Mark of the fated 3 a li.., p.14
Mark of the Fated 3: A LitRPG Adventure, page 14
I was done. I couldn’t hear anything but a shrill whine. I couldn’t see. All I could smell was the blood that streamed over my face. My whole body swayed in the sand. One more strike and I was down for the count. I waited for it to come.
And waited.
And waited.
Just when I was about to speak, I heard a dull thump and a cheer rose from the crowd. While everything was chaos, I pulled out a bottle of water and some cloth. Dousing my face, I carefully wiped away the clotting blood before pressing the bandage to my terrible cut. It managed to staunch the flow long enough for me to blink one eye open. The cheers had turned to uncertainty as the dwarf’s men gathered around his unconscious form.
“I think his head’s broken open,” gasped one warrior.
I peered past him and Gregor was indeed in a bad way. My final headbutt had crumpled the skull inward, making him the cracked egg omelette.
“He’s a goner for sure!” blurted another of the gunners.
I gently eased them aside and knelt beside him. With a simple touch, I cast Lay On Hands and slumped back onto my arse. Everyone backed away, gasping with shock as the indentation began to press outward, forming a healthy skull once again. The edges of the torn skin pulled toward each other, knitting themselves together in seconds. In less than a minute, Gregor was whole again, though still laid out in the sand.
I took my own health potion and waited for the effects to work.
Gregor groaned and his eyes slowly opened. They were still gummy with blood, but his men had done a passable job of cleaning him up. He turned towards me and grinned. “What have you got in that head of yours, laddie? Rock?”
“I think we both have,” I replied, smiling back at him.
Chapter 17
After helping Gregor to his feet and being half-crushed in a congratulatory bearhug, I called in the rest of my party.
“Laddie, that was some contest. I haven’t had a challenge like that in many a year. If I’m not mistaken, you broke me open like a vein of ore, correct?”
“We broke each other open,” I replied, patting his arm for a battle well fought.
He touched his unbroken brow. “And yet here I stand, with nary a sign that we just went at each other.” One of the dwarves leaned in and whispered something. Gregor burst out laughing. “Near death? Well if this is near death, then I’m all for it.” He settled down and once again became the shrewd operator I knew him to be. “You have the power to heal, aye?”
“I do. It’s just one of the things I… sorry, we, can do.”
“We?” he asked, looking around. “Your friends are coming?”
I pointed to the sky. “They’ll be here any minute now.”
“Will they make the same entrance as you, laddie? I’ll need my helmet and some blasted goggles if they do.”
“They’re going to fly in on some strange creatures. You don’t need to be afraid of them.”
He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. “I wasn’t scared of you, and look where that got me.”
“You still don’t need to be scared. I’m hoping we can help each other.”
Gregor stared at me for a few seconds before nodding curtly. “I’ve decided I like you, laddie, and I don’t much like anyone. Especially long-legs. I’ll speak plain when we talk, and I hope you’ll do the same.”
“You have my word, though some of it may seem too hard to comprehend.”
“I’ve no doubt,” he agreed. “The powers you bear give me pause, but I’m just an old rockwart who’s seen too much of the darkness. I’m sure you’ll sway me.”
“And if I don’t?”
“We’ll part as friends,” he replied. “Until such a time comes when we aren’t.”
“And the men you hold?”
Gregor actually made a pair of guns with his fingers and pew-pewed. “We put them down.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
He snorted. “I’d rather be as tall as you are. We’re both likely to be disappointed.”
I let the barb go as the icons of my party neared. “Incoming,” I said, pointing to the dark sky.
The raging fires cast scattered light that played over the awesome forms of the dinosaurs. Both the humans and dwarves gaped in shock at our mounts. One fearful gunner almost fired at Cody who was first to swoop in. Gregor stilled him with a growl.
