He let loose an uncomfortable laugh. “Happily married for thirty-five years, so it’s a date every night.” The man stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at his feet for a second before saying, "Slow day, that's all. What can I do for you?"
“Well, we have a vessel that runs on the power of amphoralds."
"Amphoralds?" The man’s eyes widened. "It's been a long time since I've heard anyone talk about those. I hate to say it, but I don't have anything for that kind of tech. Haven’t for years."
"We didn’t tell you what we were looking for," Karl said. He elbowed Aysa. "Keep going, kid."
Aysa described the parts that were damaged during the pirate attack and then handed him a sheet of parchment.
The shop owner took the schematic drawn years ago by Gregory’s father and moved from the doorway into the light of his shop. He turned the blueprints back and forth. His eyes had a look of recognition, and she saw a little trace of joy brush past his eyes. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes. Unfamiliar, but I can get this for you. It will take some time."
"How much time?" Aysa asked.
The man glanced over his shoulder and then back at Aysa and Karl. "Much time, I am afraid, dear. Weeks. Maybe months. With the pirate activity, our supply chain has been hellishly unpredictable."
He glanced over his shoulder again, and Aysa stood on her tiptoes, trying to see what the man was looking at.
Karl stepped toward the counter and placed both hands on the flat surface. Leaning in, he said, "Yer name’s Otto, ain't it?"
The man silently nodded and then tilted his head toward the storeroom again.
"All right, then. Unless there's two Ottos in this town, this here's yer shop, and I imagine ye know it inside and out, if yer worth yer mustard."
"Yes. Yes, sir. And you're welcome in my shop, but you have to understand there are some things I just can't do," the man said, his eyes darting around. Aysa thought she caught a shadow moving in the back room.
Aysa reached behind her and pulled her shield off her back. She held it like a throwing disc by her side. "Otto, I know you want to help us, but it sounds to me like there's something keeping you from offering your assistance. Is that right?"
The man closed his eyes and then snapped them open in some kind of rudimentary code. He and Aysa were on exactly the same page. "No, ma'am. It's just my stock is limited."
Aysa snickered. "Sounds like a personal problem, Otto. Thirty-five years of marriage and all.” She lifted her shield and held it parallel with the floor. "Might I suggest you check again? Maybe on the lower shelves?”
Otto hit the floor. Aysa flicked a switch on her shield and launched it through the back doorway and into the dark room.
A bright light flared from its amphoralds in the back storeroom, followed by cursing.
"Now!" she shouted. Before Karl had the chance to scurry around the countertop, Aysa had already vaulted it with her good arm.
Otto was kind enough to hit the lights as they dashed for the back.
As they entered a storeroom lined with shelves and filled with mechanical parts, a figure dressed in black was pulling himself off the ground. He pressed the heel of his palms against a black mask where his eyes would be.
“You broke my nose,” he complained.
“Yeah, well, I’ll break a lot more if you don’t tell me what the hell you’re doing creeping around in the dark.”
“You don’t belong here,” he said, his voice distorted by the broken nose.
“Ah, so that’s what it’s gonna be like,” Karl said as he ran into the room. “Then maybe I can shove me hammer where it don’t belong. Right up yer arse.”
The man held his arms to the side. Aysa could see what looked like two metal gauntlets on them.
“Time to show you how hospitable this city can be.”
He charged forward, moving remarkably fast, but instead of swinging as Aysa expected, he pushed his hands forward. A thick layer of ice formed on the ground as Karl raised his hammer. The momentum and the slippery surface sent the rearick sprawling.
Aysa held on just enough to dodge a metal fist to the face. She swung out with her bolas, but the masked man blocked them with his gauntlets. The clang of metal on metal rang through the workshop.
The man moved like he had some serious training. Between his speed, his fists, and his spellwork, he kept Aysa on her toes. It didn’t help that she was fighting without her shield, and the bolas were not great defensively.
She dodged a fireball and a fist and stepped backward. The man was pushing her into a corner.
“Here!”
