“That’s a lot of projectiles flying around a lot of innocent people. I’m guessing these fuckholes don’t care about who gets in the way,” she responded.
Tomescu grimaced his answer in the affirmative. Astrid thought for a few minutes. No plan emerged. “Shit,” she said. “Let’s talk this out. They caught us off guard, Vincenzo. Looks like we need to get bloody right away. I was hoping to avoid that, but it looks like these goat dicks need some kicking.”
“What do you have in mind?” Vinnie asked.
She turned to Tomescu. “Tommy said they pull guards from the keep. They’re looking for us—or me—here, so let’s hit them when they don’t expect it.”
“Wait,” Tomescu stammered. “You want to attack them?”
“Of course,” Astrid said. “Twice. We’ll hit them at dusk here when they think they’re secure. When we chase them out of Argan, we’ll hit them again when they think they’re safe back at the keep.”
Astrid and Vinnie spent the rest of the afternoon foraging in the forest. Vinnie had to gather a shocking amount of food to keep himself going. When Tomescu showed up at dusk, Vinnie directed him to a bushel of mushrooms, three rabbits, and half a bushel of wild onions.
“How am I going to carry all this back?” Tomescu said, looking at the piles of food lying on the ground. He already had a large bundle under his arm.
Vinnie produced a cloth sack from his seemingly bottomless pack and tossed it to the boy. “Come back for it when we’re done. Dress those rabbits for me. I’ll prepare them when I get back. Don’t let anyone touch my mushrooms, but you can have most of the onions.”
Tomescu shook his head and set down his own bundle. He had brought clothes for Astrid, for which she was extremely grateful.
“We decided our village barrel maker is about your size,” the boy said. “He also doubles as our blacksmith.” He unwrapped the bundle to reveal a leather overshirt and pants, coarse wool leggings, and an equally coarse wool tunic. “Our stitchers made that leather chest piece from the blacksmith’s apron. The pants are two sets of chaps sewn together.”
Astrid was impressed as she picked up the leather top. She took note of the burn marks on the leather caused by hot metal sparks. She hoped the barrel maker didn’t give up too much.
“They did a fine job on short notice,” she exclaimed, noting the iron studs that checkered the piece at even, one-inch intervals. “This will do perfectly.”
Astrid shucked off the nightgown, then kicked off her boots. Vinnie made a high-pitched sound and turned away while Tomescu just stood there with huge eyes and a wide-open mouth. His face turned splotchy red.
“You’re catching flies, there, Tommy,” Astrid said.
“Oh, ah… whew… ” he turned away.
“Oh, boys,” Astrid said, throwing on the tunic and leather pants. “It’s just skin.”
The two males mumbled something Astrid couldn’t quite understand and wandered around dazed for a few seconds.
“OK,” Astrid said with a laugh. “You can turn around now. I’m done.” She adjusted the leather chest piece that was a little restrictive up top. “You have a little drool on your chin, Tomescu.” Astrid teased.
The boy ran his hand over his mouth and looked at his hand. “No I… ” Then, he laughed. “Astrid, you are just so… ”
“Don’t say it,” she said, holding up a hand. “But thank you. I’ll remember to take it easy on you two shrinking violets in the future.”
Vinnie cracked his knuckles and followed Astrid into the forest towards Argan while Tomescu led the way. The glow of lanterns peeked through the trees near the end of the path.
Astrid reached out and grabbed Tomescu’s arm. “We’ll take it from here. You stay in the woods. Don’t come out until you’re told.”
“But my family’s in there. I can help. I can—”
“You can do a lot,” Astrid replied, putting hand on his shoulder. “You’re a capable young man. How many fights have you been in? I don’t mean with other kids, but a real fight.” Tomescu looked at his boots by way of an answer. “Exactly,” Astrid said. I told you that I’d protect this village, so that means you. Got it?”
“OK,” Tomescu replied. “But I don’t like it.”
“That means you’ll do what I say, right?” Astrid demanded.
