by Wade Adrian
A simple lesson, really. He'd learned years ago that letting people hit Max made his life much easier.
Lesson hadn't exactly sunk in for the kid. He was getting a bit better about knowing when to shut up, though. He didn't question Tom in public anymore. He just never shut the hell up in private.
He took a deep breath.
Just see it through. They were doing rather well, even if none of their victories had really gone according to plan, it had all worked out.
Birds chirped in the distance. A cool breeze played over the cool tall grass. A sharp line of trees were off in the distance, cleared back from the walls for the sake of defense.
He found himself closer to the trees than the walls. When had that happened?
His feet must have been on auto pilot while all that nonsense ran through his brain.
He wanted to wander off into the woods. Leave all this shit behind...
Not that he wasn't doing well. As a priest he was keeping his people in fighting form. He hadn't lost a man yet, not even to a sidelining injury. He clearly had mad healing chops.
A few of them didn't even hide at the idea of being saved by Yar anymore. They still flinched, but they didn't run. Real progress, there.
Whether they worshiped Boran or Corvi, none of the people wanted much to do with Yar. Clearly there had been some sort of smear campaign run in the past.
But even without the power she had granted, he'd lead these people to two impossible victories so far.
Two.
That didn't even count the first bandit camp they had knocked over that had gotten them this gig.
Of course, it was entirely possible this shit was easy and everyone else involved was just a fucking moron, but it was also possible he had a bit of a knack for command he'd never considered. Really, he'd been avoiding people until now.
He stared down at his left hand, bright yellow light swirling about it.
The soldiers looked up to him. Together he and they could clearly do great things. Was this what Max was so taken with?
No. Max avoided people almost as much as Tom, even when he was a paladin. He'd fought bad guys because they were bad, never bothering to seek a reward. He just liked to take on hopeless causes. Clearly a mental deficiency, if an endearing one.
Max just sort of was what he was. There was no reason behind it.
Tom could relate, especially standing here looking at the trees. Some things didn't have to make sense. Some things you just were.
A hint of movement caught his eye.
Tom ducked, his hands moving for his bow and quiver...
Which, of course, were not present.
He stood up again, a sigh escaping him.
A deer just inside the tree line lifted its head to look at him.
If he was still a ranger...
No sense bothering with that. He waved to the deer. "Morning."
"Good morning."
Tom almost leapt out of his skin, magic swirling around his left hand and his fancy mace appearing in his right as he whipped around.
A woman with dark hair decked in green robes was kneeling in the grass, plucking flowers.
He blinked a few times.
No one had ever been able to sneak up on him when he was a ranger. He'd worked up tracking just to alert him to this exact sort of thing.
Clerics had nothing of the sort.
He lowered the mace and let the spell fade away. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" Giana stood up, lifting her little basket and leaning on her staff.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "You know what you did. But still, it's great to see you."
She smiled. "And you. Surprised you're still this far north."
"Yeah... kinda ran afoul of local law enforcement, and what with death being a permanent problem all of a sudden, it seemed better to help out a bit. You know, work off the debt rather than run with arrows chasing me down the mountain." He shrugged. "Not all bad." He waved his hands down, presenting his gear. "Got some stuff for my trouble. Knocked some heads around."
"Sounds fun."
"It... has its moments?" He nodded. "How goes the rescue effort?"
Her smile faltered slightly. "Well, we're still here."
"Bummer." His shoulders slumped.
"Yes, but trying to make the best of it. I've been keeping this in case I ran into you again..." She dug around in her basket. "Ah, here it is."
She held out a tiny white ball in her hand.
It was a mushroom.
"Wait, really?"
She nodded. "A whitecap. Just for you."
He chuckled. "Thanks. Maybe I'll see more some day."
She tilted her head. "You can't make more? You should be able to."
"Make mushrooms? No. I'm not a god. Or a carcass. At least not yet."
She shook her head. "No, like this."
Giana knelt down in the field, setting her little basket aside. She swept a spot clear of dead leaves and snow. Once there was only smooth dirt she drew a circle with her finger, then made a little spiral shape from the center out to meet the circle.
She reached into her basket and held up a purple flower. "Like so." She set the flower in the circle and swept her hands about. Green light swept around them, growing in intensity. She lowered her hand, her outstretched finger touching the circle.
The magic she had gathered swept from her finger out along the circle, then followed the spiral into the center.
A bright flash of green caused Tom to cover his eyes for a moment. When he looked again there was a small patch of purple flowers where she had drawn the rune.
"Huh." He tilted his head. "Didn't know druids could do that."
She smiled. "It doesn't require you to be a druid."
"No? That seems like a druid kind of thing."
She shook her head. "Sort of... a minor enchantment. Quite simple, really. Magic can be employed for things other than spells."
"Now that you mention it, I saw some glass baubles that ate my spells to light up. And I've heard of some lamps that never go out."
She nodded. "Same principle. Magic as a power source. Here you're just using it to power growth."
"That still sounds a lot like a druid thing."
