Jart seemed to deflate. “Me son an his family are in the next village to the east.”
“You can save them if you act now. Hurry!” Jart nodded once, and began to shout orders. Gareth stuck his head back in the pod to speak with Mairi. “Use the pod’s sensors and tell me the instant you see something coming.”
“But, I want to be outside with you.” Her wide hazel colored eyes had visible flecks of gold and green.
“Absolutely not!” Gareth growled, ignoring her not so subtle play on his emotions. “I’ve lost one member of my family to that thing. Two would be more than I can bear.”
Mairi’s face hardened. “Then you take care of yourself. I don’t want to lose you too.”
“It’s a deal.”
It was a hectic two hours later, and Jart was the last man stepping aboard the last boat when Mairi called out from the pod. “Something is approaching from the northwest.”
Gareth motioned for the three younger marines to reenter the pod, while he and the sergeant major faced the woods. Gareth had drawn the Colt while the sergeant knelt at his side, energy rifle ready. “Remember Sergeant. Use your rifle as a last resort.”
“I’ll remember Sir. I’ll …” Something ominous stepped out of the woods, sniffed the air for a moment and glared at Gareth, its red eyes casting a baleful light.
“Youuuuu.” It hissed, and then it smiled. “You have come to die, then?” It eyed Gareth’s Colt as it took another step out of the woods.
“Perhaps.” Gareth shrugged. “Perhaps not.”
Lothar made a quick casting gesture with his right hand, almost too fast for Gareth to see, and the high-tech Colt in his hand crackled and sputtered, a thin trickle of smoke filling the air with the scent of burned components.
Gareth stared down at the Colt. “You broke my gun!” He wailed, a little catch in his voice.
“And now I’m going to break you!” Lothar stepped forward, a look of anticipation on his demonic face, his clawed hands outstretched.
“I think not.” Gareth murmured as he dropped the Colt back into his holster. Holding his right hand, palm up, he murmured, “Ignis pila!” and threw in one smooth motion just as fast as the throw of Lothar. The head sized fireball streaked from Gareth’s hand, striking Lothar at the junction of his torso and his right leg. There was a staggering, flaming detonation and Gareth saw Lothar’s body go flying off into the trees, while the right leg arched through the air to land with a large splash in the middle of the harbor. There was a howl from the woods where Lothar had landed, and Gareth couldn’t tell if it was from pain or frustration. “Perhaps another time,” Gareth called out, knowing Lothar could hear him, “when you are feeling better.” The howl turned to a screech of anger, and a smiling Gareth stepped into the transport pod. “Take us to Koworus.” He told the pod. “Pick a coastal area, middle of the realm-ish. Best possible speed.” He collapsed back into his seat as the pod rocketed for the sky. Fireballs were a terrifyingly effective weapon, but Gareth had found that using one as large as he had used drained his physical energy as much as a forced march in the marines. He’d been told that over-use could easily result in his death.
There was more than a little fear in his daughter’s eyes. “How did you do that?” She asked in an unsteady voice. “How did you ever stand up to that thing?”
He reached over and touched her arm. “I did it by remembering that Lothar, for all his abilities, was built by men. He can be defeated by men. I’ve done it twice now.”
Her smile was uncertain. “I’m not sure that you qualify as a man any longer, Father. Lothar is going to be after you, big-time.” Mairi leaned back from Gareth, her arms crossed under her breasts, glaring at her adopted dad.
Gareth smiled and raised an eyebrow. “That is exactly what I want. An enraged enemy is an enemy that doesn’t think clearly, and makes mistakes. I want Lothar so insanely angry at me that he heads straight for me, to the exclusion of everything and everyone else.”
“It doesn’t help them… or me, if you get yourself killed in the process.” She growled.
“I don’t plan on getting killed.” He advised, smiling. “It’s all under control.”
“If everything is so well under control,” she asked with an intent look, “then why are your hands shaking so?”
Gareth slept during most of the flight, and woke only as the transport pod touched down on the white sandy beach of southern Koworus. The red sun was nearly warm as they stepped out onto the sand, and Gareth insisted that the marines keep their weapons slung. His own weapon, as well as the broken Colt he left in the pod.
