Date: 2018-09-07 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Fiction
Description: A race against time to save a little girl and the empire she is destined to lead. Despite the best efforts of her enemies, Cari Dix is alive and well. Now she’s ready to come out of hiding and bring the missing heir back to the imperial capital. Together this group of swashbuckling rogues must travel across the entire continent, brave undermountain tunnels, fairy tale witches, and an entire army on the hunt for them. The fate of the Empire of Fantasma hangs in the balance. Don’t miss the exciting conclusion to the Accidental Champion trilogy as Cari, her enemies, and even her adventuring paren

Accidental Dragoon

Book 3 in a LitRPG Swashbuckler Trilogy

Jamie Davis

C.J. Davis

MedicCast Productions

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Also by Jamie Davis

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About the Author

Copyright © 2018 Jamie Davis

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

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Cover art by CoversByChristian.com

Created with Vellum

For every aspiring writer who read this or any story and says ‘I can write that!’

The world needs your story to be written.

Jamie Davis

To the strong women in my life who support all of my crazy ideas.

C. J. Davis

Chapter 1

Captain Cari Dix stood over the long dining table in Captain Crandall Wheldon’s estate, looking at the expanse of charts spread out across it. She stabbed a finger down on a small town west along the coast from Tandon. “Can’t we land here?”

Crandall shook his head. “No. The Duke’s forces are spreading out across the western reaches of the Empire. The imperial naval forces under his control are blockading each of the ports as they reach them and he has situated land forces along most of the approaches to Tandon.”

“Well, we’ve got to find some place to land. We can’t stay here forever.”

Cari’s eyes scanned the map in front of her and then looked at the other charts showing different portions of the western coastline of the Empire Fantasma. There had to be somewhere she could get ashore safely and begin transporting Crown Princess Jaycee to her great-grandmother, the Empress.

“What if we tried to force our way through and get into Tandon’s harbor before any naval ships were able to catch us?” Helen Doolan, Cari’s first mate, said.

“That’s not something I’d want to try,” Crandall said. “There are more naval ships out there now than you want to run past. Even in my fast schooner, they’d be able to corner us at some point, and we won’t be able to fight our way free. That boat is equipped to run fast, not fight a pitched battle at sea.”

Cari stood looking down at the map, her hands on her hips and shook her head. “We can’t stay here. We can’t get to the mainland.” Cari ground her teeth in frustration. “Is there any way we can avoid the vote in the Council of Captains tomorrow, Crandall?”

The old Raider captain shook his head. “I have some sway with the majority of the captains in port, but even that isn’t enough to get past their need to trade goods somewhere. You made it so we didn’t have to be pirates anymore. Most of the captains appreciate that, but that means we have to be able to become merchants again. That’s hard to do when all the nearest ports are sealed against you.”

“It’s like they know you and the princess are still alive, Cari,” Helen said.

“Yes,” Cari agreed. “And that means someone here on Cairn Island got word to the Duke about not only me but also the princess.”

“Unfortunately, I agree,” Crandall said. “All the more reason to get you ashore on the mainland as quickly as possible. Once the naval commanders under the Duke of Charon’s control think they’ve got enough ships to come here in force and challenge us in our own waters, they are going to come looking for you. It’s one of the reasons the council wants to vote to have you expelled. I think I have wrangled enough votes to allow you all to stay here with me for now but there will be another call for a vote next month, and the next, until they succeed. As long as this economic pressure is on us, one or more of the friendly captains are going to flip sides. Eventually, we will lose the vote. It’s inevitable, I fear.”

Cari leaned over the table and traced her finger along the coastline once again. “Morton Creek is out. They’re letting ships in and out but searching them as they arrive. That also appears to be where the Duke’s pet admiral has set up his headquarters. We could put in at one of the small fishing villages along the coast between Morton Creek and Tandon.”

“Most of those were raided by Sultanate slavers, remember?” Helen pointed out. “Even if we landed there, we wouldn’t get much in the way of supplies or support. By the reports I’ve heard, only a few have managed to rebuild again. Most are still charred ghost towns.”

Cari continued, bypassing Tandon on the map. The strongest blockade force was rumored to be headed in that direction. “Our only option is to head northwest and hope one of the other free cities farther north along the coast is able to get us the support we need once we land. We must break through to Tandon and coordinate with the Duke there to help us reach the Crystal City and Empress Kareena.”

“The Duke of Charon has almost taken control of the entire Empire at this point. Only the western cities remain,” Crandall said. “It’s not going to be easy to make it through to the capital no matter where you land. Once the old Empress dies, the Duke of Charon is ready to put that puppet, Prince Timron, on the throne as fast as he can.”

“Yes, but, Timron is in hiding right now,” Cari observed. “He won’t come out until he knows it’s safe for him to travel to the Crystal City. He’ll only do that once his grandmother passes away. That gives us time to get Jaycee there first. If we can keep her safe, even the Duke of Charon would have to let her succeed her great-grandmother when the time comes.”

“He’ll push to become the regent, you know,” Crandall observed.

“It’ll be difficult for him to do that spitted on the end of my sword,” Cari snarled. “He’s got a lot of good people’s lives to pay for. I intend to settle accounts with him once I get the chance. He won’t be able to avoid a public challenge to his honor and then I’ll finish him in a duel once and for all.”

The discussion was interrupted by Francesca, one of the few surviving members of Cari’s crew. “Excuse me, Captain. I think you should come see this. There’s something going on outside.”

“What is it, Francesca.?”

“It’s some sort of disturbance. It sounds like there’s a mob forming outside of Captain Wheldon’s estate gates.”

Captain Wheldon looked up in alarm. “A mob? I’ll see to this right now. No one challenges me in my home like that.”

“Crandall,” Cari said. “You have to be careful. If something is going on out there, they might not listen to you.”

“I’ll not let these scurvy dogs run you off the island like this. The council of captains hasn’t voted yet and I’m not going to stand by and let the mob rule. If they want things to change they have to wait for the council to vote.”

Cari, Crandall, and Helen followed Francesca out to the second-floor balcony looking down over the stone wall surrounding the Captain’s estate. There seemed to be an angry group of people shouting and pointing at the house through the gate.

Cari pointed at the crowd. “Look. That’s Day Ivarson. It figures he’d be in the middle of this.”

“I’ll have his head on a stick,” Crandall said. “He’s a captain on the council and knows better than to stir up the common folk like this.”

“It seems he’s forgotten,” Cari said.

“I’m going down there. You all stay here. I’ll get them to disperse.”

Crandall left them standing on the balcony as he headed for the stairs. Cari looked past the other side of the gate and saw more people coming up from the port down below. “I don’t like this, Helen. Look, there are more people gathering. Eventually, this mob is going to get out of control. We need to make plans to get out of here.”

“Where do we go?” Helen asked.

“I’m not sure. I do know one thing. We can’t stay here anymore. Francesca, go get Percy and make sure he’s got his things together, then go round up the princess. I’m going back to my room to gather my weapons. I suggest you all do the same. I don’t think we’re going to make it to the harbor without a fight.“

The three of them split up, heading in different directions inside the large manor house. Cari reached her rooms and grabbed her sword baldric settling it diagonally across her chest so that her sword hung at her right side. She strapped on her belt, buckling the bottom of the dagger’s sheath where it hung down next to her thigh.

She lamented once again losing her precious bag of holding when her ship, the Vengeance, sank before she could be rescued by the Raiders. Cari shook her head. There was no sense in worrying about something she couldn’t do anything about. Looking around the room one last time for anything that might be useful, she wheeled about and headed out the door.

Cari reached the main hall downstairs just as Helen arrived with the princess, her cabin boy, Percy, and Francesca. Everyone was armed except for the princess. After all, what kind of weapon did you give to a six-year-old?

“All right,” Cari said. “We’re going to head out back to the stable yard. Hopefully, the rear gate isn’t being watched by anyone from that mob out front. We’ll see if we can hitch a horse to one of the small carts and load ourselves up in that. Then we can get out of here. Perhaps if we head inland on one of the island roads, we can circle around and come at the harbor from a different direction.”

“What are we going to do when we get to the harbor?” Helen asked. “It’s not like we have a ship anymore.”

“We’ll deal with that when we get there. We still have a few friends in town.”

Quest accepted — Escape to the Harbor

The small group headed out the back of the main house into the courtyard. They walked towards the stables. There weren’t any servants around, which Cari thought was strange. She wondered if they were hiding or had run off after seeing an angry mob gathered outside their master’s residence.

She worried about not leaving a letter of some sort for Crandall. She figured he’d probably understand in the long run. Besides, any notes you left could be found. If people from the mob got inside the gates, they’d surely search the home. She didn’t want any of them figuring out what she might be planning.

Percy raced ahead into the stable and led a horse into the center of the paddock where a small, two-wheeled cart was sitting. He started hitching up the horse to the traces. Francesca immediately went over to lend a hand.

Once they had the cart hitched, Cari picked up Jaycee and set her in the back of the wagon. Francesca and Percy climbed in back with the girl. They sat down with their legs dangling over the end of the small open wagon-bed. Helen climbed up to the short bench at the front of the cart. Cari joined her, picking up the reins. She made a clucking sound and slapped the reins down on the horse’s back. The horse started forward, pulling the cart behind with a lurch.

The rear gate to the estate was open and no one was outside when they reached it so Cari snapped the reins down a little harder on the horse’s back. The horse sped up to a trot, heading down the dirt road leading from the rear of the estate into the thick jungle of the tropical island on which they’d been staying.

In the background as they left, Cari heard angry shouts and the sound of a couple of gunshots. She hoped Crandall was alright. There was no going back at this point, though. Her primary responsibility was getting Jaycee to safety. They’d made it out just in time.

Chapter 2

The small cart and its occupants bounced down the dirt track as the horse trotted along. Cari looked back and realized they were out of sight of Crandall’s estate. She slowed the horse to a walk and everyone stopped holding on quite so desperately. Cari followed the trail in front of them as they proceeded; the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. Soon she’d have to try to find a way to circle back to the harbor.

Percy stood up behind the driver’s bench and pointed past Cari’s shoulder up the road ahead of them. “Captain, there’s a turn to the left up there. It veers from the main trail. I think this cart is small enough to take that different track.”

“Where does it go?”

“It circles down towards the beach road past several other estates belonging to the other captains. I think if we travel back along the beach road, we might be able to avoid most of the crowd up by Captain Wheldon’s house.”

“Excellent idea, Mr. McShea,” Cari said. “You are shaping up into a fine young ship’s officer.”

Percy beamed with pride, a broad smile filling his face in the gathering gloom of dusk. Just as the boy had indicated, a small trail led off to the left and Cari coaxed the horse onto the much narrower track. It led downhill. The path was steep and there were a few precarious places along the trail. Cari managed to navigate and negotiate them without overturning the cart, though.

The track opened up onto a dirt road that paralleled the island’s white sand beach. Cari looked ahead as the moonlight shone like a silver path along the ocean’s clear waters. She could hear the waves crashing on the shore as they turned and headed back towards the harbor.

Fortunately, they did not encounter anyone on the coast road. There would be no hiding their identities. The town and population of Cairn Island were small enough that everyone knew who Cari and her friends were.

“I think we’re going to have to get some help,” Cari said, breaking the uneasy silence.

“What did you have in mind?” Helen asked.

“Percy, isn’t Captain Hitchcock’s home down along the coast here somewhere?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s just a little farther along here. It’s on the right.”

“Let’s hope he and his wife are still siding with Captain Wheldon. We’re going to need their help if we’re going to get off this island without getting caught.”

Cari continued down the road, thankful for the darkness. It would help to hide them from anyone who might see them pass by. Hopefully, those out at this hour would just assume they were a group of regular islanders out and about in the early evening.

When they arrived at Captain Hitchcock’s home. Cari pulled the small cart into the courtyard in front of the house and climbed down from the seat. Handing the reins to Helen, Cari said, “At the first sign of trouble, get the heck out of here.”

“What about you, captain?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can get myself out of trouble. Your first responsibility is to the princess. Keep her safe.”

Helen nodded, with a glance back towards Jaycee seated in the back.

The young girl was wide-eyed and taking all of it in. She seemed like she might be a little frightened, “Cari, you can’t leave me. What will I do without you to protect me?” the young princess barely managed to squeak out.

Cari knelt down in front of the small girl, resting her hand on her cheek. “I am not leaving you, Jaycee. I just need to go in here and ask Captain Hitchcock for some assistance. I’ll be right over there and you’ll be able to see me in the doorway the whole time. If anything happens, Miss Doolan will help you until I can catch up again. Understand?”

The young, six-year-old princess nodded. She didn’t look all that reassured, though. Cari sighed. She turned and walked up the broad steps to the front door, lifting the heavy brass knocker. She let it fall twice then waited for someone to answer the door.

The door opened and Jackie, Captain Hitchcock’s wife, stood in the doorway silhouetted by lamplight coming from inside the home. “Cari, my dear, how nice to see you.”

The woman took in the scene behind Cari, seeing all the others in the cart. “What brings you to our home with all of your friends in that strange little cart? Is everything all right?”

“Jackie, can we come inside? There’s been some trouble up at Crandall’s house and we had to get away in a hurry. There was a mob of people demanding for us to be turned over to them.”

“Day Ivarson, that bastard,” Jackie said, guessing who was behind the mob. “When I get my hands on that man, I’m going to remind him that I used to change his diapers when he was little. How he got to be a captain and stay there in that job when he’s such a bastard, I’ll never understand.”

“We can worry about that later, Jackie, can we come inside?”

“Of course, my dear, come on in. You know you’re always welcome in our home. After all, it was you who rescued us from the Sultanate compound when we were hostages. My family and I owe you our lives.”

Six months before, Cari and her crew had rescued Jackie and other Raider hostages who’d been held prisoner by the Duke of Charon’s friends to the south. They were imprisoned to coax the Raiders into attacking ships and villages up and down the western coast of the empire. With the return of the hostages, Cari was able to convince the council of captains to stop their piracy and turn back to peaceful merchant endeavors.

Cari beckoned to her friends in the cart. They unloaded in a hurry and darted inside. As Cari followed the last of them inside, Captain Hitchcock came out of his study into the central hallway. “Cari, you look concerned. What are you all doing here? What’s wrong?”

“Day Ivarson has managed to gather enough captains behind him to attempt to overthrow Crandall’s hold on the council. Given what Day plans to do, I thought it best for us to get out of there while we could. I’m hoping you and Jackie can help us get off the island. It’s not safe for us here anymore.”

“Of course, I will do anything I can to help you. The problem is that my ship is currently being overhauled and it’s not going to be able to sail anywhere for several days.”

“That’s not the ship I’m thinking of,” Cari said.

“What ship did you have in mind?”

“I’m going to take Crandall’s racing schooner, the Sailfish.”

Captain Hitchcock pursed his lips and shook his head. “He’s not going to be very happy about you taking that toy of his.”

“We’ve got to get away from here fast. And I don’t think we should be in a vessel the others could easily catch if they followed after us. In the racing schooner, we’ll be able to outrun anything that might try to follow us from here and the other islands nearby.”

“That’s true. But the three of you and the two children aren’t going to be able to crew that vessel all by yourselves.”

“That’s why she’s here, husband,” Jackie said, guessing their reason for stopping. “Cari needs our help once again gathering a few loyal crew members. Isn’t that right, Cari?

Cari nodded.

Captain Hitchcock scratched his head in thought, then nodded in return. “I suppose there are a few of my crew I could recommend, but I’d have to tell them what was going on. I can’t send them into trouble like this blindly. If they decide not to go, they’ll still know what you’re planning on doing. Are you alright with that?”

“I don’t have a choice,” Cari said. “We’ve got to get off this island. I’ll take whatever crew I can get.”

Captain Hitchcock agreed with her. “Alright, you all stay here. Jackie will get you something to eat and keep you safe from prying eyes. I’ll head out and see what I can do about gathering a crew. You shouldn’t need more than four or five people for that schooner. I don’t think that’ll be too hard for me to find.”

Captain Hitchcock grabbed his coat and hat and headed out the door, pulling it shut behind him.

Jackie smiled at them all and pointed towards the back of the house. “Come along. The cook just finished making dinner. There’s plenty for everyone. I want you all to eat your fill. Lord knows when you’ll get another decent meal.”

Cari smiled and followed Jackie back towards the kitchen and the smell of delicious food wafting from it. The others tagged along behind her.

An hour later, Cari pushed back from her seat at the table and leaned back in her chair smiling upward at the ceiling. The fried potatoes and fish reminded her of the fish and chips she would occasionally get from a pub at home, and she’d probably eaten more than she should have.

Like Jackie said, though, there was no telling when she’d get a meal like it again with everything laying before them. She planned on being on this journey for quite some time once they left Cairn Island.

Cari smiled at her hostess and said, “Jackie that was wonderful. I’m going to miss having dinner here.”

“Hopefully, Cari, you’ll be able to return someday and stay as long as you wish.”

Cari reached out and raised her wine glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

Jackie raised her glass, as did Helen and Francesca. The four adults toasted to better times. As they all drank from their glasses, the front door opened and closed. Cari stood up, her hand drifting to her sword’s hilt. She hoped it was just Captain Hitchcock returning. She could hear more than one voice, though, and that concerned her.

She relaxed when she saw the captain enter the room. He was followed by six sailors, two women and four men.

“I was able to find these six. They are all able sailors and will serve you well. We do however need to get moving. One of the people I stopped to recruit turned me down and he seemed a little cagey about his answer when I pressed him. I have to wonder if he is one of those siding with Captain Ivarson. It’s probably best if we get you back on the road to the harbor. We need to get you all on that schooner before it’s too late.”

“We can’t afford to get caught here this far from the harbor by that mob. We’ll never fight our way through,” Cari said. “We need to get moving now. Percy, go out and make sure the horse and cart are still hitched out front. Get it ready to go.”

“Aye, ma’am.” The boy raced off to attend to his task.

Cari turned to address the new recruits for her crew. “I thank you all for volunteering to come and help us. It means a lot that you are willing to risk everything in this way.”

One of the women in the group stepped forward with a broad smile. “I was just angry I couldn’t sail with you before, ma’am. I would’ve joined up in an instant if my ship had been in harbor at the time. I’m glad Captain Hitchcock came and found me.”

“What’s your name?”

“I am Sylvie. I was the second mate on Captain Hitchcock’s most recent voyage.”

“Are you sure you can do without her, captain?” Cari asked.

“I’ll do just fine. She’ll be a perfect person to back up Miss Doolan while you’re sailing. She’s also pretty good in a fight, all of them are.”

“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to a fight. Let’s get going. We still have to steal that schooner and get it out to sea before anyone catches us.”

“Might I recommend that we go on ahead and get the schooner ready for you, ma’am?” Silvie said.

“That’s a good idea. A group as large as all of us might draw more attention. It would be better for us to split up,” Cari said. “You all go first. I will trust you to get the ship ready. Get everything ready to go and be prepared to cast off in a hurry. We might be on the run when we get there.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” Silvie said. “Come on, you all. You heard the captain. We’ve got work to do.” With a nod, the woman led the other five back out towards the front door.

“She seems able enough,” Cari said after the group left. “Are the other five as capable as she is?”

“They are. I’ll actually miss having them with me on my next voyage. But I think they are better served sailing with you and helping you get this young lady back to her great-grandmother.”

Jaycee smiled at the mention of her great-grandmother. “I can’t wait to see grandma. It has been so long I almost don’t remember what she looks like.”

“Hopefully, you’ll see her in a little over a month,” Cari said. “Finish up your cookies. It’s time for us to leave.”

Chapter 3

Cari gave their new crew members a half hour head start, then she and the others loaded back on their small cart and prepared to ride into town.

“I wish you Godspeed on your journey, Captain Dix.” Captain Hitchcock held out his hand and clasped wrists with Cari as she leaned down from the cart’s seat.

“Thank you, Captain. Without your help, we wouldn’t be going anywhere. I hope we see you again soon.”

“We would like that very much,” Jackie said. “My husband and I will be waiting for you to return. You can tell us of your further adventures. Take care of that little girl.”

“That’s the plan.” Cari sat up and shook the reins, slapping them down on the horse’s back. The cart lurched forward.

As soon as they cleared the front gate of Captain Hitchcock’s home, they turned right to head down the coast road towards the harbor. Cari cautioned the others. “Keep your eyes open. We don’t want to get caught by surprise. I don’t like what Captain Hitchcock said about that one crewman who balked at joining us. It could be nothing, or it could spell a big problem for our plans to get to the harbor unnoticed.”

The others nodded and set to keeping an eye out on either side of the cart as Cari continued down the dirt track. They hadn’t gone far into the outskirts of town before a voice called out from behind them.

“There they are! I told you they were at Captain Hitchcock’s. Come on we have to catch them!”

Cari looked over her shoulder and saw a group of five men on horseback begin galloping up the road behind them. “Damn, on those horses they’re going to catch up quick. Be ready, everyone.”

Cari slapped the reins down harder across the horse’s back. The horse began to gallop down through the outskirts of town towards the harbor.

She kept the cart upright somehow despite the way they bounced along the dirt road. It was close to tipping over a few times but she managed to stabilize them again just in time. Cari realized when they reached the cobblestone streets in the center of town, they were going to have to slow down or the rickety cart would probably fall apart.

She didn’t have to worry about that, though. The horsemen caught up to them and one of them raced ahead and grabbed the cart horse’s bridle, pulling the jostling cart to a stop. Cari stood up and drew her sword and dagger as did Helen, Francesca, and even Percy.

One of the men rode up next to her side of the cart and swung his cutlass at her head. Cari parried the slashing attack with her dagger and thrust forward with the point of her rapier, driving her sword through the man’s chest. She pierced his heart in one stroke. With a groan, he fell from the saddle to the hard-packed dirt of the road.

2,500 experience awarded

Cari turned to screams of alarm from the back of the cart. Percy was holding his own against one of the horsemen with his cutlass. She was glad to see their sword practices over the last few weeks had paid off.

Another of the men had reached down and grabbed Jaycee by the leg. He dragged her towards the back of the cart.

The little girl kicked at the hand that held her ankle, but she was unable to dislodge it.

Cari put a hand on the back of the wagon seat and vaulted over it into the rear of the cart. She slashed downward with her sword at the arm holding the little girl. “Let go of her, you bastard.”

The man saw her attack coming and let go of the princess before Cari’s sword was able to connect.

With his other hand, he swung an awkward blow down at her from the other side of his horse, trying to catch her at the extension of her lunge. Cari barely managed to pull back in time to avoid the attack.

“We have to finish them fast,” Cari called out. “They’re only going to draw others to us.”

Behind Cari, Helen and Francesca managed to each finish off one of the attackers.

Cari was particularly impressed with how good Francesca was with the blade. She’d learned a great deal since she’d first joined the crew of the Vengeance. She looked particularly fierce with the eyepatch she wore. It reminded Cari how she lost her eye fighting at Cari’s side last year.

With only two attackers left, Cari was confident they would finish them off. Cari turned to help Percy finish of his attacker. The boy had impressively been holding his own but the man he was fighting was bigger and stronger. It was only a matter of time before he overcame the boy’s defenses.

Cari reached out and slashed downward with her dagger, blocking a blow that might have killed the boy. She stepped over to interpose herself between the two and called over her shoulder at Percy. “Get Jaycee to safety over there in the alley. We’ll be right behind you. Francesca, go with him. Helen and I have these other two.”

Helen had jumped in the back to stand beside Cari and together they fought the two remaining horsemen. Cari finished hers off with a thrust to his throat though she took a hit to her side that drew blood.

Health damage — health -8

2,500 experience awarded

Helen was still fighting her opponent and Cari came over to assist.

She jumped down from the cart’s rear platform and reached up to pull the man down from his horse. He must’ve realized he was outnumbered because he wheeled his horse around and broke away. Cari started to give chase but stopped short as he raced off into the darkness.

“I managed to get a hit in as he turned about, Captain,” Helen said. “I’m not sure if it was enough to kill him, though.”

“It’ll have to do, Helen. Come on, let’s get to the others. If he does live, he’s going to bring help, and bring it fast.”

Together the two women headed towards the alley where Francesca guarded Percy and Jaycee.

“We’ll leave the cart here for now. We’re not that far from the harbor and we can proceed the rest of the way just as quickly on foot. Let’s stay to the back of this row of houses along the alley and see if we can avoid the main streets until we get closer to the docks.”

Cari took the lead followed by Helen, then Jaycee, and Percy. Francesca brought up the rear turning to watch their backs as she followed the others. They continued along the alleyway until they reached an intersection with the main thoroughfare. Cari heard loud, angry voices to the left towards the center of town.

Holding up her hand to halt the others, she moved to the edge of the alleyway and glanced around the corner to see who was there.

Cari saw the trouble right away. In the distance, there was a large crowd of people coming down the main street from up the hill in the direction of Captain Wheldon’s home. Just beyond them, she saw flames and smoke rising above the trees. She wasn’t sure, but it looked like they’d set Captain Wheldon’s home on fire. “Bastards.”

“What is it, ma’am,” Percy asked.

“Looks like Captain Wheldon wasn’t able to calm the crowd. I hope he’s all right. I think they set fire to his house when they didn’t find us there. This sucks. I wish we could go back and help them, but we have to get Jaycee to safety. Come on, the crowd is heading this way.” Cari turned and led them to the right down the harbor road. Gas lamps lit the way, but they were few and far between. There were plenty of shadows in which to hide.

Cari looked ahead at the masts of the ships jutting up over the roofs ahead of them. It wasn’t too far now. They only had to go a few more blocks.

They were about a block away from the harbor when they ran into trouble again. This time a group of four thugs stood in front of them guarding the intersection. Clearly, they were set in place to watch out for Cari and her crew.

The men pointed in her direction as soon as they appeared. “There they are, get them!”

“Percy, get Jaycee and head back down that alley we just passed. You should be able to cut around this intersection and get to the Sailfish from there. We’ll hold these attackers off and meet you there. Don’t let anything happened to her.”

“I won’t, ma’am. You can count on me.”

Cari turned around, drawing her weapons again just in time to bat aside the first sweeping attack from one of the cutlasses.

It was three of her team against four of them and Cari set herself in position to take on two of them at one time. That left one each for Helen and Francesca.

Cari dodged the first attack by leaning to one side and then caught the second attack on the edge of her rapier blade while trying to follow up with an uppercut dagger thrust into the first attacker’s abdomen. It didn’t connect, but it forced him to dance backward to avoid the blade.

That gave Cari an opportunity to take on the second attacker one on one for a few seconds. She drove in with a flurry of attacks to try and get past his guard. She managed to strike home with her dagger. A quick thrust upward into his abdomen pierced his heart and the man fell backward with a groan.

2,500 experience awarded

Cari hadn’t been paying attention and lost track of the first attacker. He managed to get a blade in with a thrust at her back before she could counter.

She managed to turn aside just in time to avoid the worst of the blow, but she still felt the stabbing pain from the tip of the blade.

Health damage health -10

Helen had managed to dispatch her attacker. Unfortunately, she was also wounded in the process. She still managed to limp over and help Francesca finish off the final attacker leaving Cari facing her man one on one.

“Go after Percy and the princess. I’ve got this guy. Get the ship ready and I’ll meet you there.”

The other two women darted off down the alley following Percy and Jaycee leaving Cari and her attacker alone.

The attacker sneered at her. “You ain’t goin’ to git away. We know what your plan is. You’ll not leave the harbor alive. That girl is stayin’ with us.”

“Better men than you have tried to stop me when I have a plan. They’re all dead now.”

“You may have killed my friends, but you won’t kill me. All I have to do is keep you busy until help arrives.”

Cari knew the man was right. She had to finish this quickly. It was likely her friends were going to run into trouble before they got to the Sailfish.

Cari feinted to the left and the man took the bait. Cari blocked his follow-up attack with her dagger using a sweeping swipe to the right. She then swung her rapier blade in from one side, cutting a broad slash across the man’s shoulder.

He dropped his cutlass as his arm went limp. He turned to run away, but Cari wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. She lunged forward and ran him through from behind before he took a full step.

2500 experience awarded

Cari turned and ran down the main street as she heard more shouts approaching from behind. She hoped to intercept her friends as they came out the alley farther down the road. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw them burst out of the alley just ahead.

Percy and Jaycee ran on towards the docks. Francesca and Helen ran along close behind them, though Helen was last and losing ground. Her pronounced limp led Cari to believe she was more injured than she had first appeared.

“Helen, are you all right?” Cari called out as she caught up to her first mate.

“I’ll be along, Captain. Catch up with the others. I’ll be there before you set sail.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You don’t have a choice. I’ll make it. You catch up to Jaycee and the others, your responsibility lies with her.”

Cari knew what Helen said was right, but she’d lost so many friends, so many people that had counted on her to keep them safe in the last few months. She didn’t want to lose Helen, too. “I’m counting on you to get there before we sail, Helen. I’ll be very cross with you if you show up haunting me as a ghost.”

