Gavi could see three of them, two men and a woman, each clad in coarse fabrics in dull, aegisy colors, with leather gloves and pointed hoods that cast shadows over their faces. Each carried a spear with a knife blade affixed to the end, and two of them had bows, though they weren’t using them at the moment. Gavi couldn’t tell why they were called riders, since she didn’t see any evidence of horses, though they were all wearing riding boots. Currently the so-called riders were backing away, retreating as the Nijāst defense coalesced.
But it was their familiars that drew Gavi’s attention. She had fought aku before, and those had been raging monsters mutated beyond recognition by divine magick. These were different. They were twisted, certainly, but not beyond recognition—the leftmost used to be a monkey, the middle looked like a wolverine, and the right one started as some kind of predatory cat, probably a bobcat. But they were too large. The bobcat was as big as leopard, and the wolverine nearly the size of a small bear. Their fur was streaked through at irregular intervals with bright blues, greens, and reds, and beneath some of the streaks were protrusions of bone, like more than one skeleton had been forced inside each. The knobs stuck out with no relation to good sense—from their stomachs, from their arms and legs, from their paws. The monkey had one below its eye.
The familiars stood between their masters and the Nijāst. Though each animal vibrated with barely-suppressed lust for violence, they resolutely protected their masters, snarling and swatting at anyone who came close.
“I would prefer not to deal with those things,” said Mazik, a spell swirling in his free hand.
“Then get the people,” snapped Captain Sie. She pointed to the near flank. “Caspian, take these two and attack from the side.”
Caspian threw a lazy salute. “Yes, ser.”
As Captain Sie and the other Nijāst headed straight for the fray, Gavi, Mazik, and Caspian strafed through the trees, watching for enemies lying in wait. They found none, and were soon in position off the riders’ flank.
Caspian notched an arrow, two others hanging loosely in his draw hand. The notched arrow began to glow. “Closest one?”
“That works,” said Mazik.
Gavi drew her holdout crossbow and cocked it. “Call it, Maz.”
“Right.” Mazik wasted no time. “Threetwoonefire!”
Gavi expected Mazik’s spell to reach first, but by the time he threw his spell Caspian had already let loose two arrows. Unlike Gavi’s crossbow bolt, Caspian’s arrows shone bright red, each imbued with a barrier-debilitating aura.
But even more surprising was their target’s response. The man’s head jerked to the side, sensing the incoming attacks—and then, as words rolled off his tongue, he was suddenly several paces away. His body had blurred, like it was moving too quickly for their eyes to follow. Caspian’s arrows passed harmlessly through the space where he had been.
“What was that?” Mazik snapped his fingers. His spell exploded amid the riders, forcing them to throw up their arms in defense.
Caspian let loose his third arrow, then pulled three more from his quiver, which he had moved to his belt. Their target waved his hand, casting another spell, and the arrow curved away in midflight.
“They’re good at evasion magick. Most of their attack spells are—” Caspian’s words cut off as he lurched away. “Look out!”
Gavi was leaping out of the way before she knew what was going on. That’s when she saw it—the nearest rider speaking, and the mutated bobcat glowing neon green. The bobcat hissed and roared, and then a spell leapt from its mouth—just as one had from the spellhound earlier.
Mazik stepped in front of them, his hands splayed. “Mazik Shield!” The spell struck, flashing white-hot against his defenses, but didn’t penetrate.
“They use sympathetic magick,” Caspian finished. He fired another arrow, forcing their target to evade. “They cast spells through their familiars.”
“I see why they want your spellhounds, then.” Mazik held one hand ready to defend, an attack spell forming in the other.
Gavi put away her crossbow and drew her sword. She watched the bobcat, ready to defend if it charged. Which it looked like it wanted to do, and it appeared its master was in agreement. While the other two riders retreated past their ally and yelled for him to join them, the man shouted at his familiar, whose fur bristled. He held up his hands, mana crackling between them—
An arrow collided with his neck, cracking his barriers and carving out a thumb of flesh beneath his ear. He reeled, his spell chocked off as he almost bit his tongue—and then the next arrow buried itself in his temple, killing him instantly.
