their numbers could swell beyond anything we can do against them.”
Kavan talked as he looked around, “I thought they can’t survive here because of the fungus they harvest?”
Hynrik looked at Kavan with cool eyes. “It depends on the conditions. If they find a warm, dry place to set up a colony, they can grow their numbers and survive.”
Kavan moved along the edge of the dregger nest. “Let’s hope this region is not comfortable for them to thrive.”
“Hope is for fools who don’t prepare,” Hynrik said sharply.
“And military actions are for those with a military force, not a town of citizens,” Kavan countered. “Or do you plan to go it alone to exterminate any xykk you find, just like those fellow soldiers and warriors who lost their lives to their own hubris?”
Hynrik kept his cool gaze on the dragonkin. A flicker of respect touched his dark eyes for a moment before he looked away.
Durzol and Lorta came back to the nest.
“We couldn’t find anything but tracks from scavengers,” Durzol said.
“If there were any xykks, they didn’t leave anything behind,” Lorta followed up.
Hynrik moved to a tree and ran his hand down some marks across the bark. “They were here. These were caused by xykk pincers.”
Durzol shook his head. “We don’t know for sure.”
“Durzol, don’t let your father influence you away from the truth,” Hynrik sneered.
“Don’t be an asshole,” Kavan shot back at the arachnix.
Hynrik looked at Kavan and then turned his attention to the orc. “Durzol, forgive me. I meant no disrespect. I’m only pointing out that I’ve seen similar xykk markings from my time during the war.”
“Similar, but not completely,” Kavan said.
Hynrik nodded. “It’s true, some other creatures could have made these marks, but they look eerily like those of xykks.”
> “Hynrik, entertain us for a moment. If there is a xykk colony, what would we have the town do against such a threat?”
The arachnix turned and faced Kavan, Lorta and Durzol. “Set a prolonged curfew. Train every resident in weapons while diverting town funds to hire mercenaries. Set up squads to search the surrounding lands. Once the colony was discovered, combine all squads into a force. Bring barrels of lantern oil and dump it into the colony and set it ablaze.
“Smoke out the xykks and slay them as they flee.”
Durzol’s eyes narrowed. “Mercenaries? You would flood our town with strangers and when the fight was over, we would have to contend with those mercenaries! You know we don’t have the gold to hire that large of a force and make sure they didn’t turn on us when it was over.”
“We would have enough if everyone contributed,” Hynrik said, like it made perfect sense to him.
Durzol took a step toward the arachnix, a fury in his eyes. “You know as well as I do, being on the edge of civilization makes us a target for greedy souls. Just like the ferals that attacked us, they knew we didn’t have a force large enough to protect ourselves. Your plan would put the entire town in danger!”
Hynrik crossed his arms. “Not taking on warriors and soldiers is putting the entire town at risk. No mercenary group would risk their reputation if they turned on those who paid them.”
Durzol’s eyes flashed with rage, “Their reputation would not be affected if no one survived to speak of it!”
Kavan moved to Durzol, keeping his body between the orc and arachnix. “Don’t let him rattle you. Hynrik is just going off his limited experience.”
Hynrik’s eyes narrowed. “Limited experience? I’m the only one here with a history of experience to fight these monsters. The longer we play this stupid game, the greater the danger is to all of us.”
Lorta shook her head. “If you are so sure, put up your wealth to hire mercenaries.”
Hynrik smiled, “The moment the mayor follows my plan, I will put up most of my coin to ensure Moonvale is safe. But until such a plan takes place, I will not risk a single coin to an ungrateful town I’m trying to protect.”
Kavan looked at Hynrik, “It seems your pride is more important than protecting the town.”
The arachnix’s mouth wrinkled in dismay before he turned away from the three of them.
Kavan shook his head. “It seems we’ve hit a dead end. This nest doesn’t have any other evidence other than some suspicious markings. I don’t think that is enough to indicate we have xykks or a colony here.
“Let’s get back to town and I’ll inform the mayor.”
Hynrik climbed up a thick tree. Durzol and Lorta moved to Kavan’s side.
The group made their way out of the forest and back to the road. Hynrik came down and walked a ways behind them as they made their way back to town. Kavan, Lorta, and Durzol stepped through the south gate while Hynrik silently moved off to the side and walked along the outer wall back to his farm.
Some of the townsfolk smiled and waved to Kavan, Durzol, and Lorta as they walked to the center of town. Lorta said her goodbyes, hugging Durzol and then hugging and kissing Kavan on the cheek. She left with a shy look in her eyes and walked along West Street.
Kavan and Durzol reached the mayor’s office and stepped inside.
Mayor Sunaxe was sitting back in his chair and staring at the ceiling. The older orc turned his attention to Kavan and Durzol, his face twisting into a happy smile.
“My boys! How did it go?” the mayor asked as he stood up and circled around his desk to meet with them.
Kavan smiled and explained what they found. Durzol brought up what was said by Hynrik and Kavan added what he talked about to the mayor.
The mayor’s smile faded a touch and he gave an understanding nod.
“Hynrik does speak some truth, but if we hired mercenaries, there is a chance we would put the town in danger. Life on the edge here can be dangerous. Without a strong kingdom, we could be easy targets.
“Durzol was correct. Even with the gold, hiring mercenaries is too risky.”
