As the fighting grew close, the Wolfoids charged the nearest Lizard Men, spearing two and saving their intended victim. They jerked their spears free from the twitching bodies and engaged two more. The Wolfoids were far quicker than the Lizard Men. They appeared to effortlessly knock aside the attacking spears, parrying to tear into the green flesh. A quick blast of lightning and the dead bodies flew away from them. As they waded into the fight, they put humans at their back and fired again and again into the enemy’s ranks.
Braden changed position, but kept Bronwyn between him and a stout rainforest tree. He had to protect her. They all needed to protect her. The Rabbits flanked him, firing to the sides so he could shoot Lizard Men when his line of fire was clear.
He called to Loper and Sunny when they started to get too far away from him. They were trying to reach the end of the human line to join a small group of humans in a desperate fight. The Rabbits moved behind Braden to protect Bronwyn. A Hillcat screamed from the other side of the tree as G-War held that side against other attackers.
Braden bolted through the swampy footing as he headed down the line of humans, shooting as he high-stepped over roots. Those he passed were dead or terribly wounded. The Lizard Men had moved on and were concentrating their efforts on those left in the rear. Braden dialed the flame setting and scorched the backs of a dozen Lizard Men lined up to charge the surviving women. The enemy broke as the swords sang and lightning crackled.
The enemy ran into the rainforest, disappearing after only a few paces. Braden dialed a tight beam and fired after them. He looked the area over carefully to be sure they hadn’t remained close by. He walked slowly backwards toward the women, keeping his eyes on the rainforest as he tried not to trip.
The six women from McCullough were mostly uninjured, having held their own against the Amazonian enemy. The Wolfoids were uninjured, but panted heavily in the warm rain.
“Survivors,” was all Braden said and the group started to fan out, checking the humans for life. Those who weren’t dead would die soon. It grated on Braden’s soul to prop them up and give them a drink of water, knowing that there was nothing he could do. His supply of numbweed was limited. He couldn’t use any of it to provide them even the least bit of comfort. He did the only thing he could and that was to thank them for volunteering, praise them for how far they’d come.
In the end, it didn’t matter. Braden didn’t feel any better and they were still dead.
Bronwyn was safe, as were the animal companions. Zyena hadn’t seen the Lizard Men until it was too late. She was able to get her claws into one as he jumped from a branch, but it only made him land awkwardly. He resumed his attack after shrugging off the deep scratches to his shoulder.
Zyena felt helpless. She hadn’t seen the trap even though she flew through the area heartbeats before. And where was Akhmiyar and his people?
Braden asked Bronwyn, who told him that they fought a large group of the enemy to the front. The plan was to stop Akhmiyar’s advance while the rest of the enemy force attacked the line of people. Akhmiyar saw the enemy before they sprung the trap and engaged. He lost three of his men this day as well. Braden added the nine humans. They were down to the six female swordsmen from McCullough who survived because they trained together to fight. Braden wished those in the north could see the power when you gave any intelligent being an equal chance.
The remaining warriors scavenged the food and supplies from the unfortunate souls whose journey was at an end.
Braden and Akhmiyar arranged the smaller group and pointed ahead. They wanted to put distance between the ambush site and where they were headed. They agreed to angle slightly to the west, hoping to reduce the predictability of where they were going. Akhmiyar would then change east for a while, then go back south, creating an irregular route.
They needed to avoid another ambush. They couldn’t stand to lose any more warriors.
Turns Melt Into Turns
By the end of the first seven turns, Micah thought there was no way she could possibly be more miserable. Her skin was wrinkled and every bit of her was wet, except her feet because of the Old Tech boots, as long as she didn’t take them off.
Aadi was surprised that they hadn’t yet come across any hostile Amazonians. The group was starting to tire from always being on alert, but the plan was for Pik and Dal to intimidate the Amazonians, because they looked like the Overlords.
