Wanderers 3: Garden of The Gods (The Wanderers)

by Richard Bamberg

  I grinned and restrained a laugh. “Sure thing, Rafe.”

  Rafe pursed his lips and then started to say something else.

  The night was split with a roar from Beast.

  We both looked overhead to see Beast gliding a few hundred feet above us.

  A line of fire streaked down from somewhere to our east.

  Then another line of fire appeared, following the first line on its path to…us!

  Chapter 11

  THERESE

  The explosion was deafening, but the shock wave passed us, leaving a ringing in my ears, but not much else. The circle had held.

  About the time I was feeling confident, the second missile impacted.

  Again, the earth erupted in shock waves of heat and light.

  Again, the shock wave passed our circle, leaving us almost unaffected.

  “This is getting ridiculous,” Rafe said as he stood.

  I leapt to my feet beside him and looked into the sky for some sign of our attacker.

  The smoke and debris clouded our sight, but then a wind blew through the clearing, and suddenly we could see again. I had felt Rafe triggering his wind tattoo and wasn’t surprised at the sudden wind.

  Overhead, using Rafe’s enhanced senses; we could both see Beast moving toward the direction the missiles had come from.

  “Can you see what’s shooting at us?” I asked.

  “No, I…wait,” he said and then pointed.

  I followed the line of his arm and wondered what he was pointing at. Then I saw a glow in the distant sky. The glow was moving at an angle to us, curving, and then moving directly away from us.

  “This doesn’t make sense,” Rafe said. He swept the horizon with his gaze, and I saw another heat-glow coming toward us at treetop level. “Well, someone else is on the way.”

  “Were those what I think they were?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. They looked like some sort of air-to-ground missiles, but that’s crazy. Why would a mundane attack us?”

  “They seemed like Hellfire missiles. That’s the weapon of choice for using drones to take out terrorists.”

  Rafe glanced at me. “Aren’t those military?”

  “Sure, well, military and CIA.”

  Rafe frowned. “I haven’t done anything to irritate either of those organizations. Why would they be coming after us?”

  I watched the infrared signatures of the approaching air vehicles and wondered if his question was rhetorical. I certainly had no idea why the government would come after us. Nothing Rafe had described to me would bring down the military or the CIA on us. It must be some kind of mistake.

  The heat signatures, I was certain that they were some kind of helicopter, separated. One slowed and hovered near the dirt road that led into our clearing, while the other moved to the opposite side of the clearing. Before they had come to a stop, dark figures began rappelling from each copter.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “My inclination is to see what the hell they want, but since they’ve already tried to kill us…”

  He didn’t need to expand on his statement. No one who wants to talk starts negotiations with a pair of Hellfires.

  “What if it’s some sort of mistake?” I asked.

  Rafe pursed his lips and shook his head, indicating that he didn’t think much of my suggestion. “What kind of mistake allows the government to launch missiles on Americans on American soil?”

  I shrugged. “Are we in danger?”

  Rafe’s head cocked to one side. He turned to study the group of men that had hit the ground and were fanning out, moving to surround us. “I don’t see how. Firearms aren’t going to break our circle, and I don’t think they could be carrying enough explosives to really make a difference.”

  “Then you don’t really need to kill them,” I suggested.

  He looked back at me. “What have I told you about people attacking us?”

  “That you like to discourage people from doing that?”

  Rafe laughed. I couldn’t believe he found humor in this situation. Someone was trying to kill us!

  “That’s one thing. Discourage and make sure they don’t get a second chance to kill us.”

  The two lines that our attackers had formed were moving in our direction. The helicopters that had disgorged them lifted higher and moved off.

  “But you didn’t kill all of the Amazons,” I reminded him.

  “That was so I could find out why they had attacked us.”

  “Doesn’t the same logic apply here?” I asked.

  Rafe nodded and turned toward the nearest line of men. “Yes, it does. So, I have to keep one of them alive. Activate your shield; I’m going on the offensive.”