She jumped at Karl’s voice and grabbed her shield out of the air. The man swung at her, but her shield took the hit, and then she shoved it forward, pushing the man back.
Right into Karl’s hammer.
If Karl had been aiming for a kill, there would have been no way for their attacker to block it. But information was better than blood, and the rearick went easy, which gave the man just enough time to bring up his hands.
Still, the force of Karl’s swing sent him sailing into a large wooden crate, and splinters flew in every direction.
Aysa ran toward the hole, but the man was nowhere to be found. She looked around frantically before spotting an open window at the back of the shop.
"That bastard was damn good," Karl said. "Fer a magic user. Not many could stand that long against me, me hammer, and yer balls."
"Yeah, he was good. And if you don't mind, I prefer you call them my ‘bolos.’"
"Sure, Aysa." Karl snorted and patted his hammer. "As long as I can still call this girl me sweetheart."
"You men and your fascinations with all things phallic. Call it whatever you want, Shorty. I don't even mind if you sleep with her.” She motioned toward the window. "Should we give chase?"
Karl waved his hand in the direction the man had escaped. "Aye, seein’ that one fight, I can only imagine he's halfway ‘cross the city by now. Let ‘em go, and let ‘em tell his Myrna friends that if they mess with us, they're gonna get the anger of the Matriarch and her Justice shoved into very uncomfortable places."
"No meaning without mission, ain't that right, Guru?"
Otto joined them from the front of his store. "I-I don't know how to thank you."
Aysa fastened her shield to her back and brushed the dust off her cloak. "I don't know. Seemed like if it wasn't for us, you would've just had a normal business day with a visit from Mr. Douche-in-Black. Somebody has it out for us, that's for sure."
"What do ye know about it?” Karl asked.
Otto leaned against the workbench and smoothed his jacket with both hands. Looking up, he said, "Nothing. I was back here doing inventory when he appeared behind me out of nowhere. As you might've guessed, I'm no fighter. He told me that when the outsiders came for equipment, I needed to send them away empty-handed, or I’d leave here without my hands."
"I guess his timing was a wee bit off," Aysa said. "Now, about that part. How long will it take if we order today?"
Otto laughed. "About fifteen seconds.” He walked over to a shelf at the end of the far row. Returning with a faded wooden box, he bowed his head to his friends. "I haven’t sold one of these for years. Hell, I thought I’d scrap this one someday soon, but it's yours."
Karl pulled out a leather pouch from his belt and started shaking coins into his hand. "How much do we owe ye?"
"It looks more like I owe you. This one's on the house."
Karl counted out ten coins and stacked them on the workbench. "The Bitch and Bastard Brigade believes the worker is worth his due, Otto. Yer a good man. Let's hope them arseholes don't come back now that we have what we came looking fer."
"Thank you. And yes, let's hope."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hannah kicked her feet up on the stool and blew across the top of her morning mug of kaffe. The late morning sun warmed her face as she sat on the porch of their wing of the great hall. Surrounded by her friends, she
was happy just to have a couple of minutes of peace and quiet after one hell of an introduction to Solyr. It was, after all, the main reason they had stopped in the city. That, and for the part for the Unlawful that they were able to procure with some effort. As usual, there was plenty for the Bitch and Bastard's Brigade to do.
"This devil’s brew is actually growin’ on me.” Karl grunted, keeping an eye on Sal. "As long as we can keep it out of that lil’ demon, we’ll be in great shape."
Sal raised his head and opened his eyes, staring at the rearick. His tongue whipped in and out of his lizard mouth. Hannah laughed when she saw all the muscles in his body tense. "Not a chance, Sal. The Blue Scarves are committing enough terror in the hearts and minds of the citizens. We can’t add a hopped-up lizard buzzing around like some overgrown dragonfly to their woes."
Sal dropped his head back between his front legs and closed his eyes. His tail thumped the ground.
While the others sat in their chairs, Aysa stood, leaning against the post and sipping her own cup of kaffe. As if reading Hannah's mind, she said, "What are we going to do today? I can't take all this sitting around."