Helen laughed aloud at her captain’s words. “I promise, Captain. I’ll only haunt you in friendly ways. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, though. Keep going. I’m right behind you.”

Cari raced ahead and caught up with Percy, Jaycee, and Francesca just as they reached the dock beside the Sailfish.

They’d made it.

Cari directed Percy up the gangplank with the princess and turned to Francesca. ”Go back and help Helen. Make sure she gets here before we sail.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.”

As the woman headed off to help the first mate, Cari turned and followed Percy and Jaycee up the gangplank onto the racing schooner. Sylvie already had things well in hand. The small crew had all the lines cast off except a single thick hawser linked to the pier. The sails were ready to drop and catch the wind coming off the shore.

This ship was small and very responsive. The coastal breeze off the island would pull them out and into the harbor.

“Excellent work, Sylvie. You’ve gotten a lot done in the time you’ve had.”

“It’s not that hard, ma’am. These sailors are all a good crew. We’ll have the ship ready to go in fifteen minutes.”

“We may not have that much time. Make it five.”

“Aye, ma’am. Five it is.”

“Percy, lend her a hand with everything and anything she needs. You know as much about what to do sailing this ship as most sailors do. It’s time you earn your keep again.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.” Percy smiled at the compliment and ran off to catch up with Sylvie.

Jaycee stood by Cari’s side. Cari felt a small hand reach up and grasp hers. She gave Jaycee’s hand a gentle squeeze and glanced down at her ward. “It’ll be all right, Jaycee. We’ve almost made it out of here.

A shout from down the docks caught Cari’s attention. A crowd came around the corner a couple of blocks away and started towards the pier where the Sailfish sat. Just ahead of the group, Francesca had one of Helen’s arms pulled across her shoulders and together the two were half-limping, half-running towards the ship.

It was going to be close, too close.

Cari looked at the stern of the small vessel and spotted the swivel gun mounted on the rail. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was all she had. A small footlocker sat bolted to the deck next to it and Cari correctly guessed it held gunpowder and shot for the small, light anti-personnel weapon.

Running over to the position on the rail Cari opened up the locker and began loading the miniature cannon. There was a small tin can, about the size of a can of soup, the same diameter of the little gun’s barrel. After putting the small bagged powder charge in, Cari rammed the small canister of pellets down inside the barrel and turned it back around to face the docks adding a bit of powder to the touch hole at the top of the gun.

Cari took ahold of the handle of the swivel gun and suddenly realized she didn’t have anything to light it with. Someone tugged on her shirt sleeve and she looked down to see Jaycee standing there.

“Here, Cari. I think this will make a flame.” The little girl held up a small brass cylinder with a knurled wheel set on the top.

“Good girl,” Cari said taking the object from her. Jaycee was right about the device. It was a spark lighter. If she spun the wheel, the friction would light the lamp oil wick next to it. The problem was, these things were kind of persnickety. They didn’t always work when you wanted them to.

Cari didn’t have time to worry about bad luck, though. Helen and Francesca had almost made it to the Sailfish, but the crowd of angry Raiders was gaining on them. Cari spun the wheel with her thumb feeling it ratchet under her grip as the flint and steel caused a spark to jump towards the wick.

Cari worked it again and again with her thumb. Spark after spark flew towards the tiny wick just a few millimeters away. Finally, the wick caught and a small flame appeared. Aiming the swivel gun in the direction of the onrushing crowd, Cari touched the fire to the top of the small cannon. There was a loud flash and a bang, followed by a cloud of thick grey smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the first ranks of the mob chasing Helen and Francesca were down. Many of them writhing in pain on the stone pier. Four of them would never rise again. The others who weren’t injured backed away to take cover.

2500 experience awarded

2500 experience awarded

2500 experience awarded

2500 experience awarded

Helen and Francesca hobbled up the gangplank together and onto the Sailfish’s deck. They’d made it.

“It’s about time, Helen. I was about to have to come out and get you myself.”

Helen laughed. “No need for that, ma’am. Francesca here was able to fetch me just fine.”

“Sylvie, let’s get this ship out into the harbor and away before any more people think about crewing another ship to come after us.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.”

The crew dropped the sails and they immediately caught the breeze coming off the island. The small racing schooner slid out into the harbor. It handled much more quickly than the Vengeance had. Soon they were racing through the waves towards the harbor mouth and the open ocean of the Western Sea beyond. They’d made it. They were free of the Cairn Islands. Now it was time to find a place to put ashore near Tandon.

Quest accepted — Land on the Empire’s Western Coast

Quest completed — Escape to the Harbor

26,000 experience

Level up!

Chapter 4

Standing at the ship’s wheel, Cari looked out at the blue sky on the horizon way out where it touched the sea. The weather had been excellent and the last four days had been beyond pleasant for her. She had missed sailing the sea with a good crew. There had been no trouble once they cleared the harbor at Cairn Island. No one had been able to get a ship clear of the port in time to follow them before they were out of sight.

After leaving the Cairn Islands behind them, Cari forgot she’d leveled up as they left the harbor and she decided to allocate the two attribute points and one skill point she’d received upon reaching level thirteen as a duelist.

Cari decided she could’ve used some additional luck getting out of the Raider town and added her two attribute points to her luck attribute. This increased her luck modifier to plus two. She also improved her acrobatic dodge skill to level three.

When she was finished, Cari looked over her stats menu for the first time in a long time and was happy to see she had completely healed from her injuries.

Name: Cari Dix

Class: Duelist

Level: 13

Attributes:

Brawn: 12 - +2 to hit/damage

Wisdom: 10 - +1

Luck: 12 - +2 to all saving throws

Speed: 22 - +7 defense

Charm: 18 - +5 personal reaction

Health: 130/130

Skills: Two-Weapon Combat, Acrobatic Dodge — 3, Multi-Foe Tactics — 2, Feint — 2, Bladesmith — Master, Prescience — 3, Ambidexterity, Seamanship — Master, Navigation — Master, Aimed Cannon Shot — 2

Master Duelist Bonus – Projectile Dodge (55% Chance of Activation)

Regeneration – 1hp/sec (max 60 seconds) 1/day

Experience: 600,000/850,000

Satisfied with the changes she made, Cari saved them and closed the menu in her visual field and returned her attention to the task at hand. The Sailfish was a fast ship. She was small and sleek and quick to react to any adjustment made by the crew to her course. It was a pure joy to sail this vessel.

After leaving the harbor on that hectic first night, the crew had fallen into a routine of sorts with Helen as the first mate, Sylvie as second mate and Francesca as bosun. Percy had joined the rest of the crew as a full-fledged seaman after Cari held a small ceremony promoting him. He swelled with pride, popping his chest up when Cari announced his promotion. He was getting too big to be a cabin boy anymore anyway.

Cari was so wrapped up in thinking about the last four days, she didn’t notice the first mate approach.

“Copper for your thoughts, ma’am” Helen asked.

“I missed this, Helen. I missed it a lot. You know what I mean? I just wish everyone that’s been lost could be here too.”

Helen lowered her voice so the others couldn’t hear her. “Don’t dwell on the past, Cari. Those that have been lost are lost. You saved all you could. We have to focus on those we can save now. No one faults you for the decisions you’ve made.”

“No one but me.”

Helen laid a hand on Cari’s shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. The first mate turned away and went back to her duties leaving her young captain alone at the ship’s wheel.

Cari didn’t like to dwell on all the people who’d been lost when the Vengeance sank in that final battle as she ran from the Duke’s attempt to trap and capture Jaycee. There were times, however, when the loss weighed heavily on her.

It was at times like this she wished she could talk to her mom or even her dad. That was, of course, impossible. They were a long way away, back home. At least, that was where she figured they were. If they had come after her, they would have caught up with her by now. They’d have also taken her home, or tried to, at least.

“Sail ho,” the lookout called down from the single central mast

“Where away?” Cari called.

“Well off the port bow, captain. Just over the horizon now.”

Cari lamented the fact that she didn’t have a proper spyglass on board. Captain Wheldon had taken anything that might’ve been of any value up to his home when the ship was in port. There was very little aboard other than some essential navigational tools.

She’d have to rely on the lookout’s eyes as to what she could make out. Cari turned the ship to starboard and called out to the bosun. “Trim the sails. Let’s see if we can urge a little more speed out of her, Francesca.”

“Aye, ma’am. We’re on it.”

Cari called up her seamanship skill menu, along with the navigational skill menu and studied the overlay of colored vector lines showing her where the sea currents were and where the winds blew past and around the ship. Between the two, she made an adjustment to their course, plotting the best course to take them away from the ship to the left.

It was probably only a merchant vessel, but Cari couldn’t take the chance. She knew there were plenty of the Duke’s naval ships in the area patrolling all along the western coast of the Empire. The closer she got, the more likely it would be she’d run into one of them. She had to make sure she was in a position to outrun anyone she encountered.

Cari looked down at the main deck. Jaycee was seated there on a hatch cover with two of her rag dolls next to her. She’d been upset that she had to leave her new porcelain dolls back at Captain Wheldon’s home. Francesca and Helen had managed to make a family of rag dolls for her, though, using scraps from around the ship and donated by the crew. After a while, it seemed as if she didn’t miss the other dolls at all anymore.

Cari wished at times like this she could have the worry-free life of a six-year-old. Of course, this six-year-old had seen her entire family die at the hands of pirates and had herself been captured or rescued on more than one occasion during a terrible sea battle. Given everything she’d been through, it was remarkable Jaycee was as well-adjusted as she was.

Cari called up to the lookout. “Keep a sharp eye out Alison. Make sure you watch in all directions. If it’s a naval ship, there are likely to be others in the vicinity.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Cari probably didn’t need to tell Alison how to do her job. The woman was a capable and experienced sailor. That said, it paid to be thorough. The naval ships tended to run in packs, all of them spread out along a line so they could cover more area.

If that was indeed a naval ship to port, there might well be another one not too far to starboard. Cari adjusted course again and steered between the boat they’d spotted and where she thought another ship might be.

Helen had joined Cari by the wheel, watching as her captain adjusted the course again. “Worried there might be more of them?”

“Yeah. Call it a hunch. I figure they’ve got to be looking for us or just looking for anyone coming from the Cairn Islands. They all want to have as much information on where the princess is so they can try and take her for themselves, or make sure she’s perished at sea,”

“If we can’t get into Tandon, where do you think we will be able to land?” Helen asked.

“I’m not sure.” Cari shook her head. “We’ll just have to take our chances and find a place along the coastline to anchor long enough for everyone to get ashore.”

“Are you planning on abandoning the Sailfish?”

“I don’t see any other choice. We could put the five of us ashore and leave Sylvie in charge of the Sailfish to try and get it back to the islands. Honestly, though, I think there won’t be anything back there to return to. My guess is Captain Ivarson has taken over the council. He won’t be too happy to welcome anyone back who helped me and Jaycee escape. So, they are stuck with the rest of us, at least for now.”

“Well, it’s nice to have a crew again.”

Cari chuckled. “It’s nice to have at least one optimist in the crew, Helen.”

“Happy to oblige, ma’am.”

“Sail ho. New ship off the starboard stern.”

Cari spun around to look behind them to the right. She could just make out the sails of the trailing ship coming over the horizon. “Damn, I knew it.”

“Sometimes, Cari, I hate it when you’re right.”

“It’s not like I’m asking for trouble, Helen. Sometimes, I feel like it just finds me.”

Helen glanced at the sails and then at their compass heading. “That new ship has the angle to push us towards the other one. It has to be a naval vessel. We’re going to have a hard time slipping between them.”

“I know. I don’t think we’re going to be able to make the turn to get into Tandon ahead of them. We’re going to have to make a landing somewhere else. We should be able to outdistance them, though. At least that will give us enough time to put ashore before they arrive to come after us.”

Cari spun the wheel again, turning them back to port again. She was going to try and split the difference between the two ships and race out from between them towards the coastline. Hopefully, there would be a safe anchorage there they could use to land and get to safety.

She hoped they had the time to pull off her plan.

The next two days on board the Sailfish saw the crew on edge and the tension showed in a few sharp words and scowls between the crew. Cari noticed it but did little to address it. She understood why it was there. They were all still doing their jobs and that was what was important.

Cari did try and keep them all busy, though. She made constant adjustments to the course, watching the currents and the wind direction carefully. Her navigational display helping her make minor corrections, trying to work out every bit of speed she could from the sleek schooner. The crew worked hard to keep the sails trimmed so they took advantage of Cari’s skilled ship handling.

They did manage to pull away from the ship to their stern. She and the lookout had lost sight of it after about a day. But the ship to the port side had actually gotten closer. It was a naval frigate. They were not going to be able to race out of sight of it before they reached the coastline. It was going to be touch and go.

“Sylvie,” Cari called. “Get the schooner’s longboat ready to deploy in a hurry. We’re not going to have much time to load up and get ashore before that other ship arrives.”

“What kind of things do you want me to put in her, Captain.”

“Put all the remaining food supplies we have aboard. Try to pack them in satchels in such a way that we can quickly carry them from the boat once we get ashore. Also, add any weapons we might be able to carry with us from the Sailfish. I’m not sure what we’re gonna run into once we get on dry land.”

“Aye, ma’am.”

The lookout spotted another ship just as Sylvie finished loading the longboat with the weapons and supplies.

“Sail ho. One ship dead ahead.”

Cari stared straight ahead trying to make out the ship in front of them. The masts were just visible above the horizon. It was approaching fast, coming directly at them.

“How had they known we were here?” Cari wondered aloud. “It’s almost as if they had radio communication, which is, of course, impossible.”

“Radio?” Helen asked. “What’s that?”

“Never mind. It’s just something from where I come from. They probably got some sort of magical communication that allows them to speak to each other from ship to ship. That means they knew where we were going and got ahead of us.”

“They’ve got us trapped then.”

“Maybe, but maybe not.” Cari looked at her navigational overlays. As they got closer to shore and the seabed got closer to the surface, the current sometimes did strange things.

There were several places where there were cross-currents moving perpendicular to the primary current to and from shore. As Cari watched them move between the Sailfish and the incoming frigate, the beginnings of an idea formed in her mind.

There was a chance, if luck was with her, that they could use one of those cross-currents to maneuver in such a way as to avoid any incoming cannon fire. It should work at least long enough for them to get out of range and pass by the ship ahead of them.

Cari looked back over her shoulder. She knew there was at least one ship behind them, and another vessel to port. In all likelihood, there were probably more ships all along the coast.

The only thing she could do was keep running for land. All she had to do was get ashore. The ships wouldn’t be able to chase her once she had her feet on dry land. She could get lost, at least from the naval forces.

“Put on more sail, Bosun. We’ve got to pick up speed.”

“What’s your plan?” Helen asked.

“We can’t run away from them anymore. So we’re going to run straight at them.”

“That’s suicide. All we have for weapons are those silly swivel guns. The tiny cannonballs they fire won’t even put a dent in another ship that size.”

“We’re not going to fire at them. We’re going to out sail them. “

“Look, Cari, I know you’ve demonstrated some amazing seamanship. But you can’t outrun a cannonball.”

“I don’t have to outrun them. I just have to be able to outmaneuver them. Cannonballs are pretty slow when you think about it. All we have to do is wait until they’ve committed to firing and then get out of the way.”

“So now we’re dodging cannon balls? I’d want to see how you do it if it weren’t for the fact that I’m on the ship you’re planning on using for target practice.”

Cari couldn’t believe she was going to say this. It sounded suspiciously like something her father would say. “Helen, I know you don’t believe we can do this, but trust me. I have a plan.”

Quest accepted — Dodging cannonballs

She turned her attention to watching the currents and the wind direction again. Bearing down on the ship ahead, Cari made minute adjustments to their course. It all was going to depend on how fast they were moving. Speed was the key.

The schooner was far more responsive than a more massive ship. All she had to do was get past the ship ahead of them. They were less than a day’s travel away from the coastline. There couldn’t be more than this one ship ahead of them. Once they were past this one, it would be clear sailing.

As they drew closer to the other ship, Cari could make out from the sail pattern that it was an imperial naval vessel for sure. It was also a capital ship. That was both good and bad.

The capital ships of the imperial navy were huge and carried a complement of 22 guns in each broadside. When you added in the bow and stern chaser guns, that came to 48 cannons altogether. That was the bad news.

The good news was because the ship was so large, it would not be able to turn nearly as quickly as the tiny schooner could. All she had to do was sail past, carrying as much speed as she could. With a little luck, she’d be in an area where she could catch one of those sideways currents at the right moment.

This was going to take every bit of navigational and ship handling skills she’d accumulated in her time on Fantasma. Only someone who could see the currents and the wind patterns the way she did would be able to pull it off.

The first chance she got to try her new plan came when they first arrived in range of the approaching ship’s bow chasers. The massive cannons mounted directly in the front of the vessel on the forecastle, fired as soon as the Sailfish was in range. Cari saw the puffs of smoke from the cannon fire before she heard the boom of the shots. The cannonballs almost looked graceful as they arced in her direction.

Cari shook her head and smiled.

They’d fired a little too early and the cannonballs splashed harmlessly into the sea a hundred yards ahead of them. The next shots wouldn’t miss that way, though. They’d be well in range by that point.

Cari checked the currents and adjusted her course slightly to pass to the starboard of the naval vessel. That was where she could spot the nearest perpendicular currents in a row that would pass by at the same time they were going by the bigger ship. If luck was with her, those currents would help her dodge the incoming cannon fire.

First, though, she had to dodge the next shots from the other ship. Two more puffs of smoke followed by the booming sound of cannon fire announced the next round of attacks. This time Cari adjusted the course once again and caught one of the perpendicular currents just as the cannonballs soared in at them.

Just as planned, the current popped the small schooner sideways in the water as it cut forward through the waves. It was suddenly out of the path of the incoming cannonballs and they splashed harmlessly to the port side only about hundred feet from the side of the vessel.

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it,” Helen said. “How did you do that?”

“If I thought I could teach you, I would. For now, you’ll just have to trust that I can do it again because we’re about to pass by that monster’s broadside. “

“Dodging two cannonballs from the bow chasers is one thing, Cari. Dodging twenty-two is quite another.”

“There’s no time like the present to see if the plan works. Get everyone up in the forecastle by the longboat. If things go badly, we’re not going to have much time to lower it and get aboard before this tiny vessel sinks.”

“It’s nice to see you have so much confidence in your plan.”

“Just taking precautions. Get Percy and Jaycee up there by the boat. Sylvie and the others can sail this thing. I want you, Francesca, and Percy by Jaycee’s side in case you have to get over into the smaller boat. We’ll only have one shot at this.”

They were at an angle now to the side that the bow chasers couldn’t fire any longer and she could see the men aboard the imperial vessel crowding to the rail on the starboard side of their ship, manning the guns, ready to fire on the tiny schooner. Cari concentrated and poured every ounce of her will into activating her navigational and seamanship skills. It was now or never.

They were about a hundred yards off the Imperial ship’s starboard side when the first broadside fired at them. Cari was glad they’d waited as long as they did. She had just entered the first sideways current and she spun the wheel turning the schooner so that it now faced almost directly away from The Imperial ship.

With the schooner now turned to present a narrower target and racing away from them at high speed, all but one of the cannonballs fired at them missed. The one that did hit them struck at the stern rail just behind where Cari stood at the wheel. It splintered an entire section of decking and railing but causing no other damage that would affect their seaworthiness.

Cari immediately spun the wheel to port and turned the schooner once again catching another current headed towards the shore along with the more favorable winds to sail them past the Imperial ship. The other ship’s crew would have reloaded by now. She had to be ready to react.

She was almost to the next perpendicular current, this one carrying them back in the opposite direction. She was taking a chance, but she expected most of the gun crews on the Imperial vessel would be aiming high expecting her to turn away again and get farther away, rather than closer. If they did as she expected, Cari could sail right under the gunfire.

The belt of smoke billowed from the side of the Imperial ship announcing another broadside. This time Cari spun the wheel to port and now sailed directly at the Imperial ship catching another of the swift perpendicular currents.

Once again it propelled the Sailfish at a higher speed than expected and she managed to sail past all of the cannonballs as they were aimed too high. They all sailed over her ship.

As soon as the cannonballs passed, she spun the wheel again to catch another current headed to shore.

Cari laughed aloud into the wind blowing past her. They were past the broadside guns. The other, much larger ship would not be able to turn in time to keep them in range or in their sights. Now all she had to do was avoid the double stern chasers and they were home free.

This was going to be a little trickier.

“Sylvie, be ready to have those sails aloft and add as much sail as you can. We’re going to have to sail faster than they can reload. If I’m right, that will only give them one shot at us.”

“One shot might be all they need, Captain,” Sylvie said.

Cari shrugged. She wasn’t wrong. A few minutes later they were directly astern of the other ship and sailing away from them. As soon as they were in the sights of the stern chasers, the gun crews fired two cannonballs. They arced out towards them.

Cari searched the waters ahead but there were no currents to slide her to the side this time. All she could do was hope their aim was bad.

One of the cannonballs missed wide to the port side. The other, however, drove straight in and slammed into the center of the deck on the small schooner, tearing up planking and throwing up hatch covers like it was kindling.

“Sylvie get below and check on damage. Make sure that cannonball didn’t spring any timbers in the lower hold.”

“Aye aye, ma’am.”

While Sylvie headed down below, Cari continued steering them directly toward the coastline ahead of them. She could just make out the smudge on the horizon that announced their arrival at the Imperial mainland.

Cari looked back over her shoulder. She didn’t think the stern chasers would have the range on them for another shot.

She was right. They fired, but the two cannonballs fell harmlessly into the sea behind them. A cheer went up from the crew.

Sylvie came back up on deck from one of the hatchways. She was smiling.

“What’s so funny?” Cari asked.

“Captain Wheldon is going to be a little perturbed with you, ma’am. That last cannonball didn’t do any damage to the hull, but it smashed the wine storage on this prize schooner of his. I think there were some very nice vintages stored in there.”

“Once we get Jaycee to her great-grandmother, I’ll make it up to him. He can have as much wine as he wants.”

Cari checked behind her one more time.

The Imperial vessel was coming about, turning in a painfully slow arc. There was no way they were going to be able to catch the Sailfish. They’d made it past with only minimal damage and the schooner still raced on towards the shoreline ahead.

Quest completed — Dodging cannonballs

18,000 experience awarded

Chapter 5

As they raced away from the naval ship, Cari called out to Sylvie on the main deck. “Come take over the helm. Have the crew in the tops keep a sharp lookout for any other ships. Keep heading towards the shore dead ahead of us. Helen, join me down in the captain’s cabin. We need to look at the charts one more time and figure out where we’re going to put ashore.”

Sylvie came to the small quarterdeck and took the wheel, continuing their heading towards the distant smudge of the shoreline ahead of them on the horizon. Helen and Cari headed down to the captain’s cabin.

As Cari unrolled the charts on the table, she scanned the shoreline represented on them. She placed a paperweight at the corners and took a pencil and marked two positions far apart on the shore on one of the charts. “Based on what I can figure, we are going to land somewhere between these two markers. The question is, where?”

Helen leaned over the table next to her and scanned the shoreline. “There are no villages it appears. But I’ve seen this portion of the shoreline before.” Helen shook her head and stared at the coastline. “I wish we had our old charts from the Vengeance. These aren’t very detailed.”

“Me too. Still, there’s no sense worrying about stuff we can’t do anything about.” Cari thought for a few seconds and then pointed at the section of the shore Helen indicated. “Isn’t this the area where we landed in that cove to get to the old silver mines?”

“I think so, but I don’t see the cove marked on the chart.”

“Hmm, these charts might not be accurate enough to show a small inlet like that one. Captain Wheldon used this schooner mostly around the Cairn Islands. He probably didn’t bother stocking decent charts for anywhere else. It would’ve been too expensive.”

“So,” Helen asked. “Where do you think the cove is on this chart?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll probably just have to get to the coastline and then sail along until we find it.”

“If we do that, it’s going to give those Imperials a chance to catch up with us.”

Cari shrugged. “I don’t see any other solution. If we can find that cove, it’ll give us a chance to get away from the ship and onto dry land before anyone can organize enough to follow us. Plus, there’s always a chance they might sail past the ship altogether if we are hidden in the cove. That would give the rest of the crew a chance to keep the schooner and sail onward once they’re back on board and the danger has passed.”

“There’s a slim chance of that happening,” Helen said. “But it’s the best option, I suppose.”

Quest accepted — Land at the secret cove

“After sailing around that Man ‘O War and keeping at the wheel for an extended period of time, I’m pretty exhausted. Do you think you can take command while I get some rest?”

“I was hoping you’d come to your senses. You’re not superhuman, you know.”

“What, I’m not Supergirl?”

“You’re super, but you’re not superhuman. Get some rest Cari, we’ll wake you up when we get closer to land. That should give you a couple of hours to sleep at least.”

Cari nodded. “Thank you. Wake me up as soon as we get close enough to the shoreline to start scouting for that cove.”

“Will do.”

Helen left Cari alone in the cabin and Cari walked over and laid down on the captain’s bunk. She didn’t even bother to get undressed. She was so exhausted, she fell asleep immediately.

Cari awoke with a start as someone poked her shoulder. She looked down at her arm to see Percy standing there.

“Miss Doolan sends her compliments, ma’am. She told me to tell you we are close enough to the shoreline that we’re ready to start looking for that cove.”

“Thank you, Mr. McShea. Tell Miss Doolan I’ll be right there.”

As Percy left, Cari got out of the bunk and walked over to the washstand where she poured some water from the pitcher into the wash basin and splashed some on her face to freshen up. She looked up in the mirror and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes.

She was still exhausted and looked it, but she had a lot to get done and they had to get away from the pursuing naval ships. That was the first order of business. Hopefully, once she was ashore, she could rest some more.

By the time Cari got up on deck, the shoreline was close enough that she could make out details on the beach. Most of the coastline was made up of rocky stretches of cliffs and shoals that would not offer a safe place to land, even in their small boat. “Sylvie, turn us to starboard and let’s continue southeast along the coast. By my best reckoning, the cove we’re looking for is in that direction.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.”

Sylvie spun the wheel and the Sailfish came about onto its new heading, paralleling the coastline. Once again Cari wished she had a proper spyglass to scan the shoreline ahead of them. It would’ve made things so much easier. She turned and checked the horizon behind them. There were no signs of any sails. That was good news.

“Helen make sure that the stores Sylvie stocked in the longboat are still fresh and ready to go. Once we find the cove, we’re not going to have much time to do anything but put ashore.”

“Will do, Captain.” As Helen went off to her work, Cari continued to scan the shoreline, trying to figure out how long they had until they reached the place they were looking for. She knew the naval vessels were closing in. It was only a matter of time until they reached the shoreline, too.

All they needed was a little more time.

It ended up taking the better part of an entire day for them to find the cove leading up to the mine. She recognized it right away as the place where they’d sheltered with the Vengeance while Cari led a party ashore to track down the source of Tandon’s poisoned water supply.

It all seemed so long ago. Francesca and Helen had been there with her. It was where the bosun had lost her eye. Cari observed as the one-eyed sailor, despite her handicap, deftly handled the ship into the sheltered anchorage of the cove.

“Well done, Francesca.”

“Not a problem, ma’am. Actually, it’s kind of nice to be back. Maybe I’ll find my eye,” she said with a grin, tapping her eyepatch.

“I’m sorry we never managed to get you to a proper healing mage or priest to get that looked at. They might have been able to regenerate your eye and you’d be able to see with both eyes again.”

“Don’t worry about it, ma’am. I kind of like the way it gives me a fierce look. It also helps to keep unwanted attention from men away from me. I don’t mind it so much anymore.”

Cari smiled. Francesca always had a good attitude. “Drop anchor,” Cari called out to the crew. “We’re all putting ashore here.”

Some of the crew raced about, lowering the anchor into the sandy bottom of the cove’s waters as the Sailfish slowed to a halt. Several others lowered the longboat until it was alongside the schooner. Percy had brought Jaycee up on to deck and even equipped the girl with a small backpack he’d scrounged from the ship’s the stores. The little girl was dressed a lot like Cari. She wore trousers, little knee-high boots, and a white cotton blouse. She had a leather vest cut down to size just for her to wear over the blouse and there was even a small knife shoved in her belt. Cari smiled. The girl had a sort of fierceness about her that she liked. Jaycee smiled up at Cari as she approached.

“Percy gave me this knife, Cari. He said he thought I was old enough to start taking care of myself a little. What do you think?”

“I think it suits you, just be careful with it and don’t cut yourself. Are you ready to go ashore? This is the first step toward taking you to your great-grandmother.”

“I’m ready. It will be nice to be back with her.” The girl paused for a second, looking away beyond the cliffs ahead of them before returning her eyes to Cari. “When I get to great-grandma, you aren’t going to leave me, are you?”

“I might have to, Jaycee. There will be people looking for me. Don’t worry, though, there will be plenty of people around who will protect you once you reach the Crystal City,” Cari said.

