by Marcus Sloss
I had my armor on and weapons were being handed to me. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and smacked Velia’s lips to mine. Addilyn giggled as I raced for her and met my kiss with a passion that left me wanting to undress.
“They love you… Like actually, love you. Okay Sir Gryff, you freed me from my prison. You returned me to a broken world, a new woman, but I am resilient and adapting quickly. I do see a whole family in happiness. I will make an effort to help when I can and continue to learn. I will…”
I silenced her by looming over her. I lifted Amber's chin and softly kissed her lush lips. I opened an eye to see her lift a leg. Damn it. This would be five. No more! I almost believed I had stopped at four. No time to endlessly ponder on my love life. I had a battle to prepare for.
I raced down the stairs two at a time until I hit the foyer. I was not sure how Fwar had obtained a set of woodland armor like the rest of the team, but the man had. We were all here minus one, I counted five times in frustration.
“Okay, I keep counting eleven, who are we missing?” I said in frustration not figuring it out.
Nate came up and whispered in my ear. “Did you count yourself?”
I rolled my head with my eyes and smacked my forehead. “Ugh… we have twenty miles through light brush to the east. We need to leave now. Find a buddy and double check everything. Plan for a three day trip. If we become separated, this is our rendezvous. If you end up on the other side of the enemy… well, don’t… but still, come back here. The mission from King Horus was clear. We are on a seek and destroy operation to collect hearts. There will be cannons fired at ships to stir up the enemy. When the enemy is grouped, we get to see the griffins cast magic. It is beyond awesome. Then, when the fire starts we adjust. To be honest that is our mission. Kill lucky targets and harvest. We need gold and supplies. Not to mention there is ten million Horde in this caravan and it is still days north, so no way we kill everything. Real quick rustle up a few extra bags Donnie, Victor, Markus, and both Brads. Hit our supply room I know I brought some big ones. No cart for this trip. If we build a carrying platform I can haul as much as griffin with full aura. Met us outside at the bottom of the steps.” The five jogged off to the supply room while the seven of us performed checks.
Lazra, an archer by trade, never reloaded his crossbows. Tammy in her rush forgot her backpack. The rest of us were fine. When the others returned from grabbing sacks, we inspected them. Markus was missing Squeak his male monox. No time. Tammy returned just as Lazra finished his reloads. I stuck Tammy in front since she had a photographic memory and knew where the east gate was.
The twelve of us trotted in two rows at a steady pace. The houses in the center of Bavie were taller than the ones we passed near the outer edges and finally becoming single stories. It was filthy here on the edge. A destitute location for the poorest of Bavie. I stepped in a funky squish that was definitely dog shit. Then I cried a little inside when I remember there were no dogs on Vin. What perverse human shit in the middle of the road!
We tingled through the barrier and instantly ran into thick bush. I hoped this thinned the further we got from the barrier. Was it this thick from lack of game close to the barrier? I dropped the thought as I found out spider webs were making it through my facemask. I reorganized us so I was in the lead. I could run a mile in eight minutes easy, sprinting hard six. This slow trot was more like twenty minutes a mile. My only hope was the ships were a tad slow on raising anchor and forming a formation for movement. Our initial goal of getting out of the barrier before the fleet left was achieved. If we were late to the big battle, then so be it. It was well past midday, meaning they would be sailing into the night more than likely, on the way there and back. Luckily griffins could hover as a beacon for the ships.
I was zoning out in contemplation of the larger picture. There could be Horde hunting parties anywhere in front of us. Luckily a friendly voice rang in my head.
