Chapter 19 - You should try being nicer

It was midway through the afternoon as Erin first spotted their destination. Pointing down the mountainside and off into the distance: she exclaimed excitedly while calling to the others. “There’s the village! Looks like it’s still here!”

From where they stood on the mountain, they could barely make out small specs that must have been people running around between the buildings. A makeshift wooden wall had been constructed and surrounded the village, and it seemed to be slightly larger than the one they had come from up north.

Less than an hour passed before they were within shouting distance of the gate. They were slow in their approach while walking towards it, but the villagers were still wary - and an arrow embedded itself in a tree not even three feet from Taen’s head.

“The next one won’t miss!” shouted a scrawny sentry as from behind the wall he drew back another arrow and waited. “Don’t come any closer! Who are you and what do you want?”

“I could have dodged it.” Taen said confidently to his companions as they halted. “Easy.”

This just bought him snickers from his two friends who knew full well he really could have.

Erin stepped forward and shouted back at the sentry with both hands cupped around her mouth. “My name is Erin! I come from the village of Opunica that is now burned to the ground, I know Gaften and Connie of the trading post in your town! Will they not speak with me?”

There was a pause.

“Wait there,” the sentry shouted back. After another ten or so minutes the gates opened, and a man and woman wearing typical peasant clothes rushed out together to greet the girl.

“Heaven’s be praised, Erin!” cried the plump brunette woman as she ran up, nearly knocking Erin over to give her a hug. “We were worried you had been taken! Where is your family?” Looking down at Erin’s expression the woman’s smile turned into a deep frown. She hugged Erin again even more tightly at the realization of what had likely happened. “I’m so sorry lass. I’m so, so sorry.”

“My name is Gaften, and this here is my wife Connie,” said the short bearded man as he took and shook each of their hands vigorously. “Thank you for delivering Erin to us, she is very much like family. We have known her for years.”

“I am not here to be delivered, I am their guide. I owe a life debt to this man here,” Erin said, turning and gently touching Chris on the arm. “I have much to tell you two.”

Obviously surprised, Connie went and stood with her hands on her hips looking up into Chris’ eyes with a stern scowl.. “A life debt?! There better be a very good reason and a very good story behind this!”

Not pleased in the least, she took Erin by the hand and led her through the gates with the men trailing behind. She didn’t look back to see if they were following or not.

Trailing behind Erin and reaching one of the larger wooden buildings, the three Earthborn entered through a shutter door and sat down on some stools surrounding a bar. They then put down their equipment and looked around.

Various odds and ends were scattered across the room with no particular order to their categorization. A horse’s saddle, pairs of leather boots, fruits and vegetables, a pair of caged rabbits, quilted blankets and many other randomized things were there to be seen.

“Erin! By the gods I was so worried and am so glad to see you standing before me!” a well-built short-cropped man of similar age cried out as he ran out to give Erin a firm hug. His dirty trousers and thick muddied vest were a testament to hard labor. “It’s been too long! How have you been?”

“Fine…” Erin replied hesitantly. Then her eyes fell to betray how she really felt. “Actually, no. I haven’t been fine, but I will get to that later. I need to introduce you to someone important… This is Chris, and I owe him a life debt.”

The news was abrupt, sudden, and out of the blue.

Shock and what was possibly dismay flew across the Man’s face as she said this. But Erin went on. “This is Taen, and this is Michael. Chris, this man is Verick. Connie and Gaften’s son. He works with them here at their trading post.”

“Our other sons are off fighting in the civil war,” said Gaften grudgingly. “We have no daughters, Erin is the closest thing to a daughter that we’ve ever had!” He laughed heartily and ruffled her hair about with one stocky hand. “It is most unfortunate though, we could use them now that bandits are raiding the areas around here. They’re trained soldiers… they’d have dealt with these bastard bandits easily enough. The only other village in the area left standing other than ours is Telrid. Both our villages, Telrid and Telnoc, have been fortified - and many of the people from other settlements that had managed to escape came here, but we don’t know if or when help will come from the cities. Our messages seem to be ignored and unanswered.”

Bursting into the room with what seemed to be odd sorts of nuts, Connie waved the food around excitedly to stir the mood. “I’ve been saving these for a special occasion! They’re sugar coated too!”

Handing them out and getting a jug filled with water from the back she began to pour drinks for everyone, though she spared the time to glare at Chris briefly.

“So tell me...” she muttered, back to being stern as she faced Erin. “What is this nonsense about a life debt to a man I’ve never seen before?”

Verick crossed his arms with a frown. “Yes we would really like to know.”

[English Dialect] “They act as if it’s my fault, or like I’m some sort of villain…” whispered Chris to the other two.

Taen shrugged.

Michael in turn smirked and loudly said: [English Dialect] “Don’t worry about it bro, he aint got nothin on you.”

Chris facepalmed as Michael patted him on the back encouragingly while giving Verick a lofty grin.