She hoped she wasn’t lying to the little girl. Dangerous things were waiting for her as well in the Crystal City. She didn’t think it was worth worrying the little girl about it though. They’d cross that bridge when they got to it.

“Everyone over the side,” Cari called out. “Bring everything you can carry. We’ll make two trips to get everyone to shore along with all the supplies we’ll need.”

“We are not coming back?” A crewman named David asked.

“No, we are not. There’s a chance you and Sylvie and the rest of the crew will be able to get back on the Sailfish and get away. But that’s only if the naval vessels sail by without investigating this cove. But, I fear that chance is small.”

David gave her a grim smile and nodded.

Cari knew it wasn’t the best of news. They’d all become fugitives the minute they left the Cairn Islands and that wasn’t going to change now that they were ashore. “Don’t worry, I’ve left plenty of supplies to bring out to the shore. There are some cabins up on the cliff overlooking the cove. You’ll be able to find plenty of things to do while you wait. And you’ll have plenty of time to get away inland if the navy stops to investigate this Cove. Either way, you’ll be set.”

David and the other crewman nodded and went about the tasks of loading the supplies into the little boat.

Once the first load was down and stowed, Jaycee was carefully helped over the side and down the ladder to the longboat. Helen and Francesca were already down there to help her. Percy followed Jaycee down next. Cari climbed down followed by David and another crewman. The two crewmen settled in at the oars while Cari took the tiller. They rowed towards the sandy beach at the base of the cliff.

Once they pulled the boat out onto the beach far enough to unload, Cari sent Helen and Francesca up the path that wound up the side of the cliff. “Make sure you check the buildings. I want to be sure no one else is nearby. Once you’ve scouted around, set Francesca to watch from the cliffs for any ships. Then you can come down and help us bring the rest of the stuff up from the beach.”

“Will do,” Helen replied. She and Francesca started up the winding path. Cari, Percy, and Jaycee sat with the unloaded supplies and weapons while the two crewmen headed back to the Sailfish to unload the rest of the supplies and the remaining crew members.

It didn’t take that long. Soon the rest of the crew stood beside a small pile of supplies next to the longboat.

“We’ve got enough stores here to last several months, especially if we are able to do some hunting up there,” Sylvie said.

“That’s true,” Cari said. “Hopefully you won’t have to wait that long, though. Once the Naval vessels sail by, I’m hoping you all can return it to the Sailfish and take her back to the city. You may be able to make it to Tandon. If you do, I want you to take a message to Duke Korran in the palace there.”

“Anything you want, ma’am. Even if they do find us in the cove, me and the others can certainly head cross country towards Tandon. I’ll make sure your message gets delivered either way.”

“Good woman, Sylvie. I knew I could count on you.”

It wasn’t long before Helen came back down the path. “There’s no sign of anyone in any of the buildings or signs of any of the naval vessels from the cliffs. So far, I think we’ve gotten away.”

“Good. Let’s get the supplies hauled up to the top of the cliff. We’ll store them in one of the buildings up there. Once we do that, we can figure out what we’re going to do next.”

Helen nodded and began giving tasks and orders for the crew to start loading up and carrying supplies up to the top of the cliff. Meanwhile, Cari, Percy, and Jaycee started up the winding path towards the top. It was time to see what sort of place the mine had become since she and the others had liberated it from those who sought to poison the city of Tandon. She hoped everything was alright up there.

A lot can change in six months.

Quest completed — Land at the secret cove

15,000 experience awarded

Chapter 6

It was a few hours later, as Cari prepared a meal with Francesca over a camp stove, that shouts of alarm drew her attention. It came from off to the side, near the tree line. As she got up to see what it was, she realized it was David and another crewman pointing at the tree line as they rushed back from where they’d been gathering firewood to grab weapons from a pile by one of the cabins.

“What is it?” Cari asked

“I think I saw a troll skulking at the edge of the woods, ma’am. I’ve heard there were trolls in these mountains, but I figured they’d been run off years ago.”

“A troll? Are you sure?”

“That’s got to be what it was, ma’am. It had to be nearly eight feet tall and was kind of gray and green, with scruffy black hair on his head.”

Cari nodded. That was, indeed, a troll. The good news was, it was probably a troll belonging to Chrrrak’s tribe. She made friends with the troll chieftain on her last visit here. It gave her a sudden idea of how she might be able to get Jaycee away from the coast safely. “Leave the weapons here, David. I’ve made acquaintance with the trolls in these parts. I think we may be able to get some assistance from them.”

“Friends with trolls, ma’am?” David asked skeptically.

“Don’t be a hater, David. Trolls are people too. They want the same things you and I want. A home, a safe place to raise a family, and food to eat.”

“If you say so, ma’am.”

Cari shifted her sword baldric in place at her hip but didn’t draw her weapons. She kept her hands open, palm outward and plainly visible as she walked toward the trees. While she couldn’t pronounce the troll chief’s actual name, she gave it the best approximation her mouth could form using a character from an old animated movie watched once with her father when she was younger. “Chrrrak,” she shouted. “Are you there?”

She waited about twenty yards from the tree line. A few seconds later, a large, shambling figure emerged from the trees. It wasn’t her friend. The troll chief was even larger than the troll standing before her. She thought he was friendly, though. He wasn’t carrying any weapons in his hands either, though there was a knife in his belt.

“Chrrrak?” Cari pointed to the trees behind the troll

“Chrrrak not here.” The troll’s English was nearly unintelligible. Cari did manage to make out enough to understand. She pointed at the tree line, “Get Chrrrak.”

“Yes.” The troll nodded once and disappeared into the trees once again.

“That was amazing, ma’am.”

Cari turned around to see David and several other crew members standing a dozen yards behind her. All hefted weapons. She resisted the urge to yell at them for bringing weapons along when she told them not to. She knew they were just trying to protect her.

“I told you. I have made friends with the trolls in these parts. Now put your weapons down. We don’t want to offend them when they return with their chieftain. Let’s finish putting together a bit of a feast so we can share food with them. That’s the best way I know to make sure everyone knows we’re all friends.”

The crew set about cooking up a significant portion of their food and having it ready for when the trolls returned. It didn’t take long.

Once again, a shout alerted Cari to the trolls’ presence. She turned away from where she was tending the fire and saw a group of six trolls emerge from the wood line. She crossed over to where several of her crew members stood with their hands at their belts, ready to draw their weapons.

“Stand down. I won’t tell you again. Remember, these are our friends. See, they’re not acting aggressively, and they don’t have any weapons drawn either.”

The crew relaxed as Cari walked past them. Cari saw Chrrrak immediately. The chieftain was a good twelve inches taller than any of the other trolls. He opened his mouth and a big toothy grin revealed a row of blackened teeth inside his gaping maw. Cari held her hands out to her side, palms facing forward and smiled back at him.

“Greetings, Chrrrak. It has been a long time.”

“Agreed. I not think see you again. Everything all right?”

Cari shook her head. “No, everything not all right. We are being chased and I need to get a friend of mine to safety. I am hoping you can help me find a way through these mountains towards the east.”

Chrrrak scratched his head, his fingers digging at the shaggy mop of black hair growing there. “Not easy travel mountains to east. Better go west along coast to large human city.”

“Some of us will go that way. But a small group of us must travel eastward. Can you get us through the mountains?”

Chrrrak paused before continuing. “There is way. It not easy. Is dangerous.”

Cari shrugged. Staying here was dangerous, too, she knew. They had to take a chance because she feared there were naval forces and soldiers of the Duke of Charon both at sea and somewhere in the vicinity of Tandon, maybe close to these very woods. She couldn’t risk having Jaycee fall into the Duke’s hands. “We will take our chances, Chrrrak. If you show us the way, I trust we will be well.”

“I show you,” the troll chieftain said.

“Thank you. Please, come and share a meal with us while we talk about what lies ahead of us.”

The trolls came forward and sat with the people of Cari’s crew. Everything was a bit tense at first. Cari noticed how the trolls stayed well away from the burning logs of their campfire. It made sense. Trolls possessed the ability to regenerate from injuries; however, they were very susceptible to fire. Burning would not only prevent their injuries from regenerating, but it would also kill them very quickly if they were not careful.

Despite not liking fire, they enjoyed the concept of hot food very much. Cari realized that they must have a love-hate relationship with fire because they had to cook food, but they also had to keep away from getting burned. She longed to ask questions about it but feared it was a taboo subject.

They were just finishing up their meal when Francesca, who’s turn it was to stand lookout on the cliff, came running back towards the camp. “There’s a navy ship pulling into the cove now. They’ve definitely spotted the Sailfish. We need to get out of here, ma’am.”

“Damn, I’d hoped they would sail past without investigating. Never mind that now. Everybody, start gathering what you can carry. Make sure everyone has at least a pistol or a musket, along with a cutlass.”

“What do you want us to do?” Helen asked.

“We’re going to split into two groups. Sylvie and the other crewman we picked up in the Cairn Islands will head west along the coast and make for Tandon. She can carry a message for us to the Duke.”

“And the rest of us?” Helen asked.

“The rest of us follow Chrrrak and the rest of the trolls. He’s going to lead us to a trail that will take us through the mountains to the east. It’s time we started on our path to the Crystal City.

Helen looked to the east at the imposing cliffs. “Those mountains are considered wild lands ma’am. Trolls might be the least of our worries as we travel across them.”

“We don’t have a choice, Helen. Heading west is going in the wrong direction and I fear there are soldiers loyal to the Duke in that direction watching for us to try to get into Tandon. Our safest option is to head east. We’ll have Chrrrak and his trolls to watch over us for at least a portion of the journey. It’ll be alright.”

Helen nodded and set about gathering up the packs and weapons she and the others would need. She and Cari both shoved two pistols in their belts. Francesca did the same as well as grabbing a musket, too. Percy had a pistol and a cutlass as well as his backpack. He looked like he was carrying quite the load for his age, but Cari didn’t say anything.

Once Cari had gathered the two pistols for herself and shouldered a leather pack filled with food and some spare blankets, Cari turned to Chrrrak and said, “Men come. They hunt us. We need to get away. Now.”

Chrrrak stood from where he crouched beside his food. He gave a sharp gesture with one hand and two of the trolls raced off into the forest, leaving the others with their chieftain. “I send for help. If those who follow come our lands, we defend. Come, you follow. They not find you.”

Cari nodded. She turned to the other half of the crew. They were all set to march west. “Sylvie, I want you to take a message to the Duke of Tandon. Give it directly to him in private.”

“I understand, what is it?”

“Tell him we are setting off towards the Crystal City with the princess. We will get to Hyroth and wait for our other companions there. He’ll know who I mean. If he could send them along in that direction, I would appreciate it.”

“Got it, ma’am. I’ll make sure he gets the message.”

Cari watched as Sylvie and the others set out to the west. Once they disappeared into the tree line, Cari turned and nodded at Chrrrak. It was time to disappear into the trolls’ forest.

Quest accepted – Find a path through the mountains

Chapter 7

Mona sat up from where she had been hunched over the workbench and raised her arms over her head. She stretched and stood up from the work area the blade smith, Heath Fletcher, had built for her beside his forge. She pulled a colorful kerchief from the pocket of her leather vest and dabbed at the sweat on her brow.

“Finally decided to take a break?” Heath asked from where he stood next to his anvil a few yards away.

“I am so close to figuring the last piece needed to get this portal device to work. It’s our only way to get back home with the way magic has changed in Fantasma. I wouldn’t be this close if it weren’t for you and everything you’ve done to help me.”

“I have to say, Mona, you’ve taught me so much I think I should thank you. In just the few months you’ve been here I’ve learned more about crafting and metal work than I could ever have thought existed. The new alloys I can now make will be worth a fortune to my family and me.”

“You earned it, Heath. I could never have built the fine spring and clockwork mechanism at the center of this transporter if it hadn’t been for your excellent casting skills at the forge. The cogs for the clockwork mechanism alone would have stymied me.”

Heath pointed up at the sun, settling towards the western horizon. “It’s nearly the end of the day. Why don’t we head back to the house? Sterling and Maisy can watch over the shop until closing. Hal is probably waiting for us anyway. He’s getting tired of being cooped up in the house with Becca all the time.”

Mona laughed. “That’s all right, I know she has him doing housework. It’s good for him.”

Heath laughed with her. He knew his wife wouldn’t let idle hands rest for long in her house. Even if those hands belonged to the legendary Prince Hal.

Together, Heath and Mona put away their tools and shut down the forge for the night. When finished, they headed for the small shop that stood in front of the forge yard.

As they entered Sterling Fletcher and the shop girl Macy, stood up suddenly and stepped away from each other. Mona smiled. She knew the two were a couple now and had likely been clutched in an embrace while they had a moment alone between customers. They were both nice kids and she was happy to see them build a relationship together. It was a flash of normalcy despite the fact their town was now occupied by the Duke of Charon’s soldiers.

Mona wondered again if Cari had managed to get to safety as Hal believed. She’d expected them to get some word of her whereabouts by now. Hal went out nightly to search for any word of her. Using his thief skills, he snuck into the inn where the Duke’s guard commander had taken up residence. In the colonel’s office there, Hal rummaged through the papers of the occupying force, searching for any report of where his daughter might be.

Mona knew they were going to have to leave soon. They couldn’t remain in Morton Creek forever. They also knew Cari wouldn’t stay in hiding much longer either.

“Sterling, Mona and I are heading back to the house for dinner. You and Maisy can stay here and close up the shop without us, right?” Heath asked.

“Oh, yes sir. We’d be happy to close up the shop together. Isn’t that right, Maisy?”

“Yes, Mr. Heath. We’d love to close up the shop together.”

Mona hid her smile behind one hand and turned away so they didn’t see her grinning. She noticed out of the corner of her eye Heath was grinning, too. He didn’t bother to hide it.

“Good, then close up the shop when it’s time, and walk Maisy home. I’ll have your mother keep some dinner on the new stove.”

“There’s no need for that, Mr. Heath, sir. Sterling can have dinner with my family at my house,” Maisy said.

Sterling grinned from ear to ear at the invitation to stay and have dinner with her family. “Is it all right if I have dinner with Maisy’s family, dad?”

“It’s fine with me. Just make sure you’re home before it gets too late. You know the Colonel has put in place a curfew. You don’t want to be caught out on the streets by any patrols too late.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be careful, sir.”

Heath nodded his approval. He grabbed his cloak from the hook by the door and he and Mona left the shop. They turned to the right and headed towards the residential district nearby where the Fletcher’s had their home.

When they arrived, Becca was thrilled to see them home early for a change. “For once, I won’t have to keep dinner warming on the stove for the two of you until all hours of the night. I guess Stefan wasn’t able to join us?”

Stefan had been living in one of the taverns near the harbor these past few months while Mona and Hal stayed with the Fletcher’s.

“No, I think he made plans to go out with some of the other young men in town, you remember what it was like,” laughed Mona. “On another note, I want to thank you for letting Heath and I work late so often. A suspicious wife wouldn’t like having her husband spending so much time with another woman,” Mona grinned.

Becca chuckled. “I know my Heath better than that. And, I know you would never be unfaithful to Hal.”

“Fair enough,” Mona said. “What’s for dinner?”

“I’ve got roasted goat and rice pilaf. It’s so much easier to cook over this new model cast-iron stove you helped Heath design. Frankly, for us and for those that have bought one, it’s really changed the way the people of Morgan Creek prepare their dinners.”

“Not a problem,” Mona said. “It was time for you and everyone else here to have developed that sort of stove to use in your kitchens and heat your homes. How’s the new pump design for the well working out?”

“It’s working out very well, indeed. It’s so nice not to have to go out to the backyard to fetch water from the well anymore. Though I think it spoils the children. They should have to do the same type of chores I did when I was their age. Now all they do is crank the handle in the kitchen and water comes out.”

“I feel the same way about how easy it is for kids where I come from, Becca.”

“You’ve told me so much about where you come from. It sounds like a strange and magical place. Perhaps someday we can travel to your world, rather than you travel here.”

“That would be nice, but first I need to figure out how to get us home before I start worrying about bringing anyone else through a gateway back to Earth.”

Hal came in from the backyard. He walked over to the sink to wash his hands and looked over his shoulder at his wife. “Still having trouble with the final piece of the transporter?”

“Yes. I’m having issues with the tuning mechanism. I can generate and store the power needed internally. I just need some way to refocus the gathered energy in such a way as to let me pick the destination, without it, all it will do is open up a random gateway that could lead anywhere. It might be here on Fantasma, it might be somewhere else in the universe. I’m not willing to take in that kind of chance. There has to be a way to focus the energy and select a specific location. Until I get that issue licked, we’re right and truly stuck here.”

“Well, if anyone can figure it out, I know you can, dear.”

“Are you planning on heading out to do more scouting tonight?” Heath asked, stepping up to wash his hands as soon as Hal was finished at the sink.

“Yes, I haven’t been down to check on the latest dispatches in the Colonel’s office for a few nights. It would be good to see what new information has come in.”

“Do be careful, Hal,” Mona said. “I know you’re very good at what you do when you’re out on your little late-night missions. Still, one of these days you’re going to press your luck, and the Colonel is going to realize someone’s been rummaging through his papers while he’s been sleeping.”

“Don’t you know, Mona? Pressing my luck is what I do best.” Hal winked at her as he sat down at the dinner table.

Mona shook her head and rolled her eyes. That set Becca laughing along with Heath. The two couples got along well with each other and had formed a close friendship since meeting after Hal and Mona’s arrival in Morton Creek. It didn’t just have to do with the fact that Becca had acted as a sort of mother figure to Cari when she stayed here the previous year. It was also that they had similar goals when it came to making sure the young princess in Cari’s care made it to her great-grandmother’s side.

Mona was proud of how much Cari had accomplished in her time here. She worried about her daughter’s safety, but she could see how much she did to help the people here in much the same way her father had years before.

“Hal, look again for any sign of what the other contingents of the Duke’s forces are up to. It would be nice to have an idea of which direction they’re headed. We’re going to have to leave here eventually and it would make sense to know where to avoid unfriendly troops.”

“Honestly, Mona, I’ve been waiting to have you finish the transporter. Once that’s done, we can use it to travel to wherever Cari is now or at least to where she’s headed.”

“You mean, you know where she is?”

“I know where the Colonel thinks she is. That’s why I want to head back there tonight. He was expecting a ship to come into the harbor with news of some plan he had in the works. From what I could tell the last time, I think he was hoping to get the Raiders to overthrow their leadership for some reason and return to their pirate ways along these coasts. Based on that plan, I think that’s where Cari is; somewhere in the islands to the east. I’ve been waiting to see what he learns about the plan’s effectiveness.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mona asked, more than a little perturbed with her husband.

“I didn’t want to worry you. I was going to wait and see what this latest message said before I told you anything about it. All I knew was some speculation based on the few things I’ve been able to read on the Colonel’s desk. There’s nothing concrete to go on yet.”

“Is there any sign that the Duke of Charon’s men might finally leave Morgan Creek?” Heath asked. “It would be nice to settle back into the nice quiet routine we had before they arrived. It’s stifling everyone’s business.”

Hal shook his head. “I’m not sure there’s any way to know for sure, yet. It’s my hope that once Cari starts on the move that they will remove the blockade on the port here and let people come and go from the city. I know Mona and I could slip out if we had to, but I’d rather not be chased across the countryside while I’m looking for my daughter.”

“But, Hal, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish the destination focuser for the transporter with what I have at hand.”

Becca frowned. “I suppose that means you’ll be leaving us one way or the other then?”

Mona nodded. “Yes, I think that is best. We need to get on the road again and start looking for Cari. If she’s in the Cairn Islands, then that’s where we should go. We need to get to her before she starts moving again.”

“You can’t get a ship to the Raider islands here. I assume that means you’re heading to Tandon?” Heath asked.

“Not sure.” Hal scratched his head. “It’ll depend on what that message the Colonel is waiting for says.”

At that moment, the Fletchers’ other children came running into the kitchen and settled down to their spots around the table. The conversation turned to lighter topics, such as the children’s studies here at home. Mona had taken to teaching them basic crafting and science skills. A few of the kids took to it very quickly.

When dinner was finished, and the dishes were cleared and cleaned up, Mona and Hal sat outside the house on the front steps looking at the small homes clustered around them in this quiet and usually peaceful town as dusk fell over Morton Creek. “It’ll be good to get on the road again, Hal.”

“I agree. I’d hoped we’d hear something concrete about Cari to know which way to go. I have to think she’d send word here to her friends in some way to let them know she was all right.”

As they sat watching the sunset over the western headland that encircled the town’s harbor, a bell sounded in the center of town. Soon after, a bell up in the old Baron’s castle began ringing as well. Mona looked at Hal and he shrugged.

Heath and Becca came out onto the stoop behind them. “What’s the bell for?” Heath asked.

“I was going to ask you,” Mona replied. “Has it ever rung for a long time like this before?”

“Not that I can remember. It’s only supposed to ring like that for news of great importance from the capital or an imperial edict to be read publicly at the town’s central square.”

A woman came running up the street. Mona recognized her as one of the Fletchers’ neighbors. It looked like she was crying.

“Yasmine,” Becca called out. “What is wrong?”

“She’s dead, Becca.”

“Who’s dead?”

“The Empress, may she rest in peace. The Empress has died. Soldiers are nailing up public notices all over the city.”

Mona looked at Hal. He now sat rigid, his back ramrod straight as he stared off into the distance. She put an arm around his shoulders. The Empress had been his companion when he was younger, during his earlier adventures in this world. Due to the strange time differential between their worlds, she’d aged eighty years while he’d only aged fifteen. Now she was gone and he sat staring off over the roofs of the homes opposite theirs. He was probably thinking about his memories of the girl he first knew as Kay, the thief, all those years ago.

“Are you alright? Do you want to talk?” Mona asked.

“I’m fine. Kareena lived a long life and ruled her empire well for the most part. I wish she’d lived long enough for us to show her that her great-granddaughter still lived, but there’s nothing I can do about that now. This clinches it, though. We need to move. Things have been set in motion that will make it much harder on Cari, now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it, Mona. The Empress is dead. That means Timron will be crowned unless we can get the princess there first. Once he’s on the throne, it’ll be difficult to dislodge him. Once Cari finds out, she’ll realize that, too.”

“How long do you think we have? I thought Timron was in hiding somewhere here in the west country.”

“That’s the rumor. It means this whole quest has just become a race to get the next ruler on the throne first. Pack your things, Mona. We’ve got to slip out of the city tonight.”

“Where are we headed and how will we get there?”

“Tandon. As to how we get there, the Colonel is letting the fishing boats out of the harbor to bring in their catch. He has to in order to keep the town from starving while his troops are here. I had Stefan make prior arrangements with one of the fishing captains to run us up the coast to Tandon just in case of a situation like this.”

“I’d better pack up my tools and gear. There are a few things I need from the smithy to continue my work while we travel. Heath, will you accompany me back to the shop? I might need to take a few of your tools with me if that’s alright.”

“Of course, Mona. You can have whatever you need.”

“Good, thank you.” Mona grabbed her cloak. “Hal, I’ll be back before midnight. We’ll gather young Stefan from the inn by the harbor where he’s been hiding out and slip past the curfew patrols. That way we can all be at the harbor before dawn.”

“Perfect. We’ll sail out with the fishing fleet to get the morning’s catch. With luck, we’ll be back in Tandon inside of a week.”

Mona nodded and wondered what Cari was doing as they prepared to set out after her once again.

Chapter 8

Cari ducked under the officer’s saber thrust, snapping her own blade out straight as a steel extension of her left arm. The thin rapier thrusted into his abdomen.

As the officer doubled over, she pulled her blade free and swung in with her other hand plunging her dagger through his neck. She must’ve severed his spine because he collapsed in a heap at her feet.

3,500 experience awarded

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the Imperial Marines raise his musket to his shoulder and aim it in her direction. Diving forward, Cari got behind a tree just in time. The bullet took a chunk of bark off the tree right where her head had been seconds before.

Knowing the marine had to reload, Cari charged from behind the tree to take him out. He was fumbling with this ramrod and didn’t see her coming until it was too late.

Within seconds she was on top of him knocking him to the ground and killing him with a single dagger thrust to his chest.

2,500 experience awarded

Remaining down on one knee, Cari slowly raised her head above the surrounding brush and scanned the forest, searching for the rest of her party. The attack had come without warning and scattered them as they ran into the trees to escape the ambush.

The naval officers and their marines, who’d disembarked ashore from the Frigate anchored in the cove, had pressed deeper and deeper into the troll’s mountain forests every day. They had not given up the search for the crew of the schooner anchored in the cove beside their ship.

This last attack had pushed deeper than ever before, catching Cari and her friends by surprise as they followed a group of trolls to a safer encampment farther into the mountains.

To her right, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. About a hundred feet away, Francesca finished off one of the marines with a hacking slash of her saber. Cari called out to her. “Where are Percy and Jaycee?”

Francesca shrugged then pointed a finger over her right shoulder indicating she thought they were somewhere behind her in the forest.

Cari didn’t think that was a good thing. From the sound of the fighting around them, it seemed like the imperial forces, under the control of one of the Duke’s pet naval officers, were all around them now, interspersed through the trees. “Break off contact here, then go find them. You search that way. I’ll back up and search over here.

Francesca nodded and trotted off into the trees. Cari rose to a crouch and started backing up through the brush, keeping low and hidden in the thick bushes beside the trail. There was fighting all around her. She heard the bellows and grunts of her troll companions. To them, this was a desperate fight to protect their homeland and their invited guests.

She didn’t smell smoke, which was good. It didn’t appear that the marines had come prepared with fire this time. Even though there were not that many trolls with Cari’s party, they were holding their own and, with their regenerative abilities, they’d be powerful allies.

“Cari?” Helen’s voice sounded from behind her. Cari turned to the left, keeping an eye forward for any incoming attacks. As she worked her way around a rocky outcropping, Cari spotted her first mate behind a tree. Several imperial marines lay dead around where she hid.

“I’m looking for Percy and Jaycee. Have you seen them?”

“No. We got separated when they hit us on the trail. It was all I could do to fight off the ones that had me cornered.”

“Same here,” Cari said. “I saw Percy grab the princess by the arm and run off into the woods away from the attack. I’m worried some of the marines might have swung around to the east, anticipating we’d run away from their initial assault.”

“That’s not good, Cari. What do you want to do?”

“I sent Francesca back in the other direction from here. Why don’t you head off to the left and back through the woods and see if you can find them? I’ll go back and run straight up the middle and see if I can find Chrrrak. He might’ve seen them.”

“Got it. Where shall we meet if I find them?”

“Chrrrak said he was leading us up the trail to a plateau with a large oblong boulder pointed at the sky. He called it ‘the finger.’ Let’s meet up there. Just keep going up the trail until you find it.”

“Alright.” Helen gave Cari a thumbs up gesture and headed off into the woods to the left.

Cari moved around from behind the tree the two of them had been using as cover and spotted more movement coming from in front of their position. There was a flash of red uniforms through the trees. It meant more marines moved through the woods ahead. This attack was more extensive than she thought. This was much larger than a random patrol. Clearly, they’d planned this attack carefully and brought enough force to hammer it home. She needed to find Percy and Jaycee and get out of here fast.

Backing away from the tree, Cari turned and ran as quickly as she could back towards the central trail. She had to find the troll chieftain and check to see if he knew where the kids were.

A gunshot sounded to her right and a bullet splintered the low-hanging tree branch next to her shoulder as she ran. It was followed immediately by two more shots from behind her.

Cari heard one bullet as it flew past her ear. It sounded like an angry bumblebee buzzing by her.

The second bullet was on target. The shot slammed into the back of her right leg.

Cari tumbled to the ground in agony as her leg gave out beneath her.

Health damage — health -22

Cari rose to her uninjured knee and tried to examine the wound. There was an open hole in the front of her leg. The bullet had passed through the muscle and not struck bone. It was bleeding profusely but not spurting. It didn’t look good but she could keep going, though more slowly than before.

She considered for a few seconds using the regenerative ability she’d gained when she became a blood-sibling with Chrrrak the last time she was here. She decided she was better off saving it for when she might really need it later on.

Sheathing her dagger and slapping her hand down over the wound to try to stem the bleeding, Cari got back to her feet and limped along as fast as she could go. She was almost back to the main trail.

A grunt and a bellow to her right told her one of the trolls was locked in combat with someone.

Cari headed over that way and saw Chrrrak engaged in hand to hand combat with two Marines. One of them had his bayonet fixed on his musket’s barrel. He used it to punch the sharpened point into the troll chief’s shoulder. The force of the blow pressed him back against a tree.

The marine drove forward, trying to pin the troll in place.

The other marine swung a cutlass with two hands. He hacked at Chrrrak’s already injured leg on the opposite side.

The huge troll swung wildly with his talons trying to attack and drive the marines backward. He was in so much pain, and so sorely injured, he wasn’t doing much to stop them.