Tomescu nodded, then turned back to a fallen log, where he sat looking morose.
Astrid reached the very edge of the forest path and squatted down with Vinnie beside her.
“What’s the plan?” Vinnie asked in a low voice.
They were at the edge of the village near the blacksmith shop. The place was set apart from the other houses, presumably because of the smoke and noise it produced.
“No patrols,” Astrid observed. “Weird.”
“Foolish,” Vinnie declared. “They’re cocky.”
“That means they’re in the houses,” Astrid reckoned. “Probably eating all the food they can lay their hands on.”
Astrid considered the situation for a minute. As she did, her eyes fell to the stone circle that made up the wellhead. “How much energy do you have left?” Astrid turned to Vinnie and asked.
“Enough for a good fight,” Vinnie replied.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Astrid replied.
She stood up, squared her broad shoulders and walked out into the village. “I think the direct approach is best. They want us? Let’s give them what they want. Let’s bring them all out so we can deal with them.”
“Well, OK,” Vinnie said. “This should be interesting.”
They had nearly reached the well when the sound of a door opening turned their heads. A large man in black armor and red insignia on the chest came out from the nearest hut with a clay mug in his hand.
Astrid cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me.” The man turned, startled by the unexpected voice. “Do you know where I can find Argan Village? I hear some fuckwits have taken it over and are looking for me.”
The man dropped the mug and began shouting immediately. More doors burst open, and soon, twenty soldiers were running towards Vinnie and Astrid.
“That’s a bit more than fifteen,” Astrid said as the soldiers formed two lines. “Have to talk with that boy about his counting skills.”
Vinnie just grinned and cracked his knuckles. He shrugged his shoulders, not as an expression but to loosen himself up. Astrid heard his spine crackle as he rolled his head around to limber up his neck.
The leader of the compliance crew stepped out in front if his men, who drew long knives and flanked him. “I am Compliance Officer Jank. You two are under arrest.”
That was the cue for one of the goons to bring out two pairs of iron manacles separated by a six-inch length of chain. The man approached, and the group of men surged forward to form a semicircle just six feet away.
Astrid caught sight of Vinnie’s shoulders twitching. “Not yet,” she whispered. “Follow my lead.”
Vinnie growled like a large animal and the low-frequency sound traveled through Astrid’s chest. The men closest to them felt it too, for they flinched back slightly.
Astrid held the backs of her wrists together and extended her arms. As soon as the first manacle touched her wrist, her eyes turned black. A surge of energy made her skin feel electric as she snatched the manacles up and lunge-kicked the man hard in the gut.
The would-be captor flew back, knocking down four of his fellow thugs. Vinnie crouched down with his eyes glowing like lava. The ground rippled like water around a dropped stone. The rest of the men tumbled to the ground.
Astrid had to jump nearly twice her height to keep from falling. She landed a split-second after the mini earthquake stopped.
Several of the men were on their feet again in a second. Astrid tore into them with the manacle, gripping the cuff like a handle. The iron, savage in her hand, nearly removed the face of someone who managed to nick her new armor with a dagger.
Three men rushed her with long knives.
She took one out with a reverse foot sweep. Still spinning, she turned the motion into a reverse spin kick that snapped a man’s neck as she rose.
The third man, carrying two knives as well, decided to throw one of them. Astrid had just stopped her spin kick and had planted her foot when she saw the blade. She brought up her hand to block it, and the metal ran clear through her palm. Had she not stopped it, the blade would have gone into her heart.
“Nice throw,” Astrid said, pulling the blade from her palm. Her skin sizzled and glowed blue as the hole closed almost Instantly.
The triumphant look on the man’s face fell as he dropped back a few paces. Astrid advanced one step then two, by the third. She was charging her target. Anger-induced tunnel vision didn’t let her see two men who ran in from the side.
One of them tried to sink a dagger into her side, but she stopped short just in time. Instead, the blade grazed the thick leather.