“Hey friend, I am on tour guide duty. All the griffins are loaded up with vole and golem blood. I think I alone could burn the entire caravan down. Alas, my request to go heroic griffin and test our might keeps getting rejected. We find out tonight how much aura and fire magic we can expend. I am very excited. You don’t look excited. Is it the thick underbrush?” Traz asked in a mix of rambling animation. I couldn’t blame him, these were interesting times. “There are thousands of goblins on the loose collecting vines for siege engine assembly. You have a few hours to go before you hit that area and there are lots to slaughter. More than you are accustomed to. My guess is that they will all run for help. If you time it right, it will cause even more enemies to pile into one location. I am talking to the other griffins and we agree. When you can… start the massacre. You will have plenty of time to react to a counter. The shamans in the main Horde body are answering to a single cyclops who seems hesitant to launch attacks at us griffins. He either knows it is a waste or is not wanting to show his strength. Sorry, I am rambling a bit. This will be the first major engagement for us griffins since the accords. We are very energized! Did I mention that yet?”
“You could never tell…” I let my sentence finish itself. “Finally… Pick up the pace we got clear underbrush and then rolling hills. This is old farmland. The report is we’re still hours out from combat. Good thing we run daily.”
“I don’t… please don’t… leave me behind. I cannot see well in the dark.” Fwar chimed in between panted breathes.
He would get fit or get replaced and that was the end of the conversation. I would wait until he passed out to carry him. I would reprimand King Horus when I could. No use in forcing a healer on me who couldn’t keep up. Sometimes nepotism was flat out dumb. I still hadn’t figured out Fwar’s angle. Then it dawned on me. Of course, that was it. One of his wives had similar looks to Addilyn. Yup, nepotism. Oh well, I would handle it later. Best to make the most of the situation. We waded our first stream thirty minutes into our run. I shifted Fwar to the front then stripped him naked. He protested until I bitch slapped him and the group giggled. Naked and light, I hauled his extra gear. It was better than carrying the man for now. If an ambush sprung, that Traz never saw, I would simply throw his gear on the ground and hope he got it on.
“For all that is holy Fwar… Stop trying to give me justifications while running. Tammy instruct the recruits how to breathe properly while running. Seven hells Fwar, I now realize you married into the family. During morning training you will run twice as much until you can keep up, or you will be replaced. Let us hope this is the only time we have this conversation.” I put on some speed and left them behind.
I could hear Tammy coaching him in lamaze breathing. You may laugh, but if you (heh heh who) while you run, you get more air into your chest and you can push further and faster. The short man was still struggling and we were only an hour in. I paused us for a five minute water break. Fwar went to sit when Nate kicked him back off his ass. Everyone else was walking, letting the blood flow. Fwar needed to walk before we ran again. If he relaxed he would cramp.
“Update Traz,” I muttered.
“The ships are a cluster… that is the nicest way I can label it. They are hitting each other, no one is rowing in tandem. A seasoned captain dropped sails on a smaller boat and is the only one ready to go at the rendezvous point. My guess is you will make it there hours before they do. Maybe let the wine drinker have a break.” Traz said with a chuckle, adding to the pile of comments about Fwar.
I tossed Fwar his gear. “Slow march from here. No long breaks. We hit the enemy and run. Fwar, save enough juice to sprint if things go to hell. Oh and here is some motivation. I don’t have to outrun the Horde… I only have to run faster than you…”
“Don’t have to be such a dick,” Fwar said and I let it slide.
It was Janice who pounced on this.
“We are as strong as Gryff and as weak as you. I get you enjoy lounging with your six beautiful wives and thrill for combat. We are all here for vengeance or glory. W
e are not here to babysit. If you do not shape up expect to be replaced. If you haven’t noticed, Gryff can care less if King Horus is angry at him.” Janice pointed out while we maintained a slow march.
“Why is it you don’t fear your King?” Winst asked.
Donnie answered for me. “King Horus needs Gryff more than Gryff needs the King. You ever notice Gryff never asks for anything. He created a mage academy and Zenith. Not King Horus. He sacked Malvia with the griffins… Again, no King Horus. To be fair, Mina talked with King Horus’ wives a lot and she said there were only good things said. The man respects Gryff. Hell, he knighted me, a low born and two mage women. No offense girls… that is a big deal. You notice no one argued that fact. You have to believe someone complained. What can King Horus do? Reprimand the man who is a key friend to our greatest allies? Challenge him in a duel? Doubt it, none of us can beat Gryff one on one. So that is why he does not fear the King.”