Landing one by one, the massive wings kicked up sand, making the onlookers shield their faces. Sun lowered Abby from the saddle before joining the rest of the group on the beach. The surprise at their arrival was as nothing compared to the cries of fear as three full-sized Pteranodons vanished into thin air. Some among the crowd fell to their knees in worship.
“Get up, you dozy bastards!” yelled Gregor, and the sheepish men climbed to their feet.
Looking around, it was difficult to comprehend the two disparate bands stood observing us had only recently been fighting. Hell, the dwarves had been executing the soldiers without mercy. Now they stood shoulder to shoulder and stared, united in disbelief.
Cris caught sight of the blood covering my face and ran over, kicking up sand in her haste. “Oh no! Are you ok?” She grabbed my head and gently turned it side to side, looking for a wound.
“I’m fine,” I replied, easing her hands away.
“Did they hurt you?” she snapped, rounding on Gregor.
The night grew darker as Cris summoned her arcane might. The dwarf took a couple of paces backwards and held up his hands as the purple aura’s intensity grew.
I eased her back gently from firing off a nova. “No one hurt me.” Gregor flashed me a grateful grimace. “We were just getting formally introduced in the dwarven way.”
“Headbutting?” asked Sun, stepping into the circle with Abby in tow.
“How did you figure that one out?” I asked, looking around for clues. “Was it the block on the ground?”
“How else would you say hello?” she finished, leaving me at a complete loss.
“How indeed, lassie,” said Gregor, favouring the giant barbarian with a long, savouring look.
“Let’s get to it then,” said Sun, standing in the blood caked depressions formed by my boots minutes earlier.
Gregor cried off immediately, although he might’ve wanted some form of physical contact judging by his expression. “I’ve had enough of greetings to last me quite a while. What say we retire to my cabin and discuss the terms over an ale and pipeful of the finest rootweed?”
“None of us smoke,” I replied, “but the drink would be welcome.”
“None of you…?” he blustered, seemingly quite offended.
“It’s bad for your lungs,” I replied.
“And that’s what the mead’s for!” he blurted. “It washes the cough away!”
“That’s not…” I made to argue, then thought better of it. They didn’t seem to be suffering any weakness in their battlefield capability, so who was I to tell them otherwise.
Gregor marched away, waving at us to follow. “This way, lads and lassies. I’ll have the soldiers made comfortable until we’ve finished our discussion.”
“They look like they could do with an ale too,” I stated, bringing him to a halt.
With a great deal of grumbling, Gregor finally turned. “Aye, I’ll see they get a drink too. You have my word.” All it took was a nod to one of the gathered crowd who ran off to comply with the order.
I was expecting an armed escort, but it was just us and Gregor striding down the beach as if we were going for a moonlight skinny dip.
“Just say the word,” whispered Cris.
“Time and place, young lady!” I chided.
I’d received an achievement from the contest, and I pulled it up quickly. It was similar to the one I’d received in The Pit.
Achievement Unlocked – Blockhead
Description – We knew your skull was hard, but damn! That was brutal. Dwarves are infamous for their hardiness, and you just made Gregor your bitch.
Reward – + 1 Constitution
It wasn’t quite that one sided. I’d only just won the contest by the slimmest of margins. The extra reputation from the quest was already affecting the bearing of the dwarves we passed. They were far more amenable to our presence than when I’d landed.
Gregor marched up the ramp and beckoned us to follow. It was only now we were up close I could appreciate how large the landing craft actually were. I’d been expecting the versions from Saving Private Ryan; small and vulnerable to gunfire. I even cast a fearful look over my shoulder, expecting the cliffs to light up with flashing muzzles. What lay before us was a real ship, over one hundred feet long and thirty wide. As we boarded, I could hear the hiss and rattle of the steam systems working below the deck.
“This way, if you please!” called Gregor from an open doorway. A few of the ship’s crew watched us pass with evident hostility, and I wondered why the reputation hadn’t affected their attitude. “Don’t you mind them! They haven’t been on dry land for days, and if they keep glaring at my guests they’ll stay aboard a damned sight longer!”
