Chapter Six
I made a new save point and withdrew my feather sword while I galloped down the road toward the town. There was no telling what I would find on the trail ahead, so I scanned the path ahead and then the field of wildflowers, and far away in the distance, I spotted the glint of sunlight on armor. Smoke billowed into the sky on the horizon, and I urged Goliath to go even faster. The warhorse huffed as he churned his legs as fast as he could go, and dust flew in our wake.
Then the structures and buildings of the town came into view, and a couple of the roofs were on fire while the smoke I’d seen earlier plumed from the windows. Screams pierced the air over the din of swords clashing, and my eyes widened as the scene unfolded before me.
The wildflowers gave way to mud, and buildings dotted the hillsides as the mountain sloped up the side of the valley, but it looked like a swarm of about thirty armored men were infiltrating the small mountain village, and several bodies laid in the icy mud at their feet. A few townsfolk held the attackers off with spears and axes, but they were vastly outnumbered, and they wouldn’t survive very long on their own.
There was no way I could have gotten here faster in order to save those lives lost in the mud, so I shoved the thought from my mind as I charged into battle. I was roughly a hundred yards away still, but I quickly covered the distance to my first target. He trotted slowly across the muddy field, and he was alone far away from the other men.
I took off the man’s head as I pressed my lips into a tight line, and his body was trampled beneath Goliath’s hooves as he fell to the ground.
I felt no sympathy for the assholes since they were attacking an innocent town, and I turned my eyes to my next opponent. A man was tailing behind his brethren in arms due to his generous gut, and he waddled through the mud with his sword waving in front of him.
I redirected Goliath with a subtle shift of my thighs, and then we thundered down on him like the God of Vengeance upon his white steed. Before I could reach my target, however, a group of men broke off from the main force and surrounded the slow one.
A voice barked an order over the muddy field, and the group of men ahead of me tightened their ranks as they protected their weakest link.
These men were organized and well-trained, plus they wore plate armor and carried decent weaponry. Despite the couple of men who’d lagged behind, they were worthy opponents.
Could this be the work of the duke again?
“Who sent you?” I yelled across the distance to the group of men who turned to face me.
“We’re here for the one calling himself the Great One of Legend,” one of the men replied.
They were after me? Then why were they attacking this town? Did the duke know I’d left Bastianville and think I’d already made it this far? Perhaps we were being tracked. I’d been taking my time and enjoying the journey, but I hadn’t expected to face a platoon of what appeared to be mercenaries along the way.
“You’re looking for me?” I asked in an innocent tone. “Why, whoever wants an audience is more than welcome to come bow before me.”
“You heard him,” one man barked to another. “He said it. Let’s get him.”
“By all means,” I said with a dramatic flourish of my hand, “do attempt to come get me.”
“Charge!” The man in the lead drew his sword and ran toward me at full speed, and the rest of the men surrounding the fat guy followed suit as they mimicked his battle cry.
I grinned, grabbed one of my daggers, and then threw it by the blade at the man in the lead. The weapon landed in his chest buried to the hilt, and the mercenary keeled over mid run.
The men behind him stumbled over his dead body, and one bit the dust in an almost comical fashion, but the other five still ran toward me, including the fat guy.
I rolled my eyes as I clicked my heels against Goliath’s flanks. Did they seriously think they could kill me so easily? My warhorse spun in a circle as the men approached, and he kicked out his back legs at a man who tried to get behind him. It was all I could do to hold on, but the sickening thud of ribs cracking beneath iron-plated hooves was worth the wild ride.
I swiped down at the men as they attempted to swarm my horse, but Goliath was very familiar with this combat style, so we still had the advantage. My feather sword clashed against their weapons as I parried blow after blow, and I was grateful for the armor on my legs.
I stabbed a man in the eye through the visor of his helm, cut another’s hand off as he tried to strike me with his axe, and decapitated a third. Then Goliath swiveled again, and he swung his ass into one of the last remaining attackers from the small group.
