“I don’t know. Jara or Yingtai. Doesn’t matter, they are leapfrogging, leaving one behind to ambush, and getting closer to a lair. I’m sure the Princess has a dungeon hideaway up here. It’s the only thing that makes sense, or she’d be on the road to Ardra by the sea already.”
They moved on, following the small signs left behind by their attacker, until they found the tracks being left by the pony that the two had in tow.
“This way,” Amy said. “I’ve picked them up again.”
Emi followed, and they increased their pace.
...........................
“They are on our trail again, Jara,” Yingtai said. “We need to ditch the pony.”
“You want to carry her?” Jara looked at the rolled carpet on the pony.
“Not really,” Yingtai answered. “We could wake her and make her walk.”
“Too risky,” Jara said.
“True. I have a bear mount; I’ll carry her with me, the bear can move without leaving a path to follow, at least not one as obvious as the pony.”
They picked up the rolled carpet and threw it on the ground.
“UMPH!”
“Shit, she’s awake.”
Jara imbued an arrow.
“Princess, if you want to live, be quiet and do what you’re told.”
The Princess Talargo moaned in pain. “I have a massive headache. Where are we?”
“In the woods, now shut up,” Yingtai said. She waved a long bladed dagger at the Princess. “Do what you’re told or I’ll open your throat.”
“Traitor.”
“From your perspective, Princess, this is true. But I’m being true to my people. I’m no more a traitor to them than you are to yours. Now let’s move.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“You’ll never get the jewel from me,” the Princess said. She spoke with defiance, and she spat.
Jara slapped her across the face. “Be respectful, Princess, as your station matters little now. You’re just a pawn. Behave and you may live.”
Rohini Talargo scowled.
Yingtai moved to the pony with her blade extended.
“No, please, let the pony alone. She’s never hurt anyone.”
“I don’t care—”
Jara interrupted her. “No, don’t kill the pony. It’ll leave tracks for our pursuers in the wrong direction. Slap it and let it run free.”
Yingtai put away her blade, she untied the pony’s restraint, and slapped the animal in the rear. It bolted.
“Come along, your highness,” Jara said to Rohini. She spoke with contempt and ugliness.
...........................
The pony ran right into Amy and Emi.
...........................
Dale and Smith saw the signs of a small fight.
They continued following the tracks. After a time of walking through trees, Dale thought he heard a soft voice.
“We’re close,” Dale said.
“Shhhh. I hear something,” Smith said.
“So how close are we?” Dale whispered.
“Follow me,” Smith said. He got onto the ground, and slow-crawled under the brush.
Dale followed him. He saw two figures in the distance with a pony.
“But no Princess,” Smith said.
“No. What should we do?”
“Attack, I guess. But it’s your call.”
...........................
“It’s the Princess Talargo’s pony,” Amy said.
“Do you think they’ve killed her already?” Emi asked.
“No. They knew we were tracking the pony. This is a diversion.”
“What should we do?” Emi ran her hand along the pony’s neck. “She’s a beautiful beast.”
“We’ll send her home and—”
She watched Emi fall as she reflexively dove behind the pony. The arrow meant for her missed, but a second volley was already in the air. Amy dove in front of Emi with a shield and blocked the deadly arrow that would have ended her. Emi’s health was barely above 10%; someone was firing powerful magic. Amy healed her friend. Her mana was being quickly depleted. She pulled Emi behind the pony, which she’d driven to the ground to use as a shield.
“Who’s firing on us? Jara?” Emi asked.
“I don’t think so. I’m afraid it might be Dale and Smith.”
“We need to tell them, we—”
Two arrows came from the other direction, one struck Amy, and the other struck the pony.
Emi healed Amy. “We need to get to cover, we’re in a cross fire.”
Amy stared. “It’s the jewel…”
The dead pony had dropped the Jewel of Sartozel.
The secret hiding place that Princess Talargo had used was revealed.
...........................
“She has the jewel,” Yingtai said.
“I see that,” Jara said. She pulled out a sword and decapitated the Princess Talargo. “One less piece of baggage.”
...........................
“The assassins have the jewel,” Dale said.
“They can’t escape now, we have them in a crossfire,” Smith said.
Dale nocked another arrow and let it loose towards Amy and Emi.
Smith did the same.
They watched the two assassins move into the trees. More arrows fell onto their position from above, the Princess Jara and Yingtai were close.
“We can keep them in a crossfire and get the jewel back,” Smith said.
“I still can’t believe Amy would assassinate the Princess.”
“You saw her with your own eyes, Dale. Sorry.”
“I know.”
Dale didn’t have time to feel bad, Amy and Emi were sneaky assassins, and they could be moving, silently and swiftly, away from them, or around them, or behind Princess Jara and Yingtai. As distasteful as it was, Dale knew he’d have to try to kill Amy. Yingtai was right. Jara was right.
Fucking Hell!
...........................
“We need to get close to Dale so I can talk to him,” Amy said.
“He’s not going to believe you,” Emi said.
“We have little choice; we’re outnumbered here.”