Cari, seeing an advantage, charged forward and hit her friend’s two opponents from behind.

Gritting her teeth through the pain in her leg, she ducked her shoulder and slammed into the back of the marine wielding the cutlass. He fell to the ground with a grunt. His cutlass skittered away across the dirt out of reach.

Cari rolled to her feet, grunting at the throbbing ache as she put more weight on her injured leg. Luckily it held her.

She stabbed downward with her rapier trying to catch the man while he was still on the ground.

He was faster than she expected, though.

The marine rolled back to his feet and dove in the direction of his lost cutlass. He came up with it in his hands.

He grinned at her, a couple of his teeth missing, and said, “You’re the one we are looking for. There’s a pretty price on your head. Where’s the little girl?”

“Somewhere you’re never going to find her.” Cari drew her dagger and dove in with a series of vicious attacks with both blades. Chrrrak would have to handle the other marine by himself. She had little doubt he would be able to do so.

Her attacks drove the marine backward for a second, then he regained his composure and pressed forward. His defensive moves shifted to attacks as he countered her forward motion with strikes of his own. Both of them managed to land blows within seconds of each other as Cari stabbed him through the shoulder, while his cutlass hacked down into the side of her lower leg.

Health damage — health -10

Cari nearly fell to the ground after the hit. It was the same leg with the bullet hole in it.

Growling, she forced herself to maintain a fighting stance and parried the next attack with her dagger making him swing wide.

It was the opening she needed.

She thrust her sword home through the marine’s heart.

Judging from the startled expression on his face, he expected her to fall first when he hacked into her leg.

2500 experience awarded

Cari turned to help her friend, but Chrrrak had already finished off the other marine. He limped over to her as he pulled the bayonet from his shoulder with a grunt.

“Cari fight good. We were surprised. Where are friends?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. Have you seen the boy and the girl?”

Chrrrak managed a pretty good approximation of a human shrug and shook his head.

“I have to go find them. I told my friends to meet up at the rock you called The Finger farther up the trail.”

“That good. We stop attackers here Go. Find friends. Meet at finger rock.”

Cari nodded and limped across the trail in the direction she thought Percy must’ve taken Jaycee. She thought she heard an attack coming from the side and she darted behind a tree ready to hack down the pursuer as they ran past.

She leaped out and managed to barely stop her blade from hacking into Francesca’s neck. The woman was racing through the forest past Cari’s hiding place.

“Have you seen them?”

“No, ma’am. But there’s a whole bunch of additional marines coming up the trail behind me. I ran this way to try and find you to give you a warning.”

“That’s not good news,” Cari said. “We’ve got to find the kids. Let’s split up again. We’ll keep searching. The plan is to meet up farther up the trail at the rock Chrrrak called The Finger. He said it’s on a ledge with a tall oblong rock pointed at the sky.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard to find. I’ll see you there, Captain. I’ll head off this way. You go to the right.”

Cari smiled and patted Francesca on the back, then ran off to the right looking for the kids. She’d gone about fifty yards into the woods when she heard a young girl scream. Despite the pain in her leg, Cari increased her speed, running as fast as she could, even though the searing pain brought tears to her eyes.

She checked to see if she could do better and use the burst of speed skill, but her power-up bar had not yet reached full combat mode. She couldn’t access that ability yet. Still, even injured she was pretty fast.

Cari ran at a full sprint into a small clearing to find an officer and a marine facing down against Percy with Jaycee behind him backed against a rock outcropping. They were cornered.

Cari noted there was a dead marine on the ground nearby. Percy had done well for himself protecting the princess so far, but he was going to get killed if Cari didn’t get in there and stop this attack.

Charging at the two men, Cari yelled, “I’m right behind you, assholes. Why don’t you turn around and fight someone your own size?”

The naval officer and the marine spun around just in time to catch Cari’s double attack on their weapons. She tried to take them both out with one move, but it didn’t work.

The officer batted aside her rapier blade with his saber. The marine used the stock of his musket to parry her incoming dagger.

Then it was Cari’s turn to backpedal and avoid the follow-up attacks. She broke from the first of the attacks and used her acrobatic dodge skill to dive forward in a roll that got her underneath the attacks from both the bayonet at the end of the musket and the officer’s saber. Bouncing back to her feet, grimacing through the pain, Cari turned and came up ready to fight again, this time with Percy and Jaycee behind her.

“Let’s see how the two of you do now that you can’t gang up on two children. Come on boys, let’s party.”

“I got one of them, Captain,” Percy said from behind her.

“I see that. Good work. Stay there and keep Jaycee back.”

The officer darted in from her right.

At the same time, the marine lunged forward with his bayonet at her midsection from the other side.

Cari had to make an awkward move to get one of her blades in front of each weapon and she was only partially successful.

She managed to knock away the bayonet thrust with her sword, but her dagger was unable to completely block the incoming saber slash. It scored a long wound across her back. It felt like fire running from her shoulder blade to her midsection.

Health damage — health -15

Cari hissed at the pain but shrugged it off. She tried a riposte attack against the bayonet-armed Marine. He made a desperate move to swing his musket back into position and block her, but Cari was able to dive under his guard and come up in front of him while she stabbed downward into his thigh with her dagger. He groaned at the pain of the attack but managed to bring the stock of the musket around and club at Cari’s shoulder with it, knocking her backward.

Health damage — health -8

Cari felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck and brought up her rapier and spun around just in time to knock aside the incoming saber attack. Her prescience skill had let her know the officer was launching the attack from behind her. Once again, she thanked that particular skill for warning her of incoming attacks before they happened.

Continuing her spinning move, Cari brought her sword around and launched a swirling barrage of attacks that the marine was unable to fend off. She thrust once through his shoulder and a second time through his throat, finishing him.

2,500 experience awarded

The officer snarled when his attack missed and started to back away after Cari killed his companion.

She turned and sneered at him. “You’re not going to get away that easily. Now that you’ve seen who I protect, I have no choice but to kill you where you stand.”

“You’ll try,” the officer said. “I have survived worse than you.”

“I doubt that. Don’t you know, I am the Dread Raider Cari.”

The officer’s eyes widened at hearing the name. He increased speed backing up.

Cari realized he was trying to reach the cover of the trees around the clearing. She knew if he got to the tree line, he might make his escape. With her injuries, she couldn’t outrun him.

The officer turned in that instant and ran for the tree line. She realized he was going to beat her to the trees and the cover they offered. Cari had already fired both her pistols, so she wasn’t going to be able to get him that way. She was afraid she’d lost him when Francesca stepped out from behind a tree and thrust her cutlass into the officer’s chest. He never even saw it coming. He fell to the ground his eyes locked wide in surprise as they glazed over in death.

“Good work, Francesca. We couldn’t afford for him to get back and tell them we were here, he’d also identified the princess.”

“All in a day’s work, ma’am.” Francesca pointed at Cari’s leg. “You’re injured, Captain.”

“Yeah, and it hurts like a bitch, too. Give me a second. Go and check on the kids.”

Cari concentrated on her skills menu, bringing up her inherent skill to regenerate sixty health points, once a day. Now was as good a time as any to use it. She was going to need to be at or near full strength if they were going to run up the trail and climb the mountain far enough to reach finger rock.

A minute later the message appeared across her eyes:

Health restored — health +60

Francesca’s eyes widened when she turned around from checking the kids. She’d known her captain could heal herself quickly, but she’d never seen Cari do it in person before.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Cari said. “Believe me, I wish it was something I could teach others to do. I guess it’s just something that runs in my family.”

“What? The ability to do impossible things?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Cari turned and walked to where Percy still guarded the princess. “You did a good job, Percy. You kept the princess safe.”

“Jaycee is my friend, Captain. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She’s like a little sister to me.”

“Percy was so brave, Cari. You should have seen him when he fought that first Marine who found us running through the forest.”

“I’ll bet, Jaycee. Are you alright?”

“Yes. It’s all been kind of scary, though.”

“Understandable. Come on, we’re going to head back towards the trail. We’ll try to catch it a little farther up the mountain past the fighting down here. We’re going to meet Helen at a place called finger rock.”

“I heard Chrrrak describe it,” Jaycee said. “Is it really a finger made of rock?”

“No, Jaycee. I think it’s just a rock that looks like a finger. It’ll still be pretty cool to see in person though. Let’s get moving.”

The four of them started back towards the trail, Francesca keeping to the rear and watching behind them while Cari led the two children up the mountain. They could still hear the sounds of fighting behind them, but they ran into no one else as they headed up the mountain.

Chapter 9

It took the four of them five hours to climb the mountain trail up to a narrow ledge with the finger-like rock jutting up from it. It was easy enough to spot and Cari hoped that was a good sign. They hadn’t seen any evidence of Helen on their way up the trail so they hoped she was just lagging behind a bit.

The trek was challenging, especially with the few injuries she still had despite her regeneration earlier. “We’ll settle down here for a little bit and rest,” Cari said, easing herself down to sit on a small boulder by the trail. “We’ll wait for a little while and see who catches up with us.”

“Let’s hope it’s friends and not more of those marines,” Francesca said.

“Agreed. Why don’t you settle down over where the ledge opens up to the trail? You should be able to find a spot that will give you cover while you can still see down to the nearest bend in the path. That should give us some warning if any enemies come.”

“Good idea. I’m on it.”

“Where is Miss Helen?” Jaycee asked.

“She should be along in a little while,” Cari said, trying to hide the worry she felt for her friend.

“I hope so,” the little girl said. “She has my dollies in her backpack.”

Percy grinned at Cari. The little girl’s innocence was refreshing sometimes. Cari hoped their time on the trail didn’t change that as they took her back towards the capital.

Nearly an hour after they arrived on the ledge, Francesca waved Cari over. The lookout pointed down the trail. “I saw some movement down the trail where I can see some of the other twists in the pathway in between the trees. I’m not sure if they were friends or foes, though.”

“Keep your eyes open. Have you re-loaded your pistols?”

“First thing I did, ma’am.”

“Me, too.”

Cari settled down on one knee to watch the trail beside Francesca. It wasn’t long before someone came around the bend in the path below them.

Cari let out a sigh of relief. It was Helen.

She limped a little bit but didn’t appear to be too severely injured. Cari stood up and walked to the edge of the trail, waving to her first mate.

Helen spotted her and waved in return, increasing her speed a little bit as she climbed up to where they sat.

“Helen, it’s good to see you. I was beginning to worry a little bit when you weren’t here ahead of us.”

“I ran into one of the senior officers from the marine company as I broke away from the fighting. I caught him by surprise and I was able to cut him down before he called for help. I searched him and found this.” Helen held out a folded paper. There was an imperial seal on it.

Cari took the paper from Helen and unfolded it.

From The Crystal City and the Stewards of the Empire of Fantasma.

This announcement is to be posted in all corners of the Empire, as well as announced by town crier for three days following its arrival.

It is with regret that we must inform the people of the Empire of the untimely death of our Mistress and Empress, Kareena the First.

She succumbed to a sudden illness and died peacefully in her sleep. We mourn her passing. The Empress is dead. Long live the Emperor.

Cari folded the paper. This wasn’t good news. “Did you read this?”

Helen nodded. “Should we tell Jaycee?”

“We’re going to have to at some point. I’m not sure now is the time though.” Cari handed the paper off to Francesca when she looked at them both with an eyebrow raised in question. The woman unfolded the paper and read the announcement. Her face became grim.

“This kind of makes what we’re doing all that much more important, doesn’t it, Captain?”

“That’s putting it lightly, Francesca. We’ve got a lot to do if we’re going to get Jaycee to the capital before her Uncle Timron is crowned Emperor.”

“There’s no sign of any date for the coronation on the announcement,“ Helen observed. “That probably means he’s not yet reached the capital. We heard he was in hiding somewhere here in the western part of the empire. It’s likely that he will be finding out about this at the same time we do.”

“That’s assuming, this message was just brought in on the ship. There’s no telling how long that officer had it in his pocket. The announcement is dated over a month and a half ago.”

“With the number of Marines that attacked us today,” Helen said. “I’ve got to think that they are from a new contingent off a second ship. It’s many more than a normal ship’s contingent would be.”

“That makes sense,” Cari replied. “Knowing that almost makes me want to go back down there and question one of them to find out where they’re from.”

“You’re not going back down there, are you Captain?” Francesca asked.

Cari laughed. “I said ‘almost.’ I didn’t say I was going to. That would be crazy. Let’s get you seated over here, Helen, so we can see to your injured leg. Then we’ll settle down and wait a little bit longer to see if our troll friends catch up with us. Otherwise, we’re going to have to make our way up this mountain and down the other side on our own.”

Once they were settled back near The Finger, Cari bandaged Helen’s injured leg and they sat back together against the ledge, watching the evening sky and the trail below at the same time. The view from their vantage point was spectacular, almost peaceful. It was a stark counterpoint to the desperate fighting they’d seen earlier.

About a half hour later, Chrrrak and a group of trolls came lumbering up the pathway towards the ledge. None of them were injured as far as Cari could see. If they’d sustained damage in the fighting, they’d regenerated any injuries along the way. There were a few of their number missing, though, so they’d taken some losses.

Cari stood up and raised her hand overhead, waving it so that Chrrrak could see them.

Even from a distance, Cari could see the broad grin on his face as he waved back. He didn’t appear to be in any hurry, so Cari assumed they’d either defeated the remaining marines or caused them to retreat from the fight on the trail in the forest below. Either way, Cari was happy they weren’t going to be caught in a running battle up the side of this mountain.

When the troll chief arrived at the ledge, Cari smiled up at the giant creature. “It is good to see you, Chrrrak. I see you are missing some of your number. Were they lost in the fighting below? I’m sorry if you lost more of your tribesmen.”

“The fighting was hard. New men in red brought fire. We were unable to save our friends from those wounds.”

Cari paused and offered her friend a grim smile of condolence before continuing. She pointed up the mountain. “So, where do we go from here?”

Chrrrak pointed up the trail farther into the mountains. “It long journey up and over mountains.”

“We have to go by the fastest route possible. We just discovered our time is running out.”

Chrrrak’s brow furrowed for a moment as he pondered Cari’s words. He seemed to be struggling with what he wanted to say. Finally, after nearly a minute, he shook his head and spoke. “There is shorter path through mountains, it dangerous, though, maybe too dangerous.”

Cari shrugged. “It can’t be more dangerous than staying here and waiting for those marines to catch up with us. They will come back. I think they now know for sure we have the girl with us.”

“Then I take you as far as entrance to man tunnels.”

“Man tunnels? That sounds ominous. What are they?”

“They are ancient passage. They travel through highest part of mountain. Much of it too narrow or too short for trolls. In days past, legend say men and others traveled tunnels often.”

“You said it’s dangerous. What did you mean?”

“No one travel passage for many years. It home now to many creatures. Most not friends to intruders. Plus, it haunted.”

“Great. Tunnels, monsters, and ghosts, oh my.” Cari shrugged. The decision was made for her because of the urgency of the situation. She said as much as she continued. “We don’t really have a choice. We’ll deal with any challenges as they present themselves. Let’s get going. It’s probably a good idea that we put as much distance between ourselves and those imperial troops as we can.”

Quest accepted — Find the tunnels under the mountain

Chrrrak nodded and pointed up the slope to a pair of his companions. The two trolls nodded at their chief and headed upslope at a loping run, soon disappearing around a bend in the path. “Those two will scout ahead for place to camp. I leave others here to watch behind.”

“That is a good idea,” Cari said. “I’ll get my people on their feet. We can get on the trail immediately.”

“I’ll fetch them, ma’am,” Francesca said. “Percy and the girl both fell asleep back there on the ledge. It’ll take them a few minutes to be ready to move.”

“You do that, Francesca. I’ll get Helen on her feet. She can start up the trail with Chrrrak and I’ll wait for you and the two kids.”

Cari watched as Helen joined the trolls trekking up the mountain behind their chieftain. He was surprisingly compassionate with regards to Helen given his fierce exterior appearance. He remembered his companion was wounded and stopped to let her catch up with him before he continued up the trail after his tribesmen.

The three remaining trolls were left on the ledge back at The Finger, staring down the trail and watching for signs of pursuit.

Cari nodded to them and the turned up the trail as Francesca came up with the two children. “Let’s get going. We’ve got a long way to go and I’d like to be safely away before we make camp for the night.”

Francesca took the two children by the hand and the four of them continued up the mountain trail, following after the troll chieftain.

Chapter 10

Following the trolls, the group traveled up through the mountain pass for the few remaining hours of the day. The sun had just started to dip beyond the peaks to the west when they arrived at the edge of a steep ravine.

Chrrrak stood at the top of the ravine and waited for Cari to catch up to him. When she reached his side, he pointed down into the canyon. “Man tunnels begin there.”

After scanning the steep drop into the ravine, Cari said, “It’s awfully steep to descend this way. Is there another path we can take to the bottom?”

“No,” the chief said, shaking his head. “Father say bridge once crossed ravine and path down other side. Bridge gone long time.”

Cari got down on one knee and leaned over the edge. It wasn’t a sheer drop, but it was close. They had thought far enough ahead to bring rope with them in their packs, but she wasn’t sure there would be enough to reach the bottom.

She stood up and looked around. “I think it’s best we camp here for the night. We should have outdistanced any pursuit at this point. We haven’t heard from your companions who stayed behind to watch for anyone following us.”

“I already send word back to them. They be here soon.”

Cari nodded and walked over to where Percy and Jaycee stood with Helen and Francesca. “We’re going to camp here. Let’s find a spot that offers at least some shelter.”

Francesca nodded. “I’ll check around. There might be a place with a bit of an overhang to provide some cover if it starts to rain and give us some cover from the wind, too.”

As the woman headed across the ledge on which they stood to check farther along the path, Helen started unpacking some of the gear from her pack. She had a small camp stove that burned a mixture of wax and alcohol. They didn’t have much to supply it, but there would be enough to boil a simple broth. That combined with the jerky they had from the ship’s stores would have to serve as dinner.

Jaycee sat down and leaned against the rock wall behind her. She looked exhausted. Cari crouched down beside her. “How are you holding up, Jaycee?”

“If you can do it, Cari, so can I.” The little girl offered her a big smile, but Cari could see weariness behind the grin. It was evident in her eyes.

“You’re a courageous girl, Jaycee. I’m going to need you to be even braver now, though. We’re getting ready to head into a tunnel through the mountains. I’m not sure what we’ll find there, but I will keep you safe. I promise.”

Jaycee reached down and gripped the belt knife at her side. “I can help, too. I can be as fierce as you are, Cari.”

“I know you can.” Cari smiled and placed her hand on top of the girl’s blond hair, stroking a stray strand out of her eyes. “Here, turn around and I’ll braid your hair just like mine.”

Jaycee’s smile grew even brighter and she turned, sitting cross-legged with her back to Cari. She sat up straight and tall so Cari could braid her long blonde hair.

“I’ll look just like you, Cari. We can be fierce princesses together.”

The statement made Cari chuckle. Since she technically was a princess by imperial decree from the time she was two years old, what Jaycee said was correct. “You’re right. Fierce princesses are exactly what we’ll be.”

Helen just got the camp stove set up and lit it when the trailing group of trolls caught up with their party. It was immediately evident why they had taken so long to catch up. Two of them each carried a deer across their broad shoulders.

Cari nudged Helen and pointed in their direction. “Looks like the jerky soup is off the menu.”

“Thank God. I’m not looking forward to the point when we have to settle for that for dinner.”

“Don’t worry, Helen. Where we are going, we’ll likely be eating it soon enough.”

“You really think it’s a good idea to head down into those tunnels?”

“I don’t see how we have a choice. We are going to have to get through these mountains one way or another and Chrrrak says this is the fastest route.”

“Are the tunnels going to have enough air? I heard from someone once the air in tunnels can go bad sometimes.” Percy looked a little pale as he asked this question.

Cari put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine. I promise. It’s going to be a difficult journey, though. Are you up to it? If not, I’m sure Chrrrak would deliver you to a human trader or even the closest human settlement or farmstead at the edge of their lands. You could travel on to Tandon or anywhere else you wanted to go from there.”

Percy puffed up his chest and shook his head. “I’m going to stay by your side, ma’am. That’s where I belong. I’ve proven myself, haven’t I?”

“You absolutely have, Percy. I meant no offense. If you’re willing to come on the journey, I’d be honored to have you at my side.”

That seemed to settle him down a little and he also seemed a little more relaxed about where they were headed. That was all Cari could ask for.

Francesca came back and pointed around the bend from where she’d come. “There is a small cave around the corner. It doesn’t go too deep into the mountainside and it appears to be unoccupied. I think we can shelter there for the night. There’s even some scrub pine all along the upward slope so we might be able to scrounge up enough deadwood for a small fire. It’s going to get cold tonight I fear.”

“Excellent,” Cari said. “Chrrrak, we found a small cave around the corner. Let’s move up to that point and set up our camp there.”

The big troll nodded and grumbled something in the troll tongue at his companions. Two of them picked up the two deer carcasses and together the whole group moved around the bend to where Francesca found the cave.

They were able to build a small fire in front of the cave entrance and the roasted venison was delicious. Everyone ate their fill and there would be enough left to carry deer meat with them for at least one or two days of meals in the tunnels. The meat should last that long before going bad. After that, it would be jerky soup.

The cave proved dry and warmed up a bit with the campfire in front of it so that it became quite comfortable for a night in the high mountains. They were still all a little cold under their blankets, but they managed to stay warm enough to sleep.

Jaycee had taken to sleeping right next to Cari. When she woke the next morning, the little girl had snuggled up against her. Cari realized she had one arm wrapped protectively around Jaycee.

Cari tried to work out from under the small girl without waking her so she could go out and stoke the fire, but Jaycee woke up as soon as she moved.

“Where are you going?”

“I was just going to throw some fresh wood on the fire. It would be nice to have a hot breakfast I think before we start down into the ravine.”

Jaycee stood up and started toward the cave mouth with Cari.

“I can go gather some wood.”

“You may go, but don’t go too far. Stay where I can see you.” Cari watched as the girl scampered up the slope next to the cave and started gathering sticks from beneath the small pine trees there. Cari threw the few remaining branches they collected the night before on the fire and blew on the remaining coals until flames popped up again. The wood was soaked in pine resin and the branches caught fire quickly.

Jaycee returned with a handful of branches before going back upslope to make another trip. She couldn’t carry much, but she was willing to work to help out and Cari appreciated that.

While Jaycee made another trip, Cari cut two slabs of meat from the haunch of venison and skewered them on their camp spit suspending the meat over the flames. She would have them roasted and ready when everyone else got up.

Jaycee brought another load of branches down and set them on the pile. She turned to go back up into the woods, but Cari stopped her. “That’s enough for now, Jaycee. Why don’t you come over here and help me get some breakfast together? Dig into Helen’s pack over there and bring me the small sack of cornmeal. There might also be some cheese in there, so if you see that, grab it.

Jaycee headed over to the place where the packs leaned against the side of the cave and pulled out the sack of corn meal and a wedge of hard cheese from Helen’s pack. When she brought it back to Cari, she smiled and said, “What are we making?”

“I think we can make a kind of polenta.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s something they make where I come from. I’ve never made it before myself, but I know the basics of what’s in it. Let’s experiment together, shall we?”

Jaycee nodded and leaned forward to help Cari make breakfast. Cari realized the girl had become quite attached to her. She also realized how attached she’d become to Jaycee. In some ways, she reminded Cari of herself at that age, full of enthusiasm and excitement about everything new she learned.

It was strange, Cari thought, how she lost some of that as she grew older. It had come back with a vengeance, though, when she returned to Fantasma and discovered this wonderful world waiting for her. It was as if she’d become a child all over again with so much to explore.

The trolls had taken turns at guard duty and the others must’ve felt safe and secure in the cave because they slept longer than Cari thought they would. When breakfast was ready, she had to go wake the rest of them up. She understood their weariness. The journey since they left the Sailfish had been arduous -- especially on the adults. She was glad the others had gotten some rest.

Francesca stepped out of the cave entrance stood up and stretched her arms wide with a groan. “You should’ve gotten me up. I could’ve helped with breakfast.”

“You all three looked so peaceful in there, sleeping like babies the way you were. I didn’t want to wake any of you. Besides, I had my assistant Jaycee here helping me out.”

Jaycee smiled with pride at the recognition.

Cari continued as Helen and Percy stumbled out into the bright sunlight. “Sorry I had to wake you all now, but we’ve got things to do today.”

“Understood, Captain. What do you want me to do?” Percy asked.

“Easy does it. First, eat your fill of breakfast, it’s likely to be one of the last hot meals we have for a while. Then, get with Helen and gather together all of the rope we brought with us from the Sailfish. Let’s see how much we have if we put it all together.”

“Got it,” Helen said, staring over at the edge of the ravine. “Hopefully we have enough to reach the bottom.”

“We’ll see. Come here and get something to eat first. Then we can set to work on solving that particular problem.”

“I can’t believe you let us sleep so long, Cari.”

Cari chuckled. “That’s exactly what Francesca said. I figured you should enjoy the sleep you were getting. I’m not sure how much we’ll get while we’re in those tunnels down there. We’ll probably want to press to get through as quickly as we can.”

“I won’t have any problem with that. I, for one, enjoy open sky above me. I’m not sure how I feel about being trapped with tons of mountain rock over my head.”

The group settled down to eat as Chrrrak came over to where they sat by the cave. Cari offered him some of the roast venison. He took it with a grin and tore into it with his huge black teeth. Cari figured Trolls didn’t often get cooked food given their fear of open flames.

“Chrrrak, I don’t know what we would do if we didn’t have you as a friend.”

“Friends what make life worth living.”

“I am always surprised by the profound words that come out of your mouth. You are, of course, correct.”

“Truth is truth, Cari. Truth is same in man tongue and troll tongue.”

“What will you and your tribe do, if the imperial soldiers continue to press onward into the mountains?”

“We find high passes in which to camp. There are places, high places, no man can reach. We can live there long time. Eventually, soldiers go away.”

Cari nodded. She was happy his tribe would find a place to live until the trouble passed. She hoped the soldiers from the ships below lost interest in searching for them.

Thinking about their flight from the coast and the skirmishes they had with imperial troops reminded Cari of the information she discovered about the Empress. She wondered if now was the right time to tell young Jaycee about her great-grandma’s passing. Cari decided it could wait until after they were through the mountain. She didn’t need the little girl saddened by anything that might keep her from being as brave as she needed to be in the dark tunnels.

Cari thought about what they might face inside the mountain. She found herself concerned by what Chrrrak had said about other creatures setting up shop in the tunnels at the bottom of the ravine. She had hoped he was wrong, but it was likely he knew exactly what he was talking about.

She settled back against the rock wall beside the cave and ate the rest of her breakfast with the others. She, too, forced herself to eat as much as she could. She wanted to be as strong as possible for what lay ahead.

Chapter 11

It didn’t take them long to pack up camp once breakfast was finished. Their packs were loaded up after unpacking all the rope they’d carried up into the mountains. They gathered the lines salvaged from the Sailfish, which were just long enough to reach the bottom of the ravine when tied together and used them to lower Francesca and then Helen to the bottom.

The two of them scouted to either side for a few minutes then came back to the bottom of the slope where the others above could see them. Helen gave Cari a thumbs up and they hauled the rope back up to lower the rest of them down one at a time. It was a lot easier with the additional strength of the trolls to help them.

Percy went next. Followed by all of their packs. That left Cari and Jaycee to go last. Cari used an extra length of rope to tie the girl to her belt. There was about 4 feet of slack between them and Cari intended to have Jaycee hold onto the line just in front of her as she backed down the slope with the trolls letting out slack as she went.

The first little bit wasn’t too bad, although there were places where the stones were loose, and she kicked away some of them with her feet before placing her toes in a crevice or on a small ledge so she could gain purchase. Jaycee was actually having an easier time of it, probably because she was lighter and small. Things were going well at first and then Cari’s feet slipped out from under her. Luckily, Jaycee managed to maintain her footing and for a bit, Cari lay against the steep slope with nothing holding her from a long sliding fall except for the rope tied around her waist.

“Do you need help getting up?” Jaycee asked.

Cari chuckled as she gathered herself to continue downward. “No, I’m fine. You just make sure you hold on tight to that rope. You see how easy it is for someone to slip.”

“I’m not worried. You won’t let me fall.”

Cari shook her head. The girl put a lot of faith in her. She didn’t want to let the young princess down. Cari signaled to Chrrrak at the top of the ravine. He and his trolls began to let out more rope and she continued to descend to the floor of the ravine.

By the time Cari reached the bottom, her calves and thighs ached, burning with lactic acid buildup from the exertion of the descent. Her arms were tired, too. Even Jaycee seemed to relax once they reached the bottom, though she never stopped grinning the whole way down.

“I think I found the entrance to the tunnels,” Helen said as Cari untied herself and helped coil up the ropes, dropped down from above by the trolls once she was safe.

“Which way?”