Before anyone could react, the bobcat erupted. Whatever thin veneer of control the rider had been imposing on the animal evaporated. Spittle flew as an unaegisly roar tore from its throat, and then the berserk familiar threw itself at the closest Nijāst, its teeth reaching for the woman’s neck as the heavy animal bore her to the ground.
Mazik swore. “It’s too close for me to blast. Let’s—”
Gavi didn’t hear the rest. She was already sprinting for the melee.
It took ten people to rescue the pinned guard. Even without spells, the bobcat was ferocious, with all the strength, speed, and killing power of a cornered animal. It howled like its heart had been ripped out as it attacked anyone and anything that came near, until one of the defenders finally lopped off its head.
Gavi stood over the rescued guard, panting. During the commotion, the other riders had slipped away, melting back into the forest.
“Well.” Mazik used a handful of leaves to wipe down his daggers, then slid them back into his robes. “You think if we kill a rider when their familiar is closer to them than us, it’ll still do that to them? Get some friendly firing going.”
“Probably not.” Caspian stooped to retrieve his arrows, cleaning the undamaged ones and returning them to his quiver. “Though only one out of three or four does that. The others get confused.”
Mazik rolled his shoulders. “Good to know. In that case, I’ll continue targeting the squishy people instead of the raging spell-monsters.”
Gavi sheathed her sword. “As if you weren’t going to attack whoever’s closest anyway.”
Mazik laughed. “You know me too well, Gavs.”
*
Once the perimeter was secure and they had cleaned up, Caspian led Mazik and Gavi to their original destination, which was also on the northern edge of town. The cliff face loomed high overhead as they drew closer. Mazik craned his neck. When Caspian had said that the two forested approaches were the only ways into the village, Mazik had been skeptical, but he had to admit that he couldn’t imagine scaling this cliff.
General Ordwinn’s house was at the base of the cliff, where the overhang shielded it from the sun for much of the day. The building was two stories like the others, complete with an outbuilding and a covered stairway leading to the second floor. Its only identifying mark was a placard next to the front door which read Enc’Ordwinn.
That and the guards.
There were two guards flanking the front door, as well as several others patrolling the sides. The guards here all looked older than those they had seen elsewhere, and significantly less well-mannered. They also had spellhounds, which Mazik realized he hadn’t seen much of, save for at the kennel. He got the impression that if anyone came rushing into or out of this building, these veterans would rip their arms off first and ask questions never.
“We have him under house arrest,” explained Caspian. “We wanted to move him elsewhere, but we don’t have enough room, especially since you mercs are using the few extra places we had. We’ve confiscated all of his weapons and his spellhound, though.”
“Makes sense. And we prefer adventurer. By the way,” Mazik pointed at Caspian’s vest, “do you lot prefer to be called guards or soldiers?”
Caspian shrugged. “Either or. Guards is probably more appropriate. We’re called the village watch, if that helps. Wait here, I’l
l tell them who you are.”
“Thank you,” said Gavi.
Once Caspian spoke to the guards, and they had been thoroughly scowled at, Mazik and Gavi followed him inside.
Mazik had an old theory that you could tell a lot about someone by seeing where they live, especially their room. The only problem was that the theory broke down once people got married. You could still learn a lot, you just never knew which one you were learning about.
The Enc’Ordwinn house was filled with knickknacks from all over the continent. Statuettes and other souvenirs filled the stained darkwood shelves that lined nearly every wall. Mazik noted a number of lacquered bells, several racks of novelty spoons, and one shelf devoted entirely to palm-sized dolls. The furniture seemed an afterthought, and was tasteful and spare in a way the other decorations were not. The apartment was laid out similarly to where the trio was staying, save that there were two rooms straight ahead in addition to the one to the left. All the doors were closed.
