Chapter 106
They rested for only a moment as screams and cries sounded all around them. M'redith looked about until she figured out where they had originally come from and led the group towards the thick forest. As they ran across the open fields that surrounded Ashagi Jay could make out a number of monsters in the distance fast approaching the group.
“We have company coming,” he called out as M'redith ran out in front of them searching for the way out. Finally she managed to locate where the group had originally come through – the forest floor looking a bit trampled from their past travel.
She ran them as best she could along the path. It wasn't a path such as a clear line along the ground indicating easy travel. Instead it was merely broken branches and snapped twigs along with stomped grass where they had tread days ago. M'redith had to work hard to follow their past path of travel.
Movement through the forest was slow. Using a path they had previously cleared made things only slightly faster. Thankfully most of the heavily forested areas already had routes cut through it thanks to Glenda.
The sun was setting by the time the screams and strange sounds of approaching monsters receded in the distance. They had finally given up.
M'redith ran them on for a bit until they reached a good sized tree that looked like they could all climb and sleep in that night.
As M'redith came to a halt the group instinctively spread out and picked a direction to watch over as they finally rested and took deep breaths of air, huffing and puffing. Glenda walked over to a mostly clear area and looked up and around. Finally she withdrew a pouch of white sand. She used it to draw a six foot wide circle on the ground. Inside of it she set a rectangular box the size of a business card on to the ground in the center of the circle.
The box began to blink blue, not the entire box mind you, just a tiny dot on its surface flashed blue, on and off repeatedly.
As Glenda stepped back to admire her work the others continued to check the area around them for danger. Norri finally couldn't take it anymore and walked over to stand next to Glenda in front of the circle.
“What's that for?” she asked.
Glenda shrugged and turned to Norri with a grin. “Home. Eventually.”
The others heard and stopped what they were doing to wander over and check it out as well.
“So that thing can get us home?” Aiden asked almost immediately as he approached the circle.
Glenda sighed and nodded but did not speak.
M'redith stared at the tiny box for a moment before visibly shaking herself. “Is that a beacon?”
Glenda grinned and pointed at M'redith as if happy someone else was there who could explain it.
“Is that like a portal?” Aiden asked excitedly.
M'redith laughed. “No. It is not a portal. Think of it as a message. The message goes to the portal house where a portal mage will take the message and use the information it contains to open a portal at the location the beacon is placed.”
“That's good, right?” Aiden asked excitedly.
Glenda put out her hand held flat and wiggled it. M'redith at the same time said, “So so?”
“So so?” Norri asked in disappointment.
M'redith grinned, “Cheer up Norri! It is bad because it isn't portable. If we move it now the whole process has to start over. So that is bad – if we are attacked or chased off the portal won't work. It is good because as long as that doesn't happen we get to go home directly tonight instead of walking the whole way!”
“So how long until the portal opens?” Jay finally asked. It was the question everyone really wanted an answer to.
“Hours? It's a slow process, not something really meant to be used in dangerous locales.” M'redith answered and Glenda nodded her huge head in agreement.
“So we're still in danger?” Aiden asked.
Glenda nodded slowly.
Everyone was quiet for a time as the sun set throwing streaks of pink and purple across the dusky sky. The ground slowly grew long shadows until the sky was a deep blue gradient and the ground was cast in darkness.
Still, the beacon blinked blue.
A squawk could be heard off in the distance. It was answered by another from a completely different direction. The squawks continued as they gradually grew closer to the groups position.
“Those are getting closer, right? It's not just my imagination?” Aiden finally joked.
Additional squawks could be heard further out along with a number of screams from the direction of Ashagi. Perhaps Ashagi wasn't going to let them go after all.
Glenda nodded seriously. With a great sigh Glenda stood up and moved to the tiny box with its single blinking blue light. Sadly she crossed over the white sand circle and picked it up and placed it in a pocket. The blue light stopped blinking as soon as she touched it.
Everyone looked disappointed. They had really been hoping to get out of there before nightfall but that was not going to happen apparently.
Glenda peered at the others, all of whom were staring at her as she pocketed the beacon.
“We go. Quickly! Follow.” she said and without another word quietly vanished in to the forest.
The others followed her, not wanting to be left behind. They ran off in to the thick underbrush and tried to move as quickly as the tangled plants and trees would allow.
Screams and squawks followed.
-----
“..shouldn't have been in the area in the first place! Perhaps we should reopen discussions on boundaries. Hmm?” said Walter as he looked over at the young woman who had interrupted his conversation.
They were in an artfully decorated meeting room, softly lit without the source being readily apparent. Walter was sitting at a gold gilded table with two other men, both of whom were impeccably dressed. Their wine cups were half emptied and the two wine bottles on the table were completely emptied.
A young woman had arrived, a messenger. She quickly delivered her message verbally.