"All this sitting around?" Parker asked. “I've barely had time to use the restroom since we've landed. I can’t imagine you on an actual vacation."
"I thought this was a vacation," Aysa replied. "I'm having a blast. Putting out fires. Fighting magical masked assassins. Maybe we should go explore the hills outside of town. I hear there might be some pirate ass to kick out there."
Hannah pointed toward the city gates. "Looks like we have something to entertain us, at least."
The sound of trotting hooves came to their ears, and soon a horde of creatures ambled down the city streets in their field of vision.
Karl stood, shading his eyes with the flat of his hand as he stared at the creatures. "Aye, what the holy hell are them things?"
Aysa spun, facing the rearick. "What do you mean, Karl?"
“Them beasts. What are they?"
Aysa laughed, pushing her hand against her mouth. "Karl, do you mean to tell me you've never seen a steer before?"
Karl's face went blank. "Heard of ‘em. Never seen ‘em. That's like one of them cows, then. Right?"
Aysa shook her head. "Steers. Not cows. Steers."
"What the hell is the difference?" Parker interjected.
"A cow is a steer that had a baby," Aysa explained.
Parker tilted his head to the side. "I thought a cow that didn't have a baby was a heifer?" he asked, scratching the side of his face. "A steer is a dude cow you use to make the lady cows pregnant. Right, Hannah?"
Hannah threw a smile at her boyfriend. The morning was getting better and better. "How the hell should I know? I'm a city girl."
"You got it all wrong," Aysa protested.
"Okay, then. What the hell is an ox?" Parker asked.
"An ox is a steer that still has his junk."
"His junk?" Karl asked. "Ye mean his…" Karl held his palms up as if he were holding two gigantic cannonballs. “His bolas?”
Aysa laughed. "Yeah. Exactly. And as far as I know, I don't think you want to eat an ox. You want to eat the steer. Which isn’t a cow, or a heifer. Although I think a heifer is pretty good to eat too."
"Scheisse! Aysa, how do ye know all this?"
Aysa shrugged. "I like to ask questions. And I have no freaking clue if I have any of that straight. I might be remembering it all ass-backward. But what I do know is that this line of beasts is for the giant feast tonight. One of our attendants told me that. They'll be slaughtered in honor of King Aurel, and the meat will be used for the celebration of his life."
The cattle got closer, and Karl swore under his breath. "But…but…those things are bigger than Sal.” The dragon groaned and grumbled without picking up his head. "I thought they'd be more like…you know, like sheep or lambs or something."
“Ah! You know the difference between a sheep and a lamb?” Aysa asked with her eyebrows raised.
Hannah held her hand up. "Bloody enough, already. You two are ridiculous. Let me enjoy my kaffe without another lesson on animal husbandry, for the Matriarch’s sake."
"Oh, yeah, sure. I'll stop talking, Hannah. I'll just stand here and act like I'm having fun." Aysa’s leg bounced as she watched the cattle.
"Thank you, Aysa," Hannah replied serenely, sipping her brew.
Karl's face twisted in confusion. "Then what the fuck is a neutered pig?"
They all started laughing, Hannah included. She couldn't ask for anything better than this group of people to spend her time with. To travel with. To fight with. But her thoughts and feelings of contentment didn't last. A giant explosion ripped through the morning air from a couple of hundred feet away.
"Oh, come on!" Hannah exclaimed, setting down her cup and getting to her feet.
Parker scanned the city from where they were sitting, and his eyes locked on a rising plume of smoke. "Looks like the Blue Scarves are at it again."
Karl grunted. “Aye, but at what, then? I don't see no kind of destruction.”
Aysa pointed at the cattle. They were butting their heads in every direction and kicking up dust. "I think the BS crew is planning a different kind of destruction. Something a little less, well, direct."
"Oh, shit. You’re right," Hannah said. Her eyes blazed red. "I don't imagine this will work."
