Heralds- The Proving Grounds, page 26
Jen pulled off her own headset and locked the door behind Sam. She had no idea what they would do to communicate candidly inside the game now. Her phone was lying on the desk. She stuffed it into her pocket. She didn’t want to miss anything if someone needed to get a hold of her.
The landscape had changed again when Jen returned. It seemed like a country road. Trees on both sides hung down over fences that ran as far ahead as she could see. Nice… aside from the fact that she knew there were six members of the Seven Eyes hovering out there.
Anna gave her a nod when she finished fiddling with everything. “Lets get that map out and ponder a location.”
“Eh? Okay. We’ll have some trouble deviating without cause though.”
“Sam’s on that, if everything works out.”
“I get the distinct feeling I missed some stuff.” Jen pulled out the map Jakon had given her and looked it over. So far they were on course. Just under half way.
A pile of wood caught her eye… a wagon wheel was at the top of the ruined wagon, spinning ever so slightly in the breeze. The whole thing was trashed. Nothing for it now but firewood.
Scraps of cloth and furniture lay about here and there. All manner of footprints and scuffs in the dirt…
Jen found her hand lying on the hilt of her sword as her eyes swiveled around the surrounding trees.
Anna just chuckled. “No worries. That’s a decoy.”
“A decoy?”
She nodded. “They sent out a few wagons full of junk and raided them themselves. They want people to see those to dissuade them from bothering. It may not keep everyone that’s thinking of trying to jump us away, but some will think there’s better uses of their time than unloading a wagon full of chairs or cupboards. The notion was surprisingly clever.”
“Maybe. But who would buy that from a few broken wagons?” Jen watched the ruined bits of wood as they rolled on by. When she cut her eyes back to the front she could see remnants of a second wagon on the other side of the road up ahead.
“ ’A few’ might have been a bad choice of words. I think it was closer to ten? Fifteen maybe? Just under half the total number they were planning to send out.”
Jen blinked a few times. Yeesh. “Well that seems wasteful.”
“Maybe. Depends on the value of what’s being transported versus the value of the wagons.”
Jen shook her head. “I was never good at that sort of thing.”
“What, math?”
“Kinda… more the cost analysis thing. I guess I just put too much value on everything.”
She held up the map and turned it a few times. It had pictures but was lacking in words so “up” was a concept left to some interpretation. She figured the mountains being upside down “V”s was probably right. It appeared to be hand drawn, which also meant scale was iffy at best.
Jen’s phone beeped. She took it out of her pocket. A text from Sam with herself and Anna as recipients.
Sam: In the area, looking to pick off your guards. Thinking rear right first to see if they are communicating.
Huh. Well that might work. Finally someone Sam could go hog wild on without anyone second guessing her.
Anna hummed a jaunty tune as the wagon rolled along.
If Jen was reading the map correctly… big “if”… they needed to swing the wagon south if they wanted to get it closer to Morblina. It was going to be risky traveling through spaces which might well be hostile to both guilds but the Heralds could disappear on a whim. The wagon was another matter.
Once the Kingsmen had it, it would be an edge… if they were willing to use it. They had put on the black armor the Seven Eyes had used against them but hadn’t made their own. That was a good sign in Jen’s book.
She didn’t really fancy wearing the stuff anyway. Black wasn’t her color. It didn’t suit a paladin at all. Especially one with white hair. Monochrome, bleh.
Sam: Hey, spotted a kingsmen patrol south west. Should I bring them to you, or can you swing the wagon to them?
Ugh. The thing was heading east. They were already going to get some suspicion for turning south as much as possible.
Anna glanced aside at Jen and shrugged.
Hmm.
Jen: If you can get them to us, do it. We’ll stall. Did you get any of the guards?
Sam: The two rear guards are gone
Anna: Cool.
Jen shook her head. That was probably a bad thing. If they stopped the wagon with some lame excuse then the guards would most likely move in to check on them. Two of the six being gone wasn’t going to go unnoticed, and certainly wasn’t going to go over well.
