Demi Heroes

by Andrew Lynch

  A growl came out of the darkness. They all turned to face it. Lucian didn’t draw his bow, not yet.

  ‘Deciding who get first kill,’ Gar said.

  Jess finally stormed from her tent, staff in hand. The fury of the ancient Elves on her face, not caring how her furs flapped as she strode.

  ‘What are they?’ she shouted, too loud for the silence.

  In response to her breaking of the calm, howls echoed from the trees, coming from several different directions.

  She froze, realising her mistake. Her anger at waking up vanished, replaced by the fear of the coming fight.

  ‘We haven’t seen anything yet,’ Darrius said, the tight grip on his rapier belying his calm voice. ‘Could be stray dogs. Could be a hunting pack of dire wolves held back by some torturous, craven master.’

  The four of them stood close to each other in the centre. Lucian stayed by his bastion of arrows, one already nocked.

  ‘Jess, can your eyes see anything?’ Lucian asked, wanting to identify the enemy quickly so they could know how to act.

  ‘No.’

  The sound of a scuffle came from the darkness. A last minute fight to decide who got the best of the kill. Silhouettes started appearing at the edge of the campsite.

  Lucian couldn’t see them clearly, but he knew that Elvish eyes were much sharper than a Human’s.

  ‘Wolves,’ Jess said.

  ‘Dire?’ Lucian asked.

  ‘No, just regular wolves,’ Jess confirmed.

  ‘Well, sir?’ Darrius asked.

  ‘If they were Dire wolves then we’d be in real trouble. Although those would be good fodder for Moxar.’ Lucian considered the story that would be crafted. Normal wolves were just wildlife, they wouldn’t even get a mention when the story of the Killer of Gods was told. ‘All right, we defend ourselves! Don’t be afraid to kill - Moxar won’t need these around for his story.”

  The cold air began numbing Lucian’s hands. Without his gloves, he would soon be unable to draw his bow. The others were almost certainly in a similar state, and if this went on much longer... Darrius was the only one prepared for the elements.

  Darrius looked at Lucian. ‘Wolves have been known to wait for hours before striking, sir.’

  Lucian nodded. He drew his bow and waited for a silhouette. He couldn’t wait long if he wanted to have the stamina to use the bow again. Fortunately, one appeared within a few seconds. His eyes could just make out a shape within the darkness. Not a colour, just a shape, an idea of movement.

  He loosed the arrow and heard a soft thump. It sounded like a wolf crumpling on snow to Lucian.

  ‘It seems that you are useful with a bow, Lucian,’ Jess admitted. ‘You would not stand a chance against any Elf, but no human would.’

  A soft growl was heard, and then nothing. No more silhouettes testing the firelight.

  Lucian scanned the campsite just in case one had been crafty enough to sneak up on them. He wouldn’t put it past a wolf. But the camp was clear.

  ‘Can we go back to sleep?’ Khleb asked.

  ‘Darrius, I'll stay up with you for the rest of the watch,’ Lucian said. ‘Everyone else, back to sleep and get warm. I’m just going to get dressed.’

  He ducked back into his tent and started putting on his leathers. He had no need for metal armour like Gar did. If he was so close to taking the kind of crushing hit that metal protects from, he’d be better off with the speed that leather would afford him. He was thankful to get his gloves on after some trouble from his now numb fingers.

  Only a few hours till dawn, he consoled himself as he exited the tent.

  ‘Darrius!’ he shouted in warning.

  Before Darrius could turn, the wolf pounced. It pinned the bard to the ground and its powerful jaw clamped down on his arm.

  ‘Get up, everyone!’ Lucian screamed as he sprinted to his fallen comrade. He had no time to think, but as he covered the few metres to the attacking wolf, he was aware of shapes encroaching on the camp. Without breaking his stride he unhooked his hatchet and used two hands to bring it down on the wolf’s spine. The wolf flopped like a stuffed toy. Lucian wanted to check on Darrius but he had to stay in the fight.

  Five wolves had entered the camp, two at a sprint directly towards him.

  The first wolf reached Lucian and spread its legs, growling deep and loud. Lucian returned the gesture with his own war shout, deep from the diaphragm. Nothing like what Gar could do, but at least the wolf didn’t attack straight away.