The furious outburst was enough to get them scurrying back to work in double quick time.
“Unpaid labour. Slaves, if you will. Until they pay their dues, that is. Thieves, malcontents, idlers. No place for them except for where we need stout backs,” he explained.
We had to duck to fit through the opening. Gregor was almost down the other end of the narrow passage by the time we all entered, waving at us to follow through another door.
“Come, friends, join me!” he yelled out.
We walked down the narrow passage, slightly bemused. It was only when we heard the clatter of mugs that we realised he was being a gracious host and preparing the drinks. Reaching the captain’s cabin, I didn’t miss the quick sleeve-wipe of a recently finished mead that preceded him filling the tankards.
“Nice quarters,” I said, stepping inside. The roof was a danger to Sun and I’s scalps, so we headed for the squat table at a half-crouch. Cody and Cris were short enough to avoid the thick steel struts. Barely. At least it was warm and homely. Paintings covered most of the walls, trying to conceal the nature of the room. If their homes were anything like the images, we were going to see some incredible sights while on this world.
“Never let it be said that I wasn’t a considerate dwarf who cared for his guest’s comfort,” said Gregor, placing the large pipe back in its ashtray.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied, slipping into the seat he motioned us to take.
Gregor waited until we were all sitting before he joined us at the head of the table. “Strange times and stranger tidings,” he said, raising a toast.
We clacked mugs and took a drink. The beer was potent and I damn near coughed as it blazed a trail down my throat.
Gregor chuckled. “Good, eh?”
“Yeah,” I rasped. “Great.”
Cody and Cris were suffering too, while Sun had downed hers in one go.
“Lichen mead,” she said. “Some of the best I’ve tasted.”
Gregor bowed slightly in his seat. “The brewmasters will be thrilled to hear that, lassie. Now, what say you, ill-timed-intruders? Why are we here at this table? Not that it’s not been interesting, I’ll hasten to add. There’s not much this old rockmuncher hasn’t seen, and I haven’t before seen what you’ve got to offer. Except perhaps in old tomes left to gather dust where older dwarves spend their twilight years studying them.”
“It might be that the reason we’re here, is the same reason you’re here, mate.”
Gregor leaned forward, eyes sparkling with keen interest. “And what might that be, laddie? Are we going to keep dancing, or are we going to fuck?”
“If the choice is one or the other, I think we’ll keep dancing,” I replied. “Who leads?”
Gregor grinned. “After the contest earlier, I think I’ll let you do the honours.”
I glanced apologetically at Abby, then turned to our host with the unvarnished truth. “We’re here to kill a man called Hamon Dred. He was once favoured by the king, but something happened between them and he’s now a necromancer. A powerful one. We’ve already fought his dead minions at Fort Dalton.”
Gregor’s eyes narrowed. “The bridge-keep to the west?”
“Yeah. The bridge is gone now, though. We had to destroy it to hold the zombies back.”
“Zombies?”
“Walking dead. Rotters. Won’t stay in their graves.”
Gregor nodded in understanding. “We call them Urlach. My father used to scare the stones out of me with tales of their tireless march.” He looked around as if someone might be listening and lowered his voice. “Is it true they feast on the flesh of the living?”
It was my turn to nod. “I’m afraid so.”
The fearsome warrior paled at the news. This really was a childhood phobia come to life. “How many of them were there that you felt you needed to destroy the bridge? A thousand? The tales have it that they’re difficult beggars to get back in the ground.”
“They are,” I agreed. “Only completely burning them stops the separate parts coming for you. And the number was far more than a thousand. It was tens of thousands.”
“By the gears of the Everforge,” he gasped. “They’re abroad even now? In Tulahr?”
“Yeah, but they’re the least of our worries.”
“That bodes ill. And this Dred character, he’s the source?”
“He’s also my father,” said Abby.