Her smile widened before she shook her head. "Give it a try. The rune is quite simple. Then all you have to do is provide magic. Healing seems to work best."
"Well, that I have." He knelt down and tried to mimic the drawing. It was rather lopsided, but it kind of looked right. He set his single whitecap in the center and cast a simple healing spell. A lowbie one. He'd barely noticed the mana cost.
The golden yellow light around his hands waited for a target, but he reached down and touched the circle instead.
To say he was skeptical was like saying water was a tad damp.
And yet the light left his hands, flowing along the lines until it reached the whitecap waiting at the center.
The bright flash of light was enough to cause him to shy away, even though he expected it.
When he looked again he had a little patch of whitecaps.
Actual whitecaps.
He plucked one and looked at the bottom.
No spots.
Not a snowcap, the poisonous idiot brother of the whitecap, but a perfectly good and handsome whitecap.
"Huh." That was useful. "So I just cornered the market on whitecaps."
She laughed. "Hardly. Check the value."
It was listed as worthless. And no-rent, meaning it would disappear if he logged out.
Well, no threat of that at the moment. Basically it was considered a summoned item. Something made with magic.
That made sense.
Still, whitecaps.
He gathered them all up, tucking them into his inventory. "Can I use these to make more?"
She shook her head. "Nope. You need a real one to plant each time."
"Dang. Still rad."
She smiled. "I'm glad you like it. And I told you so, by t
he way."
Runes. Huh.
He shrugged. "I'm still new to this whole magic thing."
"It's kinda handy."
"Definitely growing on me." He wondered what would happen if he tried that trick with magic and one of Yar's marbles... probably end up with a Smurf house to live in.
Giana stood, grabbing up her basket and staff once more.
Tom hopped to his feet. "Leaving so soon?"
"I'm done here, for now. Other places to visit." She held up her basket. "Leveling is slow given the dangers, but some of us find other ways to help. Everyone has to eat."
He frowned. "Can you come back up here?"
She nodded. "I do so rather often. There are two locations in these mountains I can move myself to. At least, two that I know of. Shrines to nature gods. Most places it's less... religious? Just woodsy magic places. Stone rings and the like."
"Huh. Sounds great. I basically just heal things. My friend did spend the better part of last night as a bird, though. You ever do any of that?"
"A bird?" She shook her head. "Well beyond most druids. I've been a large cat a few times. Helps to get away from fights." She tilted her head. "Is your friend a druid?"
"What? No. He's a rogue."
"But he was a bird?"
"I think he... controlled the bird? With his mind? Crazy god thing."
"I see." Her face, dripping with skepticism, said she most certainly did not see.
Well, it was difficult to explain. He understood about fifteen percent of it himself.
"Yeah, a lot of stuff is weird lately. Just trying to roll with it."
She nodded. "We all are. I wish you the best of luck." She waved. "Let me know when you get out of here. I hear there might be some groups of people setting up in this part of the world, though still well to the south. I haven't run across them myself, but maybe I can help you find them? I'll keep an eye out."
"That would be amazing. Thank you."
Her hands moved through her menu, but after a moment she paused, an eye turned to him. "Are you feeling alright?"
"What? Yeah? I guess so. Why?"
She shrugged one shoulder. "You didn't throw out any tired pickup lines this time. It was charming, in a silly sort of way."
"Oh. Uh, sorry. Can't think of one. Too much going on. But, I'll have one ready for next time I see you. Promise."
He had plenty, of course. But they were lame. For her... he needed something better.
She smiled. "Looking forward to it."
With a green flash of light, she was gone again.
He sighed.
Two more forts.
He could manage that.
He knelt down and plucked one of the purple flowers Giana had made.
Guards were waiting at the back gate when Tom approached. They had been far enough out to keep an eye on him, but not to bother him.
Sometimes it almost felt like he wasn't a glorified prisoner here. Those were good times.
He gave them a nod. "Anything yet?"
The soldier shook his head. "It will be well into today at the earliest, sir. It takes time to put together a force, travel this far and they will need daylight."
The man was correct, of course. Tom patted him on the shoulder. "Right, right."
That hadn't stopped him from ordering people to not get too comfy here. They were already packing up when he wandered back in. Horses stood at the ready, the camps already all but cleared. They could have it all back up in a few minutes that evening anyway. It was good practice.
Max was simple enough to find. He was seated at the central bonfire, rubbing at his neck. He had a nice clean uniform on, though most of his armor still had dark stains.
"What's wrong with you?" Tom stood over him.
"Fell asleep in the bath. Messed up my neck."
"Probably going to have wrinkly fingers for awhile too." He sat down. "Saw my friend. No real progress on getting out yet. But it might be sooner that we find other people."
Max tilted his head slightly. "Yeah?"
"Camps of people closer than she thought. At least, that's the hope." He glanced around. "Don't get comfy."
Max groaned a bit. "Why not? I need some comfy right now, unless you've got some tylenol."
"Thought about what you said, how Corvi had made your outing into a victory for her."
