Accidental Champion Boxed Set

by Jamie Davis

  As she reached his side, the two of them traded blows as the horses danced around each other. It was difficult fighting on horseback and Cari had to work hard to make sure she didn’t accidentally hack off her mount’s ear or some other body part.

  The unfamiliar situation made it difficult for her to use any of her normal attack moves and the captain got in the first hit, as Cari’s horse shifted to the side, suddenly causing her to miss her attempt to parry his attack. His slashing blow landed and gouged a deep gash in her left leg.

  Health damage — health -10

  Cari hissed at the pain and tried to return with an attack of her own. The horse had moved too far away from the captain, though, and she was unable to land the attack. She stretched out awkwardly, extended from her horse’s side and nearly fell from her saddle.

  As she recovered her position, the captain spun his mount around and charged back in at her. Cari managed to bring her dagger up and parry his heavy saber attack. At the very last instant, she knocked his blade aside.

  Cari followed the incoming attack with a desperate thrusting attack. To her surprise, it worked and the rapier stabbed through the captain’s shoulder. She withdrew her blade immediately as the officer tried to follow up with a counterattack.

  He swung the saber around trying to take off the top of Cari’s head with his heavier cavalry blade. Cari ducked under the attack and thrust forward with a dagger. This time she connected with it. It plunged into the center of his chest.

  The captain stared down at the dagger impaled in his heart, then looked up at Cari with surprised eyes before he slid from his saddle to the ground.

  5,000 experience awarded

  Cari pulled at her reins, turning her mount, looking for Jaycee. The girl was still seated behind Thad, clutching onto the orc for dear life as he expertly maneuvered his horse to keep her away from any of the attacks coming in at him. The orc Dragoon showed several wounds on his arms, though, and Cari immediately raced to his aid.

  The arrival of a new attacker caught the trooper slashing at Thad by surprise. Cari landed a double combination of slashes with her sword. She followed with a final thrust forward with her dagger as she rode past. The light rapier blade only caused a few minor wounds. Her dagger, however, sank deep into the cavalryman’s side, piercing his kidneys.

  The trooper screamed in agony. His back arched and he pitched over off the back of the horse, landing lifeless on the ground.

  3,000 experience awarded

  “Thad, get Jaycee out of here. I’ll send the others down the road after you as soon as I can.”

  Thad grunted in agreement and spurred his mount forward through the melee by the road, racing towards a copse of trees ahead. Cari turned to find another target.

  The patrol had been a large one, with fifteen troopers and the captain. Cari had accounted for two of them but her companions were still involved in engagements with the remaining soldiers. More than half the cavalrymen were down, though.

  Seeing the way things were going and without an officer to rally them, the last of the troopers lost heart. They wheeled their mounts around, trying to race away from the battle.

  Helen and Francesca each drew a pistol and fired at their retreating adversaries. Each of them managed to fell one of the troopers.

  Liam and Chance each managed to cut down the one they were fighting as they turned to escape. The other four troopers got away, galloping off down the road to the west.

  “Leave them,” Cari ordered. “I sent Thad on ahead to those trees with Jaycee. Get after him and watch out for other patrols.”

  As the others turned their mounts around and raced off after Thad, Liam rode up to Cari. He shook his head. “Those four are going to bring more trouble after us. There is an imperial cavalry garrison not too far from here. We’re going to have a lot more imperial soldiers here before we know it.”

  “What should we do?” Cari asked.

  “We need some sort of a diversion. We need a way to get them to think we’ve gone one way when in fact we’ve got another.”

  Cari shook her head. “It won’t work. We might divert them for a short time, but they’ll figure out we’ve gone in a different direction soon enough.”

  “Perhaps if we split up. We could leave you, Jaycee, and a few others in hiding while the rest of us lead the mounts away. We might be able to do it in such in such a manner as to encourage the troopers to chase after us.

  Cari pondered Liam’s suggestion. The only problem with the plan was that anyone who saw them would realize that the Dragoons were leading rider-less horses.

  She shook her head. “As soon as they spot you, they’ll realize what we’ve done right away.”

  Liam shrugged. “I am not sure what else we can do. We’re not going to be able to fight our way into the capital. We’re going to have to use trickery at some point. We have to make them think we’re headed to the capital from a different direction.”

  Cari thought about the problem for a few seconds then snapped her fingers. “What if we split up as you suggest, except we make it look like we’re all still together. It’s going to require you to stay just ahead of them but still in sight for as long as you can. Eventually, you’ll lose them while leaving a trail for them to follow. Can you do that?”

  “I can. Chance, Thad, and I are used to riding hard and fast. They won’t catch us, especially since we will have fresh mounts along for the ride. The question is how are you going to make them think that you’re still traveling with us?”

  Cari reached into her belt pouch and pulled out her holocube. “With this.”

  “That is a strange looking device. I assume it’s something you brought with you when you came to Fantasma. How does it work?”

