Child of Fate

by Jason Halstead

  More paths branched off into the mountains as they walked. Some of the paths were no more than game trails made by mountain sheep and deer while others had the boot prints of men and goblins on them. It wasn’t until the sun had nearly set that their path crossed the real road that led north from Highpeak into the mountains.

  “We going to camp for the night?” William asked.

  Tristam frowned. “Hate being in these mountains at night,” he admitted. “But we’ve a long hike yet to make it to Highpeak.”

  “How do you know that?” William asked. “We’re not even sure where we are!”

  “The mine we found was a few hours’ walk and we haven’t found that yet,” Tristam said. “That’s how I know it’s a long ways.”

  William grunted.

  “Keep an eye to the skies,” Kar suggested.

  “Why? It’s dark out,” William said. “Goblins, trolls, even wolves hunt at night. They won’t be above us.”

  “We know where they are; it’s the things that hunt the skies that worry me,” Kar said. “Remember our missing companion.”

  Kar’s somber reminder sent a hush amongst them. Alto glanced to the skies and saw the others doing the same. Faint wisps of clouds blurred the stars but the overall coverage was sparse.

  “There are great birds in these mountains. So great they’re big enough to carry off a horse. They’re a type of falcon called a sky condor. It’s whispered that some even have nests in the clouds that never leave the highest peaks of the mountains.”

  “The threat of trolls, goblins, and a dragon aren’t enough to keep us on edge?” Tristam said. He shook his head. “Keep your counsel to yourself, wizard. We’ve enough on our minds. Rest’s over; let’s move on.”

  Alto allowed Fizzulthorp another drink and then forced him to hurry with the rest of them as they moved south along the road. They walked up a rise and crested a ridge to find the mine entrance lay ahead of them.

  “Not so far after all,” William cried out triumphantly.

  “Aye, this is where Gerald was last seen,” Kar said.

  William glared at the wizard for his macabre reminder.

  “And we’ll never know what came of him if we spend the night chatting like old women,” Tristam snapped. He moved on after checking to see that the gates of the mine had been shut again.

  “Occupied again?” Alto whispered to Karthor.

  Namitus overheard him and went up to study the door. He put his ear against it and then against the ground next to the doors. He rose up and nodded. “I can hear tools striking stone.”

  “Goblins are like roaches—you kill one and two rush to fill in the hole,” Karthor observed.

  Alto frowned. “I don’t relish another trip through those mines.”

  “Keep up,” Tristam snapped back at the three stragglers and their prisoner. “And you’ll do whatever we’re paid for.”

  “We help retake Highpeak and I bet they send out the army to cleanse the mines,” Karthor muttered.

  Alto nodded. “I hope so!” He gave the wizard a prod and started them toward Tristam and the others.

  They arrived at the bridge in the wee hours of the morning. Crouching behind rocks and the supports of the bridge on the far side of the chasm, they studied the occupied citadel. Torches moved along the walls and lanterns burned in windows.

  “Has it been retaken?” Alto whispered. He was confused by the abundance of light in the castle.

  Namitus pointed at a hulking figure outlined by a torch. “The men use the torches while patrolling,” he theorized.

  “Aye, the men are in charge but the ogres don’t see in the dark any better than we do. Mountain trolls have a limited ability to see in the dark, though, so keep an eye out for them. After all, the goblins, ogres, and trolls are the foot soldiers,” Kar said.

  “They didn’t have torches when they chased us in the caves,” Alto remembered.

  “No, but we did,” Kar said. “They were in a hurry. Others behind them probably had light.”

  “They did. I saw some before I fought past them,” Namitus confirmed.

  “We should hurry,” William interrupted.

  Alto turned, surprised to hear the man advising a dangerous and risky action. He saw him staring into the northern skies. Alto followed his gaze and after a moment, he saw it and gasped. A dark shape was crossing the sky from the west to the east, blotting out the stars as it went.

  “Is that one of them condors or, uh, something else?” William asked.

  “If it’s all the same to you guys, I’d rather not find out,” Namitus said.

