After looking through the index on their bag, Silvia and Darren hadn’t needed to add much. Some personal clothes, some books, and Darren’s speaker and phone. Everything else had been prepared. They boarded the airship, The Monderrer, just after noon. The crew hustled this way and that readying the ship as well as settling the supplies for the journey ahead. It had two large open decks separated by support pillars, the bottom had three entrances to the lower decks. A taller upper deck level built near the stern housed the control post, where the wheel, navigation equipment and short range communications were all controlled from. Every few feet along the taffrail were stationary guns ready to be manned in case of attack or defense from man or beast. Four large masts ran up to connect the body of the ship with the large metal-encased balloons filled with some mixture of pressurized gas and a gaseous form of mana. Off the stern were two large engines that helped push the ship and could be angled to gain or lose altitude.
Darren was hastily inspecting everything. He hadn’t even made it below decks yet and he was already drooling.
Booooooring Silvia drew the word out sleepily in her mind. She wasn’t lying when she said she would get no rest and now Darren was feeling the truth in those words. Her fatigue occasionally dragged his eyelids down as well.
You’re boring! Are you seeing this? he asked as he looked over the rail near the back. He could see the entire city both on the mainland and built directly into the cliffside, as well as the marine docks far below. The height was dizzying and his eyes couldn’t quite adjust to the depth of the distance.
I’ve seen it before. You are.. what is that word from your world, ‘nerd’? Silvia shot back from her spot at the bow, where she sat, leaned back against some crates.
Darren stared, entranced by it all as Avarith and Leon walked up from behind.
“I told you he would be gawking the entire time.” Leon said as he patted Darren on the back.
“And I didn’t doubt it.” Avarith replied “Is it everything you hoped for Darren?” he asked, joining him at the railing.
“I’d seen it in one of Silvia’s dreams, but the actual thing is ten times better. Jesus, a fall from this height would turn you to pink mist.” he laughed.
Leon laughed and Avarith just cocked his head, perplexed by the way his friend’s mind worked.
The ship pushed off soon after, gliding lightly through the air and up towards the lowest level of clouds. They had all been assigned rooms, but the ship would have them at their destination just after nightfall. Silvia took the time to try and sleep, exhaustion setting in. Darren just explored the ship, learning of the crystal and coal powered engines and the gas mixtures used to keep it aloft. He wasn’t near ready to leave when they floated down just above the decent sized town they were assigned to start in. The ship hovered there while two crane shaped appendages extended from the upper deck ready to lower them on a platform to the rooftop of the town’s garrison.
Archard and Erol came out to see them off.
“We’ll be taking the ship to see your father Leon, I’ll let him know you’re doing well. I trust you will all be careful and look out for each other while you’re here. Just stick to the task and keep yourselves safe. The world is a dangerous place as of late.” concern written across Archard’s face made them all take his warning seriously.
“We’ll be safe, father. Together, nothing can stop Chevaliers.” Avarith tried to put his father’s mind at ease.
“Say hi to my father for me. And don’t worry about these two, I’ll keep an eye on them.” Leon winked as he ruffled Darren’s hair.
“Take your eyes off me, I never know where they’re looking.” Darren said, covering himself shyly. He and Leon laughed but Archard didn’t look amused.
Be serious, fool. Silvia shot at him like a spike.
Darren met Archard’s gaze directly. “We’ll get it done, sir.”
“Safe journey to you all.” Archard said as he stepped over to Silvia, hugging her. “You’re sure you’re ready, my dear?”
“Yes, uncle. We’re all ready, we won’t let you down.” her lips were pressed together tight, her eyes shone with confidence.
Archard thought he had never seen a more determined face. He would have to trust them, at this point he had few, if any, other options. The mages of the family were stretched thin across the province dealing with too many issues to count.
They stepped onto the platform and waved one final time as it carried them down past the hull and stopped just before the rooftop. They stepped off and watched as it was winched back up to the deck and secured, before The Monderrer lifted off and left them behind.
“Well, it’s late, we don’t have much time. The squad we’re taking should be inside waiting for us. We’ll meet them, set our plans for tomorrow, and then head off to get some rest.” Avarith said, leading them towards a rooftop door.
The door opened and two soldiers came out to meet them.
“I’m garrison Commander Lefevre, this is Lieutenant Hostich.” the commander said, pointing to the short but fierce looking woman to his right. “She’s the squad leader. She’ll show you around and get you squared away. It’s an honor to meet you all.”
