Rescue

by R. A. Mejia

  The entire group of orcs stand up at the same time. They’re not much taller than Larry, Moe, or Curly, but the orcs are more muscled, and their fierce expressions show how eager they are to fight. The three humans gulp and try to back away, none too happy with their odds. Then another bowl of food comes flying through the air and lands on a second group of nearby humans. In an instant, that group is up and walking towards the confrontation. The remaining non-humans are suddenly up on their feet, or claws and tentacles as is the case with a few, and backing up the orcs. The lines for this fight have been drawn when someone screams, “Charge!”

  The two groups charge one another and crash together in the middle of the dinning area. Tables get overturned, and food goes flying everywhere as the groups punch, kick, and bite each other. The guards don’t interfere, but rather stay on the periphery of the area, making sure the brawl doesn’t spill out into other areas. I even see a couple guards exchanging money, betting on who’s going to win.

  The guards seem content--some even amused--to just watch the brawl until explosions start to go off around the camp. The first combusts in the nearby kitchen tent, sending pots and pans flying through the air. The guards stand around, trying to figure out what happened, and the next bomb goes off near the Warden’s tent. Explosions pop off around the camp, sending the prison into chaos, and the guards start to panic and split apart, unsure of what to do. The prisoners have no such uncertainty. Almost as one, they turn from fighting each other to attacking their jailers. The improvised knives we traded to the prisoners prove effective as guard after guard is taken down.

  The entire work camp is a jumbled mess. There are fights everywhere: guards against prisoners and prisoners against prisoners. In one case, even guard against guard, when someone strikes out blindly through the smoke-laden air.

  Meno and Token locate me, and after Token takes off everyone’s collars, the three of us make good our plan of escape. While many of the prisoners are running past the boundary of the camp into the dark woods, we make our way to my tent. There, I pull away the thin blanket that served as my mattress to reveal a large and flat stone. Meno and I shift the stone to reveal a hole, or more accurately, a tunnel. Over the last four days, as I crafted the mana bombs exploding around us, Meno and Token dug a tunnel under the camp leading into the woods. With Token’s ability to move through the earth, it was relatively easy. The only thing that hampered their efforts was the work of carrying the earth out and disposing of it in the yard without anyone noticing.

  Before we can drop into the tunnel, I hear a cry from behind me. “Guards! Guards! They’re trying to escape!”

  I turn and see Larry crying out and pointing his thick stubby, finger in our direction. Without thinking, I rush the man and tackle him to the ground. He makes an ‘oumph’ sound as his body hits the ground, and the air is forced out of his lungs. The only thought that crosses my mind is that this stupid man is going to jeopardize my chances of getting out of this place, seeing my friends again, and saving those kobold. I straddle Larry’s chest, and my fists, already red from the magical ceremony that make me part of Vrax’s tribe, are stained a new shade of the color as they repeatedly pound his face. Why do I keep having to do this? A part of me wonders if this is really all that I’m good for.

  Damage notifications fly by, and I ignore them. Only one catches my eye.

  You've killed Bogton, a lvl. 4 human. You receive 20 XP.

  Even after the last notification passes, telling me the man is dead, my fist keeps swinging as the anger from all my time here drains out of me. It’s only after Meno pulls me off the body that I remember our goal is to escape. The three of us jump down into the tunnel. Meno, the last one in, pulls the flat rock back over the hole, leaving us in darkness. I activate [Darkvision], and the tunnel is now bathed in shades of grey. Meno and Token both have similar abilities to see in the dark, and the three of us move through the tunnel swiftly. Above us, we can hear the sounds of muffled explosions as the last of the planted mana bombs go off.

  The three of us travel for what seems like forever. When Token finally stops, he turns around slightly and points up with a clawed finger. Meno and I squirm past the kobold and push away the rocks covering this end of the tunnel. Dirt and small stones rain down on us, but we uncover the exit.

  As I climb out of the other end, I look up and note that only the stars are out. The moonless sky would make the land look dark to most people, but there’s enough light from the stars above to let [Darkvision] work. I reach down into the hole and help Meno and Token out. We’re covered in enough dirt to start a small farm, and I can’t help but smirk at the sight of the three of us.

  Meno smiles and grasps my shoulders. “We’re free, my friend. I had my doubts, but your plan worked!”

  Token, ever the pragmatist, says, “Yes, we’re all very happy. But we’re not quite free. We still have to make it through this forest, and there are plenty of guards roaming these woods.”

  Looking between my two friends, I nod once. “You’re right, Token. We’re not free yet: we still have to meet up with my friend, Mary, to get out of this country.”

  “So, which direction do we head?” Meno asks.

  I point towards a group of trees. “South. We’re to meet with them in a town to the south, and then we’ll figure out how to flee Monstrum.”

  Token coughs into his clawed hand, and I look down to see his tail pointing in the opposite direction that I’m pointing in.