  I triggered my one and only tat. The shield formed around me. I tapped the local ley line and pushed power into my shield as I drew more into me to replenish the energy I’d was using.

  Rafe triggered his own shield and then collapsed the circle. He raised his left hand and the lightning tattoo on his fist glowed with gold light.

  Lightning split the clear sky and struck amidst the line of men between us and the road. The bolt lasted only a second and then Rafe turned toward the other line and repeated the action.

  I watched the first target and noticed that at least three of the approaching figures had fallen. That left six standing. The night lit up with muzzle blast as all six began firing automatics at us. The sharp reports of their firearms sounded like .223 rounds. My shield began taking impacts. I could feel each impact as though someone was poking me with a finger. It was annoying.

  Glancing toward the other line, I saw a similar number of attackers firing from that direction.

  This was fucked up. Why would anyone in the military or CIA be trying to kill us? I was getting pissed off and was quickly coming around to Rafe’s idea that these people needed to be taught a lesson. You don’t just start shooting at people without giving them a chance to surrender. I mean, it wasn’t as if we were in a war zone. We were in New Mexico for God’s sake.

  I glanced back toward the line between us and the road in time to see a flash of heat and light from where the three men had fallen. Oh, shit!

  The rocket round slammed into my shield a second later.

  I flew backward across the clearing.

  I landed twenty feet back and rolled to my feet. My shield had protected me from injury, but I hadn’t had it anchored in the earth. My mistake. I poured more energy into the shield as I took Rafe’s Colt from my jacket pocket and cocked the hammer. If they wanted to play rough, then I was willing to join in. I trotted back toward Rafe’s position.

  Another rocket flew from the other line and impacted Rafe’s shield. He’d seen what happened to me and had anchored his in the earth. The explosion jarred my senses, but Rafe and I were still meshed, more importantly, I was keeping it together.

  *They have some sort of shield,* Rafe said across our meshed link.

  *Why would mundanes have a shield?* I asked as I stopped beside Rafe.

  *Good question. It means they’re working with magic users, but I can’t see the government either working with mages or coming after a Wanderer. This is exceedingly strange. Perhaps we should leave until we know more about what’s going on.*

  *Can we do that?* I asked as I noticed that the men on the ground were reloading what appeared to be a recoilless rifle. I had fired one of the Carl Gustav M3 MAAWS rifles in a training exercise before going to the ’Stan, and it seemed like what they were using on us.

  *Yes, but not safely without getting rid of some of their firepower. I don’t want them beating on your shield like that.*

  Rafe raised his left arm and pointed toward the group that had targeted me. A foul blackness flowed out of his upraised hand and moved through the air like an undulating cloud of oil. The sight of the night magic gave me a shiver. It was too unnatural, and while I understood his need to use it, it gave me the creeps to watch it.

  The cloud r
eached the three men working the recoilless rifle and flowed over them. If their shields had kept it from reaching them, I couldn’t tell.

  Rafe raised both hands then, a blast of fire leapt from his right hand toward the approaching line. Simultaneously, another bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the same line. This time, Rafe held his tats and both effects continued to pour into the center of the line.

  I heard another whoosh and a moment later another rocket impacted Rafe’s shield. I could feel the effect it had. His shield had weakened temporarily as he poured energy into his offensive spells, but in a second, he had diverted enough energy to restore his shield to full strength.

  He canceled his offense on the first line and turned toward the others. I watched to see what effect Rafe’s attack had had. I was cheered to see that except for two individuals whose clothing was blazing as they beat against the flames, no one in that line was moving.

  Over the gunfire and explosions, I heard the sound of returning helicopters.

  *Rafe, heads up,* I said as I watched the western sky.

  Both helicopters were making an attack run. Already rockets were flashing from pods mounted to the sides of the copters.

  I stepped between Rafe and the oncoming rockets and pushed as much power as I could into my shield.