The Wolfoids shook and shook, but could never dry out. Skirill fluffed his feathers and shook, but remained wringing wet. Aadi and the Lizard Men seemed to gain energy as the others grew increasingly unhappy.
Micah watched the group carefully for any signs that one of them was ready to break. The individuals remained steadfast but miserable, while Pik led them deeper and deeper into the rainforest.
On the eleventh turn, Pik saw something that concerned him and called a halt. The aches and weariness seemed to evaporate as the group crouched low, half-submerged in the swampy water, watching the approaches to their position. Pik casually strolled forward with Dal following. Aadi swam slowly to get a better view of what the Lizard Man had seen.
He stopped before a tree and poked at it with the modified spear that Holly had made for him. A Lizard Man stepped away from it, then shook his head at Pik, who responded by crouching and hissing. He slapped at the other Lizard Man with his spear until he backed away and bowed. The two talked in their unique way.
Micah wondered how Braden was getting along and if Bronwyn was able to keep up with Akhmiyar’s pace.
Micah shook herself back into the moment. They could be knee deep in a fight while her mind drifted. She hoped the others weren’t as distracted. The Wolfoids sniffed the air, trying to detect the scent of the enemy, but they only smelled the mossy wetness of the rainforest. Skirill perched on a branch, trying to look inconspicuous while Pik continued talking with the Lizard Man. Micah wondered if he was one of the Overlords’ warriors or one that was friendly. Both would probably have a similar sense of fear to an Overlord’s appearance.
The conversation finished with Pik and Dal backing away. Aadi remained facing the other Lizard Man. As he stepped toward the safety of the trees, the Tortoid hit him with a focused thunderclap at point blank range, splitting the creature’s head open. Micah rushed forward to find out why.
‘Master Micah, yes, all is well. This one was a lone sentry. They didn’t expect anyone to be this way, so they spread the sentries thin. Within one turn’s walk east, there are four more Lizard Men posted. Having dispatched this one, we will be able to continue unnoticed into enemy territory,’ Aadi said.
‘He saw me as an Overlord, even though he saw all of you, too. He’d been taught not to question the Overlords, so he didn’t ask,’ Pik added with a hint of smugness. Aadi bobbed his head in agreement. ‘The stronghold is maybe two turns travel ahead. We are following the trail to it.’
Micah looked but couldn’t see a trail. Bounder and Gray Strider craned their necks back and forth, before shaking their heads. They couldn’t see it either. Skirill squinted into the rain and thought he could tell the difference between the trail and the normal rainforest swamp. Then he decided that he would be lost without Pik and Dal. Only they knew where they were going. Maybe they made up the part about the trail in a twisted way that Lizard Men found funny.
She couldn’t read the emotions of Lizard Men like Pik any more than she could read those from an Amazonian like Zalastar. She gave up and signaled that it was time to get moving.
Micah expected Braden was moving more slowly as he had to be fighting his way through the enemy. But he was with Akhmiyar who moved quickly. She remembered the run after the villagers from Bliss. He had been relentless in his pursuit of the Overlords’ warriors. She also remembered how quickly he moved after he was wounded. At the end of her conversation with herself, she wasn’t able to draw a conclusion. He would get there when he got there, unless the resistance was too great and he was unable to fight his way through. Without the neura
l implant, she had no way to find him if he fell in battle somewhere in the depths of the dark, wet rainforest.
She’d wondered earlier if she could be more miserable. She had found a way. Her feet suddenly felt very heavy, and she struggled to keep moving. Skirill had flown ahead, scouting the so-called trail. Aadi and the Lizard Men moved almost mechanically. But the Wolfoids were there and came to her aid. With a furry foreleg under each arm, they helped support the human as they all slogged through the swamp, ever onward, always wet from the perpetual rain.
Running of the Bulls
After watching Braden and his army enter the rainforest, Brandt was ready to go. The traders Candela and Tanner had to make some minor repairs to the wagons and the harnesses, which were stressed to breaking by the wild run from Dwyer to Bliss.