[Human Dialect] “And foreigners at that!” Connie snorted, obviously even more displeased.

Taen pointed to one of the sets of fur boots strewn on a nearby table. [Human Dialect] “I apologize for the rudeness of my friends, they were merely stating how nice your establishment looked and were commenting on those boots over there.”

Connie’s frown loosened, but she didn’t quite believe it. “Well thank you very much, if any of you would like to buy them we can certainly trade later on… but right now I wish to hear Erin’s story.”

She looked back at Erin expectantly. “Please continue child. We wish to know what has happened.”

Erin finished the water from her cup, and setting it down she started to tell her tale. She told them of how unexpected it had been when the bandits had come and rushed into her home village of Opunica, many were killed and some were enslaved. She told them, much to the horror of Connie, Verick and Gaften, about how her family died; and about how she was brought to the encampment near the cliff where she was treated terribly along with many of the other women and children for weeks.

Erin tried to keep her composure as she told them, but Connie came over and embraced her after seeing she wasn’t able to hold the tears back. “We can stop for now, you can tell us the rest later.”

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“No,” Erin said teary eyed, “I’m ok.”

Getting up and getting another cup of water, Erin came back and sat down next to Chris. “After weeks of enduring it, I thought I wanted to kill myself. I was thinking about trying to fight my way out so that they would kill me, or cutting my wrists with a sharp rock I had found. But then one night... these three showed up.”

Looking out the window, Erin sighed. “I was terrified, for at first I didn’t realize what was happening. Dead men that had once been slavers surrounded the camp and began to attack their brethren.”

Abruptly holding her hands up to stop Erin, Connie slowly let the words escape her lips. “What do you mean.. by dead men?”

“Zombies.” stated Michael bluntly with a sip from his cup.

Erin nodded. “Afterwards the slavers grouped up around the pen they had made to hold us, the women and children. But they had been toying with me just previous to that and I was laying on the ground forgotten. I made a run for it, and one of the slavers chased me down and grabbed my leg.” Erin pointed to Michael. “Next thing I know, he comes out of the darkness laughing with glowing blue eyes and smashes the man with his mace. The other two come out from other sides and they slaughter the slavers in only a few minutes.”

Connie’s face had paled and Gaften had his hand placed on a knife nearby.

Verick slowly backed away. “Glowing blue eyes… They’re vampires…?”

“NO! No, sorry I should have made that clear to begin with.” Putting her hands up to calm them, Erin let out a sad chuckle. “They’re Earthborn and serve Maltetious, look.” Erin picked up one of Taen’s swords and pointed to Maltetious’ mark engraved in ebony upon the milky white blade.

The three locals calmed and moved back to their seats. “Earthborn. Interesting. I haven’t seen one of them in over a decade. How many slavers did you say there were?” asked Gaften, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

“I don’t know the exact number…” said Erin looking over to Chris questioningly.

“I can’t remember the exact number anymore...” replied Michael with a straight face. “Some number over 50, if you include the sentries they posted at the cliff. They were the ones we zombified for the first attack on the main group.”

“Over 50… very impressive, though I’m not sure I believe it.” Gaften leaned forward and sat his head upon his knuckles. “If I may ask, who taught you necromancy? That’s a very taboo subject.”

Chris clarified and pointed to Taen. “Maltetious did, but only Taen here actually specialized in it. For over two years we were her pet guinea pigs within her realm. She isn’t actually a necromancer herself nor does she have the attribute, but old texts she’d gathered were enough to give her a little insight. She shared those texts with Taen. We’re actually here upon her request, she wants us to eliminate the bandits that are enslaving your people.”

Connie openly laughed in disbelief and irritation. “Ha! You? You three spoke with Maltetious?” Then her laugh turned into a snicker. “The mad numen? You’re going to have to come up with a more believable story than that. And I doubt she would want you to help Agnude’s followers, it is definitely far fetched at best.”

It was as if it were planned. Suddenly, a familiar giggling erupted from behind the group. Startled, they whirled about to see the majestic figure of Maltetious herself softly glowing as she gracefully walked through the open door; long golden hair flowing about her in the usual short white dress that she preferred. “Is it really that hard to believe, mortal?”

Maltetious said it with a sneer, glorious light beaming from her figure that seemed to define beauty. White lightning danced about her skin, and a thunderclap of power radiated out from where she stood.

Speechless: Erin, Connie, Gaften and Verick gasped and fell to their knees - bowing out of respect.

“This is what I like to see. Proper respect is a rarity nowadays.” Turning to her three champions who sat casually back onto their stools, she gave them a look of dissatisfaction and smirked. “You three could learn something from their manners.”

“What is it, witch?” said an irritated Michael. “I was just enjoying myself here.”

Taen raised a hand. “Maltetious, I thought you couldn’t take form outside of your shrines? And what about Agnude?”