  The fraking rockets impacted the earth and my shield in a staccato beat. I found myself flying through the air again. My vision narrowed and the night became dark except for the flashes of gunfire and rocket explosions. I hit the ground and rolled into the tree line. On my hands and knees, I spat and noticed the taste of blood in my mouth. My vision had darkened except for a narrow tunnel I appeared to be looking down. Damn it, it was happening again, but I couldn’t let it. Whatever effect the explosions were having on me had to stop. I couldn’t let Rafe down. I had to get through this myself.

  A shadow appeared between the fires in the clearing and me.

  I looked up; expecting to see Beast or Rafe, but it was neither of them. Instead, there was a four-legged winged…something. Whatever it was, it was as large as Beast. Its wings, unlike Beast’s bat-wings, were feathered with primarily a reddish brown with streaks of brown and white through the two-foot long feathers. Its torso looked equine, with a thick chest covered in hair and haunches that tapered into talons more fitting to a bird than a mammal. Then its head bent down to face me.

  Imagine an eagle with a head the size of a grizzly’s.

  Oh, shit!

  My heart leapt into my throat, and I forgot about the explosions.

  “Do you need assistance, Wanderer?” the creature asked in fluid English.

  “W-w-what? What are you?” I stammered.

  “I am your familiar. You summoned me.”

  The creature’s voice was high pitched and sent shivers through my frame.

  “Ah, yes, but what are you?”

  “Humans named me hippogriff. You couldn’t pronounce my true name.” The creature knelt beside me. “You appear to need assistance. Would you like a ride away from here?”

  “Wait, I have to help Rafe,” I said. My lips felt swollen as I spoke the healing spell. I felt the surge of energy pour into me, amplified by Loki’s amulet. My body warmed. I concentrated on what was happening in my mind and in a few seconds, my vision started to clear. It was working. Whatever effects my PTSD had whenever I was exposed to explosions was fading. In another moment, I was able to get to my feet.

  I tapped the ley line and drew energy as fast as I could.

  “Okay, I would like a ride,” I said. I safed the Colt I’d almost forgotten about and put it back in its pocket. Grabbing a handful of my familiar’s long neck feathers, I swung a leg over the hippogriff’s back. I focused my shield between the two of us and the clearing.

  The hippogriff stood up smoothly and then leapt into the air.

  A surge of adrenaline shot through me. This magnificent creature was my familiar. Wow!

  We flew upwards, gathering altitude much faster than I would have thought possible. Within a half a minute, we were leveling off close to where Beast glided. Beast eyed my mount with suspicion but said nothing.

  I gazed down on the battle from a couple hundred feet up and saw that Rafe had turned from the line of men to the two helicopters, both of which were circling for another pass.

  I didn’t have a good offensive weapon, but I did have a shield, and I was still wearing Rafe’s old watch. I triggered the shield etched into its case and formed it into a twenty-foot circle between us and the approaching helicopters. Then I changed the shape of my person shield. I didn’t have much practice doing it, but I had managed a cylinder when I’d been attacked by the rapists. I concentrated on making my shield into as tight a cylinder as I could imagine.

  Within a few seconds, it was about as thick as a pencil and around ten feet tall. I pushed as much energy as I could into it and then moved it toward the nearest helicopter. I would have used it like a spear, but I wasn’t at all sure I could aim it well enough to hit anything.

  Instead, I moved it into line with the approaching copter and waited.

  The spinning rotor met my shield, and I felt the shock of impact in my mind. At the same time, pieces of the main rotor flew off at a tangent to its spin. Instantly, the rotor began to vibrate violently. The craft yawed and then flipped onto its side and nosed into the ground at full speed.

  The shock wave reached us a few seconds later as the helicopter’s ammo and fuel went up in a massive fireball.

  I pulled the shield back to me and looked for the other helicopter.