The man went flying and splashed into the mud, but the sound of our conflict had alerted the rest of the horde, and more men began to run my way.
I’d made a small dent in their numbers, but not nearly enough. I wanted every single last one of them to die.
Suddenly, arrows began to rain down like dark hail, and two of the men closest to me fell beneath the projectiles. I looked over my shoulder to see the desert goddess riding her mule, Warrior, into battle with her bow singing.
The former mercenary knew her way around a bow, that was for sure, and she looked hot as fuck doing it.
Her obsidian hair blew away from her unobstructed face, and even from this distance I could see the light of battle in her ice-blue eyes. Behind her rode Evangeline on her horse, Duchess, and the duke’s daughter looked anxious but eager for a fight. Bringing up the rear was my tiny goddess of a wife, and her fiery tendrils waved behind her like a banner of flames.
My lovers had come to my aid.
Then I saw a sword swing in my peripheral vision, and I brought up my feather sword just in time to parry the fat guy’s blow. I shook my head in disgust before I buried my blade between his double chins.
The man gurgled out a pained cry before his body crumpled to the ground, and he nearly took my blade with him. My palm was sweaty, and my grip on the hilt loose, but I managed to keep hold of it.
“Kill them!” a voice yelled from the direction of the small mountain village, and fear for my women’s safety pierced my heart. Then the entire horde of mercenaries turned toward us, and they charged forward with a tumultuous roar.
Murdering these assholes would be easier with helping hands, and my women had all proven themselves to me at one point or another. Plus, I could always restart the battle if anything happened to them. I still hated seeing anyone I loved die, but I had to remind myself they wouldn’t remember it, so I should forget it, too.
“Be careful!” I shouted to my beloved ladies before I turned to face the horde.
Goliath pawed at the ground and huffed, so I assumed he was ready for the next leg of the fight. All it took was a click of my tongue, and he was headed into battle at a full run. I grabbed my other dagger and tossed it as soon as I was close enough to a target, but the blade bounced off the man’s shoulder guards and fell harmlessly into the mud.
Mahini’s arrows provided enough cover for the rest of us to get within range of the horde, and I was proud to hear Elissa’s enraged battle cry as she swung her mace wildly from Star’s back into the chest of one of the mercenaries. Evangeline tossed out throwing star after throwing star until the two men she aimed for had tumbled to the ground, and she slid from her horse’s back to retrieve her weapons.
My women were holding their own for now, so I turned my focus back to my next target. There were about twenty or so enemies left on the battlefield, and I wanted them all dead.
I exchanged my feather sword for my obsidian bow, and I aimed for the closest mercenary. My arrow flew true, and it landed right in his eye. The man went down with a thud, and I aimed for another.
I managed to take out three more men before they got too close for my arrows, and I hastily exchanged the bow for the sword again as Goliath stampeded toward our attackers. I decapitated one, kicked another, and my warhorse swiveled as he kicked out his legs once more.
That gave us the room we needed to maneuver, so I aimed for the thickest part of the mercenary horde.
Then a female’s pained cry pierced the air, and I pulled Goliath to a halt as I searched the battlefield for my lovers. That’s when I saw Evangeline with a sword jutting from her abdomen as she keeled over her horse’s mane. Blood dripped down from the wound and coated her steed’s fur, and my heart froze.
Fuck this. I wasn’t about to let anything happen to Eva, so I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
I was back at the beginning of the battle, and the mercenaries still didn’t know I was there. I was going to use it to my advantage this time, and I planned on taking out as many of them as I could before the girls showed up.
Goliath galloped down the road, and dust churned up in our wake, but I had my eyes focused on the small mountain village and the group of men threatening its safety.
Whoever had sent these men, they’d come looking for me, and I was going to show them exactly what happened when enemies found me.
This time, I used my obsidian bow first, and I began to fire without warning into the backs of the mercenaries. I killed the fat guy and the slow guy first, and then I searched the ranks for any signs of commanders.