“I feel like an interest in the outside world isn’t a good sign when you live in a hidden village,” said Mazik.
“The general claims Rhea was the one who collected everything, and that he never cared what the place looked like.” Caspian didn’t sound like he believed that.
The back right door opened, and a man emerged. He was completely bald, with a thin scowl and sunken eyes. He wore the same green vest as Caspian, though his undershirt was open to the third button and his pants were wrinkled. On his left breast were various insignia Mazik hadn’t seen on anybody else, though they looked impressive.
The man let go of the door and clasped his hands behind his back. He nodded gruffly. “Caspian. Back to question me again?” He glanced at Mazik and Gavi. “And you. Some of the adventurers Boern has been bringing in?”
“We are.” Mazik patted his chest. “I’m Mazik I. Kil’Raeus, and this is Gavi Ven’Kalil, both of Collateral Damage out of Houk. Are you General Ordwinn?”
“I am.” The general looked away, as if searching his memory. “I don’t recognize your names. Have you worked with us before?”
“We have not.”
General Ordwinn looked as if he wanted to sigh. “I’m fine with our usual freelancers, but are things really so dire that we’re bringing in mercenaries we don’t even know?”
Caspian, who was standing stock-straight, bit back a growl. “They’ve been helpful so far, sir. They also have experience with this kind of situation. They’d like to ask you some questions.”
“Oh? What kind of experience?” General Ordwinn’s attention swung back to Mazik. He got the impression that the general could see right through his lies.
Mazik forced himself to remain relaxed. “We’d be happy to tell you more about us, once we’ve verified that you’re not a danger to our employers.” He smiled tightly, and motioned at the dining table to their right. “Do you mind if we sit down?”
General Ordwinn’s shoulders locked up for a split-second. Then he relaxed and sighed. “Of course. I’m in no position to object. Would you like anything to drink?”
“I’m fine.” Mazik pulled out a chair and sat.
As everyone claimed a seat, Gavi leaned in close, her breath brushing against Mazik’s ear. “Do you know what you’re going to ask him?”
“No idea.” He flashed her a grin. “Would you mind coming up with a few? I’ve got about two questions and I’m out.”
Gavi signed and flipped to a new page in her notepad. “Idiot.”
“I prefer to think of it as—no, that works.” Mazik settled in and steepled his hands together. “To start with—”
“—where were you when your wife led the attack on your village?”
General Ordwinn openly winced at Mazik’s question. Meanwhile, Gavi had ripped a page out of her notepad and was twirling her pencil. They needed to find out as much as they could about Rhea’s motivations, and whether Ordwinn was in on it. She began writing down questions.
“I was here, in bed.” General Ordwinn pointed to the room he had emerged from. “It was late, and I always wake up early.”
“Did you not notice when your wife got out of bed?”
The general shook his head. “She didn’t come home that night. Usually she goes to sleep later than I do, but I always wake up when she gets in bed. That night, it was the kennel bell that woke me up.”
“What did you do when you woke up?”
“I grabbed my sword, woke up Vigilance—that’s my spellhound—and headed for the kennel. By the time I got there, the enemy had already escaped, and others were telling me Rhea was among them.”
Mazik glanced at Caspian. He shrugged and said, “It’s true that he showed up at the kennel with his spellhound and sword. Can’t verify where he was beforehand.”
Gavi slid a loose sheet of paper to Mazik. He glanced at it. “Why do you think Rhea did what she did?” He waved at the room’s decorations. “Does it have something to do with her apparent love of outside culture?”
General Ordwinn looked miserable. To Gavi, he looked like a frustrated, broken man. She couldn’t imagine he was faking it—but then again, deception wasn’t her forte. Mazik claimed to have met several people who could tell impossible lies with absolute certainty. She had never asked if he was one of them.
“I have no idea. She’s always liked collecting things when she goes to the outside, but that doesn’t mean she hated it here. She always seemed happy—or as happy as my wife ever got.” General Ordwinn tried to smile, but there was no happiness there. “I guess I was wrong.”