Kavan nodded. “I can respect your decision, but Hynrik is right about one thing. If there is a colony of xykk or any other monsters, Moonvale may be in danger. I have to ask; how many residents here know how to fight?”
The mayor rubbed his bearded jaw. “Not many. I’m experienced. Durzol and Dura were brought up knowing how to fight. Lorta and her family have fought off monsters for generations. Tezzi has experience from the many times she’s fought ferals and monsters on her travels.
“I can’t say the same for many of our other residents. Shegga, Soki, Nava, Glem, Raine, and Misty have given no indication of any kind of training. Ammi is a pacifist and would much rather tend to plants than fight.”
“What about Rujin and Kazko?” Kavan asked.
The mayor nodded. “They can fight each other, but I don’t know how well they will do beyond that. From what we’ve seen, they know how to fight with fists, but I can’t speak to their skills with weapons.”
Kavan nodded. “Hynrik knows how to fight as he is fond of talking about his experiences. But Mayor, how bad of a threat is a xykk colony?”
“Enough to give me pause and listen to Hynrik to a degree. They can fly, so our walls will be of little use. If they enter the town, we do have many places to hide and defend ourselves. It depends on how many there are. A swarm would greatly damage the town and we might not make it through the night.”
Kavan listened intently as his mind worked. Strategy games filled the corners of his thoughts, remembering the many scenarios he played. He was always a fan of base defense games. Inspiration began to take root and Kavan nodded to himself before looking at the mayor.
“Hynrik was right about something. If we hope there is no danger, we will set ourselves up for a massacre. A xykk plate and some marks on a tree might be the sign we need to build a better defense.”
The mayor looked at Kavan with an edge of concern, “Many residents here in Moonvale are not warriors or soldiers. We would be hard pressed to train the town against a possible threat and hope they don’t panic and leave. This is a delicate time for our town and I don’t wish to set the alarm unless we have to.”
“It doesn’t mean we can’t be prepared. Mayor, is there an alchemist in town?” Kavan asked.
Kogan and Durzol made a sideways glance at each other.
“What?” Kavan asked.
The mayor fixed the collar to his robe before he spoke. “Tell me a little more of your plan before we get Esmerelda involved.”
Kavan nodded. “Since the town is filled with a lot of empty buildings, we could place weapon and potion caches in some of them in case the town is attacked. I remember using fire potions during…” Kavan trailed off, not sure how to word how he learned it from VR games.
The mayor nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. You want the town armed, but not alert everyone until the time comes. I assume we wouldn’t tell the residents until we were sure there was a threat.”
“We have a trove of weapons in the armory. I could place the basic ones, such as swords, spears, bows, and arrows throughout the town,” Durzol added.
“We would have to mark the locations well enough to point them out if the town is attacked. This might work,” Kogan said and looked at Kavan. “I like this plan. I will speak to Esmerelda and see if she can supply us with potions we can use against any invading force.”
“Is Esmeralda a difficult person to speak with?” Kavan asked.
The mayor and Durzol let out small, gruff chuckles.
“In a way, yes,” Kogan smiled. “Her shop is in the north section of town, not far from the library. She is… a bit odd.”
“She doesn’t handle social situations well and needs to be eased into meeting new residents. She doesn’t like to leave her shop and building too much, preferring to be by herself most of the time,” Durzol added.
“I have a good rapport with her. I
might be able to speak to her about supplying the town with a large order of potions. She tends to obsess over things, which will be a benefit for us if she takes the commission. We don’t have enough gold to hire a large mercenary force, but we do have enough for a large order of potions,” the mayor smiled.
The mayor clamped a hand on Kavan’s shoulder, “This is an ideal plan. I will come up with a symbol or marking for each of the caches, something universal and easy to understand. I’ll update you both after I see Ezma.
“For now, I would say both of you tend to your day and get ready for this evening. Drayke is having his grand opening tonight. I assume most of the town will turn out for it.”
Kavan gave a small nod. “I was given an invitation, but I didn’t open it.”
The mayor squeezed Kavan’s shoulder, “It seems like it will be a delightful experience. Drayke named his restaurant “The Dragon’s Table.” As he put it, it's fine dining for the sophisticated palate. I think, if the food is good, he will get repeat customers.”
“My belly is looking forward to it,” Durzol grinned and patted his stomach.
The mayor nodded. “Now, off with you both. There is much to do before tonight. Wear your finest and I’ll see you at dinner.”
Kavan and Durzol said a quick goodbye before turning and leaving the office. The dragonkin and orc stepped out into the center of town, the fountain water flowing as the early day’s sunlight touched the statue at the top of it.
Durzol said his goodbyes, clasping Kavan’s forearm and giving it a hearty shake. When the orc let go and started to walk away, Kavan looked to Talon Street and took a few steps toward it.
A shadow appeared to his side and he turned his gaze to see Zellee approaching. Her bent long legs moved with delicate grace, much like a ballerina. She wore a fashionable light blue robe.
Kavan smiled as the arachnix approached. She bent her legs so her humanoid half was eye level with the dragonkin. Arms rose up and hugged him, Kavan hugging her back. When they parted, Zellee looked at him with bright eyes.
“Are we still on for dinner?” Zellee smiled.
Kavan nodded. “Yes. I think everyone is going to the new restaurant tonight. We should go too.”