Winst nodded, tilted his head and kept going. “Then why don’t you become Emperor? We dozen know who Amber is.”
“I will.” That was all I said and all that was needed.
The hush settled over the marching group. If I said I was going to do something, then I did it. I was not a man of rash words or half measures. Sure I made mistakes but I knew in my heart Emperor Salvoni had to go. I also knew King Horus was a great leader. I was the next warrior Emperor and he was not. That was the sum of the equation. The world needed me. It had gifted me so much and my last gift was a five foot five babe with fiery red hair. I did not deny for one moment I wanted to strip Amber naked, smack her plump curvy…
I had zoned out and a spider was on my face. Seven hells, I smacked my face so hard it stung for the next twenty minutes. Two hours in and we were still an hour run from the nearest goblins. I watched the sun, knowing it would set in two hours. That at least gave us some time to kill before the dark set in. I ordered us to eat some jerky. Tammy asked to sing and I let her.
A song of love was kept mellow and low. The tale of two lovers and a mighty foe. They battled in desperation to maintain their hearts, only to end up dead, upon a cart. The victor a savage and brutal one, died alone… a story no one sung.
It was a gentle rhythm that spun a light story for all to enjoy. It almost made forget I was about to bring death across the fields of battle.
“Emperor… never would have thought it could happen. At least you’re the right asshole to stick against the Horde. Been an honor killing the Horde with you. So you know… Una called it that day with Count Conway. No idea where we go when we die, but that woman is grinning right now. Either in the blackness of death or the pits of hell. I guess I will find out when I die.” Lazra said in morbid thought.
“He is the right man for it, with the right advisors and experience, he will become something worthy of songs. To be honest we all will. They already sing of our feats at dead goblin pass. Fitting name really. We all have lost so much, it is times like these, where we get our due revenge.” Nate said.
“As stirring as your banter is, you’re five minutes away from three dozen goblins harvesting vines from some willow trees.” Traz alerted me and I halted the march.
“I know we have practiced formations to perfection. This is not one of those moments. I need to get myself between the main enemy force and these thirty plus goblins. I will charge and push them to you. I will not give a battle cry, but you will know when the battle starts. Push hard, accelerate… sorry, wrong term… No mercy. Carve the enemy to the last. Win the day. Parts for catalysts come second. Give me five to get settled then creep this way. Wait Traz wants me to point…” I shifted my extended hand from left to right until Traz said it was correct. “This way. Okay, griffins sure are awesome. Five minutes, Traz is keeping timer. If you miscount and see Traz hovering over you towards the east that means he wants you to join the fight. Enough said. Final combat checks. Stash bags here.”
Nate and I inspected each other and we parted. I turned on my speed and burned some aura. Traz and I kept in constant contact as I circled around the goblins. When I hit the area that separated my foes from their reinforcements, I slowly crept forward. Traz let me know my allies were closing in too.
The gutterish speech of the goblins hit my ears and riled my blood. I cracked my neck and pumped my shoulders. A few quick limbering moves and I darted between trees as fast as a bird. The first goblin never saw me. His arms stretched high to chop at vines. His head parted from his body. Since it was a harvesting group, I saw no weapons. It also explained the children and women I saw in the mix. A goblin on my left caught my attention. She noticed me too late and was bewildered. I was moving too fast for her to understand what I was and she tilted her head in confusion. I promptly shouldered her into a tree with such force her head split open. The youngling beside her squeaked. I punted the little ugly bastard a hundred yards. I wanted to shout goal…
The surprise was over as the goblins clamored at my arrival. The goblins were mostly unarmed, forced to carry vines instead of weapons. There were two armed slave master orcs providing overwatch. I went from a standstill to a fast sprint again as I closed on the orcs. They were my only true threat here. Unfortunately for them, they only carried whips to control the slave. My armor was sundered from the force of a crack. The whip connecting easily, likely due to constant use. The skill was honed to excellence. I was a human in full armor, not a four and a half foot naked goblin. The impact site did nothing and I ran my sword across my opponent’s belly.