Astrid planted her left foot, then swung around with her left fist. Her aim was slightly off. She was aiming for the jaw but ended up making contact with his forehead. She felt the bone give way under her knuckles. The man dropped to the ground and convulsed, then fell still forever.
She rounded on the other guy, but a huge body moved in so fast, she barely recognized it was Vinnie. His feet thundered as he crashed into the would-be attacker, sending him cartwheeling through the air.
The rest of the men had already run away. Between them, they’d killed half the men. The others were already on their horses and tearing out of the village.
Astrid let the energy leave her. The short fight didn’t take much from her.
Vinnie was a different story. After tunneling and creating an earthquake, he was panting and sweating. “That was fun,” he said, bending down with his hands on his knees.
“You OK there, big man?” Astrid inquired. She moved to touch him but thought better of it. His eyes were still glowing orange.
“I just need some food,” he said. “I really need sleep, but food will do for now. Food and drink.”
6
Welcome to Keep 52
It took four-and-a-half hours of walking to reach the keep. They’d made good time and practically ran the last mile or so. Vinnie scarfed mushrooms along the way from his hoard.
The path Tomescu led them on brought them to the east wall. To the south, the Toll Road was lit with oil lamps.
“It’s about ten o’clock,” Astrid noted. “There’s a lot of activity by the gates.”
“The keeps are always busy,” Tomescu said.
Vinnie looked around, then said, “I’ll double back, then come out on the Toll Road. You should see me over there.” He pointed to the road about fifty feet from the gates. “I’ll make sure to walk slow, so you can spot me.”
“What do you plan to do to distract them?” Astrid inquired.
“Vinnie stroked his long, pointed beard, I think I’ll use my best asset.”
“What’s that?” Astrid asked.
“Charm,” Vinnie said flatly. “There’s an ale house on the other side of the road. I’ll be in there.”
“Ale house,” Astrid said. “Of course.” She turned to Tomescu. “You use the toll road to get back. Hurry and be careful.”
“But I have no coin to pay the way,” Tomescu objected.
Vinnie tossed him some coins, then headed into the woods. A few minutes later, they saw him on the road and heard the reports of laughter as he worked his game.
Astrid took that as her signal. She crept out of the brush and inched her way along the wall until she reached the back. A smaller gate at the back wall faced the thick woods. There was no road. She guessed that was the auxiliary gate meant for escape.
She paused for a moment and closed her eyes. Letting the world come to her, she heard or felt no other presence but a few nocturnal animals. Feeling certain there were no guards on the opposite side of the wall, she tied one of her climbing hooks to her rope and set the coils on the ground.
The hook found purchase on the first throw. Astrid scaled the wall easily, reaching the fifteen-foot height barely winded. She perched there like an owl for a moment and looked down into the keep.
No one was around. No guards patrolled the wide roads defined by various outbuildings. Most of the structures looked like warehouses. The only two guards she saw were way across the yard by the gate.
In the center of the keep, Astrid found what the walls were built to protect. An old-world building of sandstone stood perfectly preserved.
“Well, well,” Astrid said to herself. She closed her eyes again, centered herself, grabbed her grappling hook, and then jumped.
She hit the ground in a shoulder roll to take up the force of the impact her quick draw from the Well didn’t cover. Looking around to make sure nobody saw, she hurried to pull the rest of the rope over the wall. With the comforting coils over her shoulder again, she scurried from building to building.
She didn’t need the rope to climb up the corner where the stone formed inch-wide handholds. Her target was the only lit window in an office at the very top floor.
She pulled herself up on the ledge below the wide, leaded window and slowly inched up until her nose rested on the window sill. A gray-haired man sat with his back to her behind a large, grand desk of polished oak. She couldn’t tell if the desk was an old-world piece, but she wouldn’t be surprised if it was.
That was a boss’s desk. She’d found who she was looking for.
She tested the window carefully, but it didn’t budge. She cursed under her breath, then pressed herself against the wall to shuffle down the ledge. Around the corner, there was another window, but it was to the man’s right. He would see her immediately if she tried going through that one.