  “It is from my home and it allows me to project images and sounds that look real. If I can manage to tweak the projector settings right, we should be able to make it look like Jaycee and the rest of us are traveling with you. It won’t work close up, but from a distance, it should look like we’re all riding on horseback right behind you. All we have to do is mount it to the back of your saddle in some way. With the projector pointing to the rear, it’ll show the rest of us galloping behind you. You ride at the rear of the group, with Thad and Chance leading the remounts ahead of you. The picture behind will look like the rest of us are there with you.”

  “What a strange and wondrous device. It must be a valuable magic relic.”

  “Not magic, technology,” Cari said. “Come on, let’s get to the tree line and hide while we put this plan together. It’s going to take me a little while to program the holoprojector to do what we need it to do. I need to take the pictures it’ll need to approximate our appearance and animate the characters.”

  Cari and Liam rode after the others already heading for the small cluster of trees beside the road.

  The others were waiting as the two of them arrived in the wooded lot. Cari beckoned for them to follow her as she moved as far away from the road as possible. It was imperative they remain hidden while she finished what she had to do.

  As Cari explained the plan she had come up with, the others seem alarmed. “If we get separated as you suggest, they’ll have a much easier time capturing either group if they do figure out where you are,” Helen said. “Who do you plan on taking with you and who do you plan on sending off to lead the searchers away from you?”

  “My plan is to have the three Dragoons lead the horses away and make it look like all of us are fleeing to the south. Once they’ve gotten the search parties to move away from this area, we’ll continue onward towards the Crystal City on the main road.”

  “And this magical device of yours is up to the task?” Rodrigo asked. “Will its magical charge last that long?

  “I think it will do the trick if that’s what you’re asking. It’s just going to take me a little while to get it set up to do what I want it to do. Why don’t all of you get some rest and have something to eat. That will give me a chance to get my
work done.”

  While the others set to putting together a midday meal, Cari took out her holo cube. She checked the charge. It would re-charge on its own if was kept in the sunlight while they were riding. What charge it had should last them a half a day or so. The projector’s minimum charge was good for about 4 to 6 hours, give or take.

  Cari set the small metal cube on a flat stone at the edge of the trees so that it would capture some sunlight. Whatever trickle charge she could manage to add to the batteries would help it work a little bit longer.

  While it sat and charged, she deployed the virtual keyboard and holo-display. She called up the menu of basic animations built into the presentation software she used for school. She wasn’t a professional animator by any means, nor did she have the tools used to create photo-realistic, full length animated holo dramas using animated characters.

  Cari didn’t need to start from scratch, though. She used the cube’s 360° camera system to snap photographs of everyone in the party as they moved about behind her. It only took her a few minutes to assemble several different angles of each person. Then she collected the various photos and rendered 3-D figures of each member of the group including herself.

  As she looked at the figures of the party hovering in the air over the projector, she nodded as she made final adjustments to each one of them. These would definitely fool pursuers from a distance. However, when anyone got close, there would be many details that just didn’t look quite right. She didn’t have the time to add them either so she had to trust the three Dragoons to be able to keep their distance from anyone chasing after them and break contact before they were caught.

  Once she had the 3-D renderings of each person, it was easy to add an animation of them riding horses. She set the program to judge the appropriate running speed of the horses based upon the moving speed of the projector. Its internal sensors would be able to approximate that based upon its own sense of position and direction.

  She heard a gasp behind her. She turned to see Rodrigo standing there looking at the group of riders on horseback moving around in the meadow behind the trees. “That is amazing. I don’t care what you call it. I’m telling you that is magic right there.”

  Cari smiled and didn’t bother to correct him. She could only imagine what this must look like to his eyes. “I’m almost finished. Do they look real to you?”

  Rodrigo nodded and pointed at himself riding a horse. “That would fool my mother, I think.”

  “Good, then it’ll definitely fool a troop of imperial guards chasing after them.”

  Cari finished up just as the others completed their meal. Liam brought over a sandwich. “That’s the remainder of our sliced ham. You’ll have to stop in a village or town at some point soon to resupply.”

  Cari was still bothered by the battery life of the unit. The animation was going to draw more power than she’d expected. “I’ve run into a bit of trouble with the display.” Cari pointed at the horses moving about. “It will run a lot longer if it projects a smaller group. I’m thinking of using it to only project three of us following after you.”

  Liam cocked his head to one side and raise an eyebrow in question. “Which three did you have in mind. Obviously one of them is Jaycee, and I assume another is yourself. “

  Cari nodded. “I’ll send Francesca and Rodrigo with you. That would leave Helen and me to take Jaycee on towards the capital.”

  “That won’t work,” Liam said. “Two women traveling on the road armed to the teeth and escorting a young girl will draw attention to you. I think it should be Rodrigo who stays behind with you.”

  “Why? I would think he would want to travel with the three of you and help round up the disbanded Dragoons.”

  Liam disagreed. “If Rodrigo travels with you, the two of you can pose as Jaycee’s parents. She’s a young girl and the two of you can pose as a young couple traveling to visit relatives. The imperial soldiers are looking for a group of armed fighters traveling on horseback. They should pay little to no attention to a young farming couple traveling down the road.