“Over here to the left. It’s not hard to spot once you reach it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see when you get there.”

The five of them shouldered their packs. Even Jaycee had one. They couldn’t spare not having someone, even her size, carry part of the load.

Cari looked up and waved at Chrrrak at the top of the ravine one last time. He waved back, then he and his trolls disappeared from the edge. “All right people, let’s get moving.”

Cari saw what Helen meant as soon as they’d walked about 20 yards along the bottom of the ravine. To the left against the sheer cliff wall of the opposite side of the gorge lay a rectangular doorway.

The sides and top of the doorway were carved with runes. Cari couldn’t read them. For all she knew, they could be an advertisement for some restaurant that used to be inside the mountain. As she stared at the entrance, a message floated in her eyes confirming this was their way through the mountain.

Quest completed — find the tunnels under the mountain

10,000 experience awarded

“I guess this is where it starts. All right, I’ll lead the way, followed by Helen, then Jaycee, Percy, and Francesca. Got it?”

The others all nodded. Cari took a small oil lantern from a clip on her belt. She was glad Francesca had found them aboard the Sailfish and thought to bring them from the ship’s stores. It would be way easier to light their way with the lanterns instead of some sort of improvised torch. She only hoped they’d brought along enough lamp oil.

Quest accepted — travel through the mountain

Lighting the lamp and holding it up in front of her, Cari stepped into the dark opening. The floor was smooth and paved with quarried rock. The sides of the walls were also made of worked stone.

These tunnels had not been used for a long time. Once she got inside about thirty yards, there was a thick layer of dust on the floor. Occasionally she saw animal prints below in the dust but nothing that looked too large.

The passageway sloped downward but not at too steep an angle to navigate easily. The tunnel led them deeper underground as well as farther into the mountain. Cari hoped this meant it would eventually let out lower on the far side of the mountains. That would make it easier for them than a long steep descent after leaving the tunnels on the other side.

“I hadn’t counted on it being quite so chilly down here,” Helen said.

“I think I read somewhere once that below ground, the temperature doesn’t change very much unless you’re near a source of a volcano or an ice flow or glacier of some sort. I’d guess that means it shouldn’t get any colder than this. Check on Jaycee, though. Make sure she’s warm enough.”

“I am fine, Cari,” the tiny voice said from behind her. “This tunnel is amazing. What kind of people must have lived here long ago?”

“I’m more concerned with what kind of people live here now,” Francesca said from the rear of the group.

The group fell silent, and Cari cursed under her breath. It was silly of Francesca to say something so stupid. She didn’t need everyone freaking out about problems they didn’t have. “Let’s not worry about that. For all we know the people that live down here now are as friendly as the trolls are up in the mountains.”

“We’ll see, ma’am,” Percy said. “I hope you’re right.”

After they had walked for what Cari figured was approximately two hours. The passageway opened up into a larger chamber. There were branching passageways leading off to the left and right as well as another one continuing on straight ahead. Cari realized it would be very easy for them to get lost down here. “Helen, I don’t suppose you have any chalk or some other way we can mark these tunnels as we pass through them?”

“As a matter of fact, Cari, I do. I don’t know why I thought to pack it but I’m glad I did, now.”

Helen took off her backpack and dug through it for a minute until she found what she was looking for. She held up a four-inch stick of chalk about as thick as her thumb. “Will this do?”

“Perfect. I’m going to mark the tunnels with an arrow pointing in the direction from which we came and an ‘x’ on the tunnels we don’t use. That way we’ll know how to get back to the surface if we get turned around.”

“Are you thinking there isn’t a way out on the other side?” Francesca asked.

“I have to think there used to be. But we have to be prepared that it may have caved in over the years. We just don’t know. This way, at least, we won’t be stuck down here wandering for the rest of our lives.”

Cari walked over to the tunnel they’d just exited. At shoulder height, she drew a foot-long white line with an arrow pointing back the way they came.

“Can everybody see that?” Cari asked, holding up the lantern next to the mark she’d made. “Just in case any of us get separated from the others, I want you to be able to recognize the marks I make. That way you’ll know which direction we traveled. I’ll make a similar mark on the other side of any opening like this where there are multiple exits. That will tell you which direction we went.”

Cari walked straight across the chamber and made another line with an arrow pointing back towards the other tunnel. Her father had once told her that you could never get lost as long as you knew how to get back to where you started. The thought made her smile. Her mother didn’t subscribe to the same theory and it was a frequent topic of discussion on family trips. Time to see how it all works in real life.

“Let’s stop here, have a snack, and rest a little bit. Make sure you all have something to drink but not too much. I’m hoping we’ll find an underground stream or spring where we can replenish our water supply, but we can’t be sure that we will.”

The group settled down for a brief rest in the dim light of their lanterns. After about fifteen minutes, they rose, shouldered their packs once again and started down the opposite tunnel. This one was much like the first. It continued to slope downward and was smooth and covered in worked stone.

Cari noticed several places where there were more runes like the ones over the doors in the ravine. The previous residents carved them into the rock walls.

They were all at about the height of her elbow. She figured she’d missed them at first since she wasn’t looking down and wondered if there had been some in the initial passage down from the surface. It was strange that someone would make markings down there like that. Cari shrugged. Maybe they were directions for lost children or something.

The passageway continued for quite some distance without opening up into any other side passages. They stopped after several hours of travel on two different occasions before they reach the bottom of the passage.

Cari figured it was getting on towards the night and she thought about stopping and camping inside the passage. Then the passage ended and suddenly opened up into a large cavern. Cari stood in the opening of the passage and raised her lantern as high as she could.

The yellow glow of light extended out about 15 yards into the gloom in all directions. She couldn’t see the far wall or the ceiling from where she stood. The floor of the cavern was smooth and worked just like the floor of the tunnel was, but the cavern’s walls to either side of her were rough natural stone. That indicated this was probably as much a natural opening in the mountain as it was one that had been smoothed over by intelligent hands.

“Let’s find a place here where we can safely camp. I figure it’s got to be close to nightfall outside. I think it’s best if we try to stay on a normal schedule while we’re down here.”

“I’m not sure how we will do that, Cari,” Helen said. “I don’t even know how long we’ve been down here.”

“I’m just guessing too, Helen. We’ll have to do the best we can.”

“Which way?” Percy asked standing next to Cari and trying to peer into the darkness around them. “I can’t see anything in any direction. I’m not sure I want to camp out in the open down here.”

“You’re right, Percy,” Cari said. “Let’s head to the right along the side of the cavern keeping the wall in sight and look for an opening or a small cave like we found last night at the top of the ravine. We just need somewhere we can set up a place to sleep for the night as well as someplace we can use to defend ourselves if something shows up while we’re sleeping.”

“Still expecting trouble?” Helen asked.

“If we expect trouble and none arrives, the worst case is some of us lose sleep because of guard duty. On the other hand, not preparing could leave us all in dire straits.”

Helen nodded in agreement and gestured to the right. Cari once again took the lead and started along the edge of the cavern holding her lantern out to the left so she could see as far as she could into the large open cavern while keeping the wall of the cavern to her right in sight.

They traveled about 500 yards along the edge of the cavern when they encountered the first building. It was a small stone hut with a single room inside. It might have been the dwelling of a small family. Cari couldn’t be sure. Based on its size, it might have also been some sort of a storeroom.

There was a wooden door fitted to the stone opening and even a small open window with wooden shutters built into the front wall. The back of the building was set against the wall of the cavern, using the cavern wall to form the rear wall of the building as well. Cari walked around to both sides to check for any signs of habitation. That’s when she saw the other buildings spreading out into the cavern beyond the first one.

“It looks like we stumbled onto some sort of abandoned underground village,” Francesca observed.

“I wonder who lived down here?” Percy asked. “I can’t imagine living underground like this.”

“Whoever they are,” Cari said. “They were a good deal shorter than us.”

Cari stood by the doorway to the small hut. She had to duck under the lintel as she opened the door to check inside. Looking around the single room, she saw a table and three chairs. They were all made lower to the ground than would be normal for a human adult. Cari wondered if some other race of people lived here or if they were just pigmy humans.

As in the cave outside, there was a thick layer of dust on the floor indicating that whoever had lived here, had been gone a long time.

Cari turned and called out to the others. “Come on in. There’s plenty of room for all of us in here and, if we close the door, we should have some measure of safety.”

The others came into the small room and settled down to get the rest of their camp together. After a meal, including the last of their venison, everyone unrolled their blankets and made themselves a place to sleep.

Cari detailed guard duty for the night after dinner, dividing up the time between herself, Helen, and Francesca. Percy objected, saying he deserved a chance at guard duty as well, but Cari overruled him. She knew he wanted to earn his keep, but she figured it was best to have the more experienced adults be on guard.

Cari was glad she’d opted to be cautious and sought out a defensible position. The night’s visitors from the caverns arrived in the middle of Francesca’s shift on guard. She had been the second to take over guard duty in the middle portion of the night after Cari. Helen was scheduled to wake up early and relieve her.

Cari woke when Francesca gently shook her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “I hear noises outside.”

Cari sat up. Peering around the room in the gloom. They left the lamp lit but shuttered it to keep it as dim as possible so less light would escape the confines of the small hut. Her eyes adjusted well to the darkness, though, and she was able to make out everyone else in the room as Francesca moved around to wake the others.

Moving to the door, Cari pressed her ear against it listening carefully. At first, she didn’t hear anything. Then, she heard what Francesca must have heard. It was a sort of shuffling sound followed by the clicks of something against the stone floor of the cavern. It was almost as if someone were tapping a cane or a staff on the stone, sort of like a blind person would.

“I hear it too, Francesca. There’s definitely something out there,” Cari whispered. “Part of me thinks we should see if it passes on by, rather than checking to see what it is. On the other hand, I don’t think we want something breaking in the door to get in here with us. It would be no fun having a fight in these close confines. Any ideas?”

“I am with you, on that one, Cari.” Helen pointed to the door. “If there’s something out there, we should probably have a look and see what it is. It might be some harmless underground animal going about his business. If that’s the case, we can all go back to sleep.”

Cari was skeptical about the harmless animal idea, but she agreed with Helen. They needed to find out what was out there and now was as good a time as any. Cari checked to make sure her pistols were loaded and settled her sword baldric over her shoulder. Everyone else had armed themselves as well.

“All right I’ll open the door and go out first. The rest of you follow me. Percy, you stay in the doorway with the lantern and guard Jaycee.”

“I want to come with you. I want to see what it is too,” Jaycee said. The little girl had drawn her belt knife and held it in front of her ready to come join the adventure.

Cari shook her head. “Jaycee, this is all about getting you back to the capital. If there is something out there that we can show you, and it’s safe to come outside, I’ll return and get you so you can see it for yourself, all right?”

Jaycee’s lower lip thrust out in a pout and she shoved her belt knife back into its sheath and crossed her arms. Cari decided that would have to be good enough. The little girl was unlikely to be happy no matter what she said. She didn’t have to be pleased with the idea of staying in here with Percy to guard her, she just had to obey Cari.

Gripping the latch to the door with one hand Cari prepared to lift it and swing the door open. “Everyone ready?”

The others all nodded, and Percy lifted up the lantern ready to open the shutters and throw light on whatever was outside. Cari nodded and thrust open the door, running out to stand to the left of the doorway and make room for Francesca and Helen to come behind her.

As soon as Percy reached the entrance behind the others, the lantern spread a glow of light out about 20 yards into the cavern.

Cari spotted the source of the sound instantly. She was also immediately sorry she’d decided to come out.

A quartet of enormous spiders spun around in place and froze for a few seconds, startled by the sudden light appearing in their midst. That didn’t last long, though.

With a screech like fingernails on a chalkboard, the four spiders leaped forward as one. Each was easily as big as a horse and they were going to be tough to take down.

Cari drew her sword in her left hand while she pulled out one of the pistols. Francesca and Helen both did the same.

All three weapons fired at the same instant.

Cari aimed at the center of the compound eyes stretched across the face of the horrible spider coming right at her. The pistol ball impacted and broke off a large chunk of the spider’s shell before ricocheting off into the darkness. The spider slowed for a few seconds, shaking off the blow, then continued on.

Helen and Francesca had both aimed at the same spider, and they had more luck. At least one of their pistol balls found something vital and the spider flipped over onto its back with its legs scrabbling at the air. It was clearly dying.

The other two spiders drove in at them however and soon all three of them were in a desperate fight for their lives.

Cari knew she had to finish off her spider as quickly as possible and help the others. That was easier said than done, though. Her sword kept bouncing off the spider’s armor. The thin rapier blade just wasn’t heavy enough to pierce the spider’s shell.

Dropping the first pistol to the ground, Cari drew the second. She pulled back the hammer with her other hand and fired it point blank at the spider as she danced around outside its reach.

The lead pistol ball once again missed any gaps in the armored carapace and ricocheted off into the darkness.

Cari drew her dagger. She realized she was going to have to get in close to do what she had to do. The broad, thick dagger blade had much more punch to it than her sword did. If any of her weapons stood a chance of breaking through the armor now, her dagger did.

The spider drove forward at her, swiping at her with both its front legs.

Cari dodged to one side, rolling to the ground and back to her feet as the spider stabbed out with one of its front legs. There were wicked talons at the end of each of the appendages and she didn’t want to think about what would happen if one of them got ahold of her.

Cari jumped back to her feet from her diving roll and dodged in to stab downward at the rear of the spider’s abdomen with her dagger. She’d come up standing between two of the four legs on that side and was out of reach of the talons this close into the beast.

She realized she only had a second or two before she had to dive back out of the way again. It wouldn’t take long for the spider to spin and try to bring its venom-dripping fangs to bear at her.

Cari’s dagger blade skittered along the top of the spider’s tough carapace, but then the blade’s tip reached the joint where one of the legs entered the body. At the crease in the joint the dagger dug in and Cari leaned forward with all her weight pressed against her weapon. She shoved in and down for all she was worth.

The dagger sank in up to the hilt and the long, segmented leg beyond the joint stopped moving. She’d severed something vital and the spider knew it. It screeched and spun around to try and reach the source of its pain.

Cari yanked the dagger free and dove backward just as the spider’s fangs came around at her. She almost made it free but one of the fangs scraped a grazing blow on her lower leg just above the top of her boots. Despite being a minor wound, pain flared in her lower leg. A new message appeared before her eyes.

Health damage — health -6

Saving throw versus poison successful

She was right about the fangs; these things were definitely poisonous. They were all going to have to be careful. She didn’t know if any of them had a way to stop or cure poison.

Cari called out to the others. “Be careful, those things are poisonous. Don’t let them get a hold of you.”

As she yelled her warning, the spider forced her to back up as it charged at her. She circled around with her back to the cavern wall so that she could remain inside the dim circle of light. She didn’t want to fight this thing in the dark where it would be in its usual element.

The spider continued to charge in at her and Cari realized it was going to pin her between itself and the cavern wall. Looking to either side, she realized she’d backed into a curved notch in the cavern wall. There was rock to either side of her. She wouldn’t have anywhere to escape if she didn’t think of something.

Taking the only option open to her, Cari ran forward directly at the spider. She bounded upward at the last instant lifting her feet up under her to clear the spider’s attack.

The snapping jaws of the spider’s venomous fangs closed in the air where she had been standing a moment before.

Letting her leap carry her forward, she bounded off the top of the spider’s head with her boot, then ran across the spider’s back and jumped to the ground behind it.

Before the arachnid could spin around, Cari stabbed downward with her dagger. Once again, she tried to find a weak spot in the armored shell.

The spider lurched away from her as the dagger sank into the creature, finding a crevice in the shell with the heavy-duty blade. Cari once again pressed forward with all of her weight, driving the dagger in as far as it would go.

This time the spider screeched again and tried to spin around to get at her. Its movement had slowed down by a noticeable amount after the attack. It was sorely injured now.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cari noticed that Francesca and Helen managed to finish off one of the remaining spiders. They now worked together, fighting the fourth and final spider to face them.

Cari stood her ground, as the spider turned and came at her. The one she faced was the largest of them all but she’d managed to slow it and injure it. She had to finish it off quickly now that it was wounded.

She waited until it charged right up at her and lunged forward with her dagger, stabbing deep into the spider’s gaping maw, jerking her arm to the side and letting go of her weapon just as the spider’s venomous jaws closed. The fangs missed her skin by a fraction of an inch.

The dagger, now sunk to its hilt in the creature’s face, had already done its lethal damage. It must’ve pierced all the way to the spider’s tiny brain because, within a few seconds, it dropped to the ground and went still.

10,500 experience awarded

Cari reached in and retrieved her dagger, then turned around to help her friends. Helen and Francesca had things well in hand, with their spiders. With a single thrust of her cutlass, Helen finished the final spider.

Cari called out to Percy. “Bring me the lantern.”

Percy ran over from the doorway to bring Cari the lantern.

Jaycee stepped up the look out the door and sucked in a gasp of what must’ve been a cross between excitement and fear. The little girl saw the spiders and covered her eyes with both hands, though Cari could see her peeking out from between her fingers.

Cari didn’t know why, but the image of the little girl peeking at the battle’s aftermath through the gaps between her fingers brought a smile to her face. Jaycee was a child, after all, and sometimes children did funny things. It helped to relax the tension of the desperate battle fought in the eerie, silent darkness of the cavern.

She took the lantern from Percy when he got to her side and walked a broad perimeter around the outside of the hut. Looking in the dust where the spiders had been. Cari looked and listened carefully but neither saw nor heard any signs there were any more of the creatures out there.

She returned to the others and handed the lantern back to Percy. “It looks like these were the only ones. I have to think there aren’t too many more like them around since these would’ve had quite a territory to cover to feed themselves down here.”

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get back to sleep at this point no matter what you say, Cari.” Helen shuddered as she cleaned the black goo of the spider’s guts off her cutlass blade.

“That’s all right, it’s your turn to be on guard anyway,” Francesca said. “I’m ready to get some sleep.”

“All right, let’s head back inside and close the door. We can try and settle in again to get whatever sleep we can. Helen, you take the rest of the watch. Wake us when you think it’s morning. We’ll have some breakfast and get back on the path.”

Everyone headed back into the hut, but it took all of them a while to settle down. The quiet conversations continued for nearly an hour about the fight and who might have lived down here with such creatures nearby. Soon, however, exhaustion from their flight into the mountains and down into these tunnels took over. Helen stood by the door, carving a design with her belt knife on a piece of spider shell she’d harvested. She remained awake and on guard for any further dangers while the others drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 12

The following morning came too fast. It was only a few hours after the fight with the spiders when Cari woke up and saw Helen tending the small camp stove in the center of the hut. She was heating up some tea.

“I’ll have some of that.”

Helen smiled, poured her some tea into a tin cup, and handed it to Cari.

Cari sipped at the plain black tea, wishing for some cream or even honey to sweeten it. When they were on the road like this, it was hard to find things like that. She’s gotten used to having it when on board a ship.

“Hopefully we don’t run into any more spiders,” Percy said sitting up from his bedroll and stretching his arms. “Those things looked nasty.”

“They were nasty,” Cari said. “We’re just lucky no one got poisoned.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure what I would’ve done if someone had,” Helen said. She had been the healer for Cari and her crew before she became the first mate. Helen knew what she was talking about. It forced Cari to remember to be cautious with getting into any fights down here in these tunnels. They wouldn’t be able to stop in the next town and try to purchase some healing potions while they were down here.

Francesca came in from outside. She must’ve been tending to some personal needs.

“Did you find someplace we can use as a latrine?” Cari asked the woman as she set the lantern she carried down by the door.

“There’s a fissure, in the ground about ten yards to the right after you leave the door. There didn’t seem to be anything down there when I looked into it.” Francesca chuckled as she continued. “Certainly nothing complained when I went to the bathroom in it.”

“Good,” Cari said. “We can all take a turn using it. Let’s finish our breakfast and get moving again. I’d like to get away from those dead spider carcasses. They’re likely to draw scavengers and I’m not sure I want to find out what kind of creature scavenges in a place like this.”

“I second that,” Helen said.

The group gathered their gear after having a brief breakfast of the remaining cheese and some of the jerky. They’d finished off the venison they brought with them the night before. They were down to the trail rations they managed to gather together from the ship before they left.

“We’ll continue moving along the side of the cavern, keeping the wall to our right. My hope is to find an exit roughly opposite where we entered. That should take us on a continued path towards the other side of the mountains.”

“How can you even get a handle on which direction you’re going?” Helen asked. “I have no idea where we are down here.”

“I’m not sure where I’m going either,” Cari said. “I’m just trying to trust the process.”

Helen frowned at that but left it alone.

Once they all shouldered their packs again, they left the tiny hut in the small village behind them. They continued their path walking around the outskirts of the cavern to the right. As they went farther and farther, they encountered more and more buildings until Cari realized they were entering what amounted to an underground city.

The buildings were now much larger than the single-story hut in which they’d stayed the night. Most had two or three stories now. After traveling forward, Cari found herself walking down what amounted to a main thoroughfare with buildings and homes freestanding on the left of her in the open cavern and others stacking up like stairs leading up to the ceiling on the right, all built right into the wall of the cavern. It must’ve been magnificent living down here when this city was inhabited.

Cari reminded herself that something had driven the residents away from here at some point. Perhaps it was just the fact that the trade route through the mountain died out as other routes were discovered. She hoped that was all it was.

They continued moving along until Cari felt her stomach rumble. She decided it was time for them to stop and take a break for lunch. She looked for a good place to rest and spotted a sort of open courtyard in the street ahead with what might have been an old fountain in the center of it.

As the others took off their packs and sat down to take a break, Helen walked over to the fountain. It was a square stone pedestal that stood about four feet high in the center of a broad stone basin about ten feet across. She grabbed a stone lever sticking out of the side of the pedestal.

“I wonder?” Helen said as she lifted the handle and pumped it up and down a few times. She smiled when crystal clear water flowed out of the pedestal to splash into the basin below. “Looks like we found a source of freshwater boss.”

“Great,” Cari said. “Everybody, make sure you refill your canteens.”

The party ate their lunch, listening to the silence around them in the cavern. The only noise they heard was the occasional drip of water in the distance and sometimes the sound of a chirp that might have been an insect or another cavern denizen. How far away and how big it might be, Cari wasn’t sure.

Getting packed up again, they continued on around the cavern’s perimeter until they reached what must have been the center of the city. A broad avenue, lined with tall buildings stretched out to their left into the darkness of the cavern’s center. To the right, the street ended in a flight of magnificent stairs leading upward to what must be the central palace or perhaps a government building for this underground community.

Cari pointed up the stairs. “I wonder what’s up there? It might lead to an exit or somewhere we can spend the night again. It might be a good idea to check.”

“I’m game, Captain,” Francesca said. “It might be interesting to find out more about the people who lived down here once upon a time.”

“Helen?” Cari asked.

“We’ll need to camp again, soon. This is as good a place as any to find a safe place for the night.”

“Good, it’s settled then. Let’s check out what’s up these stairs.”

The group started climbing up the broad staircase. There were several landings or ledges in the cavern wall along the way the top. At each of the ledges, there was a small plaza of sorts with doors opening to the left and right into buildings along each side of the staircase.

The stairway continued upward, though it narrowed as it went higher towards the top. This led to Cari to think that perhaps whoever was in charge of this city either lived or governed from that point in the tavern. When the city was inhabited and lit up below, it must have been a spectacular sight from this vantage point.

They continued upward, pausing at each landing to look around for a moment before continuing on. At one point, Helen glanced inside one of the doorways off to the side of the landing plaza and smiled as she took the spare lantern and went inside for a moment.

“Helen, what do you think you’re doing?” Cari asked. “We need to stick together.” A few seconds later Helen emerged holding a cask of some sort. It was small, made of wood bound with iron hoops.

“I think this is lamp oil. I thought I smelled some as I passed the doorway. A few of the casks had been broached and spilled on the floor, probably as the iron hoops rusted. This one was still intact. We can refill our lamp supply from it.”

“That is good news. Good work, Helen.” Cari said. She and the others joined Helen at the edge of the stairway and refilled the flasks they’d been using to carry lamp oil from the ship. With a replenished supply, they should be good for several more days.

Once the cask was emptied of the lamp oil it contained, Cari and the others continued upward, climbing to the top and final landing that looked out over the city below. Turning about, Cari saw two large metal-bound doors set in the wall of the cavern itself. Cari started towards them. “Shall we see if we can open these doors?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, ma’am,” Francesca said. “Perhaps there is something sacred or special kept in there. It certainly sits in a place of honor for the city.”

“We’ll just have a look around. We won’t touch or desecrate anything.”

Cari pressed against one of the doors. It moved a fraction of an inch, then stopped. She put her shoulder against it and leaned into it while she pushed with her legs. With a grinding screech, the door slid open about twelve more inches.

“Helen, Francesca, come here and help me push. Let’s see if we can open this a little bit more.”

The three women pushed together against the massive door and it moved again, but only about another twelve inches or so. Beyond that, they could make no more progress. “I guess that’s far enough. We can squeeze through in single file.”

Cari took the lantern from Percy and held it in front of her as she slid sideways through the narrow opening between the double doors. The glittering walls all around her drew her eyes as the light of her lantern reflected off the facets of a thousand individual gems covering the walls. The worked stone around her was covered in elaborate stone carvings and inscriptions. Each of the inscriptions and scenes carved into the rock was accented with semi-precious gemstones and clear reflective crystals of various sizes. They all bounced the light from her lantern back at her.

Without realizing she spoke aloud, Cari said, “It’s like the inside of a room-sized disco ball.”

“What’s a disco?” Percy asked as he entered the room and stood next to Cari.

“It’s a sort of—” Cari stopped, realizing she never be able to explain a disco or a disco ball to her friends. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she understood its origins either.

“It’s something that reflects the light and creates pretty patterns along the walls. It’s something sort of like this but in reverse. In here, the walls reflect the pretty pattern back to the center instead.”

The rest of the party entered and the five of them walked farther into the large chamber. Cari felt a tug on her belt and looked down to see Jaycee standing next to her. She had the fingers of one hand hooked over Cari’s sword belt.

The young princess stared around them wide-eyed.

“Pretty nifty, huh?” Cari said. “I’m glad we made the climb up here. We would have missed seeing this spectacular room.”

“I wonder what it’s for?” The little girl asked. “There must’ve been a reason to create something so beautiful.”

Cari pointed to the far side of the rectangular room. Several doors led off to either side but the central feature in the distance was a carved stone throne. “My guess is the ruler of this place used to sit there and hold court. When this place was lit up by torches or lanterns, it must have lent a mystical and regal air to the proceedings.”

“We’ve seen what we came up here to see, Cari,” Helen said. “Maybe it’s time for us to head back down and find someplace to stay in a room down the stairs a bit?”

“We have some more time to look around. This might be a good place for us to break for the night and rest up too instead of going back down. It will be difficult for any large groups to sneak up on us if we close the doors and block them with something.”

“It would be nice to explore a little bit more,” Percy said. “Imagine what kind of treasures there must be hidden here.”

“We’ll worry about that after we set up a place to sleep,” Cari said. “Let’s go down to the far end of the room near where the throne is and look around.”

The five of them continued through the room, their lantern light creating sparkling patterns everywhere along the walls and floors as they walked along. The stone throne appeared to be carved from a single, massive block of quartz crystal. It was almost completely clear, though it was cloudy in places. Cari wondered who might have been the last person to sit upon it.

Without thinking, and before she really knew what she was doing, Cari walked up to the throne, turned around to face the others, and sat down.

There was a sudden flash of light. Everything and everyone froze in place around her.

Quest accepted — discover the final ruler of the city in the cavern

Chapter 13

Cari sat frozen in place on the throne, unable to move any more than her friends were. They gathered around her, looking her way in front of the throne. Each of them stood still as if caught outside of time in a snapshot or a photograph.

Nothing was moving at all in the glittering throne room.

A few seconds later, Cari realized that wasn’t true as she realized shadowy movements started drifting back and forth inside the glittering chamber.

At first, she only caught them out of the corner of her eye. Then, as she concentrated, Cari managed to see hazy humanoid shapes in the shadows moving all around the room. As she watched the scene unfold around her, the shadows became more defined and eventually, she could make out individuals going about their business as if she were seeing a recorded video holograph of an event occurring at a time in the room’s past.

While Cari could not move physically, she was able to rotate her visual perception and look around her at the shadows and see what they were doing. There was some sort of ceremony happening. The figures brought objects to set before and around the throne on which she sat. Each of the shadowy figures would approach, bow, kneel, and then place the object they carried on the floor before backing away. It took a moment for Cari to understand she saw things through the eyes of whoever it was sitting on the throne during this ceremony.

She sat and watched the ceremony for some time, unsure exactly how long. Once the presentations ended, a gruff male voice sounded inside her head.

“Who are you?”

At first, Cari didn’t answer, thinking they were talking to someone else, everything had been silent so far, but perhaps she was able to hear the events in the past now, too. Maybe someone addressed one of the shadows approaching the throne. The deep, booming voice sounded again, this time with more sternness. She recognized the tone the speaker used. It was one used for issuing commands.

