Chapter 8
Nik didn’t know what to do. “Sfen, do you know any water techniques?”
“I do but I’m in no condition to use any!” Lucky for Sfen, he could still communicate to his team via the mental sync. He was so badly beaten, he didn’t have the stamina to speak aloud. “I wouldn’t be able to keep an attack stable enough to be effective.”
Cutting the preparation early, Ellandio began healing Sfen with a spell. It wouldn’t get him back to 100 percent, but anything was better than dead. “Healing now. Sfen, what if it doesn’t have to be an attack? Just something to soften him up.”
“Doesn’t have to be an attack? What do you want me to do, blow a damn bubble?”
Kleon was fading. They had to act, now.
“Actually Sfen… that will do.” An idea had struck Nik. “Can you form a water ball? About the size of Arkolitho’s head? Nothing too special, but something solid you can maintain and replenish?”
“I can try.” It would be extremely painful for him to use even a simple spell. Kleon was being disfigured, though.
“Okay we’ll have to be fast about this,” said Nik, clenching his fists. He quickly told Sfen the plan, but worried it might be too simple.
Arkolitho was plainly unphased by the gore he was spreading. His facial expression had frozen, his eyes glazed over. He was lost in a blind rage. Abruptly, he regained his composure. He momentarily stopped the onslaught against Kleon, though he still clasped the man with a vice grip using his lower set of hands.
Did I really get all worked up over that, Arkolitho asked himself. Oh well. These men had to die anyway. At least this one will go quick. He was ready to start the massacre again when something caught his eye. One of the smaller men was reaching towards him. What is he doing? Another weak spell? Or is he begging?
As Ellandio continued to heal him, Sfen mustered up the strength for an attack. A small orb of water began to form in front of Arkolitho’s face. It grew in size and began to envelop the giant’s head. It was too late by the time he noticed what was going on. Water flooded his mouth and nasal cavity. What? They’re trying to drown me? The Stonehide?!
His grip on Kleon began to loosen. Arkolitho waved his head around to try and escape the water. He dropped Kleon and tried to slap the torrent away from his mouth, scooping water away to no avail. The feeling of panic was so foreign to Arkolitho, something he had not experienced since he was a young boy.
“I can’t keep this up, your Highness! He is going to move out of the waterball’s range.” Sfen was right. Arkolitho stumbled backwards, blubbering in the water.
Then, something clasped Arkolitho’s ankles. Kleon, who couldn’t even see due to the punishment he had just received, managed to seek out the enemy’s legs. He held on to them for dear life as he lied on the ground.
“There we go, Kleon!” Ellandio said with pride. Though he wanted to give some medical attention to Kleon, Sfen was the priority. If he couldn’t keep the spell sustained, the four of them would fail.
Despite his thrashing, Arkolitho couldn’t stop the water from enveloping his head. It began to flood his lungs. He kicked off Kleon, who was too weak to slow anyone down. Arkolitho lurched forward, escaping the liquid prison.
The spell dissipated as a few drops fell to the ground. “See? I told you I couldn’t hold the technique! No we’re back where we started, you--”
Before Sfen could finish his thought, Nik striked. He shot forward towards Arkolitho, creating an explosion of sand and dust behind him. Arkolitho was panting for air in between words. In one brief moment, he left an opening. Nik thrust his sword into Arkolitho’s mouth, stabbing the back of his head.
It startled Sfen and Ellandio. “Oh shit!” they thought in unison.
The blade, upon impacting the solid rock layer of Arkolitho’s scalp, shattered like an old twig. Shrapnel filled his cranium, being unable to pass through Arkolitho’s rock-solid bones and skin. Nik jumped back, ready to attack again… but there was no need. The stone giant was defeated. Arkolitho slumped over, magic armor still active, and crashed to the ground. His manifested arms broke off and crumbled. The rocky outer crust that had shielded him from countless onslaughts was flaking off.
The finishing blow was so fast that Arkolitho couldn’t process it. He didn’t have time to spit out one final line of vengeance, or curse the small fry who had overcome him. Only a pitiful burp of air, water, and blood left Arkolitho’s mouth as his fighting spirit faded away forever.
The Stonehide was dead. Stunned, Ellandio and Sfen stared at the massive corpse.
“Hurry up!” screamed Nik. “Heal Kleon, now!”
Ellandio snapped out of his daze and rushed to his ally’s side. “Sorry old friend, I was just… wow.”
“Did we? Did we really just beat the Stonehide?” asked Sfen. He was beside himself.
“Focus Ellandio!” barked Nik. “Put everything in--”
“I got it! Calm down.” Ellandio was mad at himself for the lapse in action and leaving Kleon in pain, even if only for a moment. “Don’t worry Kleon, I’ll have you all stitched up.” His teammate was too badly hurt to respond. Ellandio focused his mana and cupped his hands over Kleon’s face. It would be a difficult therapy, even for a seasoned medic. After speaking an incantation, he started the curing spell. A green aura surrounded Kleon, slowly repairing the massive damage he had received. Ellandio furrowed his brow. “This might take a minute, big guy. Stay with me.”
