The Land: Forging (Chaos Seeds Book 2) (49 page)

After an hour the sky was a slightly lighter shade of black which Richter took to mean daybreak was near. It was tough to tell though, because the rain had started to fall even harder. All of them were completely drenched by that time. They slogged along in silence. Even though none of them were comfortable, they were still in fine spirits because every step they took was a step closer to healing and shelter.

The rain did provide an excellent opportunity for Richter to train his skills. He maintained Stealth almost the entire time. With his improved Herb Lore, the world was also alive with slightly glowing leaves, flowers and roots. Richter realized that this was the first time he had been out in the forest at night since planting the Quickening. It was true that useful plants would glow in the day as well, but they were so much easier to see at night. He plucked
a good many while they traveled. Remembering his difficulty with retrieving Dark Moss when he first came to The Land, he was delighted that the herbs seemed to basically leap into his hands at this point. The gain in his Herb Lore skill was minimal unfortunately. Leveling the skill now that is was level 39 was exponentially harder than it had been at the early levels.

*Men*, Alma thought. She sent him an image of a man in a green cloak hiding in the limbs of a tree. Another was hidden in the bushes at the base of the tree.

*How far*, he thought back.

She sent an image of the forest from a higher elevation. All he could see was trees however. The ability to communicate psychically with his familiar was amazing, but clearly it was not without its limits. The psi dragonling didn’t seem to be able to grasp the idea of precise distance. Couldn’t be too easy for a flying creature to relate distance to someone that walked everywhere, Richter thought. Luckily Alma wasn’t their only option.

*Come back,* he thought.

He raised his hand for everyone to stop. “Futen, kill the light and go invisible.” The remnant disappeared. Richter hunched low and hid behind a tree, the rest of the party spreading out and doing the same. After a minute, the flapping of wings heralded the Alma’s return.

She landed on his shoulder. “Which way,” he asked softly. Her body straightened like a bloodhound, indicating about thirty degrees to the right of the direction they had been heading.

“Futen.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Futen’s disembodied voice was no more than a foot in front of his face. The remnant spoke at a low volume. Apparently, he was learning.

“Go in that direction,” Richter said. “Stay invisible and scout until you find a man in a green cloak or you reach the end of your range. If you find someone scout around the immediate area to see if there is anyone else. After that come back and let me know how far away they are. If you don’t find anyone just come back. We will move forward and start again.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Richter walked to each of his comrades and explained the situation. All readied their weapons. The only sound was the rain falling around them like a dull roar. Five minutes passed, and then ten. Richter was starting to think the man was beyond Futen’s range of travel, when a low monotone voice spoke right in front him.

“I found a figure in the green cloak, my Lord. It appears to one man alone. I did not locate anyone else in the surrounding area. He is in the low branches of a tree approximately one hundred and twenty yards in the direction you indicated.”

“Was he looking in this direction,” Richter asked. Futen answered in the affirmative. Richter nodded, the man must have seen the light Futen had been shining. Made sense, he would have had to be blind to miss a moving spotlight in the middle of a dark forest. When the light went out, one of the men must have run off for help, while the other kept watch.

Richter waved everyone over and shared the information, then made a plan of attack. “We need to move quickly before it gets any lighter. Sion and Daniella, I want you to fan out in opposite directions. Go about seventy yards forward. Yoshi and I will move forward until we go the same distance. Then I’ll send Futen. When he is hovering in front of the man’s face, he will emit a bright light and loud sound. Then we move in while he is disoriented. Capture him if you can. I need to know who he is, and where the other one went.”

Everyone nodded and moved to follow Richter’s directions. Two minutes later there was a loud bang, and the night filled with light. Stark shadows were cast by the trees, even through the downpour. There was a loud exclamation of “Gahhh!” then the sound of snapping trees limbs followed by a thud. All four of the party members were running as soon as the light flared. They crossed the remaining distance in only a few seconds and soon had weapons pointed at the man’s throat. Richter threw back the man’s hood and stared down at a somewhat familiar face. He couldn’t quite place him though. He used Analyze.

Name: Jitol. Wood Elf. Level 9. Health 150/190. Mana 230. Stamina 180. Disposition: Friendly…

A friendly disposition? It all clicked. This was one of the hunters from the Mist Village! Richter realized he should have deduced the truth when the other man ran off into the mist. Either these men had strong magic to counteract the mist, or the two men were hunters that Richter himself had given immunity to. He looked down at the man who was groaning at their feet. Then he looked at Jitol’s leg which was curving at a point that it was never supposed to bend. “Duuuude. This is soooo my bad!”

Jitol just groaned again.

It was clear they couldn’t just leave the man, but at the same time they would need to set his leg before they started moving. Sion and Daniella held him down, while Yoshi positioned himself at the man’s leg. It was possible that they could infect the man with their disease, but it was a chance they had to take. Either way, even if he was infected, he should have enough health to survive until they got him back to Sumiko or Hisako. Once everything was set, Richter gave a nod, and Yoshi straightened the bones with a sure and strong yank. Jitol screamed, and then passed out. Sion and Daniella started tying the elf’s leg into a splint. Richter cast
Slow Heal
. It wouldn’t fix the break, but it would restore some of the man’s lost health. Daniella had explained that it required a specific spell to heal bones, and it was well beyond her abilities. When the sprites cinched the split tight on Jitol’s leg, he groaned deeply again, but didn’t regain consciousness.