Jen: Alright. We’ll find some reason to stop. Get the patrol to us ASAP.
Sam: Aight
Jen glanced aside at Anna. “Think they’re watching us?”
“They’re not actually supposed to be keeping an eye on us at all. They’re checking the route and listening for issues.”
“Yeah, I get that. I mean, if I was to intentionally break a wheel, would they notice?”
Anna shrugged. “One way to find out.”
Jen sighed a bit as she drew her sword. “Time to make more friends…”
“Whoa, hold up there.” Anna shook her head. “One, chunky metal wagon wheel probably beats skinny sharp sword. Two, if we break the wagon how are we going to move it after this?”
“Umm…”
Anna nodded. “Exactly.” She reined the horses in. The wagon slowed to a stop.
The sound of hooves nearby made plain the other horses had not. And after a few moments of moving further away, the sound grew louder again. They were coming back.
Anna hopped down and wandered to the back of the wagon. She looked over the wheel for a moment before leaning in close and sweeping her hand around in front of it. A moment later she was holding a metal rod a few inches long. She spirited it away into her inventory. “Ya de dee…”
The first of the horses entered the clearing a few moments later. “What’s the hold up?”
Anna shrugged. “Wagon was pulling to one side and this wheel was wiggling.”
“Wiggling?” The rider moved his horse closer as he opened the visor on his helmet. “That’s not very helpful. What’s wrong with it?”
“Do I look like a wagon mechanic? It’s not working right. I can’t tell you why. I was just looking. It all seems fine to me.”
The man’s horse moved in closer as he leaned toward the wheel. “Eh… right. Seems okay. Get it moving again. I’ll see what it does.”
Anna backed up a step and put a hand beside her mouth. “Jen, tug the reins. Not much, just get them to move a few feet.”
Jen waved and gave a nod… despite having no earthly idea how to actually do that.
She grabbed hold of the reins and pulled back a bit.
The horses moved forward like she had stepped on the gas. Huh. Simple interface then. Back to go, forward to stop. Like a tank. A horse powered tank.
“Stop! Stop!” The guard’s voice almost echoed around Jen as she shoved the reins forward and dropped them.
“I told you so.” Anna rolled her eyes.
“No, you said it was wiggling. It nearly fell off.”
The other three guards that hadn’t met Sam yet were gathering around the wagon now. The one by Anna hopped down from his horse and took a closer look at the wheel. He shook his head and pointed at the others. “We lost a pin. One of the bits designed to wear out as a money sink. Spread out and see if any of the decoy wagons have one we can scavenge. And pass it along if you see the others. Slackers.”
The riders dispersed.
Jen’s phone beeped.
Sam: Incoming
Oh, good.
Anna leaned back against the wagon. “So, what’s this missing thing look like?”
Jen hopped down and started towards Anna and the last guard.
The man sighed. “A piece of metal the size of this hole.” He pointed at the wheel.
“That’s not terribly helpful.”
The man shook his head. “Without holding one to show you, I can’t really be more specific.” He lowered his eyes to the ground and started looking around. “Not even sure if they fall out or just disappear when the durability drops to zero…” he muttered to himself as he took a few steps back the way the wagon had come, his eyes on the dirt.
Anna quietly and casually drew her sword.
26
The guard never saw the attack coming.
The sword pierced his back and stood out his front for a moment as he stared at it, confused.
Anna withdrew the sword and swung twice dropping the man to the dirt before he could raise an alarm.
Jen stared at the scene slack jawed.
Sam? Sure. She expected that sort of behavior from Sam. But Anna? Was everyone but her a psychopath? Not a moment of hesitation. She had been holding a conversation with the man only seconds before and now she was casually putting her sword away like nothing had happened.
And her name was yellow. She was someone that had acted without cause according to the game. Someone guilty.