  “It’s far enough away we should be fine,” Kar observed. “Unless it’s Sarya, checking on her forces.”

  “Namitus, you’re first to cross the bridge,” Tristam snapped. “Sneak up and signal when it’s safe for us to come.”

  “What if it’s not safe?” he asked.

  Tristam’s white teeth gleamed in the darkness. “Make it safe.”

  Namitus pursed his lips. “All right, how do I signal you? It’s dark.”

  Tristam glanced around and then turned to Kar. Kar bent over and picked up a small rock. He tossed it to the rogue. “No fancy tricks needed. Just toss this far enough that we can hear it on the bridge and they can’t.”

  “Nothing to it,” Namitus muttered.

  Namitus looked to Alto and grinned, and then turned and started across the bridge. He stayed near the edge to try to use what natural cover he could to disguise himself. It wasn’t until he’d gone far enough across the bridge to blend into the dark shadows cast by the walls of the castle that Alto allowed himself more than a shallow breath.

  Several very tense minutes passed until they heard the unmistakable sound of a rock bouncing across stone. Tristam rose up and hissed, “Let’s go!”

  William stopped watching the distant dark shape that blocked the stars in the northern sky. “It’s a long ways off,” he said uncertainly.

  Kar chuckled. “Even a dragon couldn’t reach us before we made the castle.”

  They headed across the gorge, moving as quickly as discretion would allow. The chain mail Tristam, William, and Karthor wore was muffled but Alto’s scales clinked and rustled with nearly every step. They gathered near the gate, pressing themselves against the crease where one of the towers that made up the gatehouse joined the wall. The iron portcullis was down, barring their entrance.

  “Now what?” Alto hissed into Tristam’s ear.

  “Can you climb the wall?” Tristam whispered to Namitus.

  Namitus looked up at the nearly smooth wall. “With a rope and a hook.”

  Tristam scowled and leaned out to stare at the portcullis. He glanced at Alto. “Think we can lift it?”

  “Not without a team of horses.” Alto remembered how hard the winch had turned when he’d cranked it back on their way through Highpeak the first time.

  Tristam turned to Kar. The wizard shook his head without needing to be asked.

  “Tristam, I have an idea,” Alto said.

  The leader of the Blades turned to him. “Anything’s better than this,” he said.

  “We use the wizard,” he said. Fizzulthorp grunted behind his gag.

  Tristam frowned for a long moment as he considered the possibilities. He nodded and pulled the man close to him. “If you cry out or betray us, you will die,” he said. “We may, too, but that will be of little help to you since you’ll have a bolt through your head and steel in your belly. If we’ve got the time, I’ll be sure Alto tosses you off the bridge to be certain. You’ve felt the boy’s strength; you know he’ll have no trouble doing it.”

  Fizzulthorp stared into his eyes for a long moment before he nodded. Tristam reached out and pulled the gag off his mouth roughly.

  “Will you let me go when you’re done?” Fizzulthorp asked. “Seems a small price to ask for my assistance. You’ve already stolen my gold, so you have your bonus.”

  Tristam’s eyes dropped quickly to the pouch at his sid
e. He looked back at the wizard and nodded briefly. “Act proper and yes, I’ll let you go. After we’re done.”

  Fizzulthorp smiled. “Consider it a deal made, captain.”

  Tristam drew his dagger and cut the ropes binding Fizzulthorp’s hands together. “No magic,” he added. The wizard nodded and rubbed his wrists together.

  “I thought we were waiting until the armies attacked,” William said. “They’d be distracted, you said.”

  Tristam nodded. “That was the plan, but we’ve nowhere to hide until then,” he said. “If the wizard does his job right, we can be in without a fight and find a place to hole up and wait inside.”

  “We’re doomed,” William muttered.

  “Just think of the bounty if we survive,” Tristam promised.

  William took a deep breath and let it go. He nodded and offered a fake smile. “It better be enough to retire on.”