“Portal House reports beacon G7 has been activated. Beacon broadcast for roughly one hour before signal was terminated manually at source.” the woman whispered quietly in to Walter's ear. Her message was for Walter after all, not either of the two men he was currently meeting with.
Walter looked excited at first before frowning. He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment as he tried to decide what to do about it. From the sound of it Jay's group had activated their beacon but had to move before the portal opened. They wouldn't have moved unless something was wrong.
“New message,” Walter said to the woman who already had out a pad of paper and a writing implement. “To: Guild Officer of the Watch, Message Begins: Notify Red Guard to immediately respond to Portal House, prepare to deploy and aid Guild Members at beacon G7, expect strong resistance. End of Message.” Walter said quietly to the messenger.
When he stopped speaking the messenger stood up straight and nodded before running out of the room.
-----
Glenda was now the one leading them. She had more experience in running from monsters than M'redith had apparently. Glenda used her body to push through wherever she could. When that failed she used her axes instead which never failed to do the job.
They were still moving slowly due to the sheer density of the forest along the forest floor. They could climb a tree but who knew what was tracking them, who knew if they could climb trees.
No, Glenda had already decided that running was their best option. They wouldn't be able to hide from whatever Ashagi had sent after them.
A number of howls could be heard off in the distance in the direction they were traveling. Glenda stopped in her tracks and Aiden muttered, “Well that doesn't sound good.”
Glenda didn't even shush him, she was too busy trying to use the monster's cries to attempt to figure out where they were in relation to her group. After a moment she was sure.
They were surrounded.
Not closely, the monsters were still a ways off, but they would surround them once they got closer. Glenda and her group's only chance lay in escaping that rapidly closing noose. If they could run outside of that imaginary circle perhaps they could lose their pursuers.
Glenda turned to the side and ran laterally to the direction her group had been going a moment before. She ran as fast as the surrounding plant-life would allow. After a few minutes Glenda stopped again to listen and try to place the enemies' locations. They were getting closer. Too close.
Glenda ran again, this time not stopping but instead slowing down as the darkness had grown too deep for the group to run. Instead everyone grabbed on to the person in front of them and they traveled in a stack, slowly, through the underbrush as monster calls grew closer and closer to their position.
-----
The men of Red Guard were a special bunch, chosen from the thousands of people that called themselves Guild Members. They were the best of the best and spent the majority of their time either training, drinking, or playing cards. Their enemies hoped that was what Red Guard was doing because they had a fourth activity they enjoyed which was annihilating their opponents.
The room they were in was lined with weapons and armor and various magical devices. The men and women were lounging in their underwear, relaxing after a heavy workout that morning. Their job was primarily to be ready, always. They could deploy to any type of combat environment within ten minutes of notification thanks to the sheer number and variety of armor and equipment that they kept constantly in a state of readiness.
“ALERT..ALERT..ALERT..FOREST-7R..FOREST-7R..STAGING AREA PORTAL HOUSE..ALERT..ALERT..” repeated on a loop as a small box attached to the ceiling began to magically broadcast a message it had received just a moment earlier. A white strobe light triggered on the wall and threw bright flashes across the room.
Tables overturned and chairs crashed to the floor as people leapt to their feet and raced to their lockers. Forest-7R, they would be deployed to a thick Forest environment. The tac 7 meant expect strong resistance, bring the heavy stuff. The R meant this would be a rescue. They weren't going to just annihilate their enemies but to rescue someone as well. They'd get more information when they reached the portal house.
Finally fully dressed they ran out of the room and in to the transport cart parked ready and waiting just outside of the building. They crammed themselves and their gear in to the back and the cart took off before the last man was all the way inside of the vehicle.
A team mate reached out and grabbed the man and pulled him the rest of the way in to the cart as it took off down the road at high speed towards the portal house.
-----
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Glenda had found a tree with branches almost to the ground. Parting some of the branches the group found a hollowed out clearing under its canopy. They struggled through the underbrush until they were all inside. It wasn't perfect but it was better than being outside.
Glenda went off to the left side of the group and drew another circle with white powder before she placed the beacon in the center of it. It activated and began to blink. It was blindingly bright in the darkness and Glenda frowned. It wasn't very stealthy but there wasn't anything they could do about it. Placing anything over the device could cause the portal to fail. Moving the device could cause it to fail. It was delicate.
Glenda turned back to the group. “We stay. Fight. Escape with Portal.” she said a bit verbosely.
The howls were off to the side, all of them actually. Perhaps Glenda had gotten them out of the noose after all.
----
A portal mage looked up as a number of heavily armored and armed men and women walked in to the room.
“G7?” one of the men asked. The portal mage nodded and the rest of the man's group filed in as well filling the room to capacity.
A man in a strange looking blue hat walked in looking harried. “Red Guard?” asked the man in the blue hat.