While the humans were finishing their work, Lomen walked out of the rainforest, head held low. He hadn’t been gone long. The King of the Aurochs checked the sky and wasn’t sure the sun had moved at all.
‘They say I make too much noise and that I too big. I sorry, my King, I fail all in not fight for freedom,’ Lomen told Brandt Earthshaker.
‘I know Braden well. If he sent you back, then the rainforest was nowhere for you to be. You tried, and that is all we can ask of anyone. We have a great deal of travel before us. We will return to your home pasture, where you will not eat any of the grass while we convince the rest of the herd to join us. We will bring them all back. The plains here are vast and they will be your new home, where all of our people can live healthy lives. Then we will know our place in this land, live with the humans and all creatures great and small.’ Brandt stood tall as he talked with Lomen. Brandt had wanted to go with Braden to fight the Overlords as well, but knew he didn’t fit. He was surprised that the human even tried to bring an Aurochs along.
With nods of his head, Brandt attempted to get the traders to hurry their repairs. They seemed not to notice and went about their work at a normal pace. When they were finally ready, Brandt pawed the ground, anxious to leave. He wanted to reach Dwyer before nightfall and that meant another full turn’s sprint. He was up for it, but were the others?
Before Candela and Tanner climbed into the wagons, they dutifully updated their rudder with only one small notation. They put the paper journal back into its oilskin pouch and let the Aurochs know they were ready.
The humans hung on, understanding that Brandt was in a hurry. They didn’t know why because neither Braden nor Bronwyn had told them. The Aurochs started slowly, but picked up speed quickly. Without the weight of the warriors and their equipment, the wagons bounced violently along. The wagon without anyone in it seemed to have it the worst as it bounced and slid sideways, getting dragged before righting itself and bouncing more. Brandt let Lomen set the pace. The young bull ran hard, but wasn’t breathing heavily.
Since he’d followed his King from the Valley of the Aurochs, as he called it, it seemed like the only thing he’d done was run. He was always hungry and thought he was losing weight. But he felt strong, stronger than ever before. His mind was clear, and he saw the world in different colors. The human had said the grass he’d eaten his whole life was tainted, was bad for him.
Bad for all Aurochs. He scoffed at first, but the more he ate of fresh vegetables and grasses elsewhere, the more he realized that the human was right. They needed to save the herd.
The Earthshaker Herd. Lomen’s new herd, established the second the great King killed their former leader. He fought without honor because his time had come and gone. Lomen was ashamed, but then proud that Brandt had selected him as his travel companion.
Loyalty wasn’t about being forced. The King had asked the young bulls if they wanted to come. At the time, they didn’t feel like they had a choice, but with what Lomen had seen since, if he’d said ‘no,’ Brandt would have respected his decision and chosen someone else.
Loyalty was earned by leaders who stood up for themselves. Why hadn’t he seen that before? He knew it was because his brain had been addled by the accursed grasses of his home. He understood Brandt’s sense of urgency and agreed. They needed to get there and save the Aurochs from the daze of their existence. When they moved the herd north, they’d be free to choose their own paths.
Lomen had talked with the one they called Bronwyn. Her mind touched his, clearing away any remaining doubts. Loyalty, camaraderie, friendship, and a shared goal to see a peaceful world. He felt that she was young in years, but old in wisdom. He didn’t care why or how, only that where she was, he would be, too. As soon as she returned from the rainforest, he vowed to stay by her side and protect her.
The young bull talked to himself, unaware that Brandt could hear him. The King kept his secret, approving of Lomen and his commitment to the things Brandt agreed were most important. Once the light shone on the path they followed, no one could turn away.
Lomen increased speed, energized by his thoughts. The Aurochs pulling the wagons were challenged, but kept up. Brandt watched the land fly by, seeing how it was changing as the tide flowed across the south. He liked the new world that he was playing a part in shaping.
He prayed for Braden and Micah to be successful. He didn’t want to return to the old ways, giving the young Aurochs nothing to aspire to besides grazing the large fields.