I wanted to target the leaders first during this attempt.
I heard a man barking orders, so I zeroed in on him, aimed steadily with my obsidian bow, and then released the arrow with a whoosh of my breath and a twang of my fingers. The projectile flew true, and it went in one side of the officer’s neck and stuck out the other side. It almost looked like one of those Halloween props people bought back in my old world, except this was very real. That wasn’t fake blood gushing from either side of his throat.
My victory was short-lived, however, since the rest of the mercenaries were now aware of my presence, and they all rushed toward me at once. I inhaled sharply and pivoted Goliath around to get more distance, and the warhorse obligingly galloped further away from the town.
I swiveled him again and pulled him to a halt so I could take aim at my opponents, and then Mahini’s arrows joined mine. I glanced over my shoulder to see my ladies had arrived, and trepidation filled my heart as the image of Eva impaled on a sword reentered my mind’s eye.
I would just have to kill all these fuckers before the girls got too close.
“Stay back,” I cautioned the women, and I made sure they listened before I turned my focus back to the horde of mercenaries attacking the small mountain village.
With new resolve and steely determination, I fired arrow after arrow at my enemies, and they fell one by one until their bodies littered the muddy ground. They were quickly gaining ground on us, though, and it wouldn’t be long before they were too close for our arrows to be efficient.
I took a deep breath as I decided my next move, and then I slid from Goliath’s back and quickly led him over to Evangeline.
“Hold him here,” I instructed without further explanation, and then I thrust his reins into her hands. “If these assholes get close, just shoot them with arrows or whatever, but don’t go charging in, I’ll kill them all easily.”
“Y-Y-Yes, Great One,” Eva stammered, and she bit that luscious bottom lip of hers.
“I’ll be right back.” I grinned as I stomped my foot to activate the fleetness of my griffon feather boots, and then I zoomed away faster than the speed of light.
Or, at least, it felt like it to me.
I pulled out my daggers, placed one of the blades between my teeth, and then withdrew my feather sword with my free hand, but a moment later I was standing before the twenty odd mercenaries hell bent on killing me.
I narrowed my eyes at my first target as excitement pumped through my veins. We’d see who killed who. They didn’t have the benefit of time on their hands, and even if it took me a thousand lifetimes to figure out how to kill them all without getting a scratch on me, I would do it.
I lunged at the closest mercenary, and I aimed my dagger at the weak spot between his helm and his chest plate where his vulnerable throat laid exposed. The blade found purchase, and blood squirted out like a fountain when I retrieved my weapon with a sharp yank. I didn’t even pause before I ran the next guy through with my feather sword, and the force of my weapon stabbing him at high speeds knocked him to the ground.
I yanked my blade free, spun, and then threw my dagger at my next opponent. It flew from my hand like a bullet shot from a gun, and the mercenary’s legs whipped out from underneath him when the weapon penetrated his breastplate.
The force alone was enough to kill him, so I turned my eyes onward to the next fucker who stood in my path.
I took the blade from my mouth, and with the two weapons, I carved a path through the horde of men. When I finally skidded to a halt, I stood on the village side for the first time, so I took a moment to scan the battlefield and saw about fifteen enemies remained. The girls seemed too far away for my comfort, and the surviving mercenaries caught on to that fact as well, since they veered toward them suddenly.
“Son of a bitch,” I cursed as I stomped my foot again.
The mercenaries were drawing closer to my beloved women, and rage filled my veins.
“Hey, fuckers!” I yelled as I zoomed across the mud in a blur of motion.
A few of the men turned and looked my way, and then they elbowed their comrades to get their attention. By the time the men realized I was coming, I was already among them, and I sliced throats in a tornado of movement as I saw red.
I skidded to a halt to find three men at the women’s feet, but then Elissa’s mace came crashing down upon the head of one of them, and the man crumpled to the ground.
Two men left.