Mazik scanned Gavi’s list. “How do you think she was able to coordinate with the Noble Hunt without you or anyone else noticing? Did she have any private hobbies or strange behaviors?”
“No, nothing like that. She was usually here or at the kennel. She had a few friends she visited. For fun she liked to play cards.” He tried to smile again, and nearly got there. “She’s always been competitive.”
“How often were you at home?”
“Unless there was a situation and we were busy, I was here most nights. I checked in on the night watch occasionally, or visited friends, but other than that.”
“And we usually weren’t busy,” added Caspian. The general didn’t refute him.
“So you’re saying she either did it at the kennel, or in your home while you were probably here.” Mazik folded his arms. “Don’t you see why that’s a little suspicious?”
A spark of annoyance entered Ordwinn’s eyes. “Son, I know exactly how it sounds. When I’m not the one being investigated, I do any investigating we need around here. I wish I had a better answer, but I don’t. Maybe she did it after I went to sleep, or while she was answering nature’s call.” He shrugged, with a temper this time. “I don’t know.”
“Hmm.” Mazik picked another question. “When do you think she first made contact with the Noble Hunt?”
“I don’t know. On one of her trips, I suspect.”
“Did she have a divine magick?”
“Yeah. It was a medical spell, from Der—Dre—I forget the damn god’s name. It was for calming nerves. She used it to help control unruly hounds.”
“Do you think she converted to the Noble Hunt’s religion?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t use her divine magick around me, and she didn’t pray any more than was necessary.”
“What do your kids think about what happened?”
“We don’t have any kids. She can’t have any, though that never bothered me.” General Ordwinn glanced at Caspian. “Didn’t you brief these two?”
“I didn’t know what they were going to ask.” Caspian seemed to remember that Ordwinn wasn’t his boss anymore. “And I wanted to let them hear it for themselves. Just answer the questions.”
General Ordwinn grunted.
They asked if there had been any changes with his wife lately. He said there hadn’t.
They asked if she was dissatisfied with anything. He said no, nothing unusual.
They asked questions until they ran out, and learned nothing of import. Either General Ordwinn was hiding something, or he didn’t know anything. Gavi didn’t know how to figure out which was correct.
Finally, Mazik stood up. “Okay, that’s all for now. You’ve been very—well, you answered them all.”
General Ordwinn grunted. “If I knew more, I’d tell you, but my wife isn’t dumb. If she didn’t want me to know something, she would make sure I never found out, and she doesn’t often make mistakes.”
Gavi pursed her lips. Something didn’t feel right. She felt like the general was hiding something, or they were missing something. “… do you still love her?”
The general looked surprised by the question. Gavi was surprised herself. He turned to examine her, looking at her closely for the first time.
Then he looked away, his eyes unfocused.
“I courted her once upon a time. Long ago,” he said finally. “We’ve been married for over thirty years. We’ve had a good life together, and I respect her greatly for everything she is, or I thought she was. Do I burn with the same passion I did three decades ago? No. But I certainly don’t hate her, nor regret our marriage. At least, until …”
He didn’t need to finish that sentence. Gavi and Caspian rose, and Gavi bowed. “Thank you for your time.”
General Ordwinn grunted and waved them away. “Not like I have anything else to do. Good hunting. I hope you’ll figure it out soon, so I can help put down these Noble Hunt bastards. My wife aside, I’d like to wipe a few of them off the face of the aegis.”
“And her?” asked Mazik. “If they let you out of here, and you had to fight your wife, could you do it?”
General Ordwinn looked at Mazik, and his gaze was steely—almost. “Yes. I could fight her, and I could capture her. But if you want to know whether I could kill her …” His voice was thick, and he cleared his throat. “I’ll have to get back to you.”
Mazik nodded. “Until we meet again.”
Freelance Heroics (Firesign Book 2) Page 31