They were sitting, sipping hot cocoa when the growling began in the woods; a slavering snarling sound that raised a chill on Gareth’s spine. He stood, steaming cup in hand, and walked calmly towards the woods. “Nice sound effects.” He called out, pausing to take a sip. “I’ve come to see Eriato Southorn on a matter of some urgency.” The cacophony of sound coming from the darkness wavered and died.
“I think you startled them.” Mairi murmured at his side.
“Perhaps.” Gareth agreed, just as a figure stepped out of the foliage. The woman was moderately tall, standing a meter and three quarters in her low boots. Her face was finely chiseled and silver hair flowed to the middle of her back. Her eyes were luminous and golden. She wore a knee length green tunic that was belted at the waist, and her ears were very pointed. Gareth smiled. “Hello Ria.” He said warmly.
The elf walked forward until she almost touched the man, and took his hands in both of hers. Her very attitude seemed to draw a wall of privacy about the two of them. “Hello Gareth.” She said in a low voice. “It is very good to see you again.” Her lips, Gareth could see, were blood red.
He held her hands. “And you, Ria. How have you been?”
She rolled her eyes. “Busy.” She admitted. “We’ve heard some disturbing rumors.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Entire peoples are being evacuated, and an ancient evil has arisen.” Her face was serious.
“The evil is a creature named Lothar.” Gareth divulged in a sad voice. Ria hissed, and her normally greenish tinged golden skin went gray.
“Are you sure?” She swallowed.
He glanced upward. “I have it on the highest authority. Athena told me as she was patching me up after our first encounter.” It was Gareth’s turn to swallow. “Lothar killed Lyndra, and two others in my party. I and another severely wounded marine barely escaped with our lives.”
Her grip on his hands tightened. “I’m so sorry, Gareth.”
“Yeah,” he said flatly, “me too.”
“Have you come here for our assistance?” Her golden eyes were intent.
With an effort, Gareth grinned. “Actually, I’ve come to begin your evacuation.” The elf blinked in surprise, and Gareth managed a chuckle. “I found you a nice world, mostly water with a single landmass twice the size of Luxoroth and Pellonon combined. It has woods and mountains, lakes and streams, and animals of all sizes and shapes, but no people. I will have a transport pod come here in a day or two. Take it to your new home and check it out but I warn you, the gateway to reach there is underwater. It was the only way I could evacuate the dolphins and the whales, so don’t get nervous when your pod goes beneath the ocean surface. You will have more than one pod available, so set up a shuttle service to the new land. When you are finished return the pods to The Yeugate.”
The slim elf stood staring at Gareth, her mouth hanging open slightly. Mairi giggled. “You have the strangest effect on women, Father.”
“Thanks.” Gareth observed dryly. “And why doesn’t this affect you?”
“I’m family.” She announced proudly. “I’m also a little too like you for my own good.” She finally admitted, blushing.
“What are you?” Ria finally managed to get out. “Men don’t fight demons and survive, or have a ready source for ambrosia. Men don’t… can’t do what you’ve done. Again I ask, what are you?”<
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Gareth gave her an ironic grin. “At this point in time I’m your travel director. A pod will be arriving soon, and I am assigning you the task of evacuating your people.” He began to turn away when Ria swarmed up into his arms, and planted her lips firmly on his. Even when he fell into the comfortable sand the impact didn’t dislodge her.
Finally, she drew her face away slightly, her warm body still pressed tightly to his. “I should have done that a long time ago.” She gave him a smoky look. “I take it back—you are a man after all.” Over Ria’s shoulder Gareth could see Mairi grinning widely. “I can tell these things.” She murmured, her body moving suggestively against his. Gareth flushed crimson as his own body began to respond to the stimulus, and he began to count backwards from one hundred… in German. She sighed, unwrapped her legs from his back and flowed to her feet. “You have things to do, and so do I.” Her golden eyes held his. “This encounter has only been postponed, Gareth.”
Gareth stood, brushed off the clinging sand and gave her a smile. “You’ll have to catch me first.” He quipped, turning for his pod. Ria was watching with predatory eyes as the pod lifted and turned west.