“Who. Are. You?”

Was the strange voice talking to her?

Cari wasn’t sure how to answer, so she did what she usually did when someone demanded something she didn’t want to give. She asked a question in return. “Who are you?”

There was a pause then. After a few seconds, the voice answered her. “I am Roland, the King Under The Mountain. I once ruled this land beneath the others above. My people dwelt here for countless centuries before they embarked on the final exodus.”

“My name is Cari Dix. I’m traveling through your realm under the mountain, trying to reach the eastern side of these tunnels. There is no one here anymore, though. This city has been deserted for a long time. Where did everyone go?”

“It has been many centuries since anyone dwelled in this place. I was the last of the rulers here before the exodus took everyone away. I could not leave the realm I had sworn to watch over and protect, so I chose to stay behind. I remain here on my throne to guard over our city in hopes the others would eventually return. Alas, they have not.”

Cari sensed great sadness in the voice, sadness and loneliness. The king’s despair weighed on her as she experienced a part of it through their strange connection. “Where did they go? Why did they leave their homeland?” Cari asked.

“Another leader, one of the temple keepers, declared a prophecy. He said a great blight would but fall on us if we remained. At first, no one believed him. Then some of our citizens began to become ill. A few even died. Despite my efforts to tell them it was a lie, and something else was going on, the people began to believe what the keeper told them of his prophecy. I tried to convince them they were wrong, that they should stay, but eventually, the keeper convinced almost all of the people to follow him on a journey into the deepest tunnels beneath the city.”

“So, they left you alone without anyone else?”

“Only a few of those most loyal to me remained. For a while, we kept up appearances, but with no one here to tend the mushroom farms or the livestock, eventually, the food ran out. We waited here for a long time, but they did not return.”

“You said they traveled into the deep tunnels? What were they seeking down there?”

“We had discovered a long time before, a tunnel below all the others leading off to the south. Our explorers followed it, seeking to find its end. They continued until they realized it passed beneath the great Southern Sea in the world above. The ones who survived the rigorous journey to return said only that it continued to the south for a great distance. The temple keeper believed our only salvation lay down that southern path, the one that went beneath the ocean. That is where my people went, despite the dangers of such a journey.”

Cari listened as she watched the shadows go about their work, the ceremony repeating itself as she observed the figures leaving their offerings. She began to notice things she didn’t pick up on before. The people she saw looked different than she might’ve expected, shorter in stature and squat in their bearing. Some of the shadows wore beards over their long robes, the hair reaching to the floor. Others wore armor and ancient broadswords or axes.

As they came forward to leave their offerings before the king once again, a question occurred to Cari. “King Roland, who were your people? They weren’t humans or elves, were they?”

“My people were the dwarves of Fantasma. Long had we lived in this land beneath the mountains. Long had we traded with men, and elves, trolls and goblins, and many others who lived on the land above us. In the end, with no one here to trade with anymore, everyone stopped coming. I fear they have forgotten us completely. You are the first visitors here in a very long time.”

Cari thought about what King Roland said. She had never heard anyone mention dwarves in her travels through Fantasma. She’d heard of elves, goblins, and trolls. She’d heard of creatures related to goblins called grendlings to the north, but she had never heard anyone mention dwarves at all. “I think you are right King Roland, though it saddens me to say it. I came from above the mountains. Until I talked with you, no one had ever mentioned the existence of your people that I’d heard of.”

“It is as I feared. My people have disappeared from memory. No one remains to seek out what happened to us and where we disappeared to.”

Cari pondered what king Roland said. It was truly a tragedy. It was, however, not something she could do anything about at this time. “King Roland, I lament what happened to you and your people. Were I to be able to get free of this place, perhaps I could take word of what happened to your people from here. I could tell others about what you told me and who your people were. It would not bring them back, but it could offer a memory that would provide some service to everything you built here.”

“You would do that, girl? Even knowing there was a memory of my people up above would please my soul, trapped as it is here inside this throne of quartz.”

A thought occurred to Cari. “There may be a memory of your people up above, even though they do not understand from whence it came. The throne upon which the emperors and empresses of the realm sit is called the Crystal Throne. I wonder if it may be a throne crafted by your people and traded to the men above.” Cari wasn’t sure if that was true, but it made a sort of sense. Her father had told her that legends and myths often had their roots in distantly remembered facts and history.

Cari felt the presence in her head change in its mood. It seemed to become lighter, almost relaxed. After a long pause, the voice continued. “Cari Dix, I would like it if you took with you the memory of my people. Tell the ones living on the lands above about the dwarves. If you would do this, perhaps there’s something you would ask from me in return?”

“My friends and I seek an exit from your city leading us back to the surface, one that exits to the east and not the west side of these mountains. Can you help me find that way out?”

“The way is not long but does twist and turn through many tunnels east of here. You would soon become lost without a guide. Perhaps, though, I could pass along to you something even the youngest of my people possessed. We have the ability to sense our place with reference to the earth itself. That is how we travel through our underground tunnels without getting lost. With it, you would be able to travel anywhere, above or below the surface, as long as you knew from whence you came. I have never tried to bestow this upon one not of my race before. It might not work, and I do not know what effect it might have upon you. Still, I offer it to you freely, if you would have it.”

Cari considered what King Roland said. If it helped her and her friends get out of these caverns in one piece, it was worth some risk to find a way out. “I understand and accept the risks that might be involved. I believe there is only one way to go forward for us and that lies to the east. We cannot afford the time it would take getting lost down here.”

“Very well Cari Dix. Remain still for a moment while I delve your mind. I would see if there is a way I might impart this knowledge to you.”

Cari didn’t know what to say. She had no choice but to sit still. She remained frozen in stasis as she had been throughout this conversation. She felt a tickling touch at the back of her mind as if a feather were brushing against the side of her ear or at the back of her neck. She wanted to brush it away to scratch at the itch, but she could not.

“Remarkable. Your mind is unlike any I have ever seen before. You possess the ability to expand what you can do almost as if you are a blank slate upon which new things, new abilities, new skills may be written. It may indeed be possible to give you what you seek. “

“Please, then, King Roland. Please give me what we need. I must take the girl in my charge to her destiny. We must be able to exit these caverns to the east as quickly as possible.”

“Very well, child, it will be as you ask. Remember your promise to me. Tell the people above of my lost tribe. Tell them of the missing dwarves under the mountain.”

As the voice faded away, so did the shadowy figures moving about the room. Once they had disappeared completely, Cari’s friends began to move again. It was as if no time had passed at all. Cari sat staring straight ahead for almost a minute before Helen broke through her reverie.

Quest completed — discover the final ruler of the city in the cavern

18,000 experience awarded

“Thinking about becoming a queen, yourself?” Helen asked.

Cari pulled her eyes away from where she been staring back out the entrance to the throne room. “What? Oh, I’m sorry. I was thinking about who must’ve lived here and something strange happened.”

“Strange like how?” Helen asked.

“It was like I had a sort of conversation with someone who used to live here. Have you ever heard of dwarves living under the mountains?”

Helen scratched her head. “I’ve heard that word before, but it’s always been associated with old tales of imaginary beings who lived in the underground caves and secret places. Are you saying this is the city of the dwarves?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I think the people that used to live here were called dwarves. For some reason, they left here long ago, abandoning their city, leaving it to become the ghost-town it is today.”

“Are there ghosts here now?” Jaycee asked, stepping up next to Cari on the throne. “I’m afraid of ghosts, Cari.”

Cari smiled at Jaycee and reached out to grasp her hand. “If there are ghosts here, they are friendly ones. They only want us to remember they existed here once upon a time. Perhaps someday, when you are Empress, you can send scholars here to study this place and learn about the people who lived here. I think that would make the spirits who are still here happy and able to finally rest in peace.”

“It must be awful to be forgotten? I know how that feels. I was forgotten once, then you found me, Cari. No one knew who I was anymore. Even I almost forgot who I was.”

“Sometimes, Jaycee, I think we all feel that way.” Cari stood from where she sat on the throne. As she stood she realized something had changed in her visual field. There was a new sort of overlay in front of her. As she stared, it was almost as if there was a map laid out in front of her.

New skill acquired — Earth Sense

“Everyone should settle down and get some rest,” Cari said as she looked at the map she could now see of the cavern and tunnels around it. We’ll have dinner and get some sleep. I think we’re safe here in this place. The ones who used to live here will watch over us for a time so we may rest. I know how to get out of here now.”

Helen stared at Cari for a few seconds seeming as if she were about to say something then she turned and went back to getting the camp stove set up and preparing to make everyone some more jerky soup.

Cari was glad she made her friends climb up here. She was glad she learned something about the people that used to call this place home. Someday, maybe she could help someone discover what became of them. They deserved that much for helping her and her friends complete their quest. She now knew the way out of the mountains and on to the Crystal City.

Chapter 14

When the party woke the next morning, Cari noticed an extra bounce in everyone’s step. She felt it too. Despite being underground and in a strange place, their rest had been the most peaceful in days and each of them awoke with a feeling of hope they hadn’t had the night before. Just being on this underground path for two days had darkened her soul in a way she hadn’t recognized until that darkness was removed. Cari glanced towards the Dwarven throne smiling and nodded a thank you for the blessing from the long-forgotten king.

Turning back to the task at hand, Cari helped the others pack up their camp. As each of them shouldered their packs and prepared to get on the move again, they looked at Cari waiting for her to tell them which way to go.

Before this point, Cari had just been taking them in what seemed like a random direction, trying to follow a path that seemed to make sense to her limited understanding. She’d made choices based upon a guess rather than the sure knowledge of which way she went.

Now, though, there was no guessing involved. She knew which way they had to go using her Earth Sense ability. She knew the others trusted she would get them out from under the mountain.

“Let’s head back down the steps to the main avenue below. We will top off our water at the next fountain we find. There are several along our route east.”

“How do you know that?” Francesca asked.

“I just know. I don’t know exactly how to explain it to you. I guess the best explanation is the people who lived here shared a piece of their knowledge with me while I slept. I know how to get out of here and the path won’t take us that long. We only have another day’s travel, maybe two, and we will exit the far side of these mountains.”

Francesca stared at her with her one good eye. Cari knew she was dubious of what Cari just said. Heck, she would have been, too, if someone claimed ghosts had told them how to escape this place. She’d just have to show them so they’d believe.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and stood on the floor of the cavern once again, Cari looked at her map overlay and turned right, leading them down a side street. She followed the course laid out before her that only she could see.

About an hour later they came upon another of the fountains in a small open square off the cross street on which they traveled. Helen operated the pump bringing crystal clear, mountain spring water up from the depths. They all drank up and refilled their canteens.

“See, I told you,” Cari pointed out. “I know the way out.”

“We never doubted you, Captain,” Helen said. “Did we, Francesca?”

“Not me,” the other woman said, turning away, embarrassed at her earlier doubt.

Cari didn’t blame either of them for questioning her announcement that she knew how to get out of here. Finding the spring and the fountain helped prove to them she knew what she was talking about. That was all that mattered.

They rested for ten minutes and then got back on the road. The buildings around them grew progressively smaller again as they left the center of the empty city until they reached the outskirts on the other side from where they started.

Just past the last hut along the cavern wall, a broad tunnel opened to the east. This was the way out. Cari pulled out the chalk and once again marked their position and direction on the cavern and passageway walls.

She wasn’t sure if anyone would become separated from the group, but at least this way they would have a chance of finding their way out if they did. It might also serve to help others who came back in the future to find this wondrous city and discover its mysteries for themselves.

King Roland was correct. The eastern tunnel was much less direct than the western tunnel leading into the city. There were many side passages and, on several occasions, turns that could have led them in a direction she might’ve thought was wrong based only on guesses. Now she knew which were correct. She could see the map right there in front of her.

They rested several times along the way before stopping for the night in what Cari knew used to be a storeroom off the main trail. It was down a short side passage, but she led them to it as if she been there before.

“Cari, you’ve done a lot of strange things in the past and I’ve never questioned how you managed it. Even knowing all you’ve done, this ability to know where things are in a place you’ve never been before is kind of strange. Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?” Helen asked.

“Helen, I promise you, we’ll be squinting up at the setting sun this time tomorrow. Like I said, the friendly spirits in that throne room shared their knowledge with me.”

“You talked to a ghost?” Jaycee asked.

“Yes, and he knows we’re on a great quest to return you to the capital. He showed me the way out of here, sharing his own memories with me in a way that would help me find our way. I think maybe he knew you were a fellow royal person and deserved his assistance to return to your capital.”

“That’s nice. What was the king’s name?”

“Roland, his name was King Roland.”

“I shall remember King Roland when I’m Empress someday. It is important for me to remember all those who helped me when I needed it most, even those who are no longer here.”

Cari wondered if Jaycee referred to her parents and her grandfather the former crown prince. They all died in the raider attack that captured her and sunk their ship. The little girl has been through so much. Cari wanted to make sure to protect her from things that might hurt her in the future. She didn’t deserve any more pain in her life.

That thought reminded Cari of something she had yet to tell the young princess. She hadn’t told Jaycee about the death of her great-grandmother. At that moment, Cari realized she couldn’t take the pain away from a person’s life, only help them get through it.

Over the last few days, Cari had wondered about the best time to tell Jaycee about her great-grandmother’s passing. She thought she’d know when it came. Now Cari wondered if she was really protecting herself from the pain of having to tell the little girl, rather than protecting the little girl from the pain of knowing. That thought made up her mind.

Once the party had settled their things in the storeroom, Helen and Francesca helped Percy set up the camp stove. Cari knew this was the best opportunity she’d have.

She took Jaycee by the hand and grabbed their spare lantern. “Let’s go for a little walk, Jaycee. I have something to tell you and I think we should be alone when I tell you what I have to say.”

Helen looked up, concern and worry creasing the lines in her forehead. She must’ve realized what Cari planned to do. Her eyes met Cari’s and she nodded. That meant Helen agreed. It helped ease Cari’s doubts. They had to tell Jaycee about the Empress and this was the time.

Cari and Jaycee walked back towards the main intersection. There were benches carved in the walls around the circular plaza where three passages crossed each other. Cari knew from markings on the map, this had once been a place where caravans would stop and rest before continuing on the journey towards the dwarven city inside the mountain.

Cari set the lantern down and helped Jaycee up onto the bench before sitting down next to her. “There is something we found out after the battle as we ran up the mountain. It was something we discovered on one of the officers in command of the soldiers fighting against us.”

“What did you find out?”

Cari reached into her pouch and pulled out the announcement of the Empress’ death. She looked at it for a moment then at the little girl sitting next to her. “Jaycee, I don’t know how to say this, so I think I’m just going to say it quickly and then answer any questions you have afterward, all right?”

The little girl nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Jaycee, your great-grandmother was very old. Sometimes old people try to hold on and wait for those in their life to come back and visit them, but your great-grandmother could not wait any longer. I’m sorry, honey. She died about a month ago according to this paper.”

Cari reached out and grabbed hold of Jaycee’s hand giving it a gentle squeeze. Jaycee looked up at her, tears welling in her eyes. Cari wondered how much of her great-grandmother the little girl remembered. It had been over a year since the shipwreck. Jaycee couldn’t have been more than four or five years old the last time she saw the Empress.

“Was she sick?”

“I don’t know,” Cari said, shaking her head. “It says here she was 97 years old when she died. That is very old, even where I come from with modern medicine. I know she had a long life full of excitement and adventure, and I think she will be happy even after death knowing you are still alive. I think sometimes that is all we can hope for.”

The two of them sat in the pool of yellow light cast by the lantern. Only a few tears streamed down Jaycee’s cheeks. But she wiped them away as soon as they appeared.

“Does this mean I am the Empress now?”

“Yes, I guess it does. “

“Then I want to do something as Empress. Something important and official.”

Cari looked at the little girl and raised an eyebrow in question. Jaycee squeezed Cari’s hand and nodded. “Cari Dix, kneel before your Empress.”

The little girl’s voice sounded strangely official and old for her age all of a sudden. It was as if she suddenly spoke for all those who’d gone before her, including her great-grandmother. Cari paused for a few seconds, then dropped to one knee in front of the little girl seated on the bench here in this underground cave. Jaycee drew her belt knife and held it before her. “Bow your head, Princess Cari Dix. “

Cari did as she was asked, bowing her head until she stared at the floor of the cave. She felt the light tap of Jaycee’s knife blade on each of her shoulders and then felt the weight as the flat of the blade rested against the top of her head. “Princess Cari Dix, your father served as a protector of the realm and champion of the former Empress. Since he is not here and you are, I choose you as my protector and champion. I bestow upon you all the rights and responsibilities belonging to that role. Do you accept this task?”

Cari nodded as she stared at the floor. “Yes, my Empress, I accept.”

New status achieved — Champion of the Empire

25,000 experience awarded

Cari looked up when she heard the rasp of metal as Jaycee slid her dagger back into its sheath. “Now, Cari, it’s official.”

Jaycee had a huge grin on her face when Cari looked up at her. Before she could react, the little girl threw herself from the bench into Cari’s arms, wrapping her in a huge hug. “Now nothing can go wrong. I have an official protector just like my great-grandmother did.”

“Yes, you do. Shall we head back and see what they’ve cooked up for dinner?”

Jaycee nodded and the two of them held hands as they returned to the storeroom.

When they returned to the other three companions, Helen looked up from where she was stirring something in their pot over the small portable stove. “Everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine. We have a remarkable young lady here in young Jaycee. I think she’s going to make a wonderful Empress.”

Cari went over and sat down with her back against the wall, facing the doorway. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving. I don’t care if it’s jerky soup or not. I just want something to eat.”

Percy had a huge grin on his face and nodded in agreement. He was already standing next to Helen with his tin cup in hand ready to receive his portion of dinner. Percy had apparently reached that age boys reached where they seem to grow right before your eyes.

Where once she had seen a young cabin boy, now stood a young man on the edge of becoming a teenager. His shoulders had begun to broaden and the muscles in his arms had become more defined. Cari remembered how he proved himself back in the forest protecting Jaycee. She was glad to have him along as one of their companions.

Helen served up the meal she had concocted with a sort of flatbread griddlecake and jerky stew. What should have been meager camp rations tasted like a feast to Cari. Being down here in these tunnels and being chased through the mountains above had given her a new perspective on what good food was. In the case of what she was eating now, good food was any food you could get.

“I think we can wedge that door closed in such a way that it will be tough to open it. That should allow us to sleep more soundly again tonight. Everybody get comfortable. We’ll be leaving the mountains sometime tomorrow. Then the quest really begins. There are people out there who are not going to want us to reach the capital with the new Empress. We’re going to have to be on our very best guard.” Cari looked around the room, meeting each person’s eyes. Every one of them nodded. They understood the stakes.

Cari settled back and finished her meal, sopping up the last bits of liquid with the griddle cake before eating it to end her supper. “I’ll take first watch, then Helen, then Francesca.”

Cari watched as each of her companions laid out their bedroll and settled down for the night. After they all got situated and ready for sleep, she turned the lamps down low to darken the room.

While they drifted off to sleep, Cari brought up her Earth Sense ability, going over the map once more. She found if she concentrated on a portion of the journey laid out before her, she could sort of zoom in to pick up more detail. Cari focused on the exit from the mountain, trying to determine what lay beyond the exit from the tunnels. It looked like they emerged on a broad plain extending eastward. Her Earth Sense didn’t give her any more information than that. Given what she knew of imperial maps, it had to be somewhere along the eastern caravan route.

That put them well along the road to the city of Hyroth. Hopefully, by the time they reached it, she’ll have figured out a way to contact her other friends so she could meet them and plan out how to get this little girl on the throne before Prince Timron got there.

Cari’s mind continued to ponder the problem throughout her stand at watch. And even after she woke Helen and got into her own bedroll, she found worries about her other friends and even about her parents intruding into her dreams.

Chapter 15

Hal ducked back into the shadows as the Duke of Charon’s curfew patrol walked past the alley in which he hid. He waited until they passed by and continued on their way down the street before backing up a few steps and turning to run back down the alley to where Mona and Stefan hid.

As soon as he arrived back at their hiding place, Mona spoke up. “Why are there so many patrols? You said there weren’t that many out and about when you went on your scouting runs.”

“There weren’t. Something else is going on tonight. I wish I knew what it was.”

“It could be they are making their move on Tandon,” Stefan suggested. “I got a junior officer from one of the naval vessels to talk a little more than he should two nights ago. He told me their admiral had received word of a new mission. It might be they’re going to try and blockade Tandon to keep the Duke there from doing anything to stop the plans to put Timron on the throne.”

“We have to get past them,” Mona said. “We don’t have much time if we’re going to make it to the fishing fleet as they leave the harbor for the morning’s catch.”

“I hope they don’t keep them in the harbor,” Hal said. “If there is a major operation going on, it might cause them to tighten security down there like they have here in town.”

“We have to get out of the city, Hal. Cari is going to need our help.”

“I know, honey. Come on, let’s go down this branch in the alley and see if we can find a way to get closer to the harbor and the fishermen’s docks.”

Mona and Stefan fell in behind Hal as he led the way down the alley until they reached the next intersection. There were no patrols in sight so he led them across the street to the other side. They darted into another alley leading in the direction of the harbor.

He shared Mona’s concerns about increased security. He also shared her determination to get out of the city and on the road to helping their daughter.

The next alley continued for some distance before opening on to a market square. Hal stopped at the opening of the alley, listening carefully. He could hear the tromp of booted feet on the cobblestones. There was a patrol somewhere nearby. He couldn’t see where it was. The market stalls in the square blocked his view.

“You two stay here. There’s a patrol out there, somewhere. I can’t figure out which direction they’re going. Let me check on their location then I’ll be right back.”

Mona and Stefan nodded and he turned, sneaking out into the market square. Slipping from stall to stall in the market, Hal stayed in the shadows as much as possible. There was a little moonlight and the gas lamps in this part of town were few and far between. It gave him plenty of opportunities to keep out of sight.

The patrol had stopped on the other side of the square and the soldiers sat down on one of the picnic benches set up in front of a line of market stalls. They must serve food here during the daytime. The guards were taking their break and sat in a place where they could both rest and see the street in both directions. That was bad. This was the only way down to the fishermen’s docks. There was no way he, Mona, and Stefan were going to get past them without being seen.

Hal started to back up and sneak back the way he came when his boot knocked over an empty bucket in one of the stalls. As it clattered and rolled across the cobblestones, every single one of the guards resting on the picnic bench turned and looked in his direction.

“Jenkins, go over there and see what made that noise. There’s not supposed to be any townsfolk out and about in this area. Only the fishermen are allowed up and out this early.”

“Aw, Sarge, it’s probably just a stray cat chasing a mouse.”

“Yeah, well suppose it ain’t? We are supposed to be patrolling for people breaking curfew and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Now get over there and check out that noise or I’m going to put you on report again.”

Hal looked around looking for someplace else he could hide. There was no way he could move from the shadows in which he hid without stepping out into an area that was relatively well lit. The guards were all looking this way and would spot him immediately.

The biggest problem was Jenkins. He walked in Hal’s direction and Hal knew the guard was going to spot him as soon as he turned the corner around this market stall. Hal drew one of his daggers and prepared to fight. He had to make this fast and silent.

As soon as the unlucky soldier turned the corner, Hal jumped forward. He shoved his dagger up under the hapless guard’s chin and into his brain. The young man’s body stiffened and then let go of his musket. Hal reached out with his free hand, grabbing the gun before it fell to the ground. He hugged the patrolman’s body against his own before slowly lowering him to the ground. They were behind the market stall so no one could see them.

2,500 experience awarded

“Jenkins, what do you see?”

Hal checked the musket. It was loaded and primed for firing. He shook his head, reconsidering using it against the guards. Any gunshots at this time of night would draw every nearby patrol instantly. Hal laid the musket down on the cobblestones. There were only five other guards in the patrol. He could take them. After all, he’d done it before back in the old days.

Hal waited a few more seconds, sheathing his dagger, then charged around the corner directly at the seated guards at the picnic table. Hal’s hands whirled in a continuous motion, firing a stream of throwing knives from the sheaths strapped across his chest. The first four flew true, striking each of the closest guards. Two knives embedded deep into the backs of both men. They never saw it coming. They slumped off the bench to the ground, dead.

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

Three to go, Hal thought. He pointed his fingers at the sergeant and summoned the simplest, quickest magic spell he knew. Some of his magic still worked though it was not as reliable as it had been on his trips to Fantasma years before. The simpler spells seemed to work just fine, however, so he kept things simple.

Razor sharp shards of ice flew from Hal’s fingertips, impaling the sergeant from neck to groin in a continuous line. He grunted in surprise before falling dead to the ground.

3,500 experience awarded

The remaining two guards sat frozen, their eyes wide at the death and destruction unleashed on their comrades. Both stood, dropped their muskets, and ran for the street at the edge of the market square.

Hal couldn’t afford to let them get away. Chasing after them, he readied another spell. Suddenly, vines grew up between the cobblestones grasping at the legs of the running guards. One of them managed to slip free, but the other was tangled enough that he fell to the ground rolling over and kicking to try and free his legs. Hal ran past pausing only long enough to stab down once with his dagger, killing the guard with a thrust to the heart.

2,500 experience awarded

The final guard had almost made it to the street and might manage to escape. Damn, Hal wasn’t going to catch him in time. He had to try, though. That guard could bring every one of Charon’s goons down on the three of them and spoil their plan to escape the city.

Just as the guard started to turn the corner at the edge of the square, a crossbow bolt slammed into him followed immediately by a second. Both bolts were barely an inch apart, striking him squarely in the middle of the chest. The force of the blow threw the guard backward to the ground where he lay still. His eyes glazed over, staring up at the sky. Hal relaxed and slowed down. Mona stepped out from the shadows at the edge of the street followed by Stefan, his sword drawn.

“Nice shot, honey.”

“Retrieve those crossbow bolts. I don’t have that many to go around and we may need them again.”

Hal groaned but did as he was asked. It was a grizzly task, cutting those barbed crossbow bolts free of a body without damaging the shafts. He made quick work of the task, though, and handed the bloody darts back to his wife.

Mona finished re-cranking the clockwork mechanism on her repeating crossbow and reloaded the two crossbow bolts into the magazine before slinging the crossbow back over her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get moving. There’s bound to be another patrol along soon and they’ll find the bodies quickly. We don’t have time to hide them.”

Hal nodded. His wife was right. He took the lead and turned left, leading them down the street. They had almost reached the fisherman’s district of Morton Creek. They would be able to walk more openly there. The fishermen were allowed to be up early during the curfew time.

A few blocks later, they reached the area of the harbor known as the fishing docks. Hal turned to Stefan. “You’re up kid. Where’s the fisherman you found who agreed to transport us out of the city?”

“He’s just over here. His name is Buckingham.”

Stefan took the lead. Hal and Mona were right behind him as they walked down the narrow pier. Small fishing vessels were being readied for the morning catch on either side of them. Nets were being laid out, ready to cast overboard, and lines were strung with bait. Stefan stopped at one of the boats and called out. “Buckingham, are you here?”

“Who wants to know?” a voice from inside the small cabin said. The man belonging to the voice stepped out from the small structure in the center of the boat and scowled up at them “Oh, it’s you, boy. I suppose you’re ready for me to sneak you out of town?”

“Yes, sir. These are my companions. What would you like us to do?”

“You’ll have to hide down in the fishing hold. It’s smelly, but there’s no place else to put you. Once you’re down there, get under this tarp and stay there until I tell you we are clear of the harbor mouth. It don’t do anybody any good if somebody on one of those ships spots you as I sail by. They’re watching us carefully and a single one of those cannonballs could blow us out of the water before we would be able to get away.”

“How far up the coast will you be able to carry us?” Hal asked.

“I can carry you as far as you want to go. The boy here said you had the money to pay for me to take you just about anywhere. I assume that’s true?”

Hal nodded and jangled the full purse at his belt so that the captain could hear the coins jostling about inside. “There’s plenty of coin here and more where that came from when we get to where we’re going.”

“And where would that be?”

“I’ll tell you when we’re clear of the harbor. Until then it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Mysteries cost extra, Mister.”

“Understood.” Hal jumped down from the pier into the small boat. He turned and held up a hand to help Mona. She waved him off and jumped down next to him with ease. Stefan joined them and together the three of them climbed down into the open fishing hold at the front of the boat. It was where the captain kept all of his catch to bring back to the market.

Buckingham was right. It smelled awful.

The three them settled down against the side of the boat keeping the hull at their backs while they pulled the canvas tarp up to cover themselves. They felt the boat start moving soon after they settled in place. Not much later, they were underway, headed for the harbor mouth.

The small fishing boat’s rocking soon became more pronounced and Hal realized they’d cleared the harbor mouth, entering the open sea beyond the headland. His guess was confirmed when Captain Buckingham called out from where he sat at the ship’s tiller.