With a humph, Maltetious stopped glowing and promptly plopped down onto one of the stools next to Taen. With a sly smile she turned, head in her hands to look at him. “Are you worried about me, Taen?”

Erin and her family’s friends had gotten back up after she’d sat down, and promptly backed up against the far wall - watching in amazement.

Taen grimaced and rubbed his forehead while sighing. “You are one for showing off aren’t you. Regardless are you going to answer the question or not?”

Taking Taen’s face in her hands she inched closer. Her soft hands pressed his cheeks together playfully and she flirtatiously nuzzled his nose with her own. “I do what I want, when I want… You are worried about me, aren’t you?”

Her stunning smile widened with the accusation.

Taen took her hands and put them to her sides, “Stop toying with me, girl.”

Maltetious frowned, obviously miffed he wasn’t playing along. “I can last outside of my shrines for a couple minutes at a time without being sent back to my realm, even without any prayer from followers.”

Getting up and picking up one of the stone cups - seemingly to examine the object, she without warning slammed it against Michael’s face with lightning speed that violently sent him sprawling heady over heels out through the front door and into the street. A crowd had gathered outside to peer through a window after seeing her enter and were all awestruck themselves - apparently they had been watching the entire event from the get go.

Laughing and chuckling to herself as Michael picked himself up while swearing profusely, she took his seat and put her feet up on the stool she had originally sat in. Hands over her knees she again looked at Taen with playful intent. “Agnude is away on business I suppose, his presence no longer resides over these lands. I’m sure it is temporary and that he’ll be back soon, but I took the opportunity to come say hello while he was gone!”

“Why not just go fry the slavers yourself then?”

Maltetious frowned again. “I’m not all powerful. I’m not a goddess, I’m a numen, and even the gods have to play by the rules creation has laid out before them. Without followers I don’t have much power left at all unless I’m at a shrine. Like I said earlier, I can only last outside of my own realm for a few minutes without prayer, and that’s without using magic. How long do you think I would last if I cast spells? It would be an immediate return, though I’d obliterate a couple of them before being sent back. But if you can collect fifty thousand followers for me, I can probably do the job easily enough.”

Getting up again - as Michael entered the building swearing loudly along the way - she kicked out his legs from underneath him and simultaneously pushed him forcefully out the door, slamming it shut along the way. Returning to sit next to Taen as Michael cursed her loudly from outside, she leaned against his shoulder. “I’d rather come and say hello! Is that ok with you, Taen?”

Chris just sat there, he had pulled out his pipe and was smoking the last of da grey chief. But then it hit him - and he suddenly he sprang to life. “OH! MALTETIOUS! I have a favor to ask of you! Can you get more some more of these leaves?”

Chris said it with a stupidly big smile as he held out what little remained of the plants.

“Already covered,” she said with a laugh, handing a large bundle of da grey chief over to an ecstatic Chris out of thin air. “I brought that along with me knowing you’d be out. You smoke too much for your own good.”

Turning to Erin, Maltetious Inhaled sharply with a squeal and clapped her hands together. “Chris this is the girl that gave you a life debt right?! I was watching the entire thing! Isn’t she adorable?!”

ran over to Erin who stood rigid and wide eyed, apparently terrified. Looking her up and down, then playing with her hair a little, Maltetious turned to Chris with a huge smile. “I approve, you two should be married at once!”

Erin blushed an incredibly bright red, Verick cast his eyes down to the floor and Connie put her hand to her mouth as if trying not to say anything. Chris inhaled sharply, causing some of the crushed leaves to enter through the pipe and he choked. Trying to regain his composure he stood up and shook his head. “That was most inappropriate. We’ve known each other for less than a week.”

Maltetious waved her hand about indifferently while giddily laughing. Then she gave Erin a wink. “I particularly like the part where she tried to stab you.”

Continuing to laugh Maltetious skipped around the table and threw her arms around Taen’s chest from behind, putting her head on his shoulder. “Well, time is almost up. But it HAS been fun! Though I did want to tell you to hurry it up. You have more important things to do, so behead the bandit leader, put it on a spike and slaughter the rest as well. I expect it to be done within the next two days, otherwise I shall get angry... and might possibly blow up Michael’s genitals.”

Michael walking in at that very moment overheard and his face paled.

“I won’t be able to come back for a while unless you’re at a shrine, even if Agnude stays away. I will have to recuperate in my realm for a while as this took a lot of energy. But I WILL miss you all! Michael, Chris, be sure to keep Taen safe. He’s my favorite.” Maltetious gave a quick kiss to Taen’s right cheek and skipped out the door, turning around she waved and with a flash she was gone again.

Shaking in fury, Michael sat down and put his head down to the table. “The day will come where I have my vengeance, and that wench will wish she had never met me.”

Taen smiled calmly. “You bring that sort of stuff upon yourself by calling her names ya know. She has, for the most part anyways, stopped torturing Chris and I. You should try being nicer!”

Michael’s returned expression just made Taen smile even wider, but this time with amusement.