  Tristam eyed everyone, making sure there were no further suggestions or questions. When no one spoke, he nodded to Fizzulthorp and pointed to the gate. Fizzulthorp rose without a word. The others followed behind him, weapons sheathed but at the ready. William’s crossbow rested on his back but the arms were drawn back and a bolt was in place. Tristam and Alto stood behind the wizard, ready to grab the wizard if he faltered and make sure his promised fate was delivered.

  Fizzulthorp moved to the portcullis and peered through the bars. “Hey!” he called out after seeing no one in the courtyard beyond. “Somebody let us in!”

  A few moments passed until an ogre with a torch approached. He towered over them by more than three full heads. His bulk matched his height, as did his smell. He stared at Fizzulthorp for a long moment.

  “Let us in!” the wizard said again. “I bring news from the mines for Barador.”

  At the mention of Barador, the ogre grunted. He moved back and grabbed the spokes on the wheel. The massive creature paused, staring at the torch in his hand, and then tossed it to the ground, where it sputtered but continued to burn. He pulled the spindles of the wheel back with a smooth and easy motion that made Alto wince. As strong as Alto was, the ogre made him feel like a child. The portcullis raised, tempting them to dart through with every clinking inch.

  Fizzulthorp led them through when it rose above their heads. As soon as they were through, he said to the ogre, “Lower the portcullis; we can’t risk any of them finding a way in behind us.”

  The ogre grunted and let go of the wheel. It spun freely, dropping the portcullis so loudly it clanged when it hit the ground. Alto winced and saw that Tristam and the others echoed his sentiments, if not his movements. When they turned away from the distracting gate, they saw Fizzulthorp was running into the castle.

  “Stop them!” the wizard shouted. “Kill them—they’re invaders!”

  Tristam swore. Alto stared at his friends, stunned by the turn of events. He saw Tristam draw his blade and William ready his bow. He pulled his own sword and turned back to the ogre. The ogre, just as stunned, picked up the torch he had dropped.

  William’s bolt shattered against the stone of a wall just behind Fizzulthorp. He shouted again for help and ran toward the corner of a building to try to escape William’s range.

  The crossbowman struggled to reload, glancing up too late to see that he’d turned away from the ogre. The torch smashed into him, sending sparks flying and slamming him off balance to the ground. Flames flickered into the night from where the pitch-soaked torch had hit him on the shoulder.

  “Should I get him?” Namitus called out. He’d started after Fizzulthorp and then stopped.

  Tristam ignored the rogue. The leader of the Blades threw his shoulder into the ogre standing over William. The blow made the ogre grunt but did little to stagger him. Tristam rebounded and jabbed out with his sword. The hides and the thick muscle covering the ogre’s abdomen stopped his strike. The ogre swung the flaring torch and barely missed Tristam’s head as he ducked low and stepped back.

  “Let him go,” Alto called to Namitus. He ran to the ogre’s flank and slashed with his sword, hewing so deeply into the creature’s thigh that he felt the bone sunder. The ogre crashed to the ground, nearly yanking Alto’s blade from him.

  Tristam lunged back in, piercing the fallen ogre’s throat with his sword. He stepped back and turned to see that Karthor had smothered the flames and was pulling the shaken William away.

  The crossbowman rose up and grimaced, and then pushed the priest away. “I’ll be fine; it’s just bruised,” he said to the man.

  Other cries had gone up in the castle. Lights could be seen in windows and buildings and somewhere an alarm bell started to ring.

  “I’m going to kill him,” Tristam growled.

  “Do it later,” Kar advised.

  “What do we do?” Alto asked. He spun slowly, watching for the expected horde of monsters to appear.

  “We find Barador and end this!” Tristam said.

  “What about the army? They’re not attacking! Somebody needs to alert them and let them through the gate,” Namitus said.

  Tristam nodded. “Think you can manage it?”

  “I’ll go with him,” Kar offered.

  “Don’t you think we’ll need you?”

  Kar shrugged. “Probably, but what good will striking the head of the snake be if the body is already wrapped around us?”

  “Go!” Tristam snarled. He started off toward the western portions of the castle. “The rest of you with me.”