“I’m Avarith D’Chevalier, this is my family. We’ll save the introductions for the entire squad. But we look forward to working with you all.”
Hostich led them down a stairwell and into the top floor of the station. Desks were busy being manned by the town's guard force, still busy with alarms and fights at taverns in the late evening. It was nowhere near as big as Eufror, but large enough to be fraught with all kinds of trouble. She led them further down to the second floor and to a large ready room for squads to prepare for raids and excursions into the countryside. Here there stood eight more soldiers, six men, and two women.
“This is Operations Team Five. We are the one’s assigned to help you secure the ruin.”
The team turned from readying their gear for the next day and gave Hostitch and their assigned mages their full attention. Many looked unhappy, a few downright angry.
“And what did you all do to draw the short straw, since I know none of you want to go.” Leon asked bluntly.
There was a moment of silence as a few of them looked at each other.
“There was an anti-magic rally.” Hostitch began “They ran afoul of some grey mages within the town. We were one of the teams assigned to keep the sides separate, something easier said than done. The anti-magic crowd threw garbage at a grey mage and her guardian who completely lost their temper. Soon enough a few mages and several townsfolk were engaged in all out war in the main square. While attempting to subdue them things got out of hand. Cornered and cut off we took control back in the square.” she trailed off for a moment. “Unfortunately this came with the deaths of eight citizens. Six at the hands of the mage, and two when she wouldn’t stop, as we had to kill her and her guardian, which cost us one of our own, making nine deaths in total. All in all, it was a fucking nightmare.”
The silence hung in the air around them. Tense and unsettling for them all.
“I assume you didn’t want to tell us this as you thought we would harbor some resentment over the killing of a mage. I appreciate your honesty.” Avarith noted “Truth is we don’t see a divide between those who do and don’t have magic. The divide we see is between those who do and don’t do what’s right. It sounds like that mage was on the opposing side from us, and it sounds like that puts us together.”
The soldiers seemed to relax slightly at this, but still watched them suspiciously.
“We’re here for what should be a simple job. We’ll only make you enter the ruin long enough to secure it and assure that it’s empty. After that we will release you while we stay behind to finish our task. That is all we ask. It sounds like you’re a capable bunch and if all goes to plan, we should have your portion done in no more than a day.” Leon stated plainly.
“Well we can definitely get that done.” Hostitch said, looking at her team intently.
They finalized their plans and meeting time and all headed off to prepare and sleep for the morning to come.
****
“Your name is Tarsle Dorden. My apologies, General Tarsle Dorden. You live in a mansion that’s been in your family for generations. Your family home houses your many servants, your wife, three sons, and five beautiful daughters. I’ll skip their names for now, to save myself the breath.” The man in grey stopped and raised his eyebrows at Tarsle “Eight kids, you do keep busy though, don’t you.” he laughed quietly, walking back and forth as he spoke. “You’ve been in the Trelboron army for, my goodness, twenty two years. Fought in at least one war, and gained enough goodwill to get an important post. Just this side of the base of Summit Line at the Gardelian border. They must trust you quite a bit, general.” the man in grey looked at him again. “My name is Castor Magnussen, I live wherever I have to, to do what I need. I have no living family left, just my good friend Moriel.” he gestured to the man standing behind him in light bronzed armor. “We fought in the same war as you once upon a time, of course on the opposite side. But we bear no ill will now, that’s long behind us. We gained no goodwill, and struck out on our own. No one trusts us, and yet we get our way so often.” Castor sat in a chair across from where Tarsle was gagged and bound to a chair of his own. He leaned forward, into the small light cast by the single candle lit between them. “Now that we know a little more about each other we may talk, not as strangers, not quite as friends, but as equals at least.”
Tarsle struggled against his bonds but they were almost too tight to breath let alone move. He looked around the abandoned house they had dragged him to after killing his guards and his driver. I’m a war hero dammit, I shouldn’t be treated this way he thought. But even after the horrors he saw in war, hearing this man calmly discuss his family sent him into a cold sweat. He bit down on his gag angrily, listening as the man went on.
“We get our way because we take precautions to demand it. Never asking for favors, but setting circumstances that allow for no other option than to acquiesce.” Castor reached into his pocket, pulled out a picture and showed it to Tarsle. An albumen print of a familiar room in a familiar house. It showed Tarsle’s youngest daughter asleep in her bed, and a hand hovering just above her body. The back of the hand had a rune on it.