“Set course for Puasheehchester harbor.” Gareth sighed, leaning back in his seat, watching the ocean flow by far below.
Mairi stretched out beside him, and for the first time he realized how long her legs were. “What went on between you and Ria?” She asked bluntly.
He shrugged and shut his eyes. “I saved her life a couple of times, and treated her like a friend when others were treating her like an alien species. I brought her some ambrosia after her brother died… to ease her hurt.”
“Did you…uhhhh…” His daughter blushed.
“No we didn’t. I don’t even believe we ever kissed, at least not like THAT.”
Mairi smiled gently. “You would think that you had been lovers.” Her wide eyes sparkled. “Elves are supposed to be incredible lovers, or so I’ve been told.” She giggled.
“You’re too young for us to be having conversations like this.” Gareth growled as he tried and failed to get his blush response under control.
“You’re such a prude Daddy.” She gave him a little moue. “I’m sixteen years old.”
He chuckled. “Pod.” He said to the air, bringing his thoughts back to business. “Can you please contact Iona at Brivrelsea and ask her to send the pods we spoke of to the coordinates of the beach we just left. Have her key the pods to accept elves in general and Eriato Southorn in particular, along with myself and my daughter. Should a pod be hijacked by Lothar, said pod will accelerate vertically at maximum velocity for thirty minutes before it self-destructs. Am I clear?”
“You are quite clear, Sir. You do realize that thirty minutes at maximum velocity will bring the pod to a significant fraction of the speed of light?”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“Iona wishes me to tell you the pods are on the way to the elves.” The pod concluded, a bit more stiffly than normal.
“Thank you both.” Gareth murmured. Another race was on its way to safety. He admitted to himself, with some relief.
Gareth stared as the pod flew a circuit over the wide busy Puasheehchester harbor, the setting sun turning the water the color of blood. At the half-kilometer wharf reserved for official government vessels, two white steamships sat nose to tail, thin trickles of smoke rising from their funnels. It had been a number of months since Gareth had last been to Puasheehchester Harbor, and when he’d left there had only been one steamship. Industry had obviously been busy.
“Set the pod down on the far end of the deck of the second ship, behind the funnel and away from the gun.” He suggested. The pod banked smoothly, swept around the graceful transom, and set down as lightly as a feather. Through the transparent side of the pod he could clearly see the name Chesapeake on the high raked stern of the steamship. Above that, on the rear deck stood another deck gun to match the one on the bow. A replica of the ancient French 75 from Gareth’s own time, more or less, it was a functional and deadly design. Athena, Gareth could see, had been busy meddling, but in this case, he wasn’t complaining. Firepower, his Top Sergeant had told him at one time, is always preferred when subtlety isn’t an option. “We should be in a safe zone here.” Gareth acknowledged as the others stepped through the side of the pod and onto the deck. “Set skin to translucent, and defense systems to normal.”
“Accepted.” The pod replied quietly. Gareth picked up his rifle and stepped through the wall of the pod, where a wave of wharf-side smells immediately assaulted his nose.
“Hhhhalt!” A trembling young voice said from around the corner of the main deckhouse. “Who goes there?”
The sergeant major turned ponderously, his hands on his hips. “What did you say, Private?” He rumbled in a deep bass voice.
“Sorry Sergeant Major.” The private corrected quickly. “I didn’t recognize you.” There was relief in his voice, but his eyes widened when he saw Gareth.
“Who is the Captain of the ship?” Gareth asked softly, to avoid scaring the very young marine who was pulling guard duty.
“Captain Paldeen Athan, Sir.”
“Athan?” Gareth’s eyebrows rose. “He is supposed to be the Captain of the Arrow.” He shook his head. “Where is he?”
“Ahhh, having dinner in the Officer’s Mess?” It came out as a question.
“I’m about to throw a wrench in his nicely oiled plans.”
The private blanched. “Yes Sir.” He stated sharply and pivoted on his heel. “If you will follow me, Sir, I’ll take you to the Officer’s Mess.”
Gareth couldn’t help but smile. “It’s all right private. I know the way.” With Mairi on his heel, he walked on past the gaping young man.