I dashed forward, but right before I made it to them, Evangeline’s throwing stars protruded from one of the man’s eyeballs, and Mahini’s sword was stuck in the last man’s gut.
The women had held their own against the mercenaries, and I couldn’t have been happier.
“Well, that’s the last of them,” I said with a wide smile. “Thanks for helping out, ladies.”
“We couldn’t just sit back and let you have all the fun,” Elissa giggled.
“I know what your intentions were in getting me to hold Goliath’s reins,” Eva said with a wry smile. “I didn’t fall for it.”
“Well, it kept you alive.” I shrugged, and the duke’s daughter swallowed hard.
Suddenly, a cheer erupted from behind me, and I turned to see a crowd of townspeople gathered around the battlefield.
“You saved us!”
“Thank you!”
“The Great One of Legend has arrived!”
I made a new save point as I approached the crowd, and excitement returned to my gut as I decided to get to know these people I’d just saved. It was one of my favorite things to do with my ability to go back to a previous save point, and I intended to spam resets until I learned every villager’s name.
“Hello, there!” I greeted in a friendly tone and my most charming smile. “What a lovely day, isn’t it?”
“You saved us from these men,” a man said as he stepped forward to shake my hand with enthusiasm. “How can we ever repay you?”
“Who’s in charge around here?” I asked with one raised eyebrow.
“W-W-Why that would be me,” the man stammered, and then he swept into a low bow. He was a tall, lean-figured man with dirty-blond hair hanging to his shoulders. “Forgive my manners. My name is Adorno Bergman. Welcome to Wyndvale, our windy little corner of Sorreyal. You must be the Great One of Legend these men were sent to find. We have heard rumors of you and hoped you would arrive in our humble town someday.”
“It’s good to hear word is spreading.” I grinned. “Now, if you could introduce me to everyone in town, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Oh.” The leader of Wyndvale frowned. “We had heard tales of your knowledge. It is said you know us all.”
“Yes, well, I’m getting to that.” I waved off his words with a dismissive hand. “You won’t remember this anyway.”
“I-I won’t?” Adorno looked desperately confused, but then he cleared his throat and shook his head as if to dispel a dream. “If that is your wish, I would be happy to oblige.”
“Very good.” I clapped my hands together with excitement. “Now, who’s all here.”
The leader of Wyndvale proceeded to introduce me to all of the inhabitants of his small mountain village. There was the tavern owner, Elizabeth Surly, and her husband Dom, the innkeeper, Chaz Worthy, and a merchant passing through town by the name of Gryse Yavaro. I met several more people, and I memorized their names and relations as quickly as I could since I wanted to get to the good part where I already knew everything.
Once I’d learned everyone in the town’s names, I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
“Hello, there!” I repeated in a friendly tone and with my most charming smile. “What a lovely day, isn’t it?”
“You saved us from these men,” a man said as he stepped forward to shake my hand with enthusiasm. “How can we ever repay you?”
“Oh, Adorno, your gratitude is payment enough.” I clapped the leader of Wyndvale on the shoulder like we were old pals.
“Y-Y-You know my name!” the man gasped. “You truly are the Great One of Legend these men were after.”
“I’m sorry they came here after me,” I sighed. “I’d hoped my journey would be without bloodshed. It’s as your old friend Chaz always says, don’t fall asleep on a good day till it’s over.”
“You know our innkeeper well,” Adorno chuckled. “We have heard rumors of your greatness, but I am astounded by your powers.”
“Let me introduce you to my women,” I said, and I turned to wave the three girls over. “This is Mahini, Elissa, and Evangeline.”
Mahini merely inclined her head politely when I mentioned her name.
“Pleasure to meet all of you,” Elissa said with a curtsey.
“We loved the field of wildflowers,” Eva added with a bright smile.
“We could use a hot meal and a cold drink,” I said after the introductions were made. “Do you think Chaz and Mrs. Surly can help us out with everything we need?”