Gregor did a doubletake. “Your father.”
I cut in before we could get side-tracked. “Long story for later. Now how about you share a little about why you’re here, razing the watchtower with the men still inside it?”
“It appears the high king has made an error. Our goal is…” Gregor stopped himself. “Was, to clear the coastal defences all the way to the bastion’s mountains.”
“You’re invading? I thought there would be more of you.”
“This?” he waved his arm around to signify the fleet. “This is just a small part of our force. We’re provisioned to level half the kingdom before needing to head back to our mountain holds, though I suspect we’ll be doing that sooner rather than later. The rest were supposed to leave after we’d achieved our mission.”
“You’re calling off the attack?” I asked, filled with relief.
“Only the high king can order it be called off. I’m just pausing it while we figure out what’s what. You’ve blown up our whole reason for being here, pardon the phrasing. I’ll need to send word back of the revelation.”
“I’m still waiting for you to explain what’s caused you to attack all of a sudden when you were always content to raid.”
Gregor’s stoicism broke a little. “Because we’ve been beset by evil too. A darkness has befallen our home no less than Tulahr. Our people have been through enough these past centuries. We thought it was the queen’s doing. Payback for all the grief we caused her in the raids. That’s why we were going to yank that scrawny bitch out of her home and sacrifice her to the gods. We’d end it one way or another. If we were finished, they would be too. Barren lands staring at each other across an uncaring ocean. Perhaps the next stewards would live in peace where we could not.”
I withdrew my map and laid it out on the desk. “Could you show me where this evil is? Roughly?”
He stood up and joined me. A thick finger pointed to the exact position Abby had identified earlier that day.
I ignored the shiver that traced its way across my skin. “Tell me about it. What’s happened?”
Chapter 18
Gregor’s gaze became vacant as he thought back to his homeland. “It all started a few months ago.” He seemed to come around as he realised what was about to pour out of his mouth. Fixing me with a glare, he wagged a finger. “What I’m telling you must go no further. There are secrets of my people in these words, and I’ll kill the man that breaks a vow to keep them so.”
“I’ll never share anything about your home with anyone, mate,” I said solemnly. “You have my word.”
“None of us will,” added Cody.
His face softened a little and he sipped at his beer. “Aye, I thought you might be the right sort. What with you being a holy warrior and all.” The mug was placed down and I didn’t miss the slight clatter from his trembling hand. “As I said, the blight started three moons ago. We’ve been trying to hold it back ever since, but as the days draw short, so does my people’s time in the Bellowing Mountains. The holds were our sanctuary. The deep mines our home. Now they’re slowly becoming our tomb.”
Gregor paused, summoning the will to reveal the valuable secrets. He grumbled and shook his head. “The high king will have me smelted alive for this.”
Abby reached out a slender hand and patted the gnarled fist. “Mark’s an honourable man, sire.”
Gregor smiled wistfully. “I can see that. It’s just hard to forget the suffering we’ve endured since we were forced from Tulahr. Hatred heats a forge with greater power than forgiveness, lassie.”
Abby wasn’t to be dissuaded from her praise. “He saved me from The Seven when they tried to burn me alive too. He can be trusted.”
Gregor’s face became a mask of rage. “Two-faced, robe-wearing, god-bothering bastards! It was their greed that caused the human king to betray us in the first place. Demanding our share for their god. More like their bloated coffers! We should’ve burned their holy places to the ground.” He spat on the floor then looked directly at me. “Do you call them friend or foe?”
He was in such a state from the ancient betrayal that he’d missed the obvious. “I stopped the burning, mate. With what’s happened between myself and their priests after I cut her down, I think the decision has been made for me. They’ll see me as their enemy long before we ever meet.”
Gregor relaxed a little. “That’s good. I’ll have no track with their kind.”
“Just one thing quickly about what you said. I was told that your ancestors betrayed the king when he offered you half of the gold. That your people started all this.”