“Hey El, don’t forget about me,” hollered Sfen. “Kleon doesn’t need your help, he always was the strong silent type!” No one appreciated the joke.
It’s good to fight with these two again, even if only for a short while, Ellandio thought to himself as he simpered. Sfen rolled over onto his back, relaxing into the sand. Nik too collapsed to the ground, finally succumbing to nerves and adrenaline. His hands shook uncontrollably.
After a long while, Kleon looked like his old self again. He raised a fist to give his team a gesture of triumph; he was still alive. They all were. Eventually, he had the strength to whisper, “Thanks El.” He coughed violently from the stress it put on his vocal chords, spitting up blood.
“Quiet, Kleon, “ Nik scolded. “You’ll draw out the healing process. Sfen still needs attention.”
“He always does that,” Sfen noted. “Masochist.”
“If the big oaf can talk then we don’t need the sync, I’ll cut it now,” said Ellandio. He ended the telepathic link between the four of them.
Nik stood up and started back towards the town. The lackey who had lost an eye had fled while they were focusing on the stone menace. “I’m going to take another look around. Arkolitho might have some flunkies hanging around still, and I’m not sure where that one guy ran off to.” Everyone nodded in silent acknowledgement.
The team’s captain dragged his feet as he walked back to the center of the abandoned town. Despite the victory they just enjoyed, he was still rattled. Why was I chosen for this mission, he asked himself. I should not be leading a troop in such dangerous territory. I’m certainly not qualified to fight people like Arkolitho! Slowly, he walked by each building as they had done upon first arriving in the ghost town, hoping to find the escapee. Upon reaching the edge of the strip, the gate they had entered through, Nik circled back to check the other row of buildings. Something caught his eye as he peered down an alley.
It was the curvey that fled. Nik quickly turned down the alley. He had lost his sword in the battle, but still had a decent amount of mana if needed. Upon reaching the outskirts of the side path, he called out to his enemy. “Wait right there.”
The man did not listen. He trudged through the sand, head hanging low. Perplexed, Nik grabbed his enemy’s arm and spun him around. His left eye looked pretty gruesome; without a medic to attend to the wound, he would certainly lose it.
The two men stared at each other in reticence.
The silence bothered Nik. “Where are you going?” he spit out.
“What do you care?” asked the curvey. He turned around and continued to walk.
The young captain hesitated. Executing the survivor was his only option. A faint flame shrouded his clenched fist. And then... Nik did nothing.
The curvey was almost out of earshot when he looked back over his shoulder. “Well get it over with,” he shouted, his voice breaking. He expected a projectile in the back. “Don’t be an asshole!” It was pretty rude to leave the guy hanging like that. But Nik remained still. “Fine. Whatever,” said the injured man. He waved off Nik and headed over a dune outside of town. With each step, he fully expected something sharp in his neck.
But Nik did nothing. The flame surrounding his fist dissipated. After standing in silence, watching his enemy stagger out of sight, he headed back to his team. Almost immediately, Nik regretted his inaction.
I couldn’t do it! Why couldn’t I do it? I tried! … It shouldn’t matter, he’ll die in the desert anyway. I’ll be fine. No one will find out. He was frantically trying to convince himself he hadn’t just committed a huge error. That wound will kill him eventually. How could he survive by himself? He can’t.
As Nik drew close to the opposite end of the town, he looked up to find Kleon waiting for him. Shit! Did he see that? Did Kleon watch me let him off the hook?!
“Captain.”
“You’re looking better,” Nik said, trying to suppress his nerves once more. “That was faster than I was expecting!”
“Yes, Ellandio works fast. He’s one of the best.” His face was indeed a lot better, no one could have guessed it had been reduced to a bloody pulp a little while ago.
“I guess Sfen can stop complaining.”
“No, he will never stop complaining.” Even Kleon’s sense of humor was stern.
Nik forced a laugh as he tried to head back towards the others. It was the first time he had laughed in front of his troop, albeit fake. Maybe Kleon didn’t see it. He would have said something by now.
Sfen, who was receiving treatment from Ellandio, looked up to harass his captain. “Where have you been? So, did you find us some sweet digs for the night?”
“You mean here? We’re not staying here,” Nik said plainly.
The contented look vanished from the faces of his team. “What the hell do you mean?” cried Sfen, causing a sharp pain in his ribs.
“That confrontation didn’t delay us very long, we can still make it to the scheduled camp by nightfall.”
Kleon furrowed his brow. Ellandio protested, “You can’t be serious. We haven’t even rested. Blood still drips from our wounds!”