  “I don’t think I look much like a farmer’s wife,” Cari said.

  “No, I guess you don’t at that,” Liam laughed. “We’ll have to make some adjustments and you’ll have to carry your weapons in a bundle on your packs so they remain hidden. I think it’s the best option. We’ll take Francesca, Helen, and Percy along with us. You can create the magical image of you Rodrigo and Jaycee riding along behind us.”

  Cari considered what Liam said. His argument made sense. Helen and the others had come up to stand beside Liam. They overheard the conversation and the change in their plan.

  “What do you think, Helen?”

  “I think it has the best chances of succeeding if we leave the three of you behind, Cari. I do hate leaving you this way. Rodrigo can hold his own in a fight, though. He’ll be good backup for you.”

  “Good, it’s settled,” Cari said. “Let’s get this working. There’s got to be another patrol coming along here before too long. Those four troopers who escaped are going to come back with all the help they can gather. “

  Cari took the holoprojector and made the changes so that three people rode on horseback in the animated image it produced. The cube itself was about two and a half inches on a side. They secured it to the rear of Liam’s saddle so it projected out over his horse’s rump.

  “Liam, this device draws its energy from the sunlight. As often as possible keep it out in full sun. If it shuts down as it runs out of power, you can recharge it that way. Then all you have to do is press this button on top and it will begin the same sequence of projections again. That way, if you break contact, you can recharge it. Then, need it again, you’ll have it.”

  Liam smiled. “We’ll lead them on a merry chase. “

  “It’ll be the best story to tell when this is all over with,” Thad said. “No one will believe a word of it.”

  Chance chuckled. “That’ll just give you an excuse to start a fight with them, won’t it?”

  Thad laughed aloud and nodded. His friends knew him well.

  “There’s a troop of soldiers coming down the road from the west,” Percy called out from the other side of the cluster of trees.

  “Everyone on their horses,” Liam called out. “It’s time to see if this trick works.”

  “Rodrigo, gather Jaycee and find a place to hide in the trees,” Cari ordered. “I’ll join you as soon as I turn the projector on and get them on their way.”

  Rod took Jaycee by the hand and walked to the other side of the trees away from the road.

  Cari reached up and clasped wrists with Liam. She smiled and nodded at the others. “Godspeed. Let’s hope this little plan of mine works.”

  “We’ll make sure they see us as we leave the trees. Once they give chase, it should be safe for the three of you to strike back out on the road. Though it might make more sense to go cross country for a short time first.”

  Cari nodded. She offered a grim smile as Liam and the others rode out onto the meadow behind the trees. From her vantage point about twenty feet away, it looked like she, Rod, and Jaycee were riding just behind them.

  As soon as they appeared from the trees, a shout went out from the imperial troopers trotting down the road from the west.

  Once they realized they’d been spotted, Liam called out to the others. They spun their horses about, heading south, cross-country away from the road.

  Cari watched from behind a tree as the imperial soldiers took the bait. The officer in charge shouted and pointed after the fleeing Dragoons, accompanied by Helen, Francesca, and Percy. Soon the entire troop of imperials, amounting to what looked like about thirty soldiers, gave chase.

  As they disappeared into the countryside to the south of them, Cari checked the road to the west. It was clear. There was no sign of more soldiers coming after the first group.

  Moving from her hiding place behind the tree, Cari went back into the small grove and found Rod
rigo and Jaycee hidden under a fallen log. “It’s safe now. You can come on out. Let’s get ourselves situated so we look like a farming couple on the road to visit family.”

  Together she and Rodrigo bundled up their weapons, each of them wrapping their swords in a blanket to create a long thin bundle they tied across their backs with some rope. They both kept their daggers on their belts. If it came to a quick fight, they wouldn’t have time to unwrap their swords. They needed to have some way to defend themselves.

  Cari took out her traveling cloak and pulled it about her. If she wore it in this manner, with the front closed, no one would be able to see her attire. It might appear as if she were wearing a dress underneath if she was careful how she walked with people nearby. Rodrigo did much the same, though it was easier for him to disguise himself since he wasn’t a woman wearing men’s attire.

  “What do you think?” Cari asked. “Do we look like the proper couple?”

  Jaycee clapped her hands. “You both look perfect. I like to pretend. This will be fun.”

  “It’ll be fine as long as we play the part. From now on, Jaycee you are Janie again. Rodrigo and I are mama and papa. Got that?”

  The little girl nodded in earnest. She smiled at Cari. “When are we getting on the road mama?”

  Cari smiled. The little girl was way smarter than herself at that age. “I guess we get on the road now, little one. Shall we go, husband?”

  Rodrigo nodded and smiled back at her. Together the three of them stepped out of the woods and started across the fields to the east.

  Chapter 25

  Cari, Rodrigo, and Jaycee made good time on foot that evening. They managed to get far away from the place where the soldiers began chasing their friends to the south. As it got dark, they camped out in a small abandoned barn just off the road for the night. While most of the roof was missing, there was partial cover in one corner. It was there the three of them settled down for a cold night in camp.