He struggled.
Smith kicked him in the ribs.
The Princess brought out a glowing, small-bladed knife. She held it to his throat. “This knife will make your death feel like a thousand years of punishment. Speak now, before my patience is tested and breaks like a faulty bow string.”
“Our spies told us that the jewel is being held by the Princess Talargo. She fled to the mountains, seeking a castle, that is all—”
The Princess didn’t wait for him finish his sentence; she drove the blade through his chin, up into his brain, and he died instantly.
“You sent him to a thousand years of pain?” Dale asked. He flashed on his own suffering in death.
“No, my friend,” she said. “That was merely an effective bluff. The information he gave was all to be gained, no intelligent leader would allow their troops to know more, anything else he might have spoken would have been a lie, or at least, nothing we could trust. Knowing that jewels exist here on Almaach, and that the Princess Talargo has one, that is enough. We must make it to Irkalla, and quickly.”
...........................
The group decided that heading back to base was the best course of action.
Dale was technically the ranking member of the platoon now, with Sargent Dyfrig dead. He felt funny about being in charge of others, but he decided that all he had to do was head back to base and avoid trouble.
They had a powerful ally in the Princess, so he felt confident.
When they approached the initial spot in the forest, where they’d fought their first battle, just that morning, although it seemed ages ago, Dale suggested they camp there.
“It’s nearly nightfall. We will be safer here, inside the wood, than out in the open, I think. Especially with all those herding beasts who might stampede and trample us to death in the dark.”
“It is as you speak,” the Princess said. “A pair of hunters approach.”
The group took defensive positions and armed themselves.
“Behold the mighty hunters,” Tom shouted.
“It’s only Tom and Kim,” Dale said. “Part of our troop.” He looked at the Princess and then added, “there are two others, who may join us. Or not.”
“Do you think I wanted to stay in the dark all night?” a voice said from high above them in the trees.
Rikuto walked out from behind shrubbery. “Come down, Emi.”
Emi dropped from the tree, and Rikuto approached.
“We’ve been here all along, but we wanted to make sure your elf companion was a friend and hadn’t captured you, or something worse.”
“Good thinking,” Amy added.
Tom and Kim dropped a suckling razordillo and asked the Princess if she knew of any danger if they started a fire.
“I do not sense anything of danger close by. We can build a fire inside that circle of stones just behind me, near the elms. You are so loud that whether you have a fire or not is of little consequence, everything already knows you’re here. We should be safe tonight, never-the-less, set a guard. In the meantime, I have not had roasted razordillo in… I don’t know how long… An eternity, it seems. If anyone wants to collect Red Snow Berries, I will be forever in your debt.”
...........................
The night was chilly, but the skies were clear.
They slept without tents, wrapped in blankets. Dale and Amy talked about the stars.
“I swear I recognize that pattern,” Dale said. “But it’s nothing from earth.”
“Maybe it’s just pattern recognition.”
“No, I’m sure I’ve seen a star chart…”
They fell asleep holding hands. The night passed without threats of danger, except for those inherent in love, the greatest risk the universe, or any God, had yet devised.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Armed neutrality makes it much easier to detect hypocrisy.
~ Criss Jami
I’ve noticed that the more dedicated someone is to a belief, the more likely it’s a bizarre fantasy.
~ Private Smith
...........................
Their party now numbered ten. After first light, they marched towards the command base.
“Tom,” Dale said to the Draenen, “could you do a quick fly-over? Just the path ahead of us for a short distance. Make sure there are no ambushes or weird creatures lying in wait.”
“Sure,” he said. He jumped and took flight.
The group watched the bat fly head and circle a few times. When he came back, he had nothing to report.
The plains were made of rolling grasslands with an occasional grouping of trees. They could see into the distance, but Dale still felt an unease about being out in the open, exposed and vulnerable. He spread the group out, so that ten meters was between each member, and they marched in silence.
Occasionally they would come across animals, little birds and small burrowing mammals. They saw a few jackrabbits, or at least, something that reminded him of a jackrabbit. Off in the distance they saw a large dust cloud rise into the sky, most likely wildebai.
Vultures circled in the air above them, but they were not dangerous. Dale remained vigilant about threats from the ground, he suspected that there must be predators lurking. Wherever large herds of herbivores lived, large predators hunted them.
When they stopped for lunch, he asked the Princess about them.
“Princess, there must be large predators, something that eats those wildebai. What kinds of large hunters exist in this world?”
“You are correct; we have many such predators. Canines and reptiles. I do not know if there are translations of them in your language, but these, and many other dangers exist. But none of those animals would pose a threat to a group such as ours, as we are well armed. Dragons, however… A dragon would be a problem, but out here, on the plains—no dragon in its right mind would hunt here, especially in the day time.”
“Why is that?” Dale asked.
Before she could answer, Emi jumped up and shouted. “Something approaches!”