  It was skirting the treetops, moving away at full speed. I briefly considered trying to stop it with my shield, but at that distance, I wasn’t sure I could be accurate enough to hit it.

  I looked down again and saw Rafe staring up at us.

  “Take us down, please,” I said.

  The hippogriff pulled its wings in and dropped. I gripped its neck feathers and swallowed as my stomach threatened to reject the sandwiches I’d eaten.

  Within a few seconds, the hippogriff leveled off a dozen feet above the ground and then landed a short distance from Rafe. A moment later, Beast landed beside him.

  “Are you all right?” Rafe asked as he eyed my mount.

  “I’m good. I picked up a few more bruises, but that’s about all,” I answered and then threw a leg over my new familiar’s head, brushing a few feathers as I did, and slid to the ground.

  “So, your familiar showed up,” Rafe said. “Hippogriff, right?”

  “Yes, in your language,” my familiar responded.

  I placed a hand on the side of its head and stroked the feathers along its jaw line. “I’m Therese, but everyone calls me Tess. What do I call you?”

  “You should call me Maia, my true name cannot be pronounced by your species,” the hippogriff said with a nod of its head.

  “Cool. I’m pleased to meet you, Maia.”

  “Likewise,” Rafe said.

  Beast growled something I didn’t understand and Maia shrieked something that was almost above my range of sound.

  “Is your manticore always so rude?” Maia asked, staring at Beast.

  “Not always, but he doesn’t make friends easily,” Rafe said. “Beast, be civil, you and Maia are going to be working together for a very long time.

  Beast growled, “I can be as civil as the next person.”

  “Then act like it,” Rafe scolded.

  “Very well. I am pleased to meet you, Maia.”

  “Thank you, Beast. I’m sure we’ll become fast friends,” Maia said with a shake of her head.

  “How is it you speak English so well?” I asked.

  Rafe answered before Maia could. “It’s part of the summoning spell, Tess. A familiar wouldn’t do you much good if you couldn’t communicate with it.”

  “Oh. Well, Maia, I’m very happy to have you as my familiar. I’m looking forward to a long friendship.”

  “As am I. I’ve heard of others of my kind servin
g with Wanderers, but I’ve never heard of a female Wanderer. It’s about time Verðandi selected a female.”

  “Geez, everyone’s a feminist these days,” Rafe said. He turned and started toward the smoldering bodies near the road end of our clearing.

  I hurried after him. I wanted to stay and talk with Maia. I knew nothing about hippogriffs, and I didn’t want to stay ignorant. However, all things in their time and checking out our attackers definitely took precedence over learning about my new familiar. My new familiar, I got a chill just thinking about it. Wow! Beast was just magnificent, and I’d been envious of Rafe ever since I learned that I was going to need a familiar too. It was like waiting until you were sixteen to get a driver’s license but raised to the nth power. Goosebumps formed on my arms just thinking about it.

  I glanced back toward our familiars. Beast was the size of a grizzly with the personality of one. Maia was the size of a Clydesdale with magnificent plumage of copper highlighted feathers and hair.

  But what set Maia apart was that she was mine! Hot damn.

  I caught up with Rafe as he reached the first of the burned bodies. The smell was foul, and I wanted to cover my nose, but Rafe seemed to be tolerating the stench, and I wasn’t going to be the girl in this. If he could stand it, then so could I.

  It didn’t take him long to determine that none of our attackers in this group had survived his response. I examined the bodies, several of which still smoldered, and could find nothing that would make me think they weren’t human. Some of these had been eaten away by the black smoke that Rafe’s night magic spell had produced. For those, there was no doubt in my mind that they had died horribly.

  When Rafe stood and started toward the other group of attackers, I walked beside him. “Rafe, why are humans attacking us? I thought Wanderers only dealt with things outside the normal.”

  Without breaking stride, Rafe said, “That’s right, we do. I don’t know why, but I’ll find out. I don’t like killing humans, especially when they might not have known what they were getting themselves into.”