  The second wolf didn’t have this problem and launched itself at Lucian’s head. He took evasive action, throwing his arms up in front of his face and falling to the side.

  By a miracle, it worked and the second wolf sailed over Lucian’s head.

  Now he had a face full of snow. The first wolf jumped at him. Lucian managed to get his legs between himself and the wolf. The wolf took a hold of his boot but several swift kicks to the head forced it to back off.

  Lucian could hear the grunts and cries from the others, but couldn’t help them - the second wolf was back. He got his feet in the way of the wolf again and waited for the lunge. It didn’t come. This time the wolf waited for its friend to recover from having its head kicked. Now it was two wolves against him. He was about to scramble to his feet when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

  Darrius hauled Lucian to his feet. There was no time for thanks between their shallow gasps of breath. The wounded wolf decided it had had enough and turned to run. The second wolf, seeing this, decided that two on one wasn’t fair, and followed the first wolf.

  The tide of battle could change quickly when it came to pack animals.

  Lucian and Darrius turned to help the others. Gar had pinned one into the snow by crushing it with his shield. Jess was keeping another of the wolves at a distance with her staff while Khleb darted in and out to try and stab it. The final wolf was lying motionless near Gar.

  ‘Make sure Gar’s okay,’ Lucian ordered Darrius, and then ran into the game of cat and mouse Khleb was playing with his wolf. At the arrival of the third opponent even this grizzled canine decided he was outmatched, stopped nipping at Jess’ staff, and dashed back into the darkness.

  They all turned to the final wolf. It was chomping at air, trying desperately to bite Gar around the shield as it lay pinned. It looked just like the others except for flecks of red in its grey fur.

  ‘Gar, when you’re ready, jump clear!’ Lucian commanded. ‘It will run off.’

  ‘Wounded,’ Gar retorted. ‘Spikes and weight. Released, will die.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it, big guy. I can just skewer its brain while you’re there,’ Khleb said, as he moved around behind the wolf’s head. ‘It won’t feel a thing.’

  ‘Hold on now - one wolf against five of us, not in the heat of an attack? That’s just murder,’ Darrius argued. ‘Let it go. The pack will take care of it, you know how wolves are.’

  ‘They'll take care of it by eating it,’ Khleb replied. ‘Better to put it out of its misery.’

  ‘Give it a sure death at our hands, or let nature deal with it as it would,’ Jess summed up. ‘Perhaps a much slower death, perhaps life.’

  ‘Gar, what do you want to do?’ Lucian asked.

  ‘No teeth near head!’ Gar shouted, clearly annoyed by the discussion going on while his life was still on the line.

  Lucian had to think quickly - he needed to get Gar out of danger. But to swap in another of his friend’s lives to try and subdue the wolf? Ridiculous!

  ‘Gar, get ready to let it go.’

  Lucian moved behind the wolf’s head, next to Khleb. ‘All of you, get ready to grab it and hold it down!’' Everyone changed position, bracing themselves to jump on the wild animal.

  The expressions on everyone’s face made it obvious how they felt about that decision. Jess seemed completely uninterested. Darrius, happy that they'd be giving the wolf a chance. Gar, happy to get out of the danger he was in, but annoyed that Lucian wouldn’t just give it a
clean death. Khleb, annoyed he didn’t get to stab anything.

  ‘Really, boss?’ Khleb couldn’t help but question.

  ‘Do you think a Hero would murder this animal?’

  ‘We ain’t Heroes, boss.’

  ‘Not yet,’ Lucian admitted.

  ‘Then let nature deal with it,’ Khleb protested. ‘This ain’t gonna help anyone, but it could hurt one of us. I’ll pick my friends over that wild thing any day.’

  ‘I’m going for the jaws. I’m the only one in danger. It’s not going to take four of you to hold it down, so no one but me is at risk.’ Lucian defended his decision, and then remembered that he didn’t need to. He was the leader here. ‘Everyone in position! Gar, on three!’

  ‘Wait!’ Gar shouted.

  ‘What?’

  ‘On three, or after three?’

  ‘On three! One, two, three, then get off it,’ Lucian instructed.

  ‘Fourth beat?’

  ‘Yes!’ Lucian shouted impatiently.

  ‘One.’ Lucian closed on the wolf.

