A cloud of dust rose above the boughs of blackwood, shadowing the return of Liam’s vanguard. With the wagons rolling forward and the royal outriders galloping back they soon met on the road. Wagons slowing to a halt as the royal cavaliers lined both sides of the road, and Captain Dorian gave his report to Arlet and Jenkins.
As they spoke the cavaliers formed a new vanguard, standing neatly in rank and file so they could be ready when the new orders inevitably came. A few took the time to reload their pistols, yet none talked, maintaining discipline through silence. Arlet nodded to their captain and issued brief instructions, the captain nodded and wheeled his horse, issuing orders that sent the cavaliers back the way that had come.
“What was that about?” Asked Liam, speaking to Arlet from his station aboard the family-wagon.
“They’ve returned from Blackwood Castle. Apparently Lord Alexander Blackwood greeted the captain personally–” Began Arlet.
“What? Are you certain-” Interrupted Liam.
Despite the interruption Arlet continued his report, overriding the interruption. “Yes i’m sure. Asked Dorian twice my lord. But the Captain was undeniable, he’s met Blackwood in the capital and has no doubts concerning his identity.” Said Arlet meaningfully.
“How is that possible? We watched the royal guard take him into custody! Then we portaled home. We should be absolutely miles ahead of Blackwood, the only way he could reach here ahead of us is if Soren brought him north!” Snapped Liam, shocked and concerned that the disgraced noble was entrenched in the castle he meant to liberate.
“Or Renosipe…” Said Rhendal.
Dammit all to bloody heaven! Why would King Aldric betray me like this?
“Nevertheless, tis hard to believe Renosipe would ensconce him in stone if he meant us harm. It is too obvious a move for him, and would defy the king in an incontrovertible manner. There would be no room for him to wiggle out of responsibility.” Chimed in Rhendal.
“Unless Aldric himself moved against us.” Said Liam.
He sighed, pausing to ponder his options, pressing on would lead to violence, why else would Blackwood have returned? King Aldric did not forgive, or forget, he would make sure Alexander Blackwood died for being the Viscount who failed to identify the Lightning Lord that served him. Liam held no doubt he could slay Alexander Blackwood, but could he kill the disposed noble before the felinids were slain? Or worse…
A shudder ran down Liam’s spine, recalling Arlet’s suggestion to crucify the county’s citizens until Blackwood surrendered. He glanced towards Nyota, and met Niana’s oversized eyes. I don’t want to kill more people… Especially with Niana watching… Ah… I hope she hasn’t already seen a vivisection…
“Our mission is unchanged, we will proceed to Blackwood Castle as if he means us no harm, but plan for a battle. We will have the gorgons split off from the main body and head to the northern gate. If memory serves the wall is shorter there, making it the ideal location for a forceful ingress if needed. The signal to breach will be a bolt of lightning, otherwise we will open the gate from the inside.” Said Liam.
“A sound plan Lord Liam. I’ll have the eighth company split off as soon as Blackwood Keep comes into view.” Confirmed Arlet, giving a salute before he left.
“Hey Bishop, can you send a whisper to the magi.” Asked Liam.
“Already done my lord. They are ready and will join our wagon soon.” Answered the elderly Matimeo.
“Very well, let us judge Blackwood for ourselves.” Said Liam.
Soon thereafter a dozen royal magicians joined his wagon. Soren crammed six of his men into the wagon, with Liam, Niana, and Nyota squishing together on the driver’s bench. Consequently housing a veritable mountain of mana, giving the air a jello-like consistency for those with levels in [mana manipulation]. A few moments later and the caravan was moving again, footmen marched in neat formations, guided by the champion strategist.
On either side of the road the ancient blackwoods began to thin, small farms came into view and farmers could be seen bringing in the last of the harvest. Men and women scythed the wheat, children coming behind them to gather the stalks into bushels. Too busy to pay the marching column any heed. Conversely Phaedra and her daughters caught more than one confused stare from the farmers, but when they saw the Sintran eighth they returned to their work, moving all the more vigorously.