They moved under the cover of brush and headed downhill. They occasionally stopped to fire arrows in the direction of Jara and Yingtai, but mostly they moved towards Dale and Smith.
When the got close enough to speak to them, Amy tried to reason with him.
...........................
“I don’t believe you, Amy,” Dale said. “How can I?”
“Please, think about it deeply. I could have killed you. I didn’t,” Amy said.
“But Yingtai saved me,” Dale said.
“To keep her true identity hidden. She’s with the Declanians.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Maybe, but think about—”
An arrow stopped Amy. Yingtai and Jara were close.
Dale was confused, conflicted, and unsure of himself.
“Hold on, Yingtai,” Dale shouted. “We need a parlay of some kind.”
“No time, Dale. You know your duty, stop the assassins. Unless you’re one of them?” Yingtai spat her words. “They’ve already killed the Princess Talargo, and now they have the jewel. You’re not a traitor, too, are you?”
“No, of course not,” Dale answered.
“Then do what the King commissioned you to do, stop the assassins who killed Princess Talargo, and secure the jewel.”
“Amy!” Dale shouted. “Is this true? You have the jewel? You killed the Princess?”
“I have the jewel, but I didn’t kill the Princess,” Amy answered.
...........................
Private Smith had left Dale and snuck around Amy and Emi in a flanking movement while the rest of them were arguing. He moved in close to their position and brought out his war hammer.
He could hear Amy shou
ting at Dale. But he couldn’t find Emi until she spoke.
“Amy,” Emi whispered. “We are going to have to kill—”
She didn’t finish her sentence. Smith, swinging his war hammer in full force, smashed Emi. Her health was already low and the blow, hitting her square in the head, destroyed her completely. She died.
Amy screamed and ran.
Smith chased her.
...........................
Dale cringed when he saw Smith bring his war hammer down onto Emi.
When Smith ran after Amy, Dale jumped up and ran after them.
Amy was very fast, and she was running down hill, but she was also leaving an easy trail to follow.
When Dale caught up with Smith, they were in a box canyon. Amy was cornered against a tall cliff, and her health was nearly at zero.
“We got her,” Smith said.
“Maybe we should listen to her?” Dale asked.
“We have all the evidence we need. She’s got the jewel. What we came to protect. What more could you want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Quit letting your emotions—”
“Dale, I’m not a traitor. I’m in the assassin’s guild. We were hired to stop two traitors, and recover the jewel. We work for the Klaharnians, the same as you. We are on the same side,” Amy said. “Jara and Yingtai are your enemies. They took the Princess.”
Dale thought she sounded sincere, but he’d been tricked too many times. “Why’d you have the Princess’s pony?”
“I can explain, let me come out, I’ll give you the Jewel of Sartozel. That would prove my alliance with you,” she said.
“Okay,” Dale said.
Amy stepped out from behind a group of rocks. She held the jewel in her hand.
Smith threw a spear; it struck her in the chest, and she fell. The jewel rolled onto the ground.
“NO!” Dale shouted and ran to the Amy. He ignored the jewel and picked up her head.
“I’m sorry, Dale. I should have told you. Be my boyfriend again?” She asked. “Please? I love you, Dale.”
“I… I can’t,” Dale said. “You lied to me. You betrayed my trust in you.”
“No. I upheld my honor. My guild.”
“I thought you loved me,” Dale said.
“I do.”
“No. Love is first. Above war, alliances, guilds, the platoon, and… Well, anything. Love is either first, or it’s not love.”
Dale set her head down. She died.
“Come on, Dale,” Smith said. “It’s still dangerous up here.”
Dale looked at Smith, then at the jewel, its brightness glistening in the moonlight.
An arrow struck Smith and he screamed in agony.
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal.
~ Malcolm X
There is a reason that rats scurry.
~ Private Smith
...........................
Smith dove behind an outcropping of rocks. Dale had enough mana to heal him, but it cost him the ability to imbue an arrow to fire back.
Dale drank a health potion.
“We’re in big trouble,” Dale said.
“I can see that,” Smith said.
“Shit. You killed her. You killed Amy. She was telling the truth.”
“I’m sorry.” Smith sounded sincere, and Dale believed he was. He probably would have done the same thing had he been in his shoes, but still, the fact remained, Dale had watched Amy die twice now. It hurt. Grief and sadness caused a dull pain to well into his chest. And to make matters worse, he’d rejected her.
“We’ll talk about it later, now we have to worry about the jewel,” Dale said. He put his head out from behind the boulder and an arrow with Ice Magic exploded in his face.
He jerked back, partially blinded.
“Here, drink this,” Smith said. He handed him a potion.
Dale’s health went back to 100%, but he and Smith were going to run out of health potions and mana soon.
“We need a plan.” Dale exhaled, completely exhausted. He was physically and mentally spent.
“No shit.”
“The jewel.” That was the priority here, Dale thought to himself.
“Yes, why don’t you just walk out there and get it?” Smith asked, his voice sarcastic and cold.