“Oh, yes, it would be my pleasure,” Elizabeth said as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt with a self-conscious smile. “Thank you for patronizing my establishment, Great One.”
“I hear there’s no better place for cold ale this side of Vallenwood,” I said with a flirtatious wink, and I noticed her husband Dom’s face turned beet-red, but the man didn’t say a word.
The townspeople ushered us into the small mountain village, and we hitched our horses to a post outside the tavern.
“I’ll have a bath ready for you whenever you need one,” Chaz said as he shook my hand on the steps of the tavern. “And I’ll see to your horses as well.”
“Thank you, Mr. Worthy,” I said with a grin. “I can’t wait to hear your wife play the lute this evening.”
“H-H-How did you know?” Chaz shook his head in awe. “She only just started to learn recently.”
“I know all things, my friend,” I said in a conspiratorial tone, and the broad-shouldered man laughed.
Then I trotted up the remaining steps to the door of the tavern, and I followed Adorno and my women inside to the dimly lit interior. It was made from roughhewn logs, and the beams were bigger than my waistline. Candles lined the walls and sat upon each empty table, but a fire burned beneath the mantle. In addition to the odor of wood smoke, it smelled like fresh baked bread and beer yeast, and my stomach growled with hunger.
“I should go see to the clean up,” Adorno said with a reluctant sigh. “It is not work I enjoy, but necessary.”
“I hear that.” I placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. “When you are finished, you should join me for a drink.”
“Yes, of course, Great One,” the leader of Wyndvale gushed. “It would be a high honor indeed. Until then, I bid you farewell.”
“See you soon.” I clasped the man’s hand in mine and shook it warmly.
Then the rest of us sat down at a table in the sparsely populated tavern, and the owner of the establishment brought us all mugs of ale before she disappeared into the kitchen. I sipped the ale gingerly since I wanted to build my buzz up slowly, and the night was still very young.
The next thing I knew, Mr. and Mrs. Surly were laying plates laden with thick, juicy steaks, mashed potatoes, creamy gravy, and some sort of vegetable I’d never seen before. I dug in eagerly as soon as the plate struck the wooden table, and I scooped up a large bite of the fluffy white mountain to devour first.
“It certainly smells amazing,” Elissa observed as she inhaled the aromas wafting from her plate. “Thank you kindly, Mrs. Surly.”
“Yes, thank you,” I added quickly as I paused the fork on its way to my mouth. “Your hospitality is very appreciated.”
“Anything I can do for the hero of the hour,” Mrs. Surly said as her cheeks flushed a rosy hue. “My husband was on the front lines before you showed up, and I feared the worst, so, thank you, Great One.”
“You are a brave man, Mr. Surly,” I said to the man who stood slightly behind his wife.
“It was nothing.” Dom Surly had a balding head and wore wire-rimmed glasses, and the white apron covering his hefty midsection was stained and dirty. He seemed a diminutive man, but he’d still gone out to defend his town, and that alone was worthy of my respect. “Please, enjoy your meal. It is on the house.”
“Thanks.” I grinned, and then I was finally able to inhale my food. I munched on the cloud-like mashed potatoes for a moment, and I played with the combinations of vegetables and creamy gravy. Everything tasted wonderful on their own, but putting them together took it to a whole new level of flavor.
By the time I’d finished my food, the mayor returned from his duties. I was glad to see a leader who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when it mattered, like cleaning up a battlefield.
“Hello again,” I greeted with a wave over my head as soon as Adorno entered the tavern. “Come, drink with me.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Adorno breathed with a grateful smile as he crossed the room. He made eye contact with Mrs. Surly on his way, and she nodded in understanding.
He had a mug of ale in front of him by the time he got comfortable in the chair to my left, and we clinked our glasses together in cheers.
“To the fallen,” the mayor of Wyndvale said in a solemn tone.
“To the survivors,” I added with a sympathetic smile. “May Wyndvale prosper in peace.”