So they’ve seen monsters but do not fear them enough to stop farming… That’s confusing… Maybe it’s the context? Phaedra is marching- uhm… Slithering alongside a bunch of soldiers. Still, I should have a soldier question them- oh, Jenkins beat me to it. Thought Liam.
Watching as two scouts from the Sintran eighth broke off from the caravan and went to aid a farmer. The man was struggling to carry several large sacks from his field into his barn. After some confusion he reluctantly accepted their aid and the scouts assisted the man, conversing as they faded from Liam’s view.
“What’s wrong?” Asked Niana, pouncing onto Liam’s shoulders.
Her small body practically flew from the wagon, alighting on his shoulders as if she belonged there. With such precise movements she didn’t need to use her claws. Though her tail wrapped around his face, rubbing his growing beard against the grain.
“Ahem.” Said Liam, swatting her tail away from his mouth. Not wanting to cough any furballs. “Nothing’s wrong, just strange. The farmers don’t panic at the sight of Phaedra or your friends, they just keep farming like nothing odd is happening. Half of them don’t even give us a second look!” Offered Liam, scratching his growing beard.
“We aren’t going to hurt them. So why should they be scared?” Asked Niana.
“You and I know that, but they don’t, a caravan of soldiers this large means something is happening- Ack!” Shouted Liam, yanking the reins to a halt.
“Nyaaaa!” Cried Niana, hair standing straight up as she felt the same thing Liam had.
Once again her tail looped around Liam, this time hooking his nose and nearly picking some boogers. He yanked her fluffiness out of his face and leapt onto the bench, scanning the nearby area from a taller vantage.
Phaedra caught his sudden movement through one of her many snakelocks, and called a halt, stopping the vanguard in their tracks. None of the humans seemed to notice anything, but the hulk pulling their wagon sank a few inches, lowering itself, tensing as it felt the unknown force.
Why did the hulk notice and not the humans?
“What is it?” Hissed Nyota, oblivious to what made her family act so suddenly.
“Rhendal! Did you feel that?” Called Liam, raising a finger gun into the air.
Rhendal made no answer, a glance backwards told Liam he was napping with his hat over his face. Really? This isn’t the time for cat naps in hats! Thought Liam, though he changed his tone for the hidden mage.
“Whomever is casting, stop that now!” Shouted Liam.
Confused glances passed between the mages and soft mumbles of
“Wasn’t me.”
“Did you-?”
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“Not me.”
Passed between them.
“Sstop! Come no closser.” Called Phaedra, speaking to the empty road ahead.
Jenkins looked from the road to her, giving his head a scratch before speaking.
“Phaedra, who are you talking to? The road is empty…”
Phaedra whipped out an arrow and drew her bow to full extension, her five daughters following suit by aiming their bows at the center of the road. Liam’s eyes scanned them all, noting that they were not simply presenting their bows for show or aiming blindly. They were all aligned at a convergence in the road ahead, a point that was getting closer.
“Sspeak your name or we sshoot.” Hissed Phaedra.
Blind to the danger Jenkins trusted her, raising his shield and shouting the order for the eighth to close ranks and present spears, placing two men between each of the gorgons, shields up and spears lowered.
“Sstop!” Ordered Phaedra, releasing her arrow into the ground twenty feet ahead of her.
Faster than Liam could follow she had a second arrow on the string, and her bow was back at full extension. Reminding them all just how much stronger the gorgons were.
Now that her arrow marked a spot in the road Liam had a reference point and noticed the mirage, a slight shimmer or wiggle in the air nearby. He leveled a finger gun but could not get a clear shot around the tall gorgons or the tightly packed Sintrans.
Niana cried out as she felt the same wiggle of magic and Liam flexed his entire body to fight the shiver that ran down his spine.
“It’s casting again!” Shouted Liam.