  ‘Two.’ Lucian readied his hands, thanking the Gods they were gloved.

  ‘Three!’ As Gar’s bulk rose from the wolf, taking his shield with him, Lucian snapped his hands around the wolf’s muzzle. The wolf, struggling, with the fear of death strengthening it, managed to slip out of Lucian’s grasp. For a split second anything could have happened.

  His team was there for him. They piled on top of the wolf, and Lucian got its jaws back in his hands. With the weight returned to the wolf’s body it collapsed down, accepting its fate.

  ‘What now?’ Gar asked, the only one left standing.

  Lucian looked the wolf over. From between the bodies of his team he could see fur, sticky and red. The wolf waited for judgement.

  ‘Now… we remember the words of Lieutenant Durant, beast marshal for the 7th penal legion during the Imperial war—’

  ‘As I recall, sir,’ Darrius interrupted. ‘Durant was best known as a famous example of why penal legions were a bad idea, what with him being killed by his own men for giving all of their rations to animals. So, what did he say?’

  ' “Looks like we’re going hungry tonight, men. We’ve got a wolf to look after.”’

  Lucian took a moment to congratulate himself on remembering that oddly appropriate quote. Durant was obscure to say the least. No one seemed to appreciate it, so he looked at the wild animal. It reminded him of Lily for some reason.

  Chapter 8

  Back at the Lodge...

  After relocating to another table, the planning continued. Further away from the fire, certainly Lucian was feeling less drowsy.

  ‘We've all done a sweep before,’ Khleb moaned. ‘Nothing exciting ever happens.’

  ‘Right. Decide what would look good in Moxar’s story. If it’s something small and boring, we clear it,’ Lucian said. ‘Not only is it beneath his notice, but we’d be lucky to keep our heads - let alone our jobs - if this story ends with Moxar laid up in bed from a festering wound. Probably from some measly giant spider or something equally pathetic.’

  Everyone nodded in agreement.

  ‘That brings us to our first set piece. The cave.’ Lucian didn’t get much reaction from his team so tried again. ‘The mystical cave of lost treasures.’

  ‘Better leave the names to the Company, boss,’ Khleb consoled Lucian.

  * * * *

  '—and the fort wasn’t purpose built, of course,’ Lucian continued. With little else to keep them occupied since the wolf attack, he’d been filling the silence with trivia for the last day. He was running low on material, but the map showed the cave was just ahead.

  ‘Why are you talking about a fort? We're going to a cave, right?’ Khleb asked, confused. Lucian had been impressed by the thief. Khleb had strong opinions, but ultimately would follow orders and was strangely loyal. Lucian wasn’t sure why, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain.

  They had left their wagon a few hours ago, hidden off the path and well covered.

  They had tucked the wolf into a nest of furs in the back of the wagon. Darrius had appointed himself its keeper, and had made sure it had plenty of meat within reach as it lay half dead from the beating it had taken. The wagon couldn’t handle the terrain, and the wolf couldn’t handle the ice cold wind now lashing the mountainside.

  ‘Well, the fort was here first. Still is, I think. The path we're walking up would have once been paved and well maintained.’ Lucian felt this was a hard sell - the ruptures in the ground and the outcroppings of rocks were so extreme, they were having to boost each other up to the next ledge. ‘Of course, that was a long time ago.’

  ‘Does beg the question,’ Darrius asked in grunts, 'why do I have Gar’s foot on my back as he climbs up this ledge?’

  ‘That is a mixture of poor planning on your part, and good planning on Gar’s part. Most importantly, we can blame the original owner of the fort owing fealty to God Magic.’

  Khleb whistled, impressed. ‘Blimey, God Magic? If you owe him fealty, you pay, I guess. Or, I would, if I knew what fealty was?’

  ‘A vassal’s acknowledgement of loyalty,’ Jess answered, garnering a sneer from Khleb. ‘How do you know so much about the fort, Lucian?’

  ‘Hmm? Oh, I read about this place in some dusty old book I found lying around.’ Lucian hadn’t thought there was any other way to find out about such things. He added, ‘In a library. After several hours of searching.’

  Gar had no trouble pulling the rest of them up to the ledge, but made a point of stretching his shoulders and moaning a bit, mumbling about bad joints.

