“How are you going to get close enough to the guard to take care of him?” Devlin asked.
Rick grinned. “Easy, I’ll come in from behind.”
“How?” Poana asked.
Valla chuckled again. “He’s going to go over the cliffs.”
Rick nodded. “When I Take mine out it should distract each of yours. Will you be able to get close enough to take advantage of that?”
“Yes, we can,” Poana said.
Lou looked confused. Poana whispered in his ear.
He nodded. “Continue.”
“Once the guards are neutralized, I’ll signal the hill to move. If the alarm hasn’t been sounded, then you’ll go wagon by wagon shooting your darts into the sleeping men. Once the alarm is sounded, if several wagons and their occupants have been taken care of, then I’ll leave the decision of fight or flight to you.”
“Glad you leave me some authority,” Poana said smiling good humoredly.
“What will you be doing?” Devlin asked.
“I’ll head straight toward the big tent,” he said. Stella and Raven will hopefully be in there.
“I think it should work,” Devlin said. “But what am I doing?”
Rick grinned. “Glad you asked,” he said tossing a vial to him. “You’re going to cover our retreat.”
“What's this?” Devlin asked turning the vial over in his hand.
“A potion. If you smash it on the ground it’ll create a solid wall of smoke.
“A potion? Like those things scammers sell?
“Except this is a real one,” Rick said. “I made it myself. You’ll wait near the edge of the cliffs. If we retreat, the moment everyone is clear, smash the vile on the ground and use your Elementia to create a lot of noise.”
Devlin shook his head and started chuckling. “You’ve thought of everything haven’t you?”
“Pretty much,” Rick said with a wink. “Oh, and you’ll be the one watching for my signal.”
“What is it going to be?”
“I’ll reflect moonlight off my knife after we take out the guards. Then you can send the first wave,” Rick said standing up. “Any questions?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Standing up Valla gestured for everyone to leave. “Stay,” she said to Rick.
Poana, Devlin, and Lou left leaving just the two of them. A knife flashed, flying from her hand. Rick reacted, using Modi magic which increased his reflexes, and he caught the knife out of the air. Valla scowled. “So close.”
“Not even,” Rick said laughing.
“It was cruel of you to take me from a world where people lived long, to a world where lives are so short.”
“It’s the price of their magic.”
“I know that! I wanted an apology.”
“Oh,” Rick said scratching his face. “Sorry? I mean you could always take off your rings.”
Another knife flew from her hands. Rick stepped to the side letting it thud into the dirt wall behind him.
“What are those?” he asked pointing at the shelf full of wooden masks.
Valla shook her head. “They’re war masks, they use them in combat to frighten our enemies.”
Walking over, Rick picked one of them up. It was the face of a man with a hooked nose and large lips. Gray paint with thin red and green lines spiraled through the center and around the rim. Dark black feathers lined the top. Putting it back on the self, Rick looked at Valla.
“You can try it on if you’d like,” she said gesturing to the mask. Picking it back up Rick placed it against his face. The inside of the mask was smooth to the touch, and to his surprise, it fit extremely well.
“You look dangerous,” Valla said.
“With the clothes and the mask, I look like a Syarin.” Taking the mask off he replaced it on the shelf.
“Keep it. It suits you.”
Picking it back up again Rick tossed it back and forth between his hands. “Thanks, I’ll use it tonight.”
A silence hung in the air. After a few moments, Valla spoke. “Do you remember any of it?”
“No,” Rick said. “After what happened all I wanted to do was forget. So those were the first memories I used.”
“I get it,” she said walking to the door. “I miss them too.”
Leaving the hut, she left Rick alone. He sat and stared at the fire for a time. The things he’d lost over the years. Now he could add his bag and an entire crew to that list. Blasted Destroyer. “I’m sorry Batlas.” He sat there for a bit longer watching the fire. “No time for moping,” he said standing up. Attaching the mask to his back, he walked to the doorway. Exiting the hut, he saw Devlin leaning on the outside post.