Captain Duras Evvos turned his head as Gareth and Mairi walked through the door and into the Officer’s Mess, and a wide smile split his face. “Gareth and Mairi. What are the two of you doing here?” His eyes widened as he studied Mairi more closely. “You’ve grown in size and beauty, young lady.” He chuckled. “No one in his right mind could mistake you fer my cabin boy now.”
Mairi blushed deeply, and looked at the floor. “Thank you, Captain.” She murmured.
“I remember when you was jest a stowaway, and served as a cabin boy on the old Spray.”
The young woman’s smile was tentative. “I remember that, Captain. I also remember that you treated me more than fairly and ensured that none of the crew would… take advantage of me.” She gave him a warm smile and it was the weathered Captain’s turn to redden.
Gareth gave Evvos a wink before he turned to the tall lean Paldeen Athan. “You have a nice ship here. When will she be ready to sail?”
Paldeen pushed back from the table and crossed his legs. A smile almost, but not quite crossed his face. “The Chesapeake finished her sea trials a week ago, and finished weapons trials just yesterday. We’re waiting on orders from the Nine.” He volunteered, referring to the Nine Senators who governed Oseothan.
“Well, I have new orders for you both.” He admitted, shooting a glance at Captain Evvos. “You will both sail as soon as you are able; I would prefer tomorrow, but I expect it will be several days. You will go to Pellonon and Luxoroth to pick up refugees, delivering them to Brivrelsea for transport to the Decade World of Vurean. You will both take a compliment of two dozen marines.”
“An if they don’t want te come?” Paldeen submitted. “What then?”
“Tell them,” Gareth said, his voice flat. “that the world will end in less than five years. Those that leave will live, probably. Those that stay will die most certainly. If they chose to remain after you tell them, then leave them.”
Duras rubbed his stubbled chin. “That’s a mighty hard attitude, yer takin’.” He grimaced.
“It is.” Gareth admitted soberly. “We don’t have time to coddle anyone.” He looked at the two Captains, and the handful of senior officers from both ships. “There’s something else I have to tell
you, and it concerns a creature called Lothar.” Around the table eyes widened…
Gareth stopped at the stern taffrail and turned to stare out over the harbor, admiring the electric lights that illuminated the streets, buildings and docks of Puasheehchester. It was the only city in Eldenworld, save the ancient cities Gareth had reactivated, that had rediscovered electricity. In the dark of the early evening the harbor and city beyond sparkled like a fairyland.
“You ordered them to Luxoroth and Pellonon to get them out of harm’s way, didn’t you?” Mairi asked accusingly, ignoring the attraction of the lights.
He smiled at his overly bright daughter. “It’s one reason. Another is that we really do have to start moving right along with the evacuations. Hell, there are races I’ve never met on this insane-asylum world, and I have to evacuate them too.” He shook his head. There’s too much to do, and too little me to do it.” His laughter left a bitter taste in his mouth. “We should go back to The Yeugate now.” He smiled at his bleary-eyed daughter. “You’re about to fall asleep where you stand.”
Mairi rubbed her eyes. “It has been a very long day.” She mumbled, stepping into the pod.
Gareth made a motion to the marines, who were standing around examining the deck gun with looks of undisguised awe. “Let’s go, folks. We’re headed back to The Yeugate.” All of the marines were smiling broadly as they clambered back into the pod. “You can take us back to The Yeugate.” Gareth offered to the AI piloting the transport. “Please inform Ell of our intended arrival.”
“As you wish.” The pod shot up and forward, breaking the sound barrier as the lights of the Capitol City of Oseothan faded behind them.
Gareth sat sipping a glass of wine as he stared into the crackling fireplace in his suite. An incredible piece of engineering, the fire was a holographic projection that he couldn’t tell from the real thing. The air in the room bore the slightest hint of wood smoke, and if he felt like it, he could even roast a marshmallow over the flames.
Showered and clean, he was struck at how empty the suite felt without the exuberant Lyndra or Chiu, who was currently in the Realm of the Shattered Plains, arranging the evacuations. Mairi had staggered off to her bedroom as soon as they entered. He should be sleeping, he knew, but when he’d tried, sleep seemed to elude him. He wiggled his toes in front of the flames.
The Decade Worlds Page 13