“Aye, aye,” the mayor said, and he drank heavily from his mug.
“I’ll drink to that!” Elissa giggled, and she took a long swig of her drink as well.
“To Wyndvale,” Eva said as she lifted her mug in the air before she started to down it.
“Easy there,” Mahini warned with a chuckle. “You don’t want to get too drunk, do you?”
“Scared you can’t keep up?” I raised my mug to the desert goddess and arched one eyebrow in a taunting fashion.
“I’m not scared,” she replied with ice in her blue eyes, and she lifted her mug to her smiling lips.
We drank merrily the rest of the night, and we honored the fallen with our desire to keep living. Several townspeople came into the tavern to join us, and I was soon bombarded with questions about my exploits. They’d heard rumors and wanted confirmation of my grand deeds, but I was already slurring my words and having a hard time concentrating on what they were saying.
Laughter filled the air, and the girls were engaged in a heated discussion about helmets and the damage they cause to hair. I waved my hand drunkenly to get their attention, and I wrapped my other arm around my new friend’s shoulder.
“Ladies, ladies,” I said in a loud voice, and then silence fell, which made me giggle. “I need your help telling this man… Jonas. That’s his name. I need help… something.”
I indicated the auburn-haired lad in my grasp, and the thin whip of a man grinned broadly.
“I was just asking the Great One to tell me about how he broke the curse on Lake Balerno.” Jonas shrugged as best he could with my arm laid heavily around him still. “I used to summer there as a child, and I hadn’t this year until I heard the rumors.”
“It’s true,” Mahini said in a clear, strong voice. “The Great One of Legend cleared the burial sanctum of all the evil beings hiding within, and he released the spirit guardian of the lake. I was with him, and I saw these deeds with my own eyes.”
“I was there, too!” Elissa giggled. “It was incredible. He can talk to things that we can’t. Like the griffon, and the dragon.”
“Is this true? Those mystical creatures are real?” Jonas’ brown eyes widened in awe, and I could feel his body tremble beside me.
“As real as you and me.” I clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile.
“I watched him battle the dragon with my own eyes,” Eva said in a proud tone.
“He killed an army of fifty men single handedly,” Elissa added with hearts burning brightly in her emerald eyes.
The girls all proceeded to take turns telling stories about our adventures while the townspeople listened with rapt fascination. Everyone settled down into quiet stillness, and the girls’ voices rang out clearly for all to hear.
At the end of the night, when I was ready to be horizontal, we made our way across the dirt road to the inn. It was more like a bed and breakfast since it only had three rooms and seemed to be a normal house, but we only needed the one room, and Mr. Worthy had set us up in the king suite.
Chaz Worthy was a broad-shouldered man with dark-brown hair and matching eyes, but his smile was kind and generous. He looked at odds with the frilly decor of the inn, but I got the impression he was a giant teddy bear of a man.
“Ah, Great One, you are here,” Chaz greeted us with a warm smile. “Let me prepare a bath for you after your long day.”
“That sounds amazing,” I said without even slurring my words, and I lifted my chin in pride at my semi-drunk self.
“A bath will help sober you up a little before bed,” Mahini teased as she hooked her arm in mine.
“A wonderful idea,” Elissa said as she mimicked the desert goddess’ action with my other arm.
Then the two beautiful ladies marched me upstairs behind Mr. Worthy with Evangeline right behind us.
“A bath does sound delightful,” the duke’s daughter breathed quietly. “But so does sleep.”
“It was fun hanging out in the tavern, though,” Mahini said. “These people are very nice. Makes me wish they would all just move to Bastianville already.”
“I have more towns now,” I reminded her. “Maybe Wyndvale is one of them. It’s close to the border of the duke’s territory after all.”
“Let’s discuss it more in the morning,” Elissa suggested with a teasing twinkle in her vibrant eyes.