“You can come out now. We’ve moved out of sight of the last Imperial vessel.”

Hal poked his head out from under the tarp to see the harbor and rooftops of Morton Creek disappearing into the distance amidst the rays of the early morning sun, just cresting the eastern horizon. “Good work, Captain.”

“Of course it is. I know what I’m doing. You’re not the first person I’ve smuggled in my day. Now, which way am I headed? I’d rather not sail in circles out here if I don’t have to.”

“Tandon. Tandon is where we want to go. How long will it take us to get there?”

“The Clarabelle is a fast, little boat. I’ll have you there inside of seven days.”

“Make it six and I’ll add an extra hundred gold pieces to the payment.”

Captain Buckingham spat something over the side and turned back to Hal with a grin. “You’re on. I never shy away from a challenge, not where gold is concerned.”

Hal smiled back. They were on their way again, finally heading back on the trail to track down Cari and get her back home where she belonged.

Chapter 16

Three days after exiting the Dwarven tunnels under the mountain, Cari and her four companions joined a caravan traveling east. It only cost them a few silver pieces for the right to a sheltered place under one of the wagons when they camped and a place for them to ride occasionally as the caravan trundled along on its route towards Hyroth.

On the day they exited the tunnels, Cari completed the under-mountain quest and received a new quest notice.

Quest completed — travel through the tunnels under the mountain

15,000 experience awarded

Quest accepted — complete journey to Hyroth

During this time Jaycee rarely left Cari’s side. Ever since the little girl had named Cari her champion, the two of them seemed to be joined at the hip. Cari didn’t mind so much, but she wanted the young empress to be more independent. She wouldn’t be around forever and Jaycee needed to understand there were others she could count on. Cari mentioned as much to Helen during one of the rare times when Jaycee was off playing with Percy.

“She’s only six, Cari. You can’t expect her to be all that independent. She lost her entire family and apparently has decided that you will fill that role for the foreseeable future.”

“But I’m not a mother. I don’t know how to do what she needs. I’m not the type of person who can fill that role.”

“I think you’d be surprised,” Helen said with a smile. “You’re the type of mother she needs right now partly because you’re the one she chose. You’re also the right choice because she needs someone strong. She needs someone able to protect her from anything that comes along, someone she feels she can trust more than anyone else.”

Cari thought about the words Helen used to describe the type of mother she had become to the young girl. She found it funny because she could’ve used those same words to describe her own mother at times. Her mom had always been protective, had always been her biggest champion, even when she disagreed with some of the things Cari was doing. Her mom always came to her fencing competitions and always cheered while watching her daughter sparring with competitors.

Cari nodded. “I think I understand. I can do this and be what she needs me to be. At least I can do it as long as it takes us to get her safely on the throne. Once we rid her of any immediate dangers, we can talk about finding someone else to take over.”

“Careful, Cari. I suspect you’re going to become more attached to that little girl than you think. You’ve taken on more or less of a permanent position whether you like it or not.”

Cari looked over at where Jaycee and Percy played with some glass marbles in the dirt. The young man was surprisingly patient with Jaycee. He took the time to show her how to flick the marble with her thumb and forefinger in such a way that they would knock other marbles out of the ring they’d drawn in the dirt. Cari watched them play and shook her head. A lot was riding on that little girl. A lot was riding on them staying safe until they got to where they were going.

The caravan was large enough it didn’t encounter any trouble as it traveled east. Cari and the others walked and rode along for over a week and a half. They might have been able to travel faster on their own but there was an advantage to being just another anonymous caravan traveler coming into the city, dusty from the road. Plus, it didn’t take that much longer. Soon the caravan rolled up to the outer gates of the city of Hyroth.

Cari paid off the remaining silver they owed to the caravan master, then the five companions walked through the gate and into the city.

Quest completed — complete journey to Hyroth

12,000 experience awarded

Inside the caravan gates, a great square opened up with market stalls all spread around open space in front of them. It wasn’t the stalls that caught Cari’s eyes first, though. It was the enormous statue of a hooded man standing guard over the entrance to the city. The statue was armed with a long sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.

Before she caught herself, Cari pointed at the statue and said, “Who is that?”

A woman passing by, pushing a cart of turnips smiled and nodded at the statue. “That’s Prince Hal. That statue was built soon after the old Empress took her throne. The city and the people of Hyroth built it in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of his leading the revolt that overthrew the Emperor’s factors in the city, setting us all free.”

Cari murmured her thanks as she stared upward at the giant statue erected to her father’s memory. She wondered if he knew about it. It would be just the sort of thing he would want to brag about.

Shaking her head, Cari led the others through the square searching for an area where she could find an inn. She, for one, was looking forward to getting a nice, hot bath and sleeping in an actual bed for the first time in nearly a month.

As she walked along, Cari saw a sign that caught her eye. It was a stylized drawing carved into the wood of an imperial dragoon complete with the colored cape and a sword. “Let’s try this inn over here. Something about it tells me we can find someone friendly to our cause there.”

The inn’s common room wasn’t very crowded, seeing as how it was midday. It probably filled up towards the dinner hour and afterward in the evening. Cari walked up to the bar while her friends stayed at the door. An old man with a thin line of short gray hair circling his mostly bald head stepped out from the kitchen door behind the bar and nodded at Cari. “What can I do for you miss?”

“I’m hoping my companions and I can find a room for the night, perhaps even several nights?”

“Rooms we’ve got. There’s five of you. Will you need five rooms?”

“I think we can settle for two. I’ll stay with the two younger ones and the other two women can have one to themselves.”

“Two rooms it is. Will you be wanting something to eat now, or can you wait for dinner?”

“Dinner will be fine. While I’m here talking with you, I was wondering if you might explain the meaning of your sign out front?”

“This is the ‘Old Dragoon Inn,’” the innkeeper said. He puffed up his chest with pride. “I retired from her Majesty’s service 20 years ago, took my pension, and settled here in Hyroth. I opened this inn and tavern.” His face grew somber. “I have to say I’m sorry to see the old lady go, especially given all the heartache she’s been through these last five years with her family and all. I suppose she passed away out of sheer sadness.”

Cari nodded and leaned close to the bar. “I don’t suppose you have any contacts with any of your old comrades in arms?”

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at her question and studied her for a few seconds before he answered. “Why would you be seeking out my old companions, missy. Haven’t you heard, the dragoons have been disbanded.”

“I’ve heard, but the dragoons I knew would never give up on their oath to serve the Empress or her heirs.”

“Saying things like that can get you in a lot of trouble in the wrong places, girl.”

“I’m hoping they can also open some doors in the right places, too.”

Once again, the innkeeper paused, staring Cari in the eye. A few awkward seconds passed. His eyes darted to the doorway and Cari’s companions. His eye’s widened when they fell on young Jaycee and he returned his gaze to Cari. “If I were to be able to speak to some of my old comrades would there be a message you’d like to give them?”

“My message is for three companions in particular. I am hoping you know who they are and how to reach them. Their names are Liam, Chance, and Thad. Do you know them?”

“If you are who I think you are, then the answer is a resounding and joyful yes!” He pointed to the stairs. “This is business best kept private. Why don’t you and your friends get settled upstairs? Take the first two rooms to the right as you reach the landing. I’ll have my wife fill a bath in each of your rooms for you. It looks like you’ve got quite a bit of road grime to deal with.”

Cari tensed. “You know who we are?”

“I’d rather not say, but I can tell you that the old information network still flows within the dragoons. As you say, we live to serve the Empress and her heirs. Our oath never expires. That includes her champions, too. Isn’t that right, Princess Cari?”

Cari resisted the urge to correct the man, thankful they’d found a friend at last. It had been a long time since they’d left a place where she could count on other friends to watch out for her and the others. It was good to be somewhere where she had some backup again. “A bath would be wonderful for my friends and me for sure. We’ll head up to the rooms and wait for someone to let us know when the bath is ready.”

“I’ll get my wife right on it. Now go upstairs and get out of sight. Too many prying eyes out and about these days.”

Cari nodded and returned to her friends. She gestured for them to follow her and the five of them headed up the stairs to their rooms.

An hour later, the innkeeper’s wife fussed over Cari and Jaycee as the two of them took their baths. A serving girl and the innkeeper’s wife both took turns bringing up kettles of hot water until the two tubs were full of steaming, scented water.

As Cari sat soaking amidst the bubbles of the soapy water, the innkeeper’s wife turned from her place at the door where she was hanging up towels for the two of them. “Would either of the two of you like scented bath oils?”

“No, this is quite good enough, I assure you. It is nice to just to be able to wash the dirt from our pores after our long travels.” To punctuate her statement, Cari took the sponge and ran it along her arm, scrubbing at her skin with the slightly rough surface.

The woman checked outside the door for eavesdroppers and to make sure the serving girl had left before continuing. “I’m not sure what the two of you are used to, seeing as how you are who you are and all.” She punctuated her statement with an awkward curtsy.

Cari cast a wary eye at the woman. “Please, Mistress, we must keep quiet about that. We are fine with ordinary things just like everyone else. There is no need to be worried about what kind of upper-class things we might be used to. Both of us have lived very simple lives over the last couple of years. Isn’t that right Jaycee?”

The little girl stopped playing in the water of her tub for a moment and nodded.

The little girl’s smile must’ve reassured the woman. “If you say so. I just don’t want to cause no offense, that’s all.”

“I assure you there is no offense taken.”

The woman finished hanging up towels for the two of them and went to leave before she stopped and turned to say one more thing. “My husband has long been out of the dragoons. I don’t want him to get caught up in nothing that would cause him harm.”

Cari considered what the woman said then smiled. “I assure you we are not here to cause trouble. As long as no one knows who we are, we should be able to stay here safely without endangering you or your family. Besides which, we are just people staying at your inn. You don’t know who we are, right?” Cari asked with a wink and a nod.

That brought a smile to the woman’s face and she winked back at Cari. “Understood, ma’am. My husband had some information you said you wanted. When you’re free from your bath, you’ll find him in his office to the rear of the bar.”

The woman left and Cari sat back again in the tub committed to enjoying soaking a bit longer in the water before she left to find out what the innkeeper had to tell her. Hopefully, he had word of the dragoons she was searching for. If she could connect with the three of them again, she was sure she’d be able to find a way to sneak back into the capital. Liam would undoubtedly have a plan for keeping Jaycee safe while getting her to a position where she could take the throne that was rightfully hers.

After she got Jaycee dried off and settled in some fresh clothes, she left the girl in Percy’s care and headed downstairs to meet with the innkeeper. Just as his wife said, he was in his office. He sat behind a desk filled with stacks of papers and ledgers. On top of one pile, Cari spotted orders for food, beer, wine, and liquor. She entered as he was totaling up a column of figures.

He looked up as she came in and nodded, holding up a finger. “I’ll be with you in just a minute. If I don’t finish doing this calculation, I have to start all over again.”

“Take your time. I’ve never been one for figures either.”

Cari sat down in a chair and across the desk from him and waited until he finished with his calculations. Finally, he shuffled that particular bunch of papers together into a stack and slipped them into a drawer before looking up at Cari again. “I suppose you’ve finished your bath? You look a bit fresher than you did when you walked in the door, that’s for sure.”

“Yes, thank you. That was a welcome treat after what we have been dealing with. It’s nice to feel clean again. Um, your wife mentioned you had some information for me. What is it?”

“I don’t know exactly where your three friends might be yet, but I do know someone who can find them for you.”

“Who is this person?”

“He’s a merchant who sometimes comes to town. He has connections in many places around the Empire and if anyone knows where those three particular individuals are, he can or will find out for you.”

“When can we arrange to meet with this person?” Cari asked. “I’d like to find them as soon as possible. You know who we are. Time is of the essence.”

The innkeeper held out of his hands to calm her concerns. “I know, I know. I will reach out to him this evening. If all goes as planned, I should be able to arrange for you to meet with him tomorrow. Will that be suitable?”

“I suppose it has to be, in the meantime, we’ll get a good night’s sleep, at least, and have some good food that isn’t jerky stew.”

“Gotten a little tired of trail rations, have you? Well, you won’t starve for good food here, I promise you that, missy. My wife makes some of the best food around these parts. She is looking forward to filling you and that little girl to the brim with her best. She seems to have taken quite a shine to the two of you.”

Cari smiled at the thought of something other than trail food. “Your wife and I had a very nice chat while she was helping with our baths. She’s a remarkable woman.”

“You don’t have to tell me. There’s not many women who will marry an old fart like me, let alone put up with someone so set in their ways.”

Cari nodded and smiled at him. They had been lucky to find this inn on their arrival in Hyroth. “As soon as you hear back from your friend, make sure you let me know what the plan is. I want to see him as soon as possible.”

“I will. Why don’t you head upstairs and make sure the rest of your friends are alright with their room. Dinner will be in about an hour. I’ll have my wife send up one of the girls to fetch you when it’s ready.”

Cari rose, reached across the desk and clasped wrists with the innkeeper. At first, he seemed surprised by the gesture, but then he nodded and gripped back before letting go. Cari nodded and left to go back upstairs. She wondered who the mysterious merchant was. She hoped it wasn’t a dead end. She really needed to get ahold of Liam and the others.

She returned upstairs and settled in to rest a bit before dinner while Percy and Jaycee played quietly in the corner of the room. It was good to lay down in a real bed, even for a few minutes. Before she knew it, Cari was fast asleep.

Chapter 17

Dinner that night was everything the innkeeper led her to believe it would be. There was a delicious roast beef platter, along with roasted potatoes, carrots, and beets. Another wooden plate held a selection of fresh cheese and fresh milk for Jaycee and Percy. There was a bottle of good red wine for Cari and the other two women. Since her time here in Fantasma, Cari had developed a discerning palate for wine and this was some of the best she’d had in a long while.

Cari and the others had just finished their second helping of the dinner when the innkeeper caught Cari’s eye from behind the bar. Standing and excusing herself, Cari left the others to finish eating and crossed over to where the innkeeper waited. She hoped this was good news. “You have information for me?”

“Yes,” the innkeeper said. “My friend, the merchant, is interested in seeing you. He seemed to know you might be in town.”

“That’s not good. How did he know?” Cari asked.

“He didn’t say, but I don’t think there is cause for alarm. He seemed to have his information from what he called an educated guess. He said that was why he had chosen to come here to Hyroth, on the outside chance you would show up.”

This information both intrigued and worried Cari. Who was this strange merchant that would expect her to be here? If he predicted her travel through the city, would the Duke of Charon make a similar assumption?

Then a thought occurred to her. It could be Old Colin from the caravansary outfitters in Tandon. Perhaps he had shops in other cities as well.

Cari shook her head. She knew she wasn’t going to figure out the identity of the mysterious merchant from here. She had to find out who it was and if there was any danger to Jaycee as soon as possible. “When can he meet?”

“He asks if you can come to his local factor’s home in the Merchant’s District. He gave me the address for you. He suggested you come alone so as not to draw unwanted attention.” The innkeeper leaned closer across the bar and whispered, “I think he believes people might be looking for a younger blonde woman traveling with a small girl.”

Cari offered the innkeeper a grim smile. She didn’t like the sound of the rumors circulating about herself and Jaycee. “I think it might be a good idea to keep my young companion here indoors for a while. Do you think you could keep her and my other companions here for a few days? I think we need to stay out of sight as you said.”

“Of course, anything you need. We can even arrange to serve dinner upstairs from now on. There is a private dining room up there.”

“That might be best.” Cari thought for a moment then continued. “By the way, what does this merchant look like?”

“He is of average height, rather thin, though, and he dresses in the current style of imperial garb I would more expect to see at the capital, not out here on the caravan routes. That might have just been how he was dressed on the occasions I’ve seen him, though. Does he sound like someone you know?”

Cari shook her head. That definitely didn’t describe Colin. No one would ever describe him as normal height, or as wearing anything approaching fancy imperial clothing, for that matter.

“Here is the factor’s address. He said he would be there each evening until very late. You could probably catch him there this evening if you hurry.”

Cari took the address and shoved the piece of paper into her belt pouch. She nodded her thanks to the innkeeper and returned to the table with her friends.

“What did he want?” Helen asked.

“He had some information on someone in town who might be able to help us find my three dragoon friends. It’s worth a visit to see if they can really help.”

Helen, Francesca, and Percy all nodded. All three of them, along with Stefan, and Rodrigo, had talked about the dragoon trio often while they still lived together aboard the Vengeance.

Cari continued. “If we are going to be able to get our young friend here back to the Crystal City in one piece, we’re going to need their help so it’s important we locate them, if possible. They’ve got connections in the capital I don’t have.”

Francesca slid her chair back away from the table. “Do you want someone to come along with you? It might get a bit rough out there for someone traveling alone once it gets dark.”

“No, thank you. I think it’s best if you, Helen, and Percy stay here and keep an eye on Jaycee. I am concerned that we might have been spotted. The innkeeper said that word has been hovering about for people to keep an eye out for a woman matching my description traveling with a young girl. I think it’s best and safest if I leave you three here to watch over her.”

“I can watch out for myself, Cari,” Jaycee said

“I know you can. I’ve seen you with that belt knife you carry. It doesn’t mean that you don’t need help. We all have to ask for help when we need it.”

The little girl thought about it for a minute then nodded. “I know you think I’m just a little girl. You can tell me what’s really going on now that my great-grandmother is dead. There are a lot of things I need to start learning. I feel like I have to start now because I have a lot of catching up to do.”

“You, young lady, are a very wise little woman,” Cari said. “That is perhaps one of the most intelligent things I’ve ever heard anyone say, both adult or child.”

“I agree,” Helen said. “Why don’t you come upstairs and sit with Francesca and me in our room. Percy, you can join us as well. We can talk about some of the things you want to know. You can ask us questions about anything you want.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything. Within reason, of course.” Helen glanced in Cari’s direction. Cari hid a smirk behind her hand. This could lead to one of those awkward moments where Jaycee asked where babies come from or something like that.

“Good, then it’s settled. You four remain here. I shouldn’t be too long and I’ll check in when I get back later, all right?”

Cari turned to head towards the door. She pulled out the slip of paper handed to her by the innkeeper. She didn’t recognize the factor’s address, but that wasn’t unusual. She was new in town and had only seen a small portion of it. She was certain however, someone would be willing to show her the way.”

Cari left the inn and walked back towards the central marketplace. As she arrived, she saw several small carriages sitting near one of the larger taverns. She walked up to one and addressed the driver. “Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me if any of these carriages are for hire? I have to be somewhere in the city this evening and I’m not quite sure where I’m going?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the first driver said. “I’m spoken for tonight, but that carriage down there, the blue one, is available I think. His name is Smiley.”

“Smiley? Well, I have to meet someone people call Smiley. There’s got to be a story behind that name.”

“There is indeed, ma’am. I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you all about it. Make sure you ask him.”

Cari didn’t fail to notice the slight smile the driver tried to hide. There was something to this nickname, but she’d have to wait to find out until she met this Smiley. She slipped the man a silver piece for his assistance and walked down the line of carriages till she arrived at the pale blue one the other driver had indicated.

A gruff little man perched atop the wagon’s seat. For a moment Cari thought she might be at the wrong carriage. There was no way this person was named Smiley. Before she could move along the man glanced in her direction and scowled. “What are you looking for?”

“Uh, I was just looking for a carriage. The gentleman over there told me that the blue carriage in this direction was available for hire. However, I must be at the wrong one. He said the driver’s name was Smiley?”

“I am Smiley. I’m available for hire as he said. The price is two silver pieces to go anywhere in the city. Three silver pieces if you want me to wait and bring you back.”

“That doesn’t seem so bad. I’m sorry if I was rude, the name caught me a little by surprise.”

“You’re not the first person to find it amusing. That is why people call me that. The other drivers think it’s funny and the name just kind of stuck over the years. Climb on in and I’ll take you where you want to go.”

Cari pulled the slip of paper out of her pouch and handed it up to the driver. “This is where I’m heading. Do you know it?”

Smiley glanced at the address and handed the slip of paper back to her. “It’s not that far from here. Climb in. I’ll have you there inside ten minutes.”

“Excellent,” Cari said. She climbed into the back of the carriage and pulled the door shut. Before she could settle back against the threadbare cushion of the seat, the carriage lurched forward.

Cari watched out the carriage’s windows to either side as the city passed by. They’d started in the Caravan District of the city, which Cari got the impression was a bit on the rougher side compared to the other districts. They soon left that area behind and entered an area with much more well-appointed houses.

Trimmed shrubberies lined the front of most of the homes and some of the residences even had wrought iron fences and gates in front of them bordering the street. A few minutes after they entered this wealthier part of town, what she now knew to be the Merchants District, the carriage pulled to a stop in front of a large home made from what appeared to be white granite blocks. Smiley’s voice sounded from up above, “here you are, ma’am. That’ll be two silvers’.”

Cari climbed out of the carriage and closed the door. Fishing into her belt pouch, she pulled out three silver pieces, then grabbed a fourth one and held it up to the driver. “Smiley, Here’s four silver pieces. Please remain here until I’m ready to return. I’m not sure how long it will be. Hopefully, that will cover the extra expense of waiting for the longer time.”

Smiley bit the coins to check them for authenticity one at a time before depositing them into his vest pocket. He nodded once saying, “I’ll be here when you come out. I’m yours for the night.”

Cari turned towards the white granite house. She guessed it would be considered a mansion; however, it sat on a street full of mansions and Cari wasn’t sure what you called a whole neighborhood of dwellings that size. She shrugged. To the people living here, they were just homes.

Cari turned and looked up and down the street, making sure she didn’t see anyone paying undue attention or who looked like they might have followed her. Satisfied she was alone on the street, pulled the cord by the door. A chime sounded from inside.

A few seconds later, Cari heard a grumbling voice from the other side of the door. “I’m coming. I’m coming.”

The door’s latch opened and it swung inward. A gentleman stood there with wisps of gray hair sticking out above his ears on either side of his shiny, bald head. If this was the man she was supposed to meet, it wasn’t anyone that she recognized.

“Hello, sir, I am not sure if I am in the right place. I was told to meet a certain merchant here. “

The gentleman in the doorway looked her up and down, then turned, shouting over his shoulder. “It’s for you. I think the one you’re looking for has arrived.”

Cari craned her neck to try and look past the man and catch a glimpse of who he called to. She couldn’t see around him beyond the hallway though.

“Won’t you come in? I’m sure you don’t want to conduct your business standing out there on the street.”

“No, you’re right, of course. That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

Cari stepped inside and the man closed the door behind her. She turned and watched as he threw the deadbolt and slid a bar across the entrance to lock it. Her hand drifted down to grip the hilt of her sword. She wondered for a moment what she had gotten herself into. Then, a familiar voice sounded behind her.

“Hello, Cari. I wondered if I came here whether I might run into you. It seems my guess was correct.”

Cari turned around to see Merrick standing there in the doorway to the right of the entrance. The merchant and sometime underworld smuggler had been instrumental in getting her out of the Crystal City after she escaped from the Duke of Charon’s dungeon. The Duke’s men had chased after her, searching for her on all of the routes out of the city. Merrick had provided a hiding place in one of his barges sailing down the river from the capital.

“I didn’t expect to see you, of all people,” she remarked. “I didn’t know you traveled beyond the Canal District of the Crystal City.”

“I have business interests all over the Empire. I’ll always consider the Canal District in the capital home, though. It’s where I started and where I made my first fortune. Of course, it’s also where I lost my first fortune,” he added in a wistful tone as a smile crossed his face. He changed the subject. “I suppose since you’re here in Hyroth, you’re not traveling alone?”

Cari decided she needed to tread carefully. While she had some limited trust for Merrick, she wasn’t willing to trust him with everything, especially not with Jaycee’s life.”

“I am traveling with some companions. I’m seeking a few more to join me. I was looking for some way to contact three missing friends who used to be with the Empress’ Dragoons. There’s also another friend of mine who is also looking for them.”

“If you’re referring to the three I think you are along with that young fellow who wants to become one of them, I do have an idea where they might be.”

“And?”

“And, I find myself in need of some special services that you might be able to render in return for the information I have on their whereabouts. Would you like to assist me?”

“What sort of services? I just told you I’m traveling with some companions. I’m sure you understand that I cannot become involved with anything that would require an extended amount of time.”

“No worry about that, my dear. My needs are time sensitive. It shouldn’t take very long at all, at least, not for someone with your unique set of skills.”

He certainly had piqued Cari’s interest. “I suppose I won’t get the information I need unless I help you?”

“Exactly,” Merrick said. “Remember, you still owe me for the collateral to pay back Timron’s debt.”

Cari decided she needed to take a chance and press back a little bit. She didn’t have unlimited resources if Merrick expected her to pay him back for the prince’s bad debts. “If you know why I am here, then you also know who I’m traveling with. Why are you helping me? If I succeed in what I’m doing, it’s unlikely Timron will be able to pay you back at all. Are you prepared for me to succeed even if that’s the case?”

Merrick met Cari’s eyes and held them for several seconds before answering. “Between you and me, having Prince Timron on the throne would be bad for business. I’m not the only person who thinks this will be the case. We can’t imagine having him run the Empire. There’s no reason to believe it will result in any better financial management than he’s shown in his personal life.”

“I’m not sure I can do what you want, Merrick. I have to stay on task. If that means I have to find my three Dragoon friends another way, then I will.”

“Perhaps I need to sweeten the deal.” Merrick dug in the pouch at his side and took out a small metal cube. It was the holocube projector she’d offered as collateral for Prince Timron’s release over a year ago. “What if I wipe out your debt with me and return this collateral to you as payment in addition to giving you the information about your friends. I know your overall quest is important. As a bonus, I will also pledge my assistance in helping you achieve your ultimate goals.”

Cari became suspicious at the change of heart. “Why would you do that? Isn’t getting involved in this type of direct politics against your better interest?”

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t do anything overt that makes it known I directly assisted you. Believe me, though, there are many things I can do behind the scenes that will make the path before you much smoother. What do you say?”

Cari considered his words. She wanted to get her holocube back, if only for its sentimental value. She also liked to know her debts were settled so nothing would come back to bite her later on. “Tell me what you need me to do. If I think it’s something I can take the time for, I’ll do it and we’ll have a deal.”

“Fair enough. My problem is this. I have laborers who work for me all over the place, men and women who load the barges or work the caravan routes in my various business ventures. Here in Hyroth, the Duke of Charon did not have the manpower in his personal troops to spare to secure the city the way he wanted. He solved that problem by pressing ordinary citizens into service in his guard companies. There is a camp outside of the city where he is training them. They’re learning to use muskets and march in formation. I know where my men are in the training camp and which company they’re in. I want you to help me figure a way to get them out of there.”

“If there is an entire army out there, I’m not sure there’s much I can do.”

“It’s only a few companies of guardsmen. There are only about ten loyalists to the Duke who I would consider real soldiers. The others have all been kidnapped and tricked or blackmailed into imperial service. All they need is someone to deal with their overseers and help them break free. Once you’ve done that, I can get them away to other places far from Hyroth where they can return to my service. As a bonus, it might discourage the Duke’s officers in the city from continuing the practices they’ve been using to build their forces here.”

Cari thought about the odds she might face. Ten soldiers would be a daunting task. Even if she were to manage to power up her burst of speed skill, it would not enable her to deal with all of them unless they were bunched close together in a group and there was no way she could assure that would happen.

“I can see you’re considering how to do this,” Merrick observed as Cari pondered the man’s request. “Perhaps I can lend you some assistance.”

“What kind of assistance?”

“I can slip something into the bottles of a case of wine and have it shipped to the camp. The training overseers in charge of training the troops will never share the wine with the troops themselves. If the sergeants are all drugged, that should allow you to get in and get my men and women out without too much trouble.”

“That might work,” Cari said. “All right, you have a deal. Send your drugged wine in the morning. Tell me where the camp is. I’ll make my move tomorrow night.”

“Excellent. This calls for a toast.” Merrick crossed to a credenza along the wall. He took the stopper from a crystal decanter and poured some wine in two crystal glasses. He handed one to Cari and raised his glass.

Cari raised hers, as well.

“To success in all our ventures.”

“To success, indeed,” she replied, hoping she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew.

Quest accepted — free Merrick’s workers

Chapter 18

Cari returned to Smiley’s carriage outside the mansion. She thanked the driver for his service as they headed back towards the Caravan District. She asked him if he’d be available the following evening to take her and some friends somewhere outside the city gates.

After some thought and haggling over the price, he agreed to return to the market square by the caravan gate at sundown. He dropped her in front of the inn and left to go about his business. Cari entered the inn. The common room now bustled with activity.

A musician was playing a lute. He sang a ballad of some sort. No one seemed to be listening to him. Each person in the room was engaged in their cups and conversation. Cari didn’t want to spend any time down here anyway, so she ignored the activity in the room and headed straight for the stairs up to the bedrooms. She wanted to check on Jaycee and the others.