His cry was answered by seven distinct noises at once. In the next millisecond, Phaedra loosed her arrow, five gorgons followed suit. While a distortion of air solidified in front of the mirage, appearing as a crescent blade. For an instant the crescent hung, then shot off, lancing through the air towards Phaedra’s midsection. Quick as lightning she twisted and rose into the air, allowing the blade of magic to impact her dorsal scales. The sound of breaking glass burst their ears. As the spell shattered against her armored hide.
One arrow was deflected by the wind blade, another two flew wide, missing the mirage. Two more arrows entered the mirage and exited at disparate trajectories, ringing against something hard, as if they had encountered armor and been turned aside. Phaedra’s black-fletched arrow flew true, propelled by her steel greatbow with a far longer shaft than her daughter’s. It pierced the distortion, planting itself firmly in midair.
“Argh!” Shouted an unknown voice, sounding distorted and distant.
Dude, what dafuq is this?! Is it an invisible monster? That’s- Awesome! But straight up cheating! And it sounded like a dude.
The arrow spun in midair, turning and hobbling away from the caravan.
“Sstop or we shoot again!” Called Phaedra, setting an arrow to her bow.
Liam had enough of this nonsense, tapping into his mana he channeled the second borrowed affinity. Picturing a half dome he slammed dark walls into the ground ahead of the mirage. The sudden appearance of a wall caught the being off guard and whatever it was slammed right into the purple mana.
A figure in olive drab clothes appeared in the half dome, bleeding from where their face had impacted the upper edge of Liam’s spell as well as from the broadhead sticking through their leg. Jenkins moved first, dashing to the invisible mages side and placing his spearpoint above the man’s heart.
“Move and you die.” Commanded Jenkins.
He received no answer from the unconscious man. Four Sintrans joined their captain, restraining the unknown mage and stripping him of his backpack and sword. Liam rushed to join them, only pausing to check on Phaedra.
“Phaedra! Are you alright?” He called.
“Wind cannot cut sstone.” She said, running her clawed fingers over her scales.
There was a line in her scales where the wind blade had hit, damaged, but not a single scale had buckled…
Stone? Dear God, I’m starting to wonder if my lightning could kill her. Come to think of it, that scorpion back in Petra survived five lightning bolts before I cooked it, but gorgons are cold blooded… My lightning might only get their blood warmed up. Sure I've leveled up but man… I am glad Phaedra is on our side.
“Uh, okay. Glad to hear it.” Muttered Liam, hastily moving to join Jenkins.
A tangy citrus scent greeted his nose, mingling with the harsh taste of iron, glancing around Liam found the source. Blood dripped from the broadhead at a rate that would soon kill the man if he was not already dead.
That’s a severed artery, need to work quickly.
“Move!” Shouted Liam, falling on the arrow shaft with all his weight.
It snapped in two and he yanked the ends out of the man’s leg, sending a thin spray of blood across the nearby men. He ignored their protests and inserted his fingers into the wound, activating his most familiar skill to skip the chant. Mana flowed through him like an open faucet, pouring into the wound and sealing the arterial bleed. Several additional castings were needed to seal the wound and replace a portion of the lost blood. A crucial measure to prevent his heart stopping. With his wound triaged, Liam took a moment to examine the newcomer.
He was tall, easily seven feet long, a fact he confirmed by laying next to the man. The newcomer was also unusually thin, with fingers one and a half times the length of Liam’s. But the strangest thing about him was the long pointed ears that extended a full six inches from the ear canal.
“It’s an elf!” Exclaimed Liam, confusion mingling with excitement.
“We should kill it. Attacking a woman while invisible, mmm. Not the type of scoundrel you want nearby.” Grumbled Jenkins, drawing the elf’s blade and examining it with a critical eye. “Might be enchanted.” He said.
It was a spectacular blade, with golden inlay and runes carved onto the sword’s blade. Jenkins sighted down it, ‘mmmm’-ing in approval at the straightness of the highly polished blade. Jewels covered the hilt and sparkled with a green intensity that imitated rustling leaves after a rainstorm. Fresh and crisp.