I returned my focus to the bath, and I was indeed much more sober upon getting out. I stretched out my arms then bent over to touch my toes, and my back popped, but it felt glorious. Then I got dressed in minimal clothing, and I rejoined the ladies in the bedroom.
The girls all took turns taking their own baths, but I was already asleep before they were finished, and I woke up to a damp-haired Evangeline snuggling up against me a short while later.
I cuddled against her and went back to sleep, but it felt like no time had passed when I opened my eyes again in the morning. The sun shone brightly in through the window covered by sheer lace curtains, but it didn’t seem to be too late in the day despite our late night shenanigans.
“Good morning, beautifuls,” I greeted my women with a charming smile. “It’s a wonderful new day.”
“Good morning, husband,” Elissa yawned as she stretched her arms up over her head.
“Not yet,” Evangeline groaned as she buried her face in the pillow.
“I’m starving,” Mahini said, and her stomach growled to emphasize her point. Then the desert goddess slipped from the bed and dug around in her pack for her clothes. “I’ll find us some breakfast while you get ready.”
We got dressed, ate a quick meal of hot oats and fresh bread, packed some food to take along, and found the horses in a small stable behind the inn. Then the four of us mounted our steeds and prepared to ride out of town, but the townspeople must have seen us leave the inn because a moment later they all swarmed into the street to wave us off.
It was nice to know I’d touched the lives of so many in a single day, and I did hope Wyndvale became one of my towns. They deserved better than the treatment they got from their current duke, if the mercenaries were sent by the duke, anyway. They deserved to live in peace and happiness, free from the tyranny of assholes.
I pressed my lips into a thin line as I thought about what kind of men would pay people to attack their own citizens in an effort to kill a god. They were worse than the Duke of Bullard, who’s greatest sin was having a loser of a son who thought he could come at me, and I vowed to get to the bottom of whatever was going on.
We traveled for a week or so at a leisurely pace without any further incident, and we camped close to the road each night. After a fun night in town, the sleeping pads and the tent didn’t seem quite as nice, but we’d be back in civilization soon enough. We traveled through mountain passes, into valleys, and back up into the slopes of the snowy peaks.
Several days later we were camping in a spot a little ways away from the road, and I had to scrape the snow off the ground in order to have a firepit. It would be a cold night for sleeping outside, but hopefully one of our lasts, so we’d just have to snuggle in and make it work.
The girls had set up the tent and started a fire while I’d gone out in search of some fresh game, and I returned with a handful of rabbits a short while later. I skinned them, gutted them, and then speared them with sharp sticks to place them over the fire.
“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten rabbit cooked this way,” Evangeline noted in a thoughtful tone.
“You’ll get used to it,” Mahini informed her.
“It’s not bad,” Elissa said with a shrug. “I prefer deer, though.”
“Deer is good,” I agreed. “But harder to come by this close to a bigger town.”
“When will we reach our destination?” Eva asked with a curious look. “It feels like we’ve been traveling forever.”
“We should get there tomorrow,” I said with a reassuring smile. “Not much further.”
Suddenly, a noise came from the direction of the road, and I grabbed for the hilt of my blade. A man entered the ring of light from our fire wearing a dark hooded cloak, and I waited tensely for him to attack, but then he tossed back his hood and revealed himself.
It was Zeb, the old man who followed the crazed zealot Sarosh all across Sorreyal in search of victims to sacrifice to their God of the Purge. I’d changed Sarosh’s mind with my power and charisma, and her followers had blown to all the corners of the realm, or so it seemed.
“Zeb!” I greeted with raised eyebrows. “What are you doing here?”
“I am traveling through,” the old man replied in a weary tone. “I recognized your warhorse. The big white one. He’s kind of hard to miss.”
“That makes sense. Here, please, sit down and join us.” I relaxed my grip on the hilt of my weapon and gestured to the empty log beside me.
“Thank you kindly, Great One,” Zeb replied, and he settled his old bones down on the log. “I’ve been spreading words of your deeds everywhere I’ve gone.”