  ‘You should see the libraries of my home. They rarely receive visitors.’ Jess carried on prancing around on the tops of snow banks, able to make her way up the ledges of broken path and rock without the group’s assistance. ‘When you expect to live to be several tens of thousands of years old, you dedicate one hundred years to reading and then never need to go back.’

  ‘Books, gotcha, but what about the cave?’ Khleb got them back on track.

  ‘A baron owned the fort, and after building it, received a visit from his God. In this case, God Magic. Don’t forget this was thousands of years ago when the Gods were a bit more... present. Apparently, God Magic liked the location and wanted to keep one of his personal treasures secure. So he appropriated it for himself.’ Lucian was good at remembering this sort of thing. Tales and legends. Maybe that was why he wanted to create his own.

  ‘All right… but where does the cave come in?’

  ‘As soon as the humans had left, God Magic decided to crack the earth’s crust. This caused a mountain to rupture around the fort, tearing up the landscape, and merging the flesh of the fort with the heart of the mountain.’

  ‘Flesh?’ Khleb asked.

  ‘I think he’s using a metaphor,’ Darrius said.

  ‘Fort’s stone, mountain’s stone. Makes sense to me,’ said Khleb. ‘We all know how Gods can be.’

  They pulled their furs tighter around themselves as they emerged from behind a large boulder which had been sheltering them from the bite of the wind. As the flurries of snow cleared, the gigantic cave mouth was revealed. It certainly looked as if it could contain a fort.

  ‘No fort,’ Gar pointed out.

  ‘No, no fort indeed,’ Lucian agreed. ‘Must be deeper inside.’

  ‘I’ve seen caves in my time, and this is a very generic looking cave, boss,’ Khleb said. ‘A large one, but still.’

  ‘Well, this is the right one. It’s on the map. Old books can be unreliable, I suppose. Anyway, Jess?’ Lucian called to her.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Time to work your magic. We'll make sure the cave is clear.’

  Jess slung the Company bag on the snow and removed a vial. She got to work, leaving the others to head into the cave. Lucian picked up the discarded Company bag.

  The wind whipped at their furs and snow covered their tracks in a matter of seconds. It was a punishing last hundred metres t
o the shelter of the giant cave, so they hurried on in silence.

  Darrius had obviously been thinking about the wolf back in the warm wagon. Once they had reached the opening in the mountain wall, and the wind wasn’t deafening, Darrius asked, ‘What should we call it?’

  ‘Nothing. May die,’ Gar said.

  ‘Don’t be so negative!’

  ‘Realistic.’

  ‘Bah! Lucian, you decided to keep it. What do you think it should be called?’

  ‘Her,’ Lucian replied. He liked Darrius’ enthusiasm since saving the wolf, but he had to agree with Gar, she was in a terrible state. He feared it would affect the group dynamic if Darrius grew too close to the wolf and she died, as it was Gar that had hurt her. The first casualty of causality was emotion.

  ‘A she wolf? Well that’s great news!’ Darrius beamed to himself. ‘My kids have always wanted puppies!’

  Lucian shared a concerned glance with Gar and Khleb, but then focused on the task at hand. Moxar would be arriving here hoping to find clues that would lead him to the location of the God shard. The cave was huge. Moxar would have to search the area thoroughly, and the job of the team was to make sure the clues couldn’t be missed. The Company couldn’t afford any delays.

  They paused briefly to light their torches. Slowly but surely the remnants of a village emerged from the darkness. A wooden beam here, a chimney stack there. Foundations and cellars mixed among the large rocks fallen from the ceiling.

  ‘Let’s find any clues hidden in the ruins,’ Lucian said.

  Progress through the ruins was slow, but the searching didn’t take much mental capacity. Lucian finally had a chance to think about Lord Orson’s proposal. He’d always dreamed of being a Hero, so this was a good opportunity, right?

  It just didn’t fit his ideals. He had always assumed that one day, he’d make his own way into legend, leave the Company, journey into the wilderness, and vanquish some great evil. The most help he’d receive from the Company would be a few supply wagons and a bit of support. But to fabricate everything?

  No, no, it wasn’t fabrication. The Heroes still had the skill. All people like Lucian were doing was helping the story be more exciting, more palatable.