Of all the magical skills Hannah had acquired over her journey, influencing animals was on the low end, even if she had spent time with several druids. It didn’t help that these beasts were terrified. She could feel their minds. Sentient. Fearful. Confused. She tried to soothe them, tried to calm the whole lot down. Her magic had no effect.
She was just a city girl, after all.
"Well, I just learned I can't influence cows," Hannah told them.
Aysa sighed. "Sorry, captain, but I really think those are steers. I mean, if they were cows, I'm pretty sure—"
A second explosion interrupted the girl from Bazeek.
The cattle, disturbed by the first explosion, were driven mad by the second. Snorts and sounds of distress filled the air. They kicked and screamed as if they knew slaughter was near.
The men driving the cattle cracked their whips and yelled and shouted and moved the group, but it did no good. These beasts were scared and pissed and ready for action.
"I don't care what they are. We gotta get down there," Parker shouted. “They’ll tear this city apart.”
A third explosion, closer and louder, rang out, and with that, the stampede began.
“Go!” Hannah commanded.
“What are you going to do?” Aysa asked.
“Find some Blue Scarves.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Aysa was the first off the porch, with Karl not far behind her. Her heart beat rapidly, like it always did when duty called.
"Yeehaw," she shouted, looking over her shoulder. "Let's go, short stuff. We've got some wrangling to do."
"I have no idea what yer talkin’ about," Karl shouted through clenched teeth. "And I have no bloody clue what we’re gonna do when we catch them things."
"That's half the fun," Aysa shouted. She shot down an alley and scrambled toward the main boulevard. When she got out into the open, she found the stampede running right at her. Eyes wide, she stood her ground, just waiting for contact.
She glanced at Karl, who had just caught up. "Head for the bazaar. I'll try to take them from here, but if they make it through, you’ll need to come up with something."
“Yer bloody nuts, Aysa,” Karl shouted.
“Maybe, but I’m loving every minute of it!”
The rearick nodded and turned to go. Before he could, Aysa grabbed his sleeve. “Shit. Wait. Look.” She pulled him up a short set of stairs and pointed down the road toward the stampede. Three blocks down, half the herd was taking a side street off the main boulevard.
“Bloody hell!” Karl yelled.
“You’re gonna have to go after them.”
“With a little help, you can,” Aysa said. “On the count of three, jump.”
“I dunno—”
“Three! Jump.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Karl jumped as high as his gravity-challenged body would take him. Aysa, with her long, strong arm, gave him a couple of extra feet. It wasn’t until he met his apex that he realized he had no idea what the plan was. Before he started to fall back toward death-by-hooves, talons grabbed him by the shoulders.
“Aye, thanks fer the lift, ye damned newt. Now get me over there!”
Sal complied and banked toward the side street filled with the cows or bulls or steer or oxen or whatever they were.
Sal dropped Karl off with plenty of room to make a plan and execute. The herd was still far away, six or seven blocks, but they sounded closer. Much closer. And Karl could feel the pounding of hooves under his feet.
"Scheisse!" Karl yelled as he looked to his left.
A separate wall of beef rushed toward him, and these animals would make contact within seconds. Somehow, the herd had split again. Karl didn't have time to consider what the hell was going on. He pulled his hammer from his belt, turned, and sprinted as fast as his tiny legs would take him away from the oncoming stampede.
It was more than a few seconds before the first one caught him. Karl glanced over his right shoulder, and saw a head lowered, horns dropped to make shish-ka-rearick.
"Didn't think one without a set of balls would have spikes like that," Karl growled.
As the beast prepared to gore him, Karl spun mid-stride and swooped his hammer at the creature, just hard enough to knock it off pace. The plan worked—and the beast hurtled off into a side alley.
This ain't so hard, Karl thought. Only fifty-four more of ‘em to go.
He continued to run and knocked a few more of the beasts out on his way. Soon, he realized he wouldn't last long. Either he would drop from exhaustion under the weight of a hundred hooves, or he’d be pierced by the horns. Neither option was ideal.
Solyrian Conspiracy - C M Raymond & L E Barbant Page 9