The group stood and formed a defensive position. Shields up, swords, spears, and bows at the ready.
A group of dwarfish hunters riding on rhinos approached. They numbered twenty-two and were well armed.
The riders formed a semi-circle and the leader, or at least who Dale assumed was the leader, approached. He rode the largest rhino, which was covered in copper and bronze armor. It had white and red paint covering those parts of its body not covered by the armor. The hunter rode to within a few meters of the group and spoke in a deep voice to them.
“What business do you have in the Plains of the Ruoho?”
The Princess stood and spoke. “We are peaceful travelers, heading to Irkalla. Let us pass in peace, and we shall speak a blessing on your hunt.”
“What is that strange creature?” He pointed his spear at Tom.
“He is a stranger to our lands,” the Princess said. “I am only just beginning to understand that a great war is coming. I have been, myself, a prisoner in the Dungeons of Muschi Kuningas, for how long, I have not yet determined. Perhaps, you, mighty hunter, could help me. Do you know of the Great King Thorn Talargo the Third?”
“The Dungeons of Muschi Kuningas? I thought such a place was a legend. A story to scare children. The King, Thorn the Third, his time past long before even the time of my grandfather. You were a prisoner a long time my lady. Tell, me strangers, what is this war the Princess speaks of?”
Dale took a couple of steps towards the hunter. He was the ranking member of the platoon, so he felt he might as well speak.
“The war is called the Nagant War. Its origin comes from another realm, a place I think, neither of us could comprehend. There are mighty races there, and a group among them are called the Nagant Monks. They are the rulers of this war. I do not know much more than that; my hunter friend, I can only say that our enemies are called the Declanians, and we are called the Klaharnians. I would like to offer you my
hand in friendship, and perhaps we can become allies and mutually benefit from exchange and trade?”
“Perhaps, young one. Perhaps. I would have to hear from these Declanians first, before pledging my alliance to you and yours. Often both sides in a war see the other as evil, our people have not warred for many centuries, and we’d like to keep our lands peaceful.”
“You are a wise people,” Dale said.
The leader looked to the Princess. “Speak your blessing, then, my lady, and go in peace.”
The Princess began a beautiful chant. Her voice was sweet and low. She outstretched her hand and sent an enchantment over the hunters.
Dale could feel the energy in the air.
The hunter bowed his head, spun his rhino around, and marched off with this troop.
“We came close to death,” the Princess said.
“What!?” Dale looked at her with a weird grin. “It seemed to go so well, why do you think that?”
“The Rauha are a neutral race, they believe that to go to war is to admit failure. Your offer to become allies with them, that could have been seen as an offer to plunge them into a war they neither want nor asked for. I believe he forgave your ignorance, being as you’re a stranger to these lands, and he did not take offense, but he signaled his men, and they were poised to kill you with a flick of his hand. Be wise, young Dale, and learn the ways of other cultures before you try to negotiate with them. You’ll live longer, my friend.”
Dale, slightly embarrassed, thanked the Princess and then said, “Five minutes, platoon, and we march.”
They made the rest of the journey without incident. After reaching the base, the group had to wait a day while repairs were made and equipment restored. Dale was happy when Lieutenant Brinkmann, Sergeant Dyfrig, and Private Galina finally made the trip back down the new space elevator.
“Well, you’re in charge again, Lieutenant,” Dale said. “And you can have it.”
...........................
Late that night, when they were alone, Dale explained the business of the Jewel to the Lieutenant.
“Hmmmm.” The Lieutenant paced for a moment. “Don’t tell this to anyone else.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to pass this upstairs. Good job, Dale.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
He said in this one part, that a woman's body is like a violin.
~ J. D. Salinger
Does meeting someone during a war make you grateful for the war?
~ Amy Lyang
...........................
The base camp was a crowded mess of creatures, mounts, and pets. There were tents set up everywhere, some military operations and the rest locals who were hawking everything from magical potions of dubious value, to weapons, tools, and souvenirs. There were smells everywhere, both good and bad, meats being roasted, strange livestock being herded, and all kinds of foods which were offered by merchants: elves, dwarfs, and various humanoids that could have fit in if they’d been dropped into any big city on earth. A merchant was selling a roasted vegetable that looked like orange corn which was served with a buttery looking substance that looked a little bit like blood.
“I think I’ll pass,” Dale said.
“Hey, don’t knock things you’ve never tried,” Smith said.
They’d been given a two-day pass. Apparently, nobody was sure exactly what their next mission would be, the dragon snafu had messed up command, confusion ruled the day.
Princess Jara agreed that waiting a bit longer before heading to Irkalla wouldn’t be the end of the world. “I’ve waited longer than a dwarf’s lifetime as it stands; besides, I haven’t had blood corn in ages,” she said.
They had shared their agreed upon quest with the three freshly resurrected members. Their plan was to leave in three days.