"She does that."
"Yeah, but she did it in front of everyone. Scrawled her name in bold letters."
"So?"
"So Brynjar isn't in her camp." Tom shrugged. "You think he'll let her get that kind of press without a rebuttal? Just because we're doing all the actual fighting out here doesn't mean there isn't a battle going on there, too."
A horn sounded from high atop the wall moments before a scout leaned over the interior crenelation, hands beside his mouth. "Riders. Dark banners. An hour out at most."
Tom nodded and pointed up at the man. "She went big, so he went big. Turf war."
"Huh." Max looked up at the scout, then winced and looked back down. "Ugh."
Tom stood and raised his voice. "Get this place packed up! We'll be moving out in two hours, tops. We're going to be at the Spider before the sun goes down if I have to whip every last one of you in turn."
He summoned a simple healing spell, the one that could make mushrooms when properly applied. He smacked Max on the shoulder with it.
Two more forts.
Just two.
Whoever named the Spider was an idiot.
The place was a ten story and some tower built to the same width as the little island it was standing on in the middle of a giant fucking hole. It was like... one of those flags on a golf course. Or a plunger standing out of a toilet. A spider was the last thing this resembled.
Lots of little arching bridges, sure, whatever, but those were gone, and even when they were there it would not have looked much like a spider.
Tom shook his head. "We're renaming this."
Einar frowned from his horse. "It's been the Spider for generations."
"Tell you what, if you show me a spider that looks like that, I won't rename it."
The boy narrowed his eyes at Tom.
Max coached his horse a few steps closer. "Snowcone?"
Tom nodded as he pointed at Max. "Ooo, I like that."
"Or, I mean, stalagmite might be okay. Or something silly like unicorn."
"Narwhal." Tom nodded. "It is hereby officially the Narwhal."
Einar tilted his head at the tower. "I don't know what that word means."
"It's like a unicorn, but its a fish."
Max shook his head. "Narwhals are mammals."
"No shit? Huh." Tom nodded at the tower a few times. Narwhal. Perfect.
"They breathe air and everything."
Einar sighed. "Sometimes I swear you're speaking a different language."
"We kind of are." Max shrugged. "Sorry."
Tom was still admiring the Narwhal. "Just think of it as a fat, ugly unicorn."
Einar rolled his eyes. "Lovely. We'll put up a plaque, but first we have to get inside."
Tom held a hand over his heart. "You wound me, sir. Two forts taken, yet you still have no faith in us?"
Max scratched at his chin. "Three, really. It is sort of rude..."
Einar gave a level stare. "My apologies. Do you have a plan?"
Tom scoffed. "Boy I had a plan last night. Today was just about getting here and getting ready."
"So... we're ready?"
"Hell no. But we'll be ready in the morning, most likely." Tom pointed at the boy. "Can you sew?"
"Sew? No."
"Then you're on woodwork."
The kid stared, completely lost. "I don't... what?"
Tom smiled. "And in the morning you get to pick if you're a wolf or a bunny."
Einar rubbed at his temples. "You are quite simply the most vexing man I have ever met."
"I choose to take that as a compliment."
"You would."
Max
stared up at the tower. "If I can get the hall pass, think I'll skip arts and crafts. I want to get a better look at this place."
Tom nodded. "Do it. Take your scouts. I want to know everything."
Max turned his horse and started away. His girlfriend's girl friend wasn't far. She was sort of clingy. The other scouts fell in at a word. They'd probably ditch their horses and sneak about on foot. That was more their speed.
Tom turned his own horse towards where the rest of the soldiers were gathered and waved for Einar to follow. "Come on, you heard the man. Time for arts and crafts. Wish I had packed some macaroni." He sighed before pointing at Einar. "Did you remember to bring glitter?"
The boy blinked a few times before simply staring. "Permission to speak freely?"
"Go for it."
"You strike me as a lunatic. My attempts to follow your logic continuously fail, and you always seem to pull from an endless fountain of archaic foreign knowledge only your compatriot understands, making it impossible to predict your next move. I think I hate you, with all due respect, Sir."
Tom laughed. "At this point, you really should."
The boy nodded. "Well, at least that's settled."
"Just for that, you get to be a wolf tomorrow. I was going to make you a bunny, but you've earned a promotion."
"Lovely. I have no idea what any of that means, but it seems to amuse you, so I'll serve as I must. For now."
"That's the spirit. More a bunny sort of spirit, I admit, but the decision has been made."
Einar sighed.
24
Max knelt at the end of the last standing bridge. It was made of bright white stones and the lamps set into it along the way painted it in brighter light even though the sun had given up hours before.
Light factored into stealth, but he wasn't sure how much it mattered. He was pretty good at sneaking...
He held out a hand toward the bridge. As soon as his fingers neared the white stones he found himself knocked out of stealth. Not a hidden rogue, just an idiot kneeling in the open.
A soft sound played all along the bridge, the globes humming a note that climbed in pitch. The lights grew brighter still.