The grass might be tasty and healthy elsewhere. With a victory, his people could find that out for themselves.
The Slog Ahead
“Does Akhmiyar have any idea how much farther we need to go?” Braden asked the young girl.
“He says by the end of next turn we should arrive at the outskirts of the stronghold,” Bronwyn replied.
“It’s about time. I’m not sure how much more we can take. Just look at us!” Braden said barely above a whisper. Two of the swordsmen from McCullough had been killed when they were cut off and overwhelmed. Four swordsmen remained, but two were wounded, still walking because they had no other choice. Bounder limped, having stepped on a thorn and then the injury had gotten infected before he told Braden about it, who applied a little numbweed. At least he was starting to get better. Gray Strider had stitches on her shoulder where a spear point slipped through the gap in her armored cloak. She could still use her own spear effectively, as she demonstrated several times since she had been wounded.
The cold-water crocs attacked twice, but as fearsome as they were, they were the easiest to fight off. The group hadn’t gotten into any water that would have contained sharkfish. The group also hadn’t seen any more Bat-Ravens. Zyena constantly watched the branches, looking for their distinctive outlines.
The Rabbits were completely unharmed and healthy, as was Bronwyn. Zyena’s injuries from the Bat-Ravens were mostly healed and she seemed to have learned how fly in the rain, effortlessly weaving between the trees, vines, and foliage. How long had it been? Braden had lost count of the turns.
Akhmiyar had four warriors left as well. Braden was concerned that his group would be too small when they finally reached the Overlords. They knew Braden was coming and probably welcomed his arrival, now that they’d whittled down his so-called army. The group looked like they’d already fought the final battle and lost.
Braden expected the worst was yet to come. He was tired, probably more tired than he’d ever been. They hadn’t gotten much sleep, moving often and spending half the night protecting the others so they could sleep badly. He’d lost skin on his feet to blisters, the wetness having finally permeated his Old Tech boots. His feet suffered and he right along with them.
The only thing that kept him going at such a relentless pace was the thought that Micah was doing the same. If she got there and he was late, then the Overlords could bring the full weight of their minions to bear on Micah’s small group. He had to get there first and they had to be winning the fight to drive the Overlords into the trap that Micah and her group would set up.
In theory. He felt that the timing of the attack was still sound. The forces he expected to bring had dwindled, but m
aybe they’d reduced the enemy’s numbers by an equal percentage. He struggled to find something positive before him. He hoped, but it was the fear of failure that drove him on.
There were so many things he didn’t know. They slogged ahead blindly, following Akhmiyar without question. Bronwyn had no doubt that the Amazonian was leading them unerringly toward the Overlords.
A false sense of security, he thought. Maybe that’s our secret weapon. If they think they’ve already won this battle, they’ll be vulnerable, somewhere. We just have to find where that is.
Setting up an Ambush
Pik asked if he could go ahead alone because they were close. The Wolfoids nodded, saying they smelled something different, yet familiar. They thought it was the scent of the Lizard Man patrol on the ship, Pik and Dal’s scent.
“The Overlords,” Micah whispered. Pik nodded. Aadi floated nearby, blinking slowly. “What do you expect to accomplish by going up there?”
‘I want to see their patrols, their defenses, the number of people they have. I don’t think they’ll challenge me if they see me walking around. But anyone else, including the Hawkoid, will tip them to our presence,’ Pik said, making his case. ‘Dal will stay here with you in case a patrol appears. He will chase them away.’
‘I don’t know about your plan,’ Micah said in her thought voice. ‘We should prepare an ambush for the time Braden attacks.’
The anxious glances between the companions told Micah what they were thinking. They weren’t sure that Braden was going to make it. They knew how hard their path had been without encountering any resistance. Ending the Overlords would end their control over their minions, the Lizard Men, cold-water crocs, Bat-Ravens, and the sharkfish. Micah sighed heavily.
Battle for the Amazon (Free Trader Series Book 4) Page 19