Dale, Amy, and Smith wandered the marketplace and bought a few souvenirs. The local copper coin was equal to one hundredth of a gold bar, and they’d all obtained enough gold to buy trinkets and strange foods, but they’d need more quests and the right kind of loot to be able to afford significant upgrades to weapons and gear. Dale was flush with money, but it wasn’t spendable on this planet, buying victories was impossible. He was glad for that, in one sense, paying for wins wasn’t sporting, but on the other hand, what was he going to do? Return to earth and purchase flair? At least he wouldn’t have to worry about buying pizza and beer, what he had was spendable on the ship for items that couldn’t be taken into combat.
Everyone had the opinion that the city Irkalla would have bigger and better markets, and perhaps that the guilds had established places they could get discounts or special items. Dale found it both exciting, but also a bit disconcerting, to be so in the dark.
“I’m headed up to the ship,” Smith said. “You two have fun.”
Dale and Amy both smiled at Smith and then walked off together, holding hands. They avoided talking about the war, death, dungeons, or anything that might break the current spell they were under.
“This planet has a lot of beauty,” Amy said.
“It does. Hardly anything on earth is still as—natural and unspoiled—although probably not as dangerous, either.”
“I think the dangerous things on earth try their best to convince everyone that they are not only not dangerous, but actually beneficial.”
“You sound like a Lysanderian.”
“Well, it’s kind of true.”
“I guess.” Dale remembered the time he’d listened to the arguments of the Troth. They weren’t all terribly wrong sounding. “Did you ever see,” Dale dropped his voice to a whisper, “or hear anything about the Troth?”
Amy gave him a frown. She looked around like they might be under surveillance, and then she pointed to a merchant who had belly dancers, loud music, and was serving mugs of a local beverage that turned rational people into blabbering idiots. “Let’s sit there, where it’s loud.”
Dale followed Amy and only let go of her hand when he pulled out her chair.
A large dwarf with a red beard and bad teeth approached their table and asked them if they’d like to get really drunk or just slightly tanked. “It is early, my friends,” he said. “But, in war, you never know when your next day may be your last.”
“It’s okay,” Dale said. “Perhaps something that won’t make us sick?”
“As you wish, my friends,” the dwarf said. “If you take a liking to any of the dancers, they are available by the hour or the day, my friends.”
As he walked off, Dale looked at Amy and said, “well?”
“They approached me, yes. I listened. When the government started executing people, I decided I could do more alive than dead.”
“I felt the same. But, I didn’t think…”
“You don’t have to say it. I know what you’re thinking. The draft was, well, inconvenient at best. You’d rather be back in Cincinnati, making sculptures, inventing creatures, trying to get your creativity into a new Rhith World. And why not? I had dreams as well. But, we’d never had met without the war…”
“True. I’m glad I’ve met you.”
“So, you see, it all works out.” Amy reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
“Friends!” The dwarf set down two big mugs and a bowl filled with a roasted nut that looked like a cross between a peanut and soybean. “Enjoy.”
...........................
By the time the sun began to set, Dale was tired of walking around the markets, things were beginning to look the same, and his feet hurt.
“We should head to the elevator,” Dale said.
“Yes, my feet hurt.”
“Yours too?” Dale smiled at her. “Mine have been aching for three hours now.”
“You should have said something.”
“I didn’t want to…”
“What?”
“I didn’t want the day to end.”
Amy smiled at him. “Me either.”
They found their way to the
elevator and eventually took the ride up, off the planet, into a place that seemed safe.
...........................
Leaving the world of Almaach behind, and entering an intergalactic military troop transport ship, was a weird transition. The first thing Dale realized, when he left the elevator, was that he smelled horrible.
“I need a shower,” he said.
“You think?”
“Hey, you’re not exactly fresh out of a shower yourself,” he said.
“Would you like me to be?”
Dale blushed.
“Well, I guess I could just go to my own pod,” Amy said. “It’s not like I don’t have—”
“Hey, I didn’t say that!” Dale’s face was warm, and he was embarrassed that he was embarrassed.
“So you want—”
“Of course, I mean, yeah, ummmmmm, I’m sorry, I’m not good at this, would you?”
“Yes.”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
~ Lewis Carroll
To catch me quick:
Use a trick.
Stumble upon me:
Wish to freely be.
~ A poem sung by the Ji Ba Mao
...........................
The next morning Dale checked his messages.
Subject: Nojus Quest
To: Brown, Dale
From: Smith, Jeffery
Dale, We’ve been offered a rare animal quest today in a place called the Valley of the Dragon Scale, lots of potential. Can you come? If you’ve already made plans, I understand. I want to hear about it. Smith.
Subject: RE:Nojus Quest
To: Smith, Jeffery
From: Brown, Dale
I’m available. Amy has a guild quest. Something secret, I guess. I’m going for coffee.
Nagant Wars: A LitRPG Novel (Nagant Wars Series Book 1) Page 26