  Chagrined, I rotate and point in the direction that is actually south. “I mean, that way. We’re heading that way.”

  Meno gives me a look that makes me think he’s doubting his decision to trust his freedom to a guy who doesn’t know which direction is south. I shrug once and start to walk in the correct direction. Hey, it’s night. How am I supposed to know which way is south at night?

  The three of us travel through the forest, trying to remain as quiet as possible, and smells of the burning camp and the sounds of battle fade behind us. About an hour later, we hear our own troubles approaching. There’s a roar of some beast behind us, and Meno looks at me, fear clear on his face. “That’s one of the hunting tigers the guards ride. It has someone’s trail.”

  “Run!” I yell and follow my own advice. My legs pump as I try to put as much distance between myself and the sounds of the hunters. However, the three of us just can’t outrun the mounted guards. As we’re crossing through an open field, three orcs riding tigers burst through the trees behind us. Each orc wears similar dark leather armor but is distinguished by a different colored leather helmet.

  The guards use their superior speed to surround us. One with a yellow helmet points his spear at us and yells, “Stop where you are!”

  Since the three of us had already stopped when we were surrounded, it wasn’t a hard command to follow. Still, Meno, Token, and I move so that we’re back-to-back and put our hands up to show that we’re not armed. The tiger mounts sniff and paw the ground, eager to attack.

  A guard wearing a yellow helmet shouts, “You three are under arrest and will return with me to the prison camp!”

  The last guard, who wears a red helmet, turns and growls, “No! You turned in the last one. It’s my turn to bring prisoners in and get the bounty.”

  “No! It’s my turn. You took the one before last,” the yellow-helmeted guard argues.

  I peek over my shoulder to see that Meno is as confused as I am. Should we run? Should we split up to hide? The questions seem to fly through my mind while the three guards argue. It’s Token that takes the decision out of all of our hands.

  The guards move their mounts to argue with each other, and Token, who is only a few feet tall, completely disappears out of their line of sight. Taking advantage of the guards’ misplaced focus, he reaches into his hidden spatial pocket and withdrawals a short sword and a spear. Meno and I, our hands still in the air in surrender, are surprised to see the weapons. More surprising still is the moment when the kobold mutters
some arcane phrase and then leans forward and dives into the earth as easily as a swimmer into water. The only sign of his travel through the packed dirt is a small wake left as he glides under the ground. The kobold moves below our feet, and I see his wake circle the three orc guards like a shark circling his prey faster and faster.

  Finally, one of the guards notices something is wrong as his mount begins to sink into the ground. “Garrh. What’s happening?”

  The other two look about and see me and Meno still standing there, our hands held stupidly in the air. “They’re doing something. Kill them!” the green-helmeted orc yells and raises his spear to attack.

  I feel Meno shift beside me but am more concerned with my own life as I dive to my left in a desperate attempt to avoid being skewered. As I hit the ground, I feel a burning sensation across my lower back.

  Damage received: 4 (glancing blow)

  Not having any armor really, really sucks! I ignore the notification and my wound as I scramble to my feet. My first instinct is to run from the fierce-looking tiger mounts and their riders, but the sounds of battle pull at me. I see that the three mounts have already sunk into the ground up to their chests, and one of the riders, unable to free himself from his stirrups, is caught as well. Meno, now wielding a short sword, battles the guard in the green mask. Token, still carving his way through the earth like a fish in the sea, is fighting the guard in the red mask. The diminutive kobold leaps out of the earth and slashes at his opponent’s legs with his Dwarven Dagger of Penetration before diving back into the ground. The guard, bleeding from several small wounds, tries to guess at where the kobold will next leap from and stabs the ground with his spear, hoping to get a lucky kill shot.

  I step forward to help Token, and my foot brushes against something. I look down to see the spear that was thrown at me. I can’t help but laugh at my good fortune. Finally, I get to fight with a decent weapon again.

  I charge forward, spear held in a two-handed grip and activate [Thrust]. I feel my body shoot forward in a rush as the tip of the spear glows and is propelled forward by my ability. The orc guard must hear my approach because he glances to his left for just an instant before diving forward, barely able to dodge my attack. He rolls to his feet and faces me with his own spear in hand. The orc guard is at least a foot taller than I am and more heavily muscled. He’s also wearing a full set of leather armor, while I’m wearing rags. The odds don’t look good for me, and the orc knows it. He grins, and I see his yellow teeth behind his two protruding tusks.

  I gulp as he starts to activate one of his own abilities, his whole body glowing with a red aura. His muscles seem to pulse with energy, but before he can finish activating his ability, his eyes bulge in surprise. The red aura disappears, and he reaches over his shoulder with one hand, trying to get at something I can’t see. When he turns, I can just make out the hilt of a knife sticking out of his back, and I just catch a glimpse of a kobold’s tail before it disappears into the earth.

  Not taking the moment for granted, I activate [Thrust] again, and this time it hits. My spear meets some resistance as it penetrates the guard’s chest armor, but it still causes some damage.