Moriel stepped forward and pulled his sleeves back, showing the rune on his hands and the others that extended in grey forms up his arms and beyond. Then he reached out and pulled the gag from Tarsle’s mouth.
“What the fuck do you want then?” Tarsle spat out, already defeated. At the sight of his daughter under this man’s hand all resistance had drained out of him.
“Nothing sordid I assure you, general. Just to do what you do best. Kill Gardelians.” Castor said coolly, taking another look at the picture. “I have a similar arrangement with one of the commanders of a section of the great border fort. His section of the fortress holds a small tunnel, used to conduct raids against you ‘Trelboron bastards’ during the war. He will leave it unmanned for two days in the coming weeks. You will send troops through, few enough not to get caught, but great enough to wreak some havoc. You will send them without missives or notice, without consulting superiors or letting inferiors know. You will send them to raid and pillage until they either die, or I see fit to give them new orders,” Castor reached down and pulled a small sphere with a carving of an eye from his amulet, one of three. "and you will have the leader of them carry this." He set the small trinket down on the table between them. He paused and looked at the picture again. “She looks sweet, doesn’t she, Moriel?” he looked back at the general. “Do you think she tastes sweet?”
“One could only hope.” Moriel said, still staring at the bound man. One of your more disgusting lines.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Whatever will make him believe, and follow. Castor sent back.
“Leave it you bastards, I said I would do as you ask.” Tarsle called out angrily, spit flying from his lips.
“I told you our names Tarsle, I’m placing a great deal of trust in you. I need you to have that same level of trust in us, in our interests. And Moriel always has an interest in girls.” Castor stood from his chair, a smile spread across his lips “So Tarsle, do you trust me?”
****
The morning came and they all grabbed their gear. Operations Team Five loaded one piece of magic artillery onto a hulking armored carriage. They strapped on their weapons of choice, their shields, and the few gadgets their commander allowed them to take from the armory. They loaded extra spears, bows and arrows onto the truck. Leaving just enough room for the team of thirteen to mount up. The mages and guardians donned their finely crafted armor and gear, each with two small purple banners from their waist with the Chevalier crest in white, signifying them as arcane nobility. They pulled their swords and daggers from their bags, strapping them on. Darren attached a large shield to his back and put on the new gloves Leon had custom made for him. More nimble than the typical armored gauntlet, ready for even the most dextrous needs, to compliment his wrestling and empty handed skills. Leon also had matching tomahawks made for them both after Darren had regaled him with a story from his world known as The Patriot. The Chevalier crest cut out through the center of the blades, which they kept on their belts. Once they were all ready they climbed aboard the truck and headed out of town.
They chugged along for a few hours, leaving the cobblestone that connected them to other towns and bumping back and forth on the dirt paths that led through the woods. They followed the map Avarith had brought with them and before long found themselves just outside the ruin. Signified by two large stone structures, red and tan in color, appearing as the leftovers of what might have been a great gate once upon a time.
They rolled through it slowly, the soldiers pulled their bows and nocked arrows. The mages selected their spells and the team watched their surroundings cautiously as the truck rolled slowly and noisily through the brush. In the woods they could catch glimpses of the remains of structures, overgrown by vines and bushes. Buildings and obelisks of red, tan, and blue rose through the trees never quite breaking through the thick canopy towering above. Shafts of light penetrated the branches and leaves, dropping small spotlights throughout the forest. As they rode deeper they hit an area so thick with foliage they couldn’t drive any further.
The team dismounted and loaded up with what they needed.
“Four, Five, stay with the truck and keep an eye out. Fire a flare if you see anything.” Hostich barked orders as naturally as others breathed. “Six, Seven, you big bastards get to carry our artillery, congratulations. One through Three, bows and arrows. Eight and Nine, spears. Mages and guardians, help yourselves to any of the leftover equipment.”
“Thanks Lieutenant, but we have all we need.” Leon said.
“Then let’s move out people, spears up front, then bows out to the sides, mages then guardians at the back. Everyone keep your head on the task.” Hostich said as she grabbed a spear for herself.
You ready for this? Darren’s thought danced into her mind excitedly
Absolutely Silvia shot back.
They looked ready for anything, marching quietly through the woods between ruins and road markers older than written history. The shafts of light through the trees occasionally hit buildings with a border of some kind of metal that sparkled and sent small hexagonal beams of light reflecting around them. It would be easy to get lost in the beauty and the historical significance of the world around them, but an oppressive feeling crept in the deeper they went, keeping them all mission minded.
