Rescue

by R. A. Mejia

  The lead orc shakes his head, exasperation evident on his face. “Yes, sir.” He pats his mount proudly. “Tigger here has followed the trail from where they fought that scout group.”

  The guard in back, clearly the leader of the group, looks around the area wearily. “Fine, but if we don’t find them today, we hunt for the others. Everyone, move out!”

  The seven other guards follow their orders and continue to stalk towards us. Slowly, they get closer and closer. I hold my breath as one mounted guard passes right below me. The tiger mount stops and smells the air. When its gaze starts to rise towards the tree branches above it, I know that I’ve run out of time. If I want to keep my sneak attack bonus, I need to act now.

  I leap from the branch, spear raised above my head in a two-handed grip and activate [Thrust]. The tip of my spear glows, and I feel myself falling faster as the ability builds momentum, and the spear shoots downward.

  Damage dealt: 26 (Thrust, sneak attack, critical)

  I land awkwardly on the back of the tiger as my spear punctures the back of the orc guard’s leather armor and gets stuck on something inside him. He tries to call out, but the spear has pieced his lung, and only a spray of blood comes from his mouth. The tiger he was on spins around and bucks me off his back, and I lose my weapon as I’m sent flying through the air. My back hits a tree trunk, and I’m shaken for a moment, but quickly come to my senses when I hear the tiger roar. I’m afraid I’m going to be mauled at any moment, but when I look up, I see that the beast is sinking into the now quicksand-like ground. Token’s head pops up from the soft earth, and he winks at me before diving back into the soil. The guard and his mount are consumed quickly.

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

  One tiger and rider down. That only leaves seven more. I hear a sound to my left and see another orc on his mount charging towards me, spear held ready to skewer. I roll to my right and avoid the attack. I thank my lucky stars that the trees make it so hard for these mounted warriors to maneuver as I get to my feet and run between the tree trunks. After a few seconds of dodging, I turn around to see that my pursuer has abandoned me and is trying to deal with Meno, who has leapt onto his back and is stabbing him with his short sword. To the left and right, the other mounted fighters are trying to break through the thick underbrush with its needle like thorns to aid their comrade. Token moves underground to each mount and harasses them with brief strikes before moving on to his next target. The effect of this strategy is that the tigers seem to dance in place, their sensitive paws injured by the attacks.

  Deciding that this is as good a time as any to use that mana bomb. I pull it from my inventory and activate the small explosive. The crystal pulses in my hand, and I throw it toward the two guards who are trying to spear Token. As he comes up from the ground, I yell, “Dive, Token!” and take cover behind a tree. The explosion knocks me off my feet and makes my ears ring.

  Damage dealt: 25 (Mana explosion)

  Damage dealt: 30 (Mana explosion)

  As I get up, I see that the two guards are on the ground, and their tigers are running away, wounded but still able to escape. My increased mana recovery rate gives me enough mana to create knuckle busters around my fists. When the rocky earth finishes forming, I run towards one of the stunned guards and begin punching the half-conscious orc repeatedly.

  Damage dealt: 5

  Damage dealt: 4

  Damage dealt: 6

  Once the stun effect of the blast wears off, the orc doesn’t take my attack lying down. The well-armored warrior guards his face with his arms, and my punches become less effective. He then gives me a sharp-toothed smile, and his forehead starts to glow. The next thing I know, his forehead is rushing towards me with magical speed, and I feel a sharp, explosive pain and hear a crunching sound as it connects with my face, and I fall backwards.

  Damage received: 9 (Headbutt)

  I ignore the stupid notification. Yes, I realize that I got headbutted. Thank you, Captain Obvious. I try to move, but my body responds sluggishly, and I notice a small icon in the bottom left corner of my vision. A new notification pops up as I look at the icon.