“You and I haven't had the opportunity to talk,” he said.
“What do you want to talk about?” Rick asked.
“How do you know Stella? And why is she here?”
Rick started walking gesturing for him to follow. “I met her a little over a week ago,” he said. “Pirates attacked the city, and we chased after them. We got shipwrecked a couple days ago, climbed the cliffs, and got separated. That answer your questions?”
Devlin choked. “You said that like it was nothing!”
Rick grinned. “It gets a reaction.”
Devlin laughed.
“How long have you known Stella?“ Rick asked.
“Since we were kids.”
“Oh, that's nice,” Rick said. “Do you work in the guild, too?”
“Yes, but I can't take many of the normal jobs. I'm too weak,” Devlin said rubbing his arms.
“Now don't say that, you just have to get creative. Technically, you have more Elementia than I do right now.”
“Yeah… How'd you learn other magic’s?” Devlin asked.
“With a lot of time, Rick said. “I’ll tell you what, if we ever meet again after this, I'll teach you Modi magic. It'll help your Elementia.”
“How?”
“It can increase the power, at a high increase of the cost.”
Devlin looked aghast. “So, I can die quicker!”
Rick smirked. “That’s what I thought. Be happy with what you’re capable of, it's all you got, so no use dwelling on it. Besides, what you can do could be pretty useful.”
“How do you know? We're the same age.”
“It’s all about knowledge,” Rick said running his hand through his hair. “Never stop learning.”
“Exactly like Stella. She always has a new book she's studying,” Devlin said glancing at him.
They passed the rest of the evening talking about everything except her.
“We’re skirting around the question,” Devlin said.
“Yes, we are,” Rick said. “Should we get to it?”
“What are the two of you still doing up?” Poana yelled coming around a corner.
“Up?” Devlin asked.
“We need to get some rest before the attack,” Rick said glancing at the setting sun. “Are the men resting?”
“Yes,” Poana said walking over. “I’m going to my hut to get rest myself. You need to do the same.”
“I won’t be able to sleep this early,” Devlin said.
“Doesn’t matter, your body can rest at least,” she said grabbing his arm. “You go and rest too,” she said looking over her shoulder at Rick.
Rick nodded turning to go lay down. A hunting party was walking by, a deer hanging on a stick between them. Rick rushed over. “How long ago was it killed?” he asked.
“It was near the camp, twenty minutes,” one of the men said.
“I’ll be close,” Rick said putting his hand on the beast's flesh. Still there, he thought letting out a sigh. Breathing in he absorbed the essence. “Thanks,” he said. “That’s all I needed.”
They looked at him funny. Walking away, he made his way back to the hut. Reaching the doorway, he stopped and looked. Standing there, he watched the sky burn. Reds, oranges, and purples coated the horizon. The sun glowed a dark red. Lifting the bi
son hide, he ducked in. A snoring Devlin lay in one of the cots.
Rick chuckled. “That was fast.”
Walking to the other side of the hut, he lay down on his cot. After a while, he shifted getting bored, sleep evading him.
Stella’s smile flashed in his mind. Why am I thinking about her? He thought about her head leaning against him. Stop It! Hmm, I wonder if I could get a kiss? That’s not stopping. He smiled, the thought of her making him laugh flashing past. Gah! Stop it!
Someone was shaking his shoulder? Blinking Rick opened his eyes to see Devlin standing next to him.
“Time to go,” he said.
Rick swung his legs and stood up. Without another word, they made their way outside to see a group of thirty men waiting for them.
“Ready?” Rick asked Poana.
She nodded, handing him a tomahawk and polished knife.
The group made their way across the valley in the faint light of the moon. Climbing the hill, the bandits camp came into view. The camp lay quiet with all the lights out. They sat and watched for a time. Spotting all three guards, Rick got up.
“I'm going to go now. Give me twenty minutes before do you move in.”