Jen tried not to think about the guy being locked out. This is what they were supposed to be doing, no matter what side they favored. They were meant to spur things on. What this ridiculous event was about.
Okay…
She was still a few paces away when one of the other guards appeared and charged in, sword held high. They ran straight at Anna.
So much for stealth.
Anna stepped to the side as she drew her sword once more. “Hi!” Her voice was… almost cheerful. Her usual tone.
The guard just stared at her. The visor was down but the way the black armor moved convinced Jen this one was a woman.
Jen drew her own sword and held it up defensively. She’d need a window to strike and she would prefer she was attacked first to keep her from going yellow too.
The shine of Jen’s sword seemed to distract the guard for a moment. Her helmet turned toward the paladin.
Anna’s sword struck the woman against the side of her head.
She lurched a step and held her sword up in a half hearted defensive posture, swinging more to try and push Anna back than harm her.
Anna retreated a step and raised her sword. “Tch. That all you’ve got?”
The woman didn’t spare any words. She shook her head a few times before swinging for Anna again. She moved much more carefully this time. Anna managed to turn the attacks aside but there wasn’t time for her to do much else before another attack would follow.
Jen wasn’t part of the fight. Technically she wasn’t grouped with Anna or anything, so the game didn’t think she was involved. Making herself involved would mean she was choosing to attack someone without hostile intent toward her. At least, no hostile intent toward her at the moment.
But her friend was in the fight and this one hadn’t been caught unaware. There was a very real threat.
Then again, Anna was immortal. She could take whatever the guard could dish out. The only issue here was time, or the other guards sounding an alarm to the rest of the Seven Eyes members. Hell, this one could have already done so.
It just seemed wrong to not help. But the game considered it wrong to help, at least as things stood.
… Fuck it.
She swung her sword.
It moved through the woman without so much as slowing down.
Not a single hit point was removed.
Jen stared at the sword for a moment, the fight forgotten. “Umm…”
A flash of green flew by her, striking the guard soundly in the back.
The woman let out a short yelp before she stood motionless and silent.
Anna narrowed her eyes, looking at the guard suspiciously for only a moment before lining up a stab and running the woman through.
The guard fell dead just like the first one. They lay together in the dirt.
Anna’s name turned red. She had landed the first hit on this one too.
Jen turned her eyes back to where the green blur had originated. She found Sam, as expected.
Her name was also red. No real surprises there.
Still, yeesh.
Sam walked by Jen, her arms held open wide as she approached Anna. “I’m so proud of you.” She hugged the other woman.
Anna looked… uncomfortable. “Well, I didn’t feel bad before… but I’m starting to.”
“No.” Sam shook her head as she released Anna. “No, no, no. Embrace it. You are not a sheep. You have the will to shape the world to your whims. You are strong.”
Jen rolled her eyes. “Wow.”
Sam tilted her head slightly but didn’t look away from Anna. “Did you hear something? It sounded like, ‘baaaaah.’ “
Jen narrowed her eyes. “Really?”
“Quiet, sheep.”
“You know, I tried to…” Jen put her sword away and crossed her arms. Screw this. “You know what? I’m fine with not being like you. Celebrate your depravity all you like.”
Sam shook her head. “Like hanging out with a nun.”
Anna was frowning now.
There was yelling out in the woods.
Sam’s head swung back toward it. “Oh, right. Yeah so the Kingsmen patrol is coming. They ran into two of the Seven Eyes guys out there. Sounds like they won. We should definitely already be gone by now.”
Anna reached into her inventory and replaced the pin in the wheel. “Oh look at that. I found it. How fortuitous.”
Sam’s ears practically twitched as she watched the woods. “Okay, good. Go. Break line of sight and get back to the island. They haven’t seen you yet.”
Jen was still wearing their guild tag. That would be a very awkward conversation. She started for the woods on the opposite side of the wagon from the approaching voices and hoof beats. She was breaking into the underbrush when the other side of the road erupted into armed people on horseback.