The man he spoke to looked down at his chest. He was wearing bright red armor, the calling card of the Red Guard. He looked back up at the blue hat wearing man and lifted one eyebrow sardonically.
“Right. Right. Red armor. Ok, mind stepping in to the hallway where there is more room and I'll fill you in?” the man in the blue hat asked. The two men left to talk in the hallway as the others remained in the room.
“Carrier!” shouted the portal mage as he felt something only he could feel. The men and women in the room tensed up, dropping their center of gravity and hunching their shoulders without even thinking about it.
The portal mage noticed and nodded to them, “You can relax, that is only stage one. This will take a while.”
The men and women of Red Guard all looked as if they were prepared to charge through a portal that minute should one appear.
The portal mage shook his head and returned to concentrating on the portal. A half hour went by and the Red Guard that had been in the hallway returned to the room. “How we doing?” he asked the portal mage.
“We've had carrier for half an hour and, yup, there it is, they're handshaking now. Carrier just means the beacon is transmitting a 'let's talk' signal to the portal device here. It means the group you're tasked with saving has once again managed to activate their beacon. Let's just hope it stays on this time.” answered the mage.
“Handshaking?” the Red Guard in command asked.
The portal mage noticed that the Red Guard he was speaking to had a number of chevrons on his sleeve denoting rank. “Right. Handshaking. The beacon and the portal station here are exchanging location data. This could take a bit.”
“Why so long?” the chevron wearing Red Guard asked.
“When you give a location what do you need to know?” asked the portal mage as he continued to focus on the portal station in front of him.
“Longitude? Latitude?” answered the Red Guard.
The portal mage nodded. “Sure, sure. But what about altitude? Depth? Location of the planet in space? Planetary spin? Time? Not to mention a host of other data points that are required for a portal to work.”
The Red Guard nodded. “I'll just leave you to it then.”
The portal mage grinned, “Thanks. I'll try to get it up and running as soon as I can.”
“How long?” the Red Guard asked.
“Within an hour after they finish handshaking. It all depends on the universe. I know that sounds pompous but magically speaking it is entirely accurate.” apologized the portal mage with a sad smile.
The Red Guard smiled, “It's ok. Just do your best. We'll be waiting.”
The portal mage peeked out the corner of his eyes and saw the rest of the Red Guard practically leaning forward in anticipation. They had a job to do, and they loved their jobs.
-----
It had been over an hour and a half since Glenda's group had placed their beacon and hid in the brush under the tree's canopy in the hopes that they would go undetected.
They had a good chance of that happening. Or at least they would have if it weren't for the bright blue blinking light.
The forest had a background sound that was always there, animals calling to each other, insects chirping – unless a predator or something strange arrived. When that happened the forest would go quiet and wait for whatever it was to pass. Then, slowly, the background sounds would return.
What Jay and his group had done was disturb that background sound with a bright blue light. They had hidden themselves, but the light was still blinking, and the area around them was still quiet. That quietness was itself like a beacon to monsters. It said: Something to eat might be over here!
The monsters had begun to investigate and their sounds were drawing closer and closer.
At first only small monsters were seen. Low to the ground and barely two feet in length they weren't very strong and as they tried to force their way in to the group's hiding place their lives were quickly snuffed out by a poke from M'redith's sword or by a swing of Glenda's axes.
The rest of the group lay motionless and quiet.
Time went by and the area around them was frighteningly quiet. No background noise, just silence.
Something screamed off in the night and other screams answered it.
The dead bodies of the monsters they had already slain would draw predators soon if their scents hadn't already. Time was running out.
----
“I've got a lock! Sixty seconds!” yelled the portal mage as the Red Guard began to go over each other's armor and weapons one last time.
The portal mage drew a deep breath and began the casting process. He mentally reached for the portal device and felt it brush up against his mind. He prepared to cast a portal, but instead of providing the location he instead pointed the location query of the spell towards the portal device that shone brightly in his mind's eye.
He was now locked in to the portal conjuring process and would be unavailable for conversation until the portal was completed. His eyes were closed and he made a faint humming sound.
A swirl of black popped in to existence above the portal device, its surface constantly in motion.
The Red Guard wearing chevrons on his sleeve called out to the others, “Forty seconds! Get ready!”
----
The blinking blue light was momentarily invisible as a swirling black mass cracked to life above it, popping and snapping like popcorn.
As it did so a number of monsters charged at the tree. They had been found and the time for hiding was past. Glenda and M'redith stood up and began to defend the tree placing themselves between the tree and their enemies. The rest of their group got to their feet as well but weren't as quick.
Glenda and M'redith struck their monsters at almost the same times and the two monsters dropped to the ground, both of them covered in wounds. There was always one more monster however, no matter how many they killed, more approached.