“Why are you being such a dick?” Dale had never heard Smith be so cruel. He realized it was probably his guilt over killing Amy, which had happened only moments before the cold truth hit them both in the face. Yingtai and Jara were trying to kill them and capture the jewel for the Declanians. Amy and Emi had been working on their side the whole time.
Jara and Yingtai had been the traitors, and he and Smith had been helping them all along.
“We need to move if we are going to live,” Smith said.
“The jewel?”
“It won’t help us if we die, it can’t be bound to anyone, it always drops on death no matter who possess it. It’s one of the rules of this crazy ass war. The jewel has to be taken back to a base and protected. That’s how it works. Otherwise, I could jump out there and grab it, and hell, you could kill me, and it would be safe.”
“So…” Dale was at the end of his patience. He began to think it wouldn’t matter if he died. He’d be back on the ship. He’d get a hot shower. He could talk to Amy. But, even so, he wasn’t suicidal, and dying was hard. Torturous. He wouldn’t die on purpose. It robbed something from you, and he still struggled with the continuity problem. Would he still be himself? Maybe Amy wasn’t Amy? Hell.
“Yeah, so… What to do? First priority is to survive…” Private Smith sounded tired but also pragmatic.
“Should we make a run for it and then regroup?” Dale stood up and tried to look carefully around the boulder.
He saw Yingtai approaching the jewel; she had an imbued arrow ready to fire, Ice Magic. Princess Jara was in a position to fire on them as well; she was behind a large rock, a few meters behind Yingtai.
“Crap,” Dale said. “They’re right here, they’ve got the jewel.” Dale watched Yingtai pick it up. She backed up, keeping her arrow pointed towards them, and joined Jara. They moved quickly, but carefully away; Dale did not have enough power to attack them directly.
“We’ll have to follow them, but if we don’t recover more mana, it’ll be a short fight,” Smith said.
“Agreed.”
...........................
Dale and Smith weren’t highly skilled trackers, but Yingtai and Jara were moving at a fast pace, so they were leaving a clear trail. They continued uphill, following their tracks, until they came to the entrance of a dungeon.
“You think they went this way?” Smith asked.
“Had to be,” Dale said. Even though he was sure, he took the time to circle the area, looking for traces that they’d gone another direction. “Unless they flew away, they had to have gone into the mountain.”
“I think I agree with you,” Smith said. “The question is, do we have enough resources to continue pursuing them on our own?”
“I don’t think we have any choice. What else could we do? Go back to the castle with our tail between our legs?”
“Okay, well, let’s do this,” Smith said.
Dale lit a torch as they walked into the entrance. A stone statue seated in a stone chair, stood and spoke. “What do you seek?” It’s voice was raspy, and old, like he was dying.
“We are chasing two traitors,” Dale said.
“Ah, a traitors quest. This dungeon mine is perfect for betrayal and treachery, travelers. If you seek power and loot, then enter here, but I must warn you, you’re going to have to face your worst nightmares and demons.”
“Well, it’s not like this night can get much worse,” Dale said.
The guard laughed deeply. “It can always get worse, traveler. Always. I offer you a quest.”
.........
..................
A Quest of Betrayal and Traitors
You are being offered a quest:
Pursue traitors.
Face your greatest fear.
Rewards:
Unknown.
Accept: Y/N?
...........................
“Fuck me,” Dale said. He accepted the quest.
A door opened, and he walked into the mine shaft. Smith followed him. The door shut behind them. Dale’s torch sent odd shadows of orange and yellow along the walls. This was no dwarf mine. The walls were not cleanly sculpted. The floors were not smooth sand. There were not massive timbers holding up the ceiling.
The walls were rough stone, like lava had formed them. Moss and plants grew, and water dripped. Mushrooms of various colors grew in colonies along the wall, especially along the base, where the wall and floor met. Bats hung from the ceiling. Rats scurried when they approached with their torches. Small snakes slithered away. Nothing attacked them as they walked, which seemed like a bit of good luck, but Dale thought maybe it was a false security.
“Maybe you should bring out Ginkgo?” Smith said.
Dale agreed. His golden retriever was happy to see him and licked his face. Dale gave her a treat. He carried the torch in one hand and the rapier in the other, the assassins blade seemed like the right weapon, as so far, all the beasts seemed to be small and fast. Although nothing had attacked them yet, he expected something to surprise them at any moment.
“I wish we could get on with it,” Dale said. “The suspense is killing me.”
They continued walking. Dale came upon a small tunnel that extended off the main path. He decided to at least look. The tunnel was empty, or at least looked that way, he ran his hand along the walls, searching for loose rocks or hidden niches.
The found a stone with a groove around it. He removed his knife and began to pry the stone.
“What did you find?” Smith asked.
“Not sure.” Dale continued to pry until the stone fell.
Congratulations! You’ve found The Grandidierite Gem.
The Unlucky Gem Quest: You’ve found 1 of 13 gems.
Perhaps you should give this gem to a special woman in your life?
“Crap,” Dale said. “One of the Unlucky Gems…”
“Hey, perfect for this trip,” Smith said. “Better you than me.”
Nagant Wars: A LitRPG Novel (Nagant Wars Series Book 1) Page 40