  Stunned - 10 seconds

  Stunned? This is not the fight I want to get stunned in. As I lay stunned on the ground, the face of the orc I was beating on appears in my vision. His face is bruised and cut, but he’s smiling as he draws a knife from his belt and raises it above my head. I close my eyes, ready to meet my maker, when a gruff voice calls out, “Don’t kill him!”

  The sound arrests the orc’s movement, and I see him looking away at someone else. “But he attack me and scare off kitty!”

  I hear movement, and a larger orc with large, sharp tusks comes into view. I recognize him as the leader, and he grabs the smaller orc and shakes him roughly. “I don’t care. We get paid for every live prisoner we bring back. Dead ones make us no money!”

  The smaller orc looks down submissively and growls, “Okay. Okay. I no kill stupid human.”

  The larger orc drops the smaller one and then notices me watching them. He bends down until his face is mere inches away from mine. His bloodshot, yellow eyes study me for a moment, and he smiles cruelly at me. “This little human is going to wish we had killed him when we get him back to the new Warden. Warden has many punishments planned for prisoners who think they can escape.”

  The smaller guard laughs and pulls out a piece of rope from his inventory and starts to tie me up. I’m trussed up like a turkey ready for Thanksgiving by the time the stun effect wears off, and from my limited vantage point, I can see that Meno has been captured too. I don’t see Token, though, and can only hope that he escaped.

  The smaller guard grabs me by the ropes binding me and slings me over his shoulder. I can only see the forest floor, but I can make an educated guess that I’m being taken to one of the tiger mounts and then back to prison. My mind is frantically searching for some way to escape when I hear a faint whisper: “Stay on the ground, goofball.”

  That’s all the warning I get before all hell breaks loose. The orc carrying me suddenly isn’t there anymore, and the world spins around me until I slam hard, face down, into some bushes. It takes some effort to turn my body sideways, but I get a better view of what’s happening. I can’t move much, but I see arrows flying through the air, and I can hear battle cries and screams of pain. There’s the almost indefinable ozone-like smell of magic being released somewhere. I twist my body trying to see more, but only get a view of the bushes and tree canopy above.

  As I lay on the ground, a familiar figure zips by overhead, and I call out, “Mary?!”

  The figure flies back into view, and I can see that it is indeed my fairy friend. She hovers above me for just a moment, and I see a grin on her face. “Hey, buddy, don’t stand up on my account.” She suddenly drops a foot in the air as a spear passes through the space she just occupied. Mary looks away from me and casts [Magic Missile], sending purple bolts away from her. She glances back down at me and says, “Sorry. No time to talk now. I have to kill some orcs. Don’t go anywhere.” She smirks at me, winks once, then zips away.

  I lay there listening to the sounds of battle, and while I’m worried for my friend, I also trust that she can take care of herself. I only hope that some random orc guard doesn’t find me lying here tied up with my head stuck in a bush and murder me.

  Chapter 9

  After the sounds of battle fade away, I realize that one side or another has won. The two notifications telling me that the orcs I’d hurt with that mana bomb are dead give me hope that the battle has gone in my friends’ favor, but I’m unsure of who has won the final fight and just have to wait anxiously to either be killed or untied.

  The moments pass with extraordinary slowness, and my heart begins to race when I hear several sets of footsteps approaching. I try to turn and see who’s coming, but the bushes obscure my view. The footsteps get closer and closer, and I want to cry out and ask who is there, but
if it’s the enemy, it will only lead them to me. The sound of fluttering wings brings hope to my heart, but it’s quickly dashed as a bird flies by overhead. Worse, it poops on my forehead.

  I hear the laughter of not only Mary but several others, including the hissing yips of my best friend Vrax. Even though they’re laughing at me, I am relieved and overjoyed to know that they won.

  Unfortunately, my happy smile must somehow knock the poop loose because I feel it start to slowly slide down my forehead toward my eyes. I yell urgently, “Hey! I’m glad you’re all alive, but I kind of have a situation here. Can someone untie me? Please?”