They nodded. Sliding down the hill, Rick made his way toward the cliffs. After a few minutes he reached them, the moon blocked out by their silhouette.
Rick stared up at the cliffs. Much easier than last time, he thought to himself. Taking a few steps back he created a binding part way up the cliffs. The bind pulled up as he ran along the side of the cliff. Reaching the binding point he jumped off and released it. Creating a new binding farther up he landed on the side of the cliff and ran some more. Repeating it several times, he reached the top. I haven’t run up a cliff in a while, he thought looking at the camp below.
“You could kill them all!” The voice shouted.
“Except I’d rather not,” Rick said.
“It would be nothing for you, killing them would be easy.”
“No thanks,” Rick said jumping off the cliff. “Now go away.” Releasing his essence into the ground Rick landed, a cloud cushioning his fall. “Already out again,” he muttered to himself. “Thank you, my dear.” Rick tapped into the fox attribute. Instantly, he could see with no problem. Gliding across the dew-covered grass, he slid between wagons and tents. Remembering the mask he had resting on his back, Rick slipped it off and placed it on his face. Reaching the edge of camp, he spotted his target. Getting close to him, Rick stood up. “Hey man, we—” Rick said closing the last few feet.
The man jumped and turned. Grabbing his bandana Rick pulled him forward sticking his foot out. Tripping, the man stumbled. Rick brought his elbow down twice into his back. The man collapsed to the ground moaning. Rick kicked him in the face and the night grew quiet. With his fox eyes, he saw Poana and Lou each approaching.
“What's with the noise?” a man asked meandering toward Rick. Rick flicked a dart at the man, dropping him before he could make another sound.
“You made too much noise,” Poana hissed when she reached him.
“I told you I would,” Rick whispered.
“Why are your eyes glowing?” she asked.
“Why, the better to see you with my dear,” Rick said chuckling.
“Shh,” Lou said reaching them.
Rick pulled his knife out of its sheath. Angling it, he caught the glint of the crescent moon. At the top of the hill, shapes started moving.
“I wasn’t sure if that would work,” Rick whispered. “It's a weak moon.”
They waited until the first group reached them. Devlin appeared, his lips pressed together in concentration.
“Time to clear some tents,” Rick whispered to the group of men.
Splitting into several groups, they slipped into different tents. One group re-appeared, signaling all clear. A quiet grunt came from one of the wagons before another group reappeared. They signaled it was clear.
“So far, so good,” Rick said, “I’m off to the tent, good luck.”
Poana nodded. Gliding through the camp like a wraith, Rick made his way to the back. The silence of the night shattered with the explosion of gunfire, the sound echoing through the camp. Rick froze in his tracks. The cover of stealth was gone. After a few moments, more shots sounded. The nearest tent flap flew out of the way as two bandits emerged with bandanas covering their faces. Rick leapt forward realizing as he moved, they were women. No matter. They were in his way. Pulling his knife free, he stabbed.
Chapter 10
S tella withdrew her hand from Raven and found it covered with her blood. Wiping her hand on a cloth in the dark, she looked at the outline of Raven.
“You idiot, you ripped your wound open.”
“I wouldn’t have guessed,” Raven said turning to face Stella.
“Are you glaring at me?” Stella asked.
“Yes, I am,” Raven said. “Have a bit of sympathy.”
Stella sighed glancing about the tent. She had had a heart attack last night when the arrow came out of the night striking Raven. “It’s only your arm,” she said.
“It's still painful,” Raven grumbled.
“Next time don’t get an arrow shot through it,” Stella said smiling in the dark.
Raven chuckled. “It was your plan!”
Stella was glad that the tent was dark. Raven had no clue how much Stella blamed herself for that mistake. I never seem to have the right plan, she thought to herself. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“I don’t think you’re the one who shot me,” Raven said. “I don’t know how he saw me.”
“Who do you think he was?”
“I wish I knew. It was a magnificent shot!”
Stella laughed. “You’re complementing the man who shot you?”