Besides, if the first window was locked…
Who the hell locks a top-floor window? she thought as she shuffled again down the ledge. Finally, she found a suitable window that was ajar, leading to a hallway.
She pushed it open ever-so-gently until it it’s hinge squeaked. Cringing, she stopped and pushed her head through the gap. A guard stood with his back to her about a dozen feet away. He looked bored or even asleep on his feet as he leaned against the wall.
Astrid gave the window a final push and opened it just enough to slip through. On cat’s feet, she padded down the hallway, heart racing.
She loved this part.
The guard detected her at the last second, but it was too late. He spun around, and Astrid lunged, choking him out in seconds and lowering his doughy body to the ground.
“Nite-nite,” she said, patting him on the forehead. For good measure, she took his club and a large dagger that hung from his belt.
Straightening herself, she adjusted her rope and headed for the boss’s door. She pushed into the office like she owned the place.
To her surprise, the craggy-faced old man with the wiry frame gave a quick start. His eyes widened for a moment, then he carefully put down his fountain pen.
“You’ve made me blotch my ledger,” the man said, picking up an ink-stained square of cloth. He fussed at his paperwork, dabbing it with the cloth.
Astrid arched her eyebrows. “My apologies,” she said, stepping forward. “I have twenty coins to add to your books. It’s payment for my passage on your fine Toll Road.”
“You don’t pay here,” the man shot back, annoyance spicing his shrill voice. “Go downstairs and pay the clerk in the office by the gate.”
Astrid smiled and set the coins in a neat stack at the edge of the desk. “Are you refusing payment?”
Astrid almost returned the man’s smile. “In forty years on the job, I’ve never refused a payment when it was due. But I suspect you have something else to deliver, Astrid.”
She couldn’t hide her surprise. “You have me at a disadvantage, Mister… ” How did he know her name?
“Krann,” the man said, leaning back in his chair. He folded his long, narrow hands across his flat belly. “Commissioner Krann.
”
“Well, Commissioner,” Astrid said. “Since you’re so sharp, I’ll get right to it. I’m here to report that one of your Assessors assaulted the Elder of Argan Village and took more than his share of tribute, such that the village may lose children over the winter.”
“Yes, yes, it’s all here in the reports,” Krann said impatiently. “I have a note to adjust my actuarial tables should we see losses.”
Astrid struggled to control her temper. “Then you are aware that one of your men assaulted an old woman and left a village to starve?”
“It happens sometimes. When a village underperforms, they get upset and need someone to blame. It’s unfortunate that, sometimes, the peasants take it out on our Assessors, whose job it is to keep this Protectorate funded. Sometimes the Assessors are forced to defend themselves. You’re new here, Astrid, so let me fill you in.”
The man rose and picked up a long, thin, wooden stick. He placed the stick under his arm and came around the desk with his arms folded behind his back.
“But first, let me ask you: what do you know about the ancients? I’m not talking about the new ancients. I mean the old civilizations like ancient Rome, Greece, the Chinese Dynasties, or Great Britain?”
Astrid was intrigued. This man was something else. She decided to play along a bit.
“I know they had no magic, but they were crafty,” Astrid replied.
“Indeed they were,” Krann said, pacing back and forth as he spoke. “Do you know what they all had in common?”
“Strong armies?” Astrid guessed, playing along in spite of herself.
“Wrong!” Krann barked, stopping in his tracks. He faced her with icy fire in his gray eyes. “Bureaucrats! That’s what they had. Bureaucrats and administrators!”
“The brutes with their weapons, the peasants shoveling shit to grow grain for bread—all of them meant nothing without people like me to count the resources and people like Pleth to gather up those resources for the rightful leaders to dispense according to the law. Believe it or not, like it or not, I—and people like me—form the backbone of this territory. Defy me, and you defy the law of the land itself. I stand for law and order!”
Welcome To The Age of Magic Page 117