  Mary flies into view. Her dark leather armor is a bit dirty, and her black hair is mussed, but she still has a warm smile on her face. “It’s nice to see you’re safe too, Armon.” Her smile widens, and she points at the wet, slimy patch slowly making its way down my forehead. “You know that stuff is supposed to be good luck, right?”

  “Not if it gives you pink eye!”

  Mary laughs for a second before landing on my forehead. I catch a glimpse of a cloth napkin that she produces from somewhere, and it obscures my vision as she rubs it against my skin. Mary groans, “Ewwwww,” as she wipes away the avian fecal matter. After the cloth is discarded, I can feel Mary rest her tiny hands against my eyebrows as she leans over. Her adorable fairy face is less than an inch from mine, and I have to practically cross my eyes to bring her into focus. When I can, I see that her eyebrows are furrowed and her nose is all scrunched up. She pokes the bridge of my nose with one finger and says, “You owe me, mister. There’s one thing I don’t normally do, and that’s wipe up doo doo.”

  I chuckle at the phrasing. “Mary, you just helped save me from going back to that prison camp, so I think I owe you for more than that. But, if you ever have a ‘doo doo emergency,’ be assured I’ll be there to help you.”

  Mary nods seriously then breaks out in a smile, and I feel her tiny arms wrap around me as she gives me a hug. “I’m glad we were able to get here in time.”

  Before I can say anything back, she releases me from the face-hug and looks up. I try to follow the direction of her gaze, but I can see only bushes. However, I do hear the sounds of someone coming through them towards me. The bushes part a moment later, and the tall, muscular figure of a beastman comes into view. His hulking, sinewy form stands out even through his leather armor, and it’s an odd sight to see his wolf ears twitch from my upside-down position. “Rex! You’re here too?”

  The powerful beastman stands me upright with one hand and cuts the ropes with a knife in his other. In a moment, I’m free and rubbing my wrists, arms, and legs to get the circulation in them going again.

  Now upright and unbound, I look around and see exactly who has come to my rescue. In addition to Rex and Mary, I see Keans with his bow and arrows; Lilliandra, my mentor in spellwriting; and Vrax, my kobold friend, in his blood-red leather armor. What surprises me the most, however, is seeing the female warrior I met in Restrian: Sonya. My mouth hangs open and my eyes lock onto the red-haired beauty.

  I stagger past Rex to stand before her. She’s leaning on a wicked-looking two-handed sword that’s covered in blood, and her chainmail armor is filled with rents and bespeckled with flecks of gore, but she is still the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. I ask, “You came all this way to help rescue me?”

  Sonya looks me in the eye for a moment before looking away with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. She starts to say, “Yes, but--”

  I can’t hold back my happiness at seeing her and rush forward to hug her. I can feel her womanly curves pressed against me, even through her armor, and I realize exactly how sorely I missed her. After only a moment of surprise, Sonya wraps her arms around me and returns the hug.

  After what feels like an eternity of awesomeness, I hear a cough, and a reptilian voice says, “Yip. What? I no get hug?”

  I reluctantly release the woman and turn to see everyone looking at me. Vrax is nearest and looking up at me with an expression I can only describe as jealousy, but it’s hard to tell with his reptilian features. I rush to my friend, pick him up, crush him in a bear hug, and spin him around. He yips once in surprise, and I tell him, “Of course you get a hug, buddy! You get all the hugs you want! I missed you too.”

  There’s a chorus of laughter from everyone watching the scene, and after a few more spins, I put my friend down. He wobbles a little as he walks away, but he seems happy.

  A demure cough catches my attention, and I see a familiar fox woman step out from behind the group. Our eyes meet, and she blushes slightly. “I also came to help, Armon.”

  I should have known that Kitsune would come too. She is the best healer I’ve ever met and is the princess of her own island nation. She became a member of our group after we rescued her from slavery. I bow to her formally and then decide to throw propriety to the wind and hug her too. I whisper in her red fox ears, “Thank you for coming to my aid as well. I know it was a risk for you.” She quickly backs away when I release her, but I see a smile on her face.