The last orc bellowed in rage at me. I lifted the crossbow I had practiced with more than I sexed my wives and thunked a bolt into his forehead. The carnage had only begun. My team hit the stunned goblins with the force of death itself. Bodies hit the floor as none were spared. I was feeling that mad laughter creeping in as I descended upon my foes with glee.
I ran my sword through a fleeing goblin and carved it out the side of the body. I looked around for another target to murder and found that the slaughter was complete. I belted my sword and retrieved my dagger. The fun work was about to begin. Eyes, hearts, tongues, and ears. All easy and light to carry. I tossed a pile in the grass not far from where I worked. Victor was on collection duty as was Donnie. They rotated between us Knights as we extracted the best pieces. It was efficient and we were done quickly. The orcs had the same process done to them. No carrying bones or whole heads. No excess weight without a cart.
“Well done Gryff, another party a few hundred yards south. I am going to try to guide you to the south as often as I can so you can see when the ships arrive. Speaking of which, the fleet is finally on the move. They are slow but the learning curve has been established and they are moving as one now. You could skirt all the combat and set up on a cliff I picked out in a half hour. They still have three hours of sailing so you might as well keep the slaughter up. We do have new walls to build in Fernlan. The griffins were wanting to build a range for diving for our young with some of the space…” Traz said and then paused. “Two hundred meters to your south. Not that way… there you go. Head that direction cut left to get in between them and the main army.”
I listened diligently to his commands. “How many?”
“Single dozen, all males. Part of the other group is my guess, allowed to split unsupervised because they are well trained.”
I address the group. “Drop packs here. A dozen enemy is ahead, I want the Knights to go straight in and I will catch any that escape.” The packs hit the ground. “Go.”
They were off with hunger in their eyes. I set myself running at an angle to the left. Sure enough, the sounds of combat hit my ears and it was silenced. A little goblin was running my way when a sword erupted from its chest. Donnie grinned with delight. I killed nothing from this group. I knew I served my purpose and grinned at my teams results. I raced to the bags and fit mine onto my back. I then grabbed a bloody sack off the ground for cleanup detail.
When I reached the dead bodies I saw exactly what I was expecting. A dozen
dead goblins scattered among the trees. I let the team do the work and opened the bag ready for the bits to be thrown in. It was gruesome, but I long ago came to grips that Vin was nasty. Probably that first sex encounter with Lyna while she was on her period behind the well. After that, there was only more blood, guts, and organs. I shuddered and didn’t let myself get drawn into a zone out.
“Where to next?” I asked the air.
The Knights of the Frontier knew I was talking to a griffin and let the question hang. “Traz buddy, you there? Where to next?”
Silence. I huddled the team as we waited. Dina popped into view overhead with her pink tipped feathers. I raised an eyebrow at this and grew confused.
“Trolls ambushed Traz, we had to range heal him. Fret not, for he is fine. A dozen trolls overextended in chasing him. You can hit them but it may drag the rest to you. The fleet has sped up to try to keep all the different events timed in sync. Right now they are the only thing delayed. I say avoid the trolls and get in your spot to watch the event. I will guide you.”
“Combat silence from here. We’re going to weave between enemy clumps and establish an overlook. I need you to be close, but not too close. Silent, but fast. Here we go. If you get lost… hoot. Or caw, anything besides crying for help in English.” I looked at Fwar while I said this and he grimaced. “Sorry new guy. Don’t worry, won’t always be so hard.”
I heard some grumbling and then cursing at Victor for scolding him. There was only one option. To play the hand dealt to me. Dina helped guide us around the trolls. Five minutes later, we ran into an ogre taking a shit. Deep down I wish I was jesting, but this ogre was plugged up and struggling. I didn’t care if he was swimming in a river of piss and coated in a foot of dried feces. I wanted that damn heart.
A few hand gestures and I had the group huddled around me. “Okay we’re killing a lone ogre in the woods. He is shitting, get over it. Janice will freeze him in place. Victor will flame the face. The rest of us range him down. Aim for the squishy eyes and hope we brain him with bolts.”