  Damage dealt: 13 (Thrust)

  The guard, now fully-focused again on me, swings wildly with his fist and connects with the side of my head.

  Damage received: 10

  I’m thrown back, quite surprised by the damage from his unarmed blow. I shake my head to clear the ringing and am glad I held on to my spear. The guard squares his feet and holds his spear in a defensive stance. He realizes that he’s facing two opponents and that one could hit him from any direction. And he’s right. Token and I take turns attacking the guard. Even though he has a much bigger health pool than both of us, the guard can’t defend on all sides at once. When I attack, the orc deflects my spear skillfully but then takes a wound in the back from Token as he pops up out of the ground. If the orc tries to defend against Token, he gets stuck with the tip of my spear. While neither Token’s nor my own attacks do much damage individually, combined, we wear the guard down past the last sliver of his health, and he collapses.

  You've killed an Orc Prison Guard, lvl. 7. You receive 35 XP.

  My opponent dead, I turn to see if Meno needs help, but he’s just bent over his enemy, already stripping him of his armor. I look around for the third guard but only see his now-deceased mount.

  Answering my unasked question, Meno says, “He freed himself while the three of us were busy fighting and ran away. I wanted to chase after him, but his buddy in the green mask made sure to keep me occupied. The dirty orc died with a smile on his face knowing that his friend would bring more guards down on us.”

  I see a growing red stain where Meno is clutching his dirty prison shirt. “Are you okay? I can heal you up.”

  With a laugh, Meno tells me, “I’m a hobgoblin, kid. A little wound like this will be all regenerated in an hour. Save your magic for later. We may need it.” He nods southward and adds, “We should get going. No telling how long we have until another hunting party is on our trail.”

  With freedom so close at hand, but more guards almost certainly coming for us, the three of us jog off through the woods to the south, our hearts pounding and our ears pricked for any sign of attack as we hurry along.

  Chapter 8

  The three of us run south for two days, living under the constant fear of being tracked down and returned to prison. On several occasions, we encounter monsters and are forced to fight. We use the opportunities to learn to work together as a group. Meno and Token take on the roll of damage dealers, which leaves me as the magic-wielding, self-healing, tank. I grab the monsters’ attention and try to immobilize them with spellwriting or one of the elemental grenades while Meno and Token attack them from the sides and rear. Together, the three of us are easily able take down level 6 and 7 monsters and, one time, even a group of level 3 spider monkeys--although, afterward, it took a full hour to get the spider monkey’s sticky webs off my chest, neck, and face.

  Though I use up the last of my elemental grenades, the extra 67 XP from all the fighting isn’t bad, and the monsters we kill provide meat for us to eat, but our focus is always on traveling south. I know we must be getting close to the place where Mary said we’d meet up, but there’s a kernel of doubt in my mind. I mean, what if I’m wrong? What if I misunderstood her, and we’re traveling in the wrong direction? Or my bad sense of direction has us traveling the wrong way? Worse, what if they were spotted by a group of guards? It may be the lack of sleep that’s making me think this way, but I can’t shake the bad feeling.

  Token shakes me awake from an exhausted sleep on the morning of our third day traveling. “Wake up, Armon. I hear voices coming this way. We must hide.”

  “Huh?” I ask, still half asleep.

  A quick slap from Token clears the cobwebs, and he repeats, “Enemies are coming. They’re still a little ways off, but they will be here soon. We must hide or run.”

  Meno adds, “I vote that we run. Hiding depends too much on our concealment skills, and the hunting tigers I saw are too good at their jobs.”

  I nod once. “I agree. We run. My friends have to be around here somewhere.”

  Together, the three of us race through the bushes and try to lose our pursuers by crossing a nearby stream several times. The trick works, and we gain a few hours, but by mid-afternoon, we know that it’s only a matter of time before the hunters find us. We decide to pick our battle ground. Ahead of us, the woods thicken and will make mounted fighting more difficult. Token hands me the last three small crystals he has, and I code them to work as a mana bomb. I pour in my current mana supply. That, plus the elemental grenades I have, will hopefully be enough to take out a couple of the guards.

  Meno and I use [Sneak] to hide amongst the tree branches while Token dives into the earth to await our pursuers. We don’t have long to wait. Through the trees, I can see the guards on their tiger mounts prowling through the forest. I count one, t
wo, three . . . Ouch. There are eight orc guards. We were able to take on three because they were overconfident, but even then, one escaped. These mounted warriors are spread out and look cautious.

  I look up and see Meno in a tree across from me. He shakes his head slightly at the sight. Maybe they’ll just pass us by?

  “Grok!” the heavy orc guard farthest from us yells.

  The lead guard closest to us pulls back, and his mount turns toward the yelling guard. “Yes, sir?”

  “You sure that those three prisoners went this way? I don’t see any sign of them, and we still have twenty-two others to find.”