  They ran into a small group of goblins immediately. Tristam cut into them while Alto protected the warrior’s left flank. Karthor formed the right wing of the wedge and gave William room as he trailed in the center with his crossbow reloaded to fire. The small group of six goblins fell before William could get one safely in his sights.

  Tristam pointed to his left and led them into the burnt shell of a building. They waited inside while a mixed group of trolls and goblins came running down the road from around a corner. The short-legged minions ran past them, none the wiser.

  “We can’t hide here all night,” Karthor said.

  Tristam nodded. “We need to reach the palace; he’ll be there, enjoying finery he doesn’t deserve.”

  “What if we can’t?” William said. “I’m still seeing stars. I don’t fancy being hit by one of them with a proper weapon.”

  Tristam nodded. “We’re this far in—we’ve got to try. If we can’t, we lie low and wait for the Kingdom army to attack.”

  Alto frowned. “What if Fizzulthorp was right? What if they can’t take it back? Barador has threatened the Kingdom and the Kelgryn. If we can’t stop them, worse is bound to happen.”

  Alto felt his hand throb where he held the sword. He raised it and stared at it, wondering if he’d hurt himself without realizing it. His hand looked and felt fine but his blade was different. The black pearls in the hilt had possessed a glamorous shine to them before. Even with the lack of torchlight, they seemed different now, deeper and darker.

  “What is it?” Karthor asked, noticing Alto’s sudden focus.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “I think this sword did something. I felt it throb in my hand and it looks different to me.”

  “It did a fine job of cutting through the ogre and goblins,” Tristam said.

  “What about what I said, losing Highpeak?” Alto asked.

  Tristam nodded. “We’ll try, lad. We’ll try.”

  “When?”

  William sighed and Tristam chuckled. “Now, I suppose; the longer we wait, the more time they have to arrange defenses or find us.”

  Tristam led them through a burnt-out section into an alley. They moved slowly, pausing often to avoid the increased patrols that were scouring every building and road. Their luck ran out before they’d made it more than three blocks through the city. A group of ogres and trolls were kicking doors in and searching the buildings. Goblins were coming from the other direction down the road. The goblins spotted them in the darkness. They cried out and drew the attenti
on of the larger monsters.

  “Fall back?” William asked as the creatures bore down on them.

  “If we retreat, we’ll be cornered and beaten down.” Tristam shook his head. “Take it to them!”

  Alto broke from cover and charged out, taking Tristam’s words to heart. William swore and scrambled to dip his quills into the ointment that Thork had given him. Tristam echoed William’s curse and ran out after the former farm boy, only to find that Karthor was a step ahead of him.

  The trolls and ogres paid no mind to defense. Certain they were unstoppable, they focused only on lashing out at Alto as he ran between them. Alto struck first, thrusting the wide point of his sword into the chest of an ogre and then spinning and ripping the blade free, only to slam it into the belly of a troll. He pulled the blade with him as he stepped past the first two creatures and left the troll lying on the ground, trying to understand why his innards had become outards.

  Karthor and Tristam circled the fallen creatures and lashed out at the backs of the remaining two ogres and three trolls that were circling around Alto. They’d seen what Alto could do and focused their attention on dealing with him. Alto turned in their midst, raising and lowering his sword and varying the angle so the movement of his weapon stayed constant and gave the creatures another point to focus on. Tristam had taught him to remain active and mobile to confuse his enemies. It worked especially well against foes that had slow wits like trolls and ogres.

  Karthor’s mace cracked against a distracted ogre’s back, just above the loincloth it wore. It grunted and turned, sweeping across with a club that Karthor barely ducked under. Tristam drove his sword toward the back of a troll, only to have the troll twist at the last moment and lunge along its side. The combination of his momentum and the natural armor of his skin prevented more than a scratch from being delivered.

  Alto lunged toward the other ogre. He raised his shield to take the descending club on it. The force of the impact drove his left knee into the ground and made his arm tremble. Already lower than he’d planned, Alto leaned forward and forced the tip of his blade into the inside thigh of the ogre. He pulled back before he risked being extended too far or too long. The ogre hopped back and clamped a hand to his injury, howling from the pain.