“You’ll do no such thing, no matter how spectacular his sword is, I am sure Phaedra will be satisfied with the one you currently have.” Quipped Liam.
“Hnnnggggh! My lord! He could have killed her!” Gasped Jenkins, too perturbed to even joke.
“Ah, sorry Jenkins,” Liam placed a hand on Jenkin’s shoulder. “I checked on her first, his attack barely left a scratch. Otherwise I wouldn’t make jokes.” Said Liam, wincing as he saw wrath in his captain’s eyes.
His fury faded as Phaedra approached, clearly fine.
The elf coughed, staunching their heart to heart. Sky blue eyes greeted Liam’s and he felt the whispering sensation of mana flowing. Arcane energy flowed through the prone elf, though what it achieved could not be understood by Liam.
“Ack! Release me you bloody dogs!” cried the elf, a blood vessel bursting in his eye and coloring it red.
“No.” Said Liam.
He pictured the mana as his middle finger and thumb. Then imagined them snapping, visualizing the spell breaking. A shockwave erupted from the elf, surging across the world and sending a dust cloud in every direction. Though the Sintrans held their ground, spears still aimed at the elf mage.
“Cast again and I will let my dogs show you just how bloody they are. Though I would prefer you lived, seeing as how you owe me a debt for healing you. One I intend to collect on.” Commanded Liam, sounding every bit like the lord Baron Green never was.
The elf looked to Jenkins, then to Liam, blinking as he saw the vision in one eye shift to red.
“Ah, how did you… Who are you?” Gasped the elf.
“Where I come from, the intruder should offer their name first, but you’ve lost a lot of blood so I will forgive your rudeness. You may address me as Lord Liam, and the woman you assaulted as Phaedra; when you apologize to her.” Ordered Liam.
The elf scowled and bared his teeth, glaring daggers at his captors.
“Damned slavers! Free my brother or a thousand elven warriors shall use your heads as target practice.” Shouted the elf.
Arlet dismounted his horse, raising his sword to cleave the elven head. An uplifted hand from Liam stopped him in his tracks.
“If I pronounce the sentence then I will swing the sword. This elf thinks he is a Lightning Lord’s equal, which makes me wonder how hard he hit my wall.” Chuckled Liam, retrieving the elf’s sword from Jenkins.
He did not spare the blade a glance, drawing it and pressing the tip into the man’s ribcage, precisely where a human heart would be.
“You are keeping me from reuniting my wife with her own enslaved children. I have no love for violence, but neither am I a stranger to it. For a week I’ve been working up the bile to level Blackwood’s castle and kill everyone inside. Do you know what it takes to prepare yourself to murder women and children?” Growled Liam, sending the smallest bolt of mana he could manage through the blade and into the elf’s chest.
He jerked and spasmed, flopping like a flounder on the dusty road. Jenkins and Arlet moved in– staying their blades at the last possible second as they realized Liam was the source.
“Sorry captain…-s. Just gave him a little jolt.” Offered Liam.
The three men stood there for a moment, silence soothing their nerves, and watching the man gasp for air. With his hands tied behind his back he could do little more than stare at the purple sky and breathe. Jenkins was the first to break, chuckling softly.
“Poseidon be damned. You’ve got me wound up tighter than Arlet’s mum at church. I’m going to go see how Phaedra is doing.” He said, dismissing himself from the squad.
Several Sintran men replaced him, surrounding the elf in a wall of spears. The elf watched him go, tracking him as he examined the gorgon.
“Lightning Lord,” Gasped the elf. “I am Elkesidic kinseeker. Forgive me, the men in the castle ahead have attacked me, tried to enslave me. Your heraldry is similar so I mistook you for my enemy. I am sorry.” Said Elkesidic.
What a name… Elkei, Elkthisdick? Oh man… Invisible elves… Great. What’s next? Lightning Dragons made of shadow? Or maybe some dry water?