Man, Richter thought, I owe this guy like at least a fruit basket when we get back.

They spent some time making a stretcher. The found two stout branches, and Richter donated his cloak as the final piece. The loaded the elf, trying not to jostle him too much. Then they started walking again. Richter had Futen shine his brightest light above them. He knew that reinforcements would be coming from the village soon, and he didn’t want to be shot by mistake.

Sure enough, less than an hour later Alma sent him an image of a large number of armed people walking in their direction. Richter called her back to him. He didn’t want an elf
with an ‘itchy trigger finger’ shooting his familiar. He called a stop and again told Futen to make his light as bright as possible. The wait wasn’t too long.

“Identify yourself,” a voice called out of the dark.

“This is Lord Richter, Adept Yoshi, and sprites Sion and Daniella,” he said in a strong voice. “We have Jitol with us. He needs medical aid. We are with Futen. You should be able to see him.”

It was quiet for a few moments, and then a man came into the light. Richter recognized him as well, and his name was… Yanosh. As soon as Yanosh saw his face, he breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s Lord Richter,” he called out. Jitol is hurt! Everyone come help!”

A motley crowd of about twenty people came into the radius of Futen’s light. Dwarves in chainmail stood by wood elf archers. Men carrying clubs and axes stood in front of high elves in hide and leather armor. These were his people. There were looks of uncertainty or fear on the faces of more than a few, but that didn’t matter. They had come to fight, no, to protect their homes, even though they didn’t know what they would face. Richter’s heart swelled with pride.

He heard his name on the lips of many of the men and women. It began as a scattered whisper, but it soon became a chant, “Lord Richter, Lord Richter, Lord Richter!” He raised his hand, and said, “I missed all of you as well! Now who brought me an ale?!”

There were laughs all around, and everyone came closer to clasp hands, but Richter waved them back. “We were successful, but it wasn’t without cost. We have been infected by
a spell. I need everyone to stay back until we are healed.” He turned to Yanosh, “Who is the fastest runner?”

“That would be me, my Lord,” he replied.

“I’m assuming there are still people standing guard despite all of you being here?”

“Most definitely, my Lord,” Yanosh said with pride. “We won’t let anyone sneak up on us again!

“I need you to run ahead. Don’t go into the village. When you are close, shout out to one of the guards and tell him to bring either Sumiko or Hisako. When they come close, tell them about the infection, but do not touch them. Tell them
quietly.
I don’t want to start a panic. Respectfully ask them to meet us. I won’t risk coming into the village before we are cured. And I’m sorry to ask this of all of you, but everyone here will need to be checked before entering the village.” Some of the men and women started to shuffle restlessly. “I know that must be concerning, but rest assured I think any danger is minimal. I will not however, allow any possibility of sickness into our community. Think of your friends and families that are behind the walls, and you will know I’m right.”

Everyone nodded and spoke silently to each other. Richter had a feeling that would be the case. Fear was a natural response in anyone, but given the chance to protect the people they loved, many would find their courage. Yanosh ran off and everyone else moved away into the mists. Richter and his friends continued behind with Jitol who thankfully remained unconscious.

The rain had stopped while the party carried Jitol. Soon the walls of the village came into view. They weren’t just earthworks anymore. The sections of wall that stood to either side of the gate were now marbled quartz. It wasn’t much, but it made Richter happy to see that the defenses were improving. They were met well outside of walls by both Hisako, Sumiko and what looked to be all of the sprite warriors. Richter caught a look of apprehension on her face. She scanned the faces of every member of the village rescue party. When she saw Richter and the sprites pulling up the rear, her face relaxed into a smile.

She ran forward, evidently surprising her sprite guards, who scurried to keep up. The ol’ girl still had some pep in her step! She met them before they had crossed half the remaining distance, and she ran up to Sion, embracing him despite his protests. The stretcher tipped, and Jitol woke up with a cry when he almost fell.

With a chagrined look, the normally zen Hisako let go of Sion and with a wave of her hand, gold light surrounded the wounded wood elf’s leg. His cry cut off and was replaced by a sigh of relief. Richter looked at him, and saw that Jitol had closed his eyes, and was happily laying back to enjoy a pain free moment. A moment was all he got.

“You
do
realize four sick people are carrying a healthy person now right,” Yoshi asked tersely.

“Wha- Oh. I’m sorr-. My apologies, Lord Richter!” The wood elf started flailing around trying to stand up. His movements were so awkward that he threatened to knock over the four people carrying him. Yoshi solved that problem by just dropping his corner of the stretcher and walking around to Hisako. Intentionally helpful or not, it did let Jitol slide off to the ground. He tested his ‘new’ leg, and was apparently satisfied because he stood on his own two feet with no difficulty. The whole time he kept up a running stream of apologies and thanks.

Richter clapped him on the shoulder laughing, “Don’t worry about it! Let’s just call it even.”

“Uh, even for what, my Lord,” the elf asked.

“Nothing,” Richter said with a too wide smile. “Just, say we’re even.”

“We’re… even,” Jitol asked with an unsure tone in his voice.

“Great,” Richter said feeling better about the whole leg breaky, near death thing. ‘What’s that Karma? I’m squeaking by on a technicality? He SAID we were even! You just don’t get it.’ Richter brought his mind back to more important things.

“Hisako,” he said, “it is good to see you. I find myself in need of your help.”