They reached a more open section with several buildings on either side of a curved dirt road, in the distance they could see the tops of buildings in what might have been a city square. An immense temple stood at the center, with several outbuildings and pillars constructed around it reaching above the rest of the ruins. It looked as though similar roads like the one they were one led to the center in a large spiral format. Everyone halted as one of the front spearmen raised his hand in a fist.
Up ahead a small group of four men were standing together, shivering just outside of one of the small buildings. They had grotesque growths on their exposed skin, their clothing ragged and torn. The men looked like they might have been muscular and fit once, but seemed to be malnourished and haggard at this point.
The team split in two and took cover on each side of the trail by the nearest buildings. They spoke using the Signs, raising a hand before gesturing to draw the team's attention.
“Do you think they’re travellers?” Hostich asked, looking at Avarith.
“Hard to discern, what’s left of their clothes says fieldworkers.” he replied “Does anyone see any more?”
The team members closest to the sides of the buildings peaked around the edges and everyone peered into the woods.
Number Seven raised his hand “Three more up ahead to the left. At least five beyond those.”
They sat in silence a moment as they tallied their odds. Between their armor, weapons, and their numbers they could easily take the ones already seen. But with that number visible, how many weren’t?
“We have to secure this area.” Avarith signed “Madmen are simple, we might lure a few with sound and dispatch them quietly. Thin them out and go from there. There shouldn’t be too many.”
“Agreed.” Hostich signed back. She gave orders for two teams of three to get set.
The bowmen threw rocks near the first group of four, they turned and ambled in the direction of the sound. Slowly drawing them towards the group in waiting. As they neared the corner of the building the spearmen hid behind, all three archers fired shots, killing two of the shamblers and wounding another. Before they could make a sound the spears stepped out and finished them off silently.
Slowly the team moved through the street, checking buildings one at a time and always keeping walls between them and the other groups they already knew about. They found two more hiding in a building, shivering together facing a wall. Two quick spear thrusts and they were on the ground, permanently still. They stashed their artillery in the building and marked its location on the map, focusing on the stealthy approach.
They neared the corner of a long building filled with stone tables, the man in front leaning around the corner just enough to see what lay ahead. He leaned back quickly.
“Six of them, pressed against the wall, looking in all directions.” he signed to Hostich.
“Damn, we’ll have to back track a ways to get around them.” she replied to him.
Avarith opened his index and scrolled through, selecting the symbol for nature. “Silvia, select yours as well. Lend me your concentration.” he signed before pressing his hands together near his chest.
Silvia stepped in front of him, selected her spell, and pressed her hands against the backs of his. He slowly pulled his own apart with hers still pressed firmly against them. They created a large swirling orb of varying shades of purple. Holding the orb, almost as wide as his torso, he stepped away from Silvia and around the corner. Immediately he fired the orb into the center of the shambling men, one started to grunt but the orb expanded into a large ball of sticks and thorns that pierced through and wrapped around them all. It twisted in on itself, pulling them all into the center before a second wave grew around and crashed down into them. There was a low percussive crunching sound as bones and twigs snapped in unison. After a moment a steady dripping of blood was all that could be heard from the gory display of vines and viscera left behind.
The soldiers stared wide-eyed, as they passed the nest of limbs and thorns. The team moved on, closing the distance between them and the temple, bit by bit.
Darren and Silvia tried to learn all they could, watching the team and their teachers work. They felt a bit useless, but these were true professionals. The squad moved slowly up one of the curving rows of buildings, spiraling towards the center. As they came around one of the final corners before the temple they saw a horrifying sight. Dozens of open cages and scores of madmen, twitching as they walked back and forth in front of the stairs of the temple. The team fell back into cover, unsure what to do.
“Someone put these people here.” Avarith whispered as the realization sank in. He carefully peaked around the corner again.
A few of the cages were still closed and had tired looking men locked inside. Some lying on the floor and talking to themselves in hushed voices, their eyes darted around nervously. Others wandered back and forth, struck the others in the cage with them and shook the bars like rabid animals. The team was so distracted by the crowd around the corner they didn’t see a lone man walk out from a building in the row running parallel to theirs. Darren looked up and saw it, just too late.
The disfigured man let out a scream at the top of his lungs before sprinting right at them. Darren pulled his sword from its sheath and swung in a narrow upward arc slicing into the man’s ribs and lungs. As the sword slid out of his chest the man fell in a heap at their feet.
They looked at each other in a moment of shocked silence before hearing dozens of screams from the direction of the temple.