She almost reached the stairs, when someone called out her name. She turned, surprised that anyone would recognize her here. Her eyes raised in surprise to see Rodrigo sitting at a table against the wall.

Even more surprising, were his companions. Liam, Chance, and Thad all sat around the table with him. All three grinned and lifted their tankards to her. Rodrigo beckoned her over to them.

Cari approached them shaking her head. “How did you all find me?”

“A gentleman by the name of Merrick sent us word of where you were staying. We got here soon after dark.,” Rodrigo said. “I asked the innkeeper if you were here and he said you’d left for the evening but he expected you to return. We decided to settle down and wait for you.”

Cari was more than a little annoyed. It appeared Merrick planned on reuniting her with her friends no matter what she’d said in response to his request for assistance. She felt more than a little cheated. Perhaps she should go back on the arrangement and make him solve his own problems.

After a few seconds, she reconsidered her thoughts. At the end of the day, he would say he held up his end of the bargain, even if he’d given it to her in advance of receiving her agreement. She also needed to get her holocube back and clear her other debts which he’d added to her fee.

“I don’t want to speak down here in front of everyone. Come with me. The innkeeper said there’s a private room upstairs. I’ll find out if I need a key and we can continue talking up there. Besides, I need to check on my traveling companions.”

“You have your youngest traveling companion with you?” Liam asked. He had his own priorities on where his loyalties lay. “Who is watching over her?”

“Three very reliable people, I assure you. They might not have your skills getting into and out of trouble, but they are more than able to watch over her. Come upstairs and I’ll introduce you to them.”

Cari turned and walked over to the bar, waiting for the innkeeper to finish serving other patrons. She’s beckoned to him when he was finished and he came over to her.

“I see you found the friends waiting for you. I told you I thought we could find them. My merchant friend was helpful?”

“He was. Earlier, you mentioned an upstairs room with some privacy. Could we take our drinks upstairs where we can talk in private?”

“Of course, let me get the key. I’ll meet you up in the hallway.”

The innkeeper motioned to one of the barmaids to take over behind the bar and he headed back into his office. Cari turned and beckoned to Rodrigo and the three dragoons. Together the five of them headed upstairs. Cari stopped outside the room Helen and Francesca were staying in. She heard voices on the other side, so she knew they were still awake. She tapped on the door twice and said, “Helen, it’s me, Cari.”

The door opened and Helen smiled at Cari, then spotted Rodrigo. Her grin broadened into a full-blown smile. “Hello, Lieutenant. It’s good to see you managed to accomplish your task. I assume these are the three gentlemen you were sent to find?”

“Oh, yes, ma’am. These three gentlemen, as you say, are Liam, Chance, and Thad. They are here to help us get Jaycee to the capital.”

“We probably shouldn’t stand here in the hallway,” Liam said. “Here comes the innkeeper with the key. Let’s go to that private room and talk there.”

“Good idea,” Cari said. “Helen, are you, Francesca, and Percy all right staying here with Jaycee while we make some plans?”

“Of course. Go do what you need to do. We’ll be here waiting for your orders when you return.”

Cari walked down to where the innkeeper had opened a door at the end of the hall. Rodrigo and the three dragoons followed right behind her. The innkeeper opened the door and pointed inside. “Here you go. There’s no one staying in the rooms on either side or across the hall. If you keep your voices down, you should have no trouble keeping your business private.”

“Thank you. You’ve been a big help.”

“One never leaves the Empress’ service, even after you retire.”

He left them in the hallway. After giving Chance, Liam, and Thad a brief salute, he headed back down to the common room.

Cari and the others went inside the private room. There was a long dining table with 10 chairs arranged around it. This was good, Cari thought. It would be somewhere that would fit all of them for a meal. She still didn’t want to be seen with Jaycee since the innkeeper had told her others were looking for them here in Hyroth.

“So, Cari, you’ve made it this far on your own. What are your plans going forward?” Liam asked. “We’ve received word Prince Timron is on the move. He’s headed back towards the capital from the west country as we speak. He hid in some estates belonging to friends there. We left him to take care of himself in hiding. Now that he’s on the move, it won’t take him long to reach the capital.”

“My plans are exactly what you’d expect them to be. He’s no longer the rightful heir to the throne. Jaycee is. We need to get her to the capital first.”

“The Duke will have something to say about that.” Chance said. “He’s not going to just let you waltz into the palace grand hall and declare that girl as the Empress. Once Kareena passed, he took control of everything he hadn’t already put under his thumb. Nothing happens in the capital without his say so.”

“We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. We’ve got to take this one step at a time. In the meantime, before we arrive at the capital, I think we need someone to gather the retired dragoons. I know the regiment has been disbanded, but it shouldn’t be that difficult to put it back together again, at least in part. The question is, can the three of you do that?”

All three of the dragoons exchanged glances. Thad grumbled something under his breath. To Cari’s ears, it sounded like the orc growled at her. She shrugged it off. She was asking a lot of them.

After a few seconds of consideration by each of the former imperial bodyguards, without a word said between them, Chance and Thad both nodded, followed by Liam.

“Good, then with your assistance, and that of your brethren, we might be able to pull this off. First, I have some business to attend to in Hyroth, though.”

“Merrick said he had something for you to do,” Chance said. “Do you need help?”

“I don’t think so, now that Rodrigo’s back. He can help, along with the others I have with me, to accomplish what needs to be done.”

“And the little girl?” Liam asked.

“I think it’s time for her to meet her loyal dragoons. She should get to know who the three of you are and you should get to know her.”

“What’s the little girl like?” Liam asked. “I know she’s young, but does she have what it takes to be on the throne at her age, even with a regent?”

“With the right person to guide her, yes,” Cari said. “She’ll be more than capable of stepping into the role.”

“I hope so. It’s not going to be easy for her in the beginning.”

“That’s why she’ll need people like you by her side,” Cari said.

“And you as well, Cari Dix,” Liam added.

Cari didn’t know what to say. She wanted to help Jaycee succeed but she wasn’t the type to help rule an empire. Luckily, Rodrigo changed the subject.

“So, tell us what you’re supposed to do for Merrick. What do you need me to do? It’ll be good to be back in action with you, Helen, and Francesca again.”

Cari settled back in her chair and explained what Merrick needed to be done. Together the five of them hammered out a plan for Cari and the others to free Merrick’s men and women.

Chapter 19

Merrick had an envelope delivered to them at the inn the next day. One of the barmaids brought it up to Cari’s room as she was dressing to head out for the evening’s rescue attempt.

Cari opened the envelope. Inside was a map of the city with the encampment marked just outside the northern gates. There was also a list of names. In the accompanying letter, Merrick explained she could use the names to identify his people and get them out. Once she had helped them break free, if he wasn’t at the gate waiting for her, she was to bring them to a warehouse at the edge of the Merchants District. Merrick would wait for her there.

Cari folded up the map and placed it in her pouch.

“I still wish you could take me with you,” Percy said as he watched her prepare to leave.

“And I told you it’s more important for you to stay here to keep Jaycee company. She needs protection more than I do.”

“She has those three dragoons to do that. She doesn’t need me.”

“Nonsense,” Cari said. “You’re her friend. She already knows you. She hardly knows them at all. Help her get to know them and keep her occupied while I’m gone. It shouldn’t take me long and when I get back we’ll start making plans to continue on our journey towards the capital. I’m counting on you, Percy. You’ve been the one on this whole journey I’ve trusted most to keep Jaycee safe. That hasn’t changed now that the others are here. Besides, sometimes it’s better not to be in the thick of the action. You can lose sight of what’s really important. Stay by her side. That girl in there, she’s what’s really important.”

Percy’s expression changed to one of firm determination after Cari’s pep talk. He nodded as he considered Cari’s words. She decided to lighten the mood a bit. “Besides, if you ask, I’ll bet one of the dragoons will teach you some of their fighting techniques. They’re some of the best I’ve ever seen in combat and you could do a lot worse than having one of them as a sword master.”

“Do you think they’d teach me?”

“I’ve told them that you are Jaycee’s closest protector. I think they believe it’s in their best interest to teach you as much as they can.”

Percy’s chest puffed up with pride. Cari smiled as she settled her weapons in place, checking once more that everything was ready to go. “I’ll fill you in on what happened when I get back. This is probably going to be pretty boring, anyway. The guards are all supposed to be drugged and asleep by the time we get there.”

Francesca, Helen, and Rodrigo were already waiting in the hallway outside Cari’s door as she stepped out. “Off we go?”

“After you, Captain,” Rodrigo said.

Cari shook her head. “The Vengeance is long gone. I am Captain no more. Cari will do just fine from here on out, folks. We are all companions in this grand quest together.”

That brought smiles to everyone’s face and together the four of them headed down and out of the inn.

Smiley and his carriage waited outside as promised. Cari handed him four silver pieces once again. “We need to head to an imperial army camp just outside the north gate. Do you know of it?”

Smiley spit a stream of tobacco juice on the ground and nodded. “I hear they’re running press gangs in the city and picking up good, common folk to join the Imperial Army against their will.”

“That’s what I’ve heard too. I think it’s time for us to pay them a visit and see about some of those people pressed into service. A few of them work for a friend of mine and he would like them back.”

Smiley snarled, “I don’t much like people being pushed to do things against their will. I’ll wait nearby after dropping you off for when you’re ready to return. Just call for me. I don’t want to get too close, in case someone recognizes me and my carriage.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you stay far enough away to be out of the line of sight. No one will associate you with us.”

Smiley actually lived up to his namesake and smiled at that. Cari smiled back before she climbed up to join her friends inside the carriage. With a jolt the carriage started forward, rumbling over the cobblestones towards the north gate.

The journey to the northern gate took about a half hour. The city streets were still full of people and the carriage wasn’t able to go very fast through the crowds. It was well after dark by the time they arrived outside the city gates. The carriage stopped and Smiley called out to her, “This is as close as I should probably get, ma’am. You can see the campfires and the tents from here.”

Cari climbed out, followed by the others. Smiley was right. She could see the tents of the camp nearby. “Good enough, Smiley. Wait here for us. Hopefully, we won’t be long.”

Cari and her three companions started off in the direction of the imperial army camp. Merrick said it was only a few companies of troops. At the time he made it sound like that wasn’t that many people. It turned out Cari didn’t know how many people there were in a standard company. There were several hundred men in the camp. It wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought to find Merrick’s men.

“What’s the plan, Cari?” Rodrigo asked.

“I hate to say this, but I am making this up as I go along, just a little bit.”

“What else is new?” Helen said. “Isn’t that how all of your plans start?”

All four of them laughed at that statement. Cari realized how much she enjoyed the company and friendship these people offered her. Her time on the Vengeance had been one of the best in her life. She lost many companions when the ship sank, but those who survived were among her closest friends and she was glad they were still here by her side.

Cari turned her attention back to the task at hand as they got closer to the camp.

A guard called out, “Halt! Who goes there?”

Cari called out in return, “I have to speak to your officers. I don’t suppose you can direct me to which tent is theirs?”

“The officers stay in the city, ma’am. I can point you to the sergeant in charge. He’s the one involved with most of the training.”

“That will do just fine.”

The guard gestured for them to follow him as he shouldered his musket, letting it hang by a sling over one arm. Cari glanced at him. His uniform didn’t fit very well.

“How long have you been in the Imperial Army?”

“I’ve been in the army just under a month, ma’am. I used to work for a tanner in town in the city. I got a little too far into my ale one night and when I woke up, I was here in the camp. I was told I’d taken an oath to join the Imperial Army and that I had no choice but to stay or I’d be executed as a deserter.”

“Is that the same for everyone in this camp?”

“Pretty much. I don’t much want to be in the army, or fight in any war, but I don’t want to be hung as a deserter either. I’m pretty much stuck here.”

Cari considered what she’d heard from the young private. If all of the people in this camp other than the sergeants and corporals had similar stories, it wouldn’t be fair to only free Merrick’s men. She had to release them all.

Bonus quest accepted — free all the imperial soldiers

The private led her out to a tent much larger than the others clustered around the camp. It looked like the sergeants lived in relative luxury, much better than the men they trained. All the other tents were small, two-man affairs with the men and women sleeping directly on the ground.

This pavilion had thick, plush carpets laid out as the floor. There were camp tables and chairs set up for the sergeants to sit while eating. She even spotted a few scantily clad women lounging about. The Duke of Charon obviously took care of those who were doing his dirty work. Cari wouldn’t be surprised if the women were being pressed into service just like the soldiers and the rest of the camp.

A tall, dark-haired sergeant with a thick mustache stepped out of the large tent and spotted the guard leading them through the camp. “Private, what are you doing away from your post on guard? You do know leaving your post and duty is an offense punishable by death.”

“Um, this woman, she said she had business with you, Sergeant, sir. I needed to show her where to go.”

The sergeant turned his attention to Cari. “What gives you the right to tell my man what to do?”

The sergeant and his attitude started to piss Cari off. That, along with the squalid conditions in which the common soldiers lived all served to increase her anger. “I am the woman who is here to set things right. There are people here who have lives in the city and jobs to return to. You have no right to take them and press them into service to fight your Duke’s battles.”

“Oh? I think you’ll find I have every right in the world. The Duke of Charon is the man leading the Empire right now. He doesn’t take very kindly to people who don’t follow his orders, especially when they’re women.”

“I’m familiar with the Duke of Charon. He wanted me to do something once upon a time and I told him exactly what he could do with his intentions.”

The sergeant looked her up and down for a few seconds, taking in her appearance. His eyes widened. “You’re her.”

The sergeant said it as if he was uttering a curse.

Cari smirked at him. “And if I am?”

The sergeant recovered. “Then me and my friends are going to collect the ransom that’s been placed on your head. Being the one to capture Cari Dix is going to make me a legend across the empire. The Duke rewards those who do him favors like this.”

The sergeant leered at Cari and called out over his soldier. “Major, you’re never going to believe who just walked into camp. You really ought to come out here.”

Cari took a step back while reaching for her sword and dagger. She wondered who the man referred to.

A tall man stepped from inside the pavilion. It was the swordsman she’d first met in the caverns beneath the silver mine months ago when she stopped the Duke’s agents poisoning the water supply for the city of Tandon.

He stepped out of the tent. Unlike the first time they met, he now wore an imperial officer’s uniform. There was no mistaking who it was, though.

When the man laid eyes on Cari, he gave her a very broad smile. “Cari Dix, how nice of you to drop by. You know, we thought you were dead for quite some time until someone loyal to my master managed to get us word that you somehow managed to escape the sinking of your ship. I really must know how you managed it.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not in the business of sharing my secrets with people I don’t know. Last time we met I didn’t get your name.”

“Of course, how rude of me. I am Major Carson Novachik. I am the commander of the Duke of Charon’s personal security service. You have been giving us quite a difficult time. The last time we had any notice of where you were, the Duke’s men were chasing you somewhere on the coast near where we first met.”

“I had to deal with quite a few of the Duke’s soldiers back there. I’m sorry we had to kill so many of them. They were inconveniencing me.”

“Those losses and others you’ve had a part in are why we are here in Hyroth. The good news is recruitment efforts are going quite well.”

“What a coincidence, that is also why I am here. I and some others have an issue with your methods. People should be given the option to volunteer, not pressed into service against their will.”

“They are volunteering. Each and every one of them signed the paper of their own free will.”

“Nonsense,” Cari said. “You drugged these people and then told them they signed, blackmailing them to remain in your service. That amounts to slavery, and I have no time for slavers.”

“I don’t see how you’re going to stop us. There’s only four of you.”

Cari looked at the sergeant major and then at Novachik and smiled. The drugged wine should have worked by now. “I only see two of you.”

The major grinned and turned back towards the pavilion. “The rest of you can come out now. It seems we’re about to have a bit of a fight on our hands.”

From the huge tent behind the major, six massive orcs stepped out. Cari thought Thad was the biggest orc she’d ever seen. She’d faced one nearly as large when she took down a ship full of slavers the previous year. But these six orcs were enormous by comparison. They all wore imperial sergeants’ uniforms, but Cari had little doubt they only wore them out of convenience to keep up appearances. They had to make it look like this was a legitimate imperial recruiting camp.

On either side of Cari, her companions spread out ready to receive the fight. Cari knew this was going to be a desperate battle. They were going to need help.

Cari grabbed the list with the names from Merrick from her pouch. She thrust it into Rodrigo’s hands. “Go find these people and anyone else that wants to join you. I think we’re going to need a little bit of help.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“I’m not asking you to, in fact, I want you to hurry back. Like I said, I think we’re going to need more help.

Rodrigo looked at the odds she faced and nodded. He took the paper and ran off into the darkness. He called out names at the top of his lungs.

Cari smiled, that was one way to do it.

Major Novachik scowled and pointed after Rodrigo. “Two of you go and stop that boy.”

Two of the orcs turned and ran after Rodrigo. Cari cursed under her breath and hoped he would be able to watch out for himself. That did, however, even the odds a little bit and she still had Francesca and Helen, both fierce fighters themselves.

She decided there wasn’t going to be any further chatter. The major, the four remaining orcs, and the first imperial sergeant she’d addressed all drew their weapons and charged at Cari and her remaining friends.

The fight shifted into a desperate melee right away. Francesca faced off against two of the massive orcs, as did Helen.

Both of the women backed away a little, giving up ground as they defended against the rush of the attacks coming at them.

Cari couldn’t help them. She was more than occupied with her opponents. She already knew the major was good with a sword. He’d nearly killed her the last time they met. The human sergeant was pretty good, too.

She found herself backpedaling away beside her friends, giving up ground in order to maintain her defensive posture. Somehow, she managed to knock away all of the attacks coming at her. She’d gained some additional experience in her travels since the last time she met the major. She felt confident she could at least fight him to a draw.

The challenge here was she fought two opponents, not just one.

The first attack to get past her defenses came when the sergeant ducked past her dagger’s attempted parry and cut a shallow slash across her midsection. It barely scraped skin but it did cut through her new clothes.

Health damage health -6

Cari grimaced and decided she needed to change tactics. It was time to go on the attack; otherwise she’d never be able to counter all their blows.

She knew she had to connect some of her own strikes. Only then could she power up her burst of speed skill. If she could do that, she’d have a chance against these two.

Cari decided to focus her strikes on the sergeant. If she could whittle down the odds and get rid of one opponent, it would be a more even contest. The major almost seemed to be holding back so far. It was as if he was waiting for her to try something.

She glanced to either side. Her friends were doing better than she was though Helen now moved with a pronounced limp. The first mate managed to kill one of the orcs facing her and it looked like she’d inflicted severe injuries to the other one. Francesca had also finished off one of the orcs, though she still fought a desperate battle against the other.

Cari decided it was time to even the odds in her battle as well.

She feinted an attack directly at the major then shifted in a spinning move to bring her rapier about in a sweeping slash at the sergeant’s exposed neck. He got his blade up to deflect some of the blow.

Cari missed cutting open the man’s neck but still managed to cut deeply into his shoulder. It was only a flesh wound, but she managed to slow him down a bit. It looked as though the injury to the shoulder of his sword arm had affected his ability to fight back against her attacks.

“It’s not going to be as easy as you thought to collect that reward, now is it?” Cari gloated. “You’re about to be killed by a girl. How’s that feel?”

Taunt engaged

The sergeant growled and charged directly at her, all pretense of defense missing from his attacks.

The major tried to stop his comrade, calling out, “Don’t fall for her tricks.”

It was too late. Cari had him exactly where she wanted him.

The sergeant’s charge got in the way of the major’s advance, blocking his attacks against her and giving Cari the one on one advantage she was looking for.

Cari began a precise series of moves slashing and stabbing to create irritating and painful injuries. It caused the sergeant’s rage to increase even more and his sword work got even sloppier.

Cari danced around while she attacked in such a way as to keep the sergeant between her and the major. The enraged man seemed oblivious to the efforts of his commanding officer to get around him and rejoin the fight, focusing only on getting to his tormentor. She thought to herself that the taunt was working better than usual. Cari decided to finish it.

The sergeant made one more clumsy thrust at her chest. Cari batted the saber aside with her dagger and followed it with a lunging thrust of her own. Her sword blade ran the man through, piercing his heart. More than six inches of the blade exited his back before she pulled it free. With a gasp, the sergeant fell to the ground. Frothy blood coughed up from his mouth and he fell over, dead.

6,500 experience awarded

“Now it’s just you and me, Major. Shall we continue where we left off in the mines?”

“If I remember correctly, I left you near death in the mines. I’m thinking now that was a mistake. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

“You’re probably right. Too bad you can’t turn back time. Let’s do this.”

Cari decided to drive the attack forward right away. She’d seen how fast this man was. She glanced in her visual field and saw her power bar was nearly full. She should be able to engage her burst of speed skill in just a few more successful attacks. She wanted to finish this as quickly as possible.

Stomping her foot on the ground as she lunged, Cari thrust then feinted to the right and batted away the major’s return attack. She thrust forward again right away. The combination attack managed to get past his defenses for the first time. She scored a hit with a slashing cut to his upper thigh.

The major grimaced. He scowled at her. “I just bought those trousers. I hope you have enough coins on your person. When I rummage through your clothing over your dead body, I want to make sure there’s enough to pay for a new outfit.”

Cari laughed. “Are you trying to taunt me like I taunted your sergeant?” She shook her head. “That’s not going to work on me. Only men are stupid enough to fall for such things.”

Cari followed up the words with another combination of attacks. This time the major easily defended himself and then launched his own attack sequence.

She found herself backpedaling under the furious series of sword work coming at her. A few of his attacks worked through her defenses.

Health damage — health -6

Health damage — health -8

Cari finally stopped the major’s advance and drove back with her own attacks, knocking his sword thrust out of the way and following it with a riposte attack. She lunged forward and scored a deep thrust into the major’s side. She knew she probably only pierced muscle, but he grimaced and drew backward. The hit caused him to change tactics.

Major Novachik backed up to gain some distance while he assessed the damage. Pressing his free hand to the wound, he shouted at Cari. “I tire of this, girl. I’d hoped you might have learned more tricks since our last fight.”

“I have more tricks up my sleeve than you know,” Cari said. Her power bar was nearly full. One more successful attack should fill it. She’d been sorely wounded before when they met. She was in much better condition now and she was going to show him how she could really fight.

The next few seconds had them dealing each other a combination of attacks and defensive parries. Neither of them managed to break through the other’s defenses.

Cari almost got the chance she needed and pressed forward with a desperate attack. She realized too late the major had executed a perfect feint, drawing her into an attack she should’ve known was foolhardy.

The major twisted aside so that her lunge stabbed through empty air. Her body stretched out at the limit of her reach leaving her open to his follow up attack before she could recover.

Slashing downward with his sword, he struck her right forearm with a deep slash. Cari’s hand reflexively opened and her dagger fell to the ground.

Health damage — health -15

Cari grimaced at the pain of the injury. She tried to work her fingers but he’d obviously severed some tendons in her forearm and her fingers weren’t responding to commands. She looked at the damage in her health bar. She considered using her troll blood regenerative ability. She decided to hold off for a little bit longer and use it just before she activated her burst of speed.

The major smiled and followed the slashing attack on her arm with another combination, trying to break through her defenses now that she only had her rapier.

Her sword arm began tiring and Cari backed up, breaking away and deflecting the powerful blows from the stronger man in front of her. Even with all of her experience in battle, this particular fight was taking a lot out of her. She pressed onward and managed to get the attack she needed past his defenses, scoring a thrust to his off-hand shoulder. Blood ran in a trickle down his arm, staining the white sleeve of his linen shirt.

Cari’s power bar flashed green and she decided to regenerate her injuries as she prepared to use the burst of speed skill.

Cari called up her regeneration skill and activated it. She only had to hold off the major’s attacks for sixty seconds while the injuries healed. She would activate her burst of speed once her health status bar was full.

Cari went into defensive mode and backed away.

The major drove his attacks forward then noticed her use the fingers of her injured hand again and glanced at her arm. His eyes widened in surprise. “How did you do that?”

“A little trick I learned from a friend.”

“Miss Dix, you are indeed a woman of mystery.”

“Major, you have no idea. But that’s not going to matter because I plan on dealing with you once and for all right here and now.”

Beside Cari, Helen finished off the final orc she faced and went to help Francesca with her final opponent. Cari smiled. The balance had shifted and she was almost at full health again.

The major glanced at his only remaining companion and then back at Cari. She was completing her regeneration process, the skin knitting together before his eyes. The major took a step back, raised his sword in a salute to her and snapped his fingers.

All of a sudden, he wasn’t there anymore.

Cari raised her sword and spun about, expecting some sort of trick.

“Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know, Cari,” Helen said. “If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I wouldn’t believe it.”

“Stay on your guard,” Cari said. “He might just be invisible and using some sort of magic to hide. He could be standing right behind you ready to launch an attack.

Helen spun around, slashing her sword in wild swings in a circle. Francesca did the same thing.

“Both of you go find Rodrigo and make sure he’s not having trouble with those two orcs. I’ll keep searching for the Major.”

The two women nodded and ran off into the camp calling out Rodrigo’s name.

Cari scanned the ground, stepping forward and examining the boot prints in the dirt where the major had been standing seconds before. It took her a moment to make out the specific prints in the dirt, then she picked out a set of new prints matching his. They moved away from where she stood, heading out of the camp towards the city gates.

Whatever the major did, whatever magic it was, he’d managed to get away. This time, though, she’d held her own and now had a name to go with the face. She was sure she’d meet him again when she reached the capital. In the meantime, she’d managed to break the hold of Major Novachik and his men on the camp. It was time to set the rest of these men and women free.

As she went about the task with her companions, Cari wondered if they’d someday build a statue of her in the market square next to her father’s. The mere thought of it made her laugh.

Quest completed — free Merrick’s workers

25,000 experience awarded

Bonus quest completed — free all the soldiers

10,000 experience awarded

Chapter 20

Hal leaned out over the side of the fishing boat, holding on to one of the stays connected to the top of the mast. The salt spray rose up and splashed against his face as the vessel crashed down into another wave. He stared straight ahead at the entrance to Tandon’s harbor. It was still so far away.

“Are we going to make it?” Mona asked.

“I’m not sure. We need to ask our esteemed captain.”

The fisherman transporting them had skirted along the coast, staying away from the naval ships cruising the open sea in between Morton Creek and Tandon. But now he was racing for the harbor and there was no avoiding being seen by imperial navy vessels. To their left, several imperial ships closed in on them as they raced for the harbor mouth.

“This ain’t what you call no racing sloop,” the captain said. “But she’s got more speed on her than you think. We’ll make it, as long as we don’t get smashed by one of those cannon balls.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Hal said. “Judging from the angle those ships have on us, at least the leading vessel is going to get a shot off at us. What do you think Mona?”

“I think you’re right.” Mona pulled a pair of brass binoculars from her utility belt. They looked like a cross between a pair of opera glasses and something an optometrist might use to examine someone’s eyes. There were several additional lenses on levers that she could flip down across the front of the binoculars to change the magnification along with several other things Hal didn’t know about. Mona was always tinkering with her gear, adding enhancements along the way. As he watched her gaze out at the naval vessels, her fingers flipped down one of the attached lenses then flipped it up and dropped another one in place.

“What are you looking at, Mona? Can you see anything?”

“I’m trying to judge their speed. These particular glasses allow me to make some simple computations and measurements based on markings etched in the glass of several of the lens sets. I think the captain’s right. If we make it without getting hit by any of the cannon fire, we can beat them to the harbor mouth.”

Stefan worked nearby to change the angle of the sail based on the orders from the fisherman at the tiller. The vessel was small and only required a few people to operate it. Hal suspected the fisherman could do it all by himself in a pinch if he had to.

Hal turned forward, watching the approaching naval vessels. He waited for the inevitable cannon fire.

As if he’d predicted it with his thoughts, the gun ports were opened and the cannon barrels run out. “They’re getting ready to take the shot. Let’s hope they’re bad at what they do.”

“Don’t worry, sonny. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve,” the old fisherman called out.

He shouted new orders to Stefan to do something with the sail. Hal was never much of a sailor and had no idea what the words meant but it turned out Stefan was an experienced seaman after serving under Cari and he raced to grab another rope. He pulled at it and they began changing the direction as the sail caught the wind at a new angle.

The fishing captain swung the tiller to the opposite direction and the fishing vessel heeled over on its side, almost capsizing. Hal realized the fisherman timed it perfectly.

The cannons belched fire and smoke and then he heard the thundering rumble of the shots. Cannonballs arched out in their direction but the sudden change in their course caused all to splash into the water far to port. As soon as the cannonballs landed, the fisherman shouted more orders and once again Stefan trimmed the sail while the tiller was shifted once again. This time they changed direction back to their original course, once again heading straight for the harbor mouth.

“They’re going to get at least one more shot off,” Hal said.

“Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on what that fort on the headland by the harbor does,” Mona said. She’d shifted her binoculars to stare at Tandon. The fortress built beside the harbor mouth showed some activity on the battlements. The massive harbor guns overlooked the approach to the harbor.

“