“Yes,” Raven said. “If he’s a good man, I think I’d marry him.
“You're ridiculous,” Stella said laughing. “Here, let me replace your bandages.”
Lifting Raven’s arm, she unwrapped the blood-soaked wrappings. Grabbing a clean cloth, she began wrapping it back up.
“I hope Rick is okay,” she said.
“Me too,” Raven said.
“If he’s not, I’m going to kill him,” she said pursing her lips.
Raven started laughing but then gasped in pain.
“Sorry,” Stella said.
“If I had my light, I could’ve healed this.”
“Once we have our Elementia, we can save Rick.”
“And kill him if he’s not okay?”
“Exactly,” Stella said laughing. She pulled her bandana up. “I’ll scare him into thinking I’m a dangerous Syarin, and then I’ll say... howdy.”
“Why are you still in those clothes?” Raven asked trying to keep from laughing. “It’s time to sleep.”
“You’re still dressed.”
“I was shot!”
Grinning, Stella stood up. “I think I’ll—“
A lone gunshot rang through the camp.
“What was that?” she asked looking at Raven
“We’ll check it out,” Raven said scrambling to her feet.
“No! You need to remain lying down!” Stella said trying to give Raven a stern look in the dark.
“It's my arm, not my legs. If it’s nothing, then some exercise won’t hurt.”
“And if it isn’t nothing?” Stella asked.
“I’ll be safer with a bodyguard.”
“I’m not your bodyguard.”
“I ain't talking ‘bout you,” Raven said doing a terrible job at imitating the settler’s accent.
Stella shook her head while picking up a sword. “You’re injured,” she said handing the stubborn girl a belt and sword.
More gunshots sounded in the night.
“Let’s get moving,” Stella said strapping a sword to her hip.
Peeking through the tent flap she tightened her bandana. Not seeing anything, they rushed out. A blade glinting in the moonlight caught Stella’s eye. Too late. The knife was too
close. Raven's cold hand pushed her. Raven groaned in agony from the effort. Falling to the dew-covered grass Stella stared at their attacker.
He was a tall Syarin savage, a knife in hand, and a tomahawk on his hip. He wore one of those wooden masks on his face. It was the face of a man with large gruesome lips and a hooked nose. Why do they wear those things? Stella thought rolling to the side. But the Syarin didn't attack. Instead, he moved on, making his way farther into camp.
Scrabbling to her feet, she looked at Raven. “Are you okay?” She asked in a whisper.
“Yeah,” Raven whispered back, holding her arm. “He thought we weren’t worth his time.”
“He won’t be thinking that for long,” Stella said pulling her sword out of its scabbard.
Raven’s teeth glinted in the moonlight. “No, he won’t,” she said pulling out her own sword.
“Can you do this?”
Raven didn’t say anything. She ran after the Syarin. Rushing to catch up, Stella ran too. Gaining ground on him they raised their swords to strike. The man spun his knife, it glinted in the moonlight. His knife deflected Raven’s sword, and Stella’s blade collided with the head of his tomahawk. He pulled it out too holding just below the head. Stella felt a cold sense of fear creep in.
He’s good! Who is this man? Can we win without magic? And how did he stop two swords that quickly!
He moved with quick efficiency. Bringing the hilt of his Tomahawk up, he smashed into Raven’s injured arm. Raven collapsed gasping in pain. Stella spun, bringing her sword in. The man took a step back. Stella slashed at thin air missing his chest by an inch.
I’m wide open! she thought her heart stopping. The Syarin turned and ran. Growling Stella chased after him. Why does this fight feel so familiar? she thought to herself. Raven was on her heels, breathing through gritted teeth.
Turning a corner, the man disappeared around a tent. Several men appeared from their tents, but they were running toward the main fight.
“We’re going to have to take care of him ourselves,” Stella said.
“You sure we’re not going to be the ones taken care of?” Raven hissed.
Gemini- The Beginning Of The End Page 11