  I greet and thank everyone that is there. Meno has been freed as well, and I take the time to introduce both him and Token to everyone, though it seems the rescue party is already familiar with Token since it was he who found and directed them to the fight.

  I’m so happy to see my friends again that I completely lose focus on where we are--that is, until I’m reminded by Lilliandra. “Armon, while I am very happy to see you once again, it is not safe for us to remain here. Might I suggest that we pick up the items dropped by our foes and leave?”

  Keans adds, “Yeah, let’s loot and scoot.”

  The group quickly loots the remains of the fallen orc warriors and their mounts, even though, in most cases, all that is left is a loot bag.

  Instead of distributing items and treasure right there, Rex suggests we head back to the wagons and then split everything once we’re on the road. Everyone agrees, and I follow the group westward with Keans leading the way. I quickly realize that, in our haste to lose the hunters, my prison group must have veered off course. If we had kept running, we would have missed them completely, been captured or killed, and had no way out of the area.

  Sonya hangs back to walk next to me, and even though she doesn’t speak, her presence is a comfort and a balm to my weary soul.

  It’s a twenty-minute walk through the forest before we come to a clearing, and I see a wagon and a line of horses. There’s one person walking around the team. Even from here, I recognize the green-skinned woman as my favorite goblin inventor, Dyblex. She turns, sees us, and runs in our direction, her short goblin legs quickly carrying her to us. She looks around as she reaches the group, and a big, sharp-toothed grin appears on her face when she spots me. She rushes towards me, tackles me to the ground, and squeals, “Armon, my stud muffin! I’m sooo glad you’re safe and sound.” I feel Dyblex shimmy up my body, and as she starts to lick my face, I remember that goblins lick people since they don’t have lips. I try to push the affectionate goblin off me, but she’s a lot stronger than she looks. I hear a harrumph from beside me and look up to see a stern-looking Sonya glaring at me, her arms crossed beneath her breasts.

  Still struggling against Dyblex, I try to explain. “Sonya, it’s not what it looks like!” But I am cut off as a goblin tongue snakes into my mouth. By the time I extricate myself from beneath Dyblex, Sonya has stomped away.

  Sitting only a few feet from me, Dyblex growls, “Mmmm . . . I like a mate that has some fight in him. I’m ready for another round if you are, lover boy.”

  Oh, man. This all started when I helped Dyblex, an unsuccessful inventor in Restrian, with a research project she was stuck with. Only, at the time, I didn’t realize that she was a she since I’d never seen a goblin before. Nor did I know about goblin mating customs that promote females as the aggressor in pursuing romantic relationships. Her feelings only grew stronger after I helped rescue her from the Imperare army, but I thought we’d sorted out the
fact that we’d only be friends once Sonya came into the picture. I guess not.

  I spellwrite for all I’m worth as Dyblex climbs off me and gets to her feet, and I quickly write out the symbols for earth and the directions for it to gather around her legs. I pour mana into the glowing writing until it turns an earthy brown, and then I hear a yelp as earth and rock suddenly encases her legs all the way up to her knees. When the spell is finished, it almost looks like the ground reached up to grab her.

  Dyblex, however, only seems momentarily fazed by the binding. She looks down at me with lusty eyes and purrs, “Ohhh . . . I didn’t know you were into this kind of stuff, Armon.”

  I feel myself blush, and raucous laughter bursts from Rex and Keans, who were still standing nearby. I turn and see Meno guffaw as well. Token is politely sitting on the bed of the open wagon, though I think I see a small smile on his face too.

  Vrax looks at me in astonishment. “I did not know that you and the goblin were mates! Why you not tell me, brood brother?”

  I sigh in exasperation and roll my eyes at my naive friend. “No, Vrax. She’s not my mate. Dyblex is just being a troublemaker.”