“I’ve had some of the tales catch up to me,” I laughed. “I appreciate your loyalty.”
“I’m on my way to Bastianville, as a matter of fact, mainly in hopes of seeing you, but now that’s done.” Zeb sighed and resituated his cloak across his legs. “I wish to see this fair town you spoke so highly of.”
“It is a sight to behold,” I informed him in a wistful tone. “I wasn’t home nearly long enough before my next quest pulled me away.”
“What adventures are you on now?” Zeb asked. “I will spread the word.”
“No need,” I assured the old man with a raised hand. “It is somewhat of a delicate mission, and my whereabouts should be as unknown as possible.”
“The people of Wyndvale will certainly remember you coming through,” Mahini pointed out. “Should we have been more covert with the villagers?”
“No.” I shook my head. “They already had mercenaries at their doorstep demanding my head. It would have done no good to disguise myself at that point.”
“True,” the desert goddess allowed with a thoughtful frown.
“Who is sending mercenaries after you, Great One?” Zeb’s eyebrows raised in surprise.
“I’m not quite sure yet,” I replied with a frown. “Which is why we need to stay on the down low, if you catch my drift.”
“The wind is calm tonight,” Zeb observed with a look of confusion.
“Never mind, I just mean don’t tell everyone you meet where I am.” I grinned. “Let the world find out in due time what I’m up to.”
“Very well, Great One.” Zeb nodded. “I will keep my lips sealed. Thank you for sharing your fire with me.”
“Tell me, what news of Sarosh?” I asked with bated breath. I hoped to hear good news, but any information would do.
“I parted ways with her in Vallenwood, I’m afraid,” Zeb informed me with a heavy sigh.
“I wonder how she’s doing…” I mused out loud.
“I’m sure she is fine. She always did find a way to survive, despite her previous purpose.” The old man shrugged. “I hope to see her again someday, alive and well.”
“Me, too. By the way, you are welcome to camp with us tonight, if you like,” I offered.
“That is very generous of you, thank you,” the old man sighed. “I have been walking from Arginold City all day.”
“It only took you one day?” Eva’s gray eyes lit up, and the girls all shared an excited expression.
“I’m sure you’re weary after your travels,” I interjected before the girls could give away our destination. “We will leave you to finish warming up by the campfire.”
I jerked my head toward our tent, and the girls got the message. They bade goodnight to Zeb before we all climbed into our large tent.
“We should get there tomorrow!” Elissa squealed in a quiet voice full of excitement.
“Shh,” I urged with a chuckle. “We go incognito from here on out. I don’t want the duke to know of my presence until I’m ready for him to.”
“Of course, Bash, I’m sorry,” my wife murmured as she snuggled into my arm.
“I wonder what the city looks like,” Eva mused in a sleepy voice.
“It is drearier than you would expect,” Mahini informed us. “Very cold.”
I fell asleep thinking about snowy mountain towns, and I was shivering when I woke up the next morning.
Zeb had already gone by the time I emerged from the tent, but he’d remade the fire before he left. It had been nice to see the old man, but I was glad I didn’t have to hide my destination from him anymore. With any luck, he’d still be in Bastianville when we returned. We warmed up some breakfast of rabbit stew and bread we’d brought from Wyndvale, and then we saddled up the horses and headed down the road once more.
We traveled the rest of the day in anxious anticipation, and when the sun began to set, the walls of Arginold finally came into view.
The walls were made of a dull gray stone, and they climbed up the slopes of a mountain like stalagmites in a cave. They were covered in ice and snow, and the air temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees as the warmth of the sun faded.
Visible just above the walls of the town were the spires of the duke’s castle. It looked like a dreary place, but the whole thing reminded me of Helm’s Deep from Lord of the Rings, and I could only imagine how difficult it would be to penetrate the castle with an army.
Little did the Duke of Arginold know, I was about to conquer his city.
The God of Time had arrived, and I didn’t need an army to infiltrate the castle.