The others had by now joined the combat and were doing everything they could to keep the monsters from reaching the beacon. The beacon was the group's only hope of safety. If the monsters destroyed it Jay's group wouldn't live very long afterwards.
Jay took a heavy blow to the head and dropped to the ground on one knee before his armor stopped a monster from closing its mouth over Jay's stomach. Jay turned to the side and Norri beat the monster to death with her staff. Its body finally dropped off of Jay's armor and Jay stumbled about a bit, dazed.
Aiden took the next injury as a monster managed to close its maw over Aiden's left arm. It shook it violently and threw Aiden to the side where he struck a tree and dropped to the ground unconscious.
The monsters were now arrayed in a semi circle in front of M'redith, Glenda, and Norri. Jay was still stumbling as he muttered incoherently due to his head injury.
The monsters made a move to overwhelm the group but suddenly pulled back in a fit of squeals and left the group all alone. It was still and quiet and the group sighed in relief at the reprieve.
That was when Jay felt the ground shake. Then again. And again. Something was approaching them and it was big.
----
Some time ago Walter had excused himself from his guests and said good night. Leaving the meeting room he had gone in to town and used his authority to gain access to one of the city's watch towers that lined the city walls. Walter stared out in to the darkness with anticipation.
----
Back at the portal house the portal device suddenly blossomed in to a fully formed portal made up of swirling energies. It had barely stabilized before the chevron wearing Red Guard said “FORWARD!”
The rest of the Red Guard who had up until that moment barely restrained themselves finally charged at the portal, passing through it as if it weren't even there, not allowing it to slow them.
The room quickly emptied until only four Red Guard remained. The rest were with Jay's group now.
The four remaining Red Guard were tasked with destroying any monsters that came through the portal.
The portal mage smiled. It wasn't as much work once the portal was opened. It was tiring, but not work. He watched with relief as the four Red Guard took up positions around the portal.
----
The Red Guard had just enough time to arrive and figure out where their rescue targets were before the trees in front of them exploded in to a flying cloud of wooden shrapnel.
A monster at least twelve feet tall if not taller charged towards the group and the Red Guard reacted instantly.
Two thick looking Red Guard carrying shields as large as their bodies and giant three foot long swords took the monsters charge. They impaled it on their swords and caused it to scream in rage.
The monster was mostly teeth. Its head was a complicated riot of orifices and tusks and teeth. A long neck allowed it to strike out at targets even when they appeared to be too far to reach. It walked upright on two giant feet and a thick squat tail trailed behind it. It was covered in red and green feathers.
Red Guards took up positions around Jay's group and began to drag them one by one through the portal. M'redith didn't want to leave her group and a Red Guard had to drag her, screaming obscenities, from the battle. He carried her through the portal before returning, alone, to rejoin the fight.
Another Red Guard carried an unconscious Jay and brought him through the portal before handing him off to someone and returning as well.
The monster screamed impotently as it found itself unable to reach the tasty morsels that only a moment ago lay practically undefended under a tree. The new food that had arrived was far too difficult to eat. The monster found itself unable to disengage however due to the sheer amount of damage the Red Guard was putting out.
Swords, arrows, crossbow bolts, spells, all rained down on to the thrashing creature as its body whipped back and forth. They were just to keep the monster busy though.
Norri was standing towards the back and looked furious. She was focusing on the monster and trying to lock up its body movements but it wasn't working. The monster was just too powerful.
With a crack the monster shot out its head in an attempt to bite one of the fighters. The targeted Red Guard calmly sidestepped the attack before bringing a heavy mace in a downward swing crashing down on to its skull. The strike made a heavy thunk sound as it struck bone and the monster pulled its head back to its body with a violent lurch.
Next to Norri a Red Guard had been standing immobile since her arrival. The female Red Guard had her hair tied back with a ruby diadem worn on her head, the gem centered on her forehead. The gem sparkled darkly as the ability she had been casting finally came to fruition.
----
Walter watched as the dark night sky lit up, a streak shooting out from the heavens towards the ground. It was fiery and lit up the night as if, for a moment, it had turned day.
The streak shot towards the ground before striking with a blast. From his vantage point he could see a giant explosion far off in the distance, a jet of debris being thrown in to the air, a smoking cloud rising off of the ground.
Walter nodded. That would do. Now to check on Jay.
----
Norri looked up as a screaming sound from above drew closer. The monster in front of her was suddenly squashed in to the ground as if by a giant invisible hand. The monster exploded in all directions but mostly upwards as the monster and the earth around it was shot straight up in to the sky - in tiny pieces.
The Red Guard didn't wait around but grabbed the remaining members of Jay's group and dragged them through the portal.
The portal snapped shut behind them with a crackling sound and moments later the beacon device burst in to flames and rapidly burned down to ash. There was no sign the group had ever been there unless one counted the giant crater in the earth where the monster had been annihilated.