The team ran as fast as they could. They could hear bare feet slapping the dirt behind them in droves. Madmen came pouring out of buildings and alleys around them trying to catch them as they ran by, joining the churning mass of bodies pursuing them. A group of them came sprinting into the open street in front of them, attracted by the sound.
“Up those stairs!” Hostich yelled pointing to a crumbling stone staircase leading to the second story of a tall stone building to their left.
The team rushed up the large stairway two at a time. The last two, Six and Seven, moved up the steps backwards, killing any who got close enough. The lunatics leapt onto the railing and flooded the stairs like a wall of water. The bowmen started firing into the crowd but it seemed futile, as soon as one fell two came crawling over it. The misshapen people began grabbing and pulling on Six and Seven as they covered the stairs. A heavy grating sound was the only clue as to what was about to happen.
Avarith had just enough time to charge and fire a bolt of nature magic, creating a vine to grab the nearest of the soldiers on the stairs as the cracked stone gave out under the weight of so many bodies. As the stairs crunched and collapsed Seven was left hanging in the air ten feet off the ground, halfway up to the floor the rest of the team was standing on. Six plummeted, still swinging and killing as the crowd buried him under flailing limbs and gnashing teeth. His screams could be heard for several seconds before the only sound was the churning and ripping of the crowd attacking his corpse, most of them forgetting about the rest of the people they had chased. A few leapt up and grabbed onto Seven as Avarith and Leon pulled him up towards the second floor. He dropped his spear and began stabbing them with his knife as they bit and scratched him anywhere they could reach. The team pulled him up into the doorway of the second floor, Darren beat the last of the creatures back, sending them hurtling down into the crowd below.
“Fall back to the center of the room.” Avarith whispered “They have short memories, they might forget we’re here before enough can climb up.”
A few of the healthier creatures managed to crawl up and through the open doorway and windows. As a team they pulled them through the openings and held them down, killing them quietly, out of sight from the rest. Before long the sounds outside died down, and they could hear only muttering whispers and the unsettling shuffling of bodies bumping against each other.
Two pulled a leather strap off of his gear and shoved it in Seven’s mouth for him to bite down on. Three was about to start first aid when Avarith pulled her back and sat down next to Seven. He selected the symbol for healing from his index and began working on the several wounds across the man’s body. Chunks of flesh had been bitten from his arms and scratches split the skin across his neck and face. Slowly Avarith performed the grueling process of regrowing the man’s flesh, Seven bit down and did his best to keep his grunting to a minimum. Once all the wounds were healed the man just laid his head back, passing out.
“It takes a lot from the body to regrow that much tissue, even with assistance.” Avarith told the rest of the team quietly. “He’ll be out for some time.”
“I’ve never heard of so many people being in one ruin.” Hostitch whispered angrily, “What did we just walk into?”
“I’m not sure.” Avarith said, sitting back to rest himself. “There were cages with more people in them, it looked like they hadn’t been here as long. Someone is stranding them here.”
“That’s pretty fucked up.” Darren whispered as he studied one of the dead ones that managed to climb inside. The lumpy growths on its face had almost completely covered its right eye and ear. It had weeping lesions all over its exposed skin, and the eyes had a milky white sheen to them.
I’ve never seen them before, only heard stories. They’re horrifying. Silvia’s voice rang out in his mind.
Who would force this shit on someone? Darren sent back.
These are just farmers and miners. These are regular citizens of my province. Silvia couldn’t help but broadcast her pity for them, it hit Darren in a thick wave.
Focus, Sil. We have to get out of here, then we can feel bad.
The team sat in a circle at the center of the single room, catching their breath and resting until Seven regained consciousness, unsure of their next move. Leon crawled over to a window and peaked over the edge. The crowd around their building was massive. It took up the entire path between buildings and seemed to be spreading out slowly on every side. The creatures that had once been men bumped into each other and wandered aimlessly back and forth. They could hear several more inside, bare feet scraping against the stone on the floor beneath them.
“We’ve got a few bombs that could probably clear a path through these things, but there’s no guarantee that it wouldn’t take this whole building down.” Hostich set several small metal balls with fuses in the center of the team.
“Silvia and I could pick them apart with magic, a few at a time. But with this many it could take days for us to rest up and continue casting. Of course casting at them could make them flood the building.” Avarith added.
“I think I have a really bad plan.” Darren had a far off look on his face, and a smile.
Oh gods, what now? Silvia thought.