“We’ve been busting our asses just to get this far,” Sfen added, “and we’re ahead of schedule. I didn’t hear anything back at the Palace about making this trek in four days. Four days would be difficult if we were on mounts, travelling in a straight line! What is the rush, your Highness? Who lit the fire under your ass?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll rest here a short while, but-”
“A short while? Your Regalness, please reconsider,” asked Ellandio. “We just defeated the Stonehide. The Stonehide! If not for exhaustion, we should at least spend the night to celebrate. We are still alive, after all!”
“Under normal circumstances, we’d be given a feast back home,” added Sfen.
Kleon nodded in agreement. “A victory of that caliber should be honored.”
Nik rebutted. “Listen, staying here is not safe. You don’t just knock off someone with Arkolitho’s reputation and wait around to see what happens next.” His thoughts immediately went to the curvey he let live. “Someone is going to notice what happened here sooner or later.”
“Not tonight, they won’t. We’re completely isolated! We’ll find a building that isn’t infested with rats, make some decent food, and enjoy some long sleep.” Sfen insisted on relaxation.
Nik, unsure of the situation, paused. His team brought up good points. They were closer to the Iosan capital than the original plan called for. Damn! I should not have let that curvey live! What was I thinking?! And I can’t go after him now, he’s long gone. It would be a fool’s errand... Abruptly, Nik turned and walked away from his team.
“Where are you going, sir?” asked Kleon.
“We’ll stay the night,” Nik responded. They can’t know about the curvey. This mission will be over… my career will be over… He shrugged his shoulders and said, “Go find a suitable shelter, and keep an eye out for supplies while you’re at it.” He gazed out at the open desert, clenching every muscle in his body. He had essentially let his inferiors give him an order and there wasn’t much he could do otherwise, due to the mercy he showed the enemy. On one hand, pressing on immediately would endanger them all due to exhaustion. On the other hand, it would also alienate the troop even moreso, jeopardizing the mission. Nik made his bed, now he had to sleep in it.
“I knew he’d cave,” Sfen said with a smile. Ellandio completed the second healing spell on his teammate and stood up to stretch. It had been quite some time since he had to use high intensity curing techniques in such rapid succession.
“Well, let’s go explore some more,” Kleon said plainly as he offered a hand to lift up Sfen.
“All potential sleeping spots must be cleared by me first,” squawked Sfen. Nik frowned in annoyance, though no one could see him.
* * *
Nik exited one of the decrepit buildings and wandered towards his comrades in the center of the road. He rubbed his forehead, sighed, and said, “We’re staying up there.” He pointed to the tall building behind him that stood at the edge of town, opposite of where they had arrived. “Clean. Good view of the main strip and most of the alleys on the fifth floor.”
“Ah, but your Highness, I found a great place over there that has some oversized furniture that looks mighty comfy,” said Sfen. “It’s gotta be where Arkolitho and those bums hid out. We should relax there!”
Ellandio added, “Yes, it--”
“No!” declared Nik. His team halted in surprise. “This isn’t an open forum! We are staying in that building tonight. One of us will hold watch, each in shifts. We’ll leave before sunrise. That’s it.”
Sfen rolled his eyes. “Well shit, I was just trying to-”
“I don’t care! We’re on task. What happened today doesn’t change that, it doesn’t grant us any ‘time off’ suddenly. If anything, the fact that we just killed one of Iosa’s biggest cynosures should heighten your sense of urgency!”
“Cynosure? Really? Whatever you say, Boss.” Sfen slowly strutted into the building Nik had suggested. “But we should at least go check out that building for some decent eatin’.”
Without a word, the troop followed Sfen and set up camp in the space that Nik had designated. They would be sleeping on the third floor while one man kept watch on the fifth. It was far from glamorous, but it would still be a nice reprieve from their previous sleeping arrangements. Shelter was hard to come by in the desert. (The previous night, the four men were forced to sleep next to a rock that was barely taller than Kleon, praying that the strong winds would not change course.) Small treats, even like staying securely in an abandoned building, meant quite a bit during quests abroad.
Sfen and Ellandio managed to find some supplies that must have belonged to a previous crew. Arkolitho’s, maybe? It included some good meat: Iosan delicacies that hadn’t been traded in Pramentori since before the war. It also included medical supplies, which the team had purposely excluded when prepping for the mission. Going through food rations in the previous days had freed up room for the medical provisions.
After enjoying the foreign foodstuff, the four men decided that it would be best to turn in early.
Kleon spoke up. “It was a glorious battle today, gentlemen, no mind that it was brief. We don’t have any ale to toast with, but it should be noted that it was no accident we lived through the encounter. I believe this was a good omen before we reach the Iosan capital.”
“Well said,” Nik added.
“Hear, hear.”
“Great stuff, big guy,” Sfen complemented sarcastically. “Really riveting. Now shut up and go to sleep. You have second shift and we all know I’m going to get tired fast while on watch.” The mordant mage waved goodnight to his teammates and climbed the creaky staircase to the fifth floor, where he started his post. He settled in, finding a spot that would give him a view of both of the ghost town’s entrances. Snickering, Sfen shut his eyes.
“What a bunch of idiots.”