She didn’t stop. They probably weren’t interested in a calm, reasonable discourse.
Besides, Sam was playing with them. Jen didn’t want to interrupt. You don’t need to run faster than the bear, you just need to run faster than your friend. She’d be fine. She had already died a few times, now.
Anna was beside Jen before long, running full tilt through the woods. Typically a bad idea but so was staying put. Especially for Anna and her bright red name. Yes, she’d gotten it attacking two Seven Eyes, but that would take time to explain. And they had been there with Sam which also tended to take time to explain.
They stopped behind a large tree. Jen wasted no time opening the main menu and tapping the button to recall to the island.
The beach greeted her. After all the excitement it was nice to have a moment of peace and quiet. She stood catching her breath, which was kind of weird given she hadn’t really been running. Still stressful. The few moments with just the waves and the wind were nice. She felt like a weight had lifted… but not all of it.
She hadn’t realized how tired she was. Ugh. What she got for sleeping so little.
Anna stared out at the water beside her. “It’s weird without the seaweed smell.”
“Say what?”
“Seaweed. Rotting, typically. Beaches smell kinda funny.”
“… You’re ruining this. I don’t want to imagine rotting seaweed.”
“Sorry.”
Sam appeared out of thin air, cursing up a storm. She was still barreling forward and almost made it to the water line before she stopped and looked around. “Huh. That sucked.”
Jen rolled her eyes a bit. “Stealthy.”
“Shut it.”
Anna grinned. “Mission accomplished?”
“Should be. I tried to keep them off the wagon for a bit to make it seem more interesting. That plus the dead Seven Eyes guys ought to get their attention. They took down two themselves, so they should be interested in what they were doing there.”
“Neat.”
Well, that was it then. They had acted against the cause they had been given. They’d handed power to the “enemy,” such as it was. The Kingsmen had never moved against them and probably didn’t consider them to be enemies. They’d need to know they existed for that.
Something was very off about all of this.
She still wasn’t sure how she felt about betraying her side…
From Jakon: Oh, aren’t you clever. Offline it would seem, and yet I get the distinct feeling you’re still around. I have half a mind to report you for that but it would only draw attention to myself. I’m onto you. All three of you. I have bits of what happened. A Kingsmen raid. Who would have thought? If I see you again, you’re dead.
Jen smirked. Well, she felt a little better about it. At least she got to screw over the Seven Eyes.
“Ooo.” Anna chuckled a bit. “He sounds angry.”
Sam stomped over to them, her feet leaving deep prints in the sand. “Who does?”
“Jakon.” Jen shrugged. “Mr. Seven Eyes himself.”
Anna nodded. “He warned us not to cross him and now he’s pissed that he can’t deliver on his threats.”
Sam tilted her head. “Oh, the twig looking guy? Well screw him. I wish Bulorn had let me kill him the first time.”
“Hmpf.” A deep voice rumbled up from not far off. “Hindsight is twenty twenty.”
Jen turned to find Bulorn seated with his back to a palm tree sticking up out of the beach. He was staring out at the water just like Jen had been.
Sam drew her sword, but Anna laid a hand on her arm. “Hold it.”
“Why?” Sam glared at her.
“Well he’ll just reappear if you kill him. Pretty much right here.”
Jen sighed. “And there’s no reason. He isn’t attacking us.”
Bulorn shook his head, his attention still on the water. “Go nuts, if you want. It doesn’t amount to anything. What’s the point?”
“Tch.” Sam lowered her sword. “I thought you were all gung-ho about this. Why the pity party?”
He barely turned his head towards them. “This whole thing is a farce. Hurry up and wait. The right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing.” He shook his head. “And do you know why? Because the right hand literally doesn’t know what the left is doing. They fucked up the only start this world will ever have and there’s no way that won’t get around to hurt their numbers. And despite all that we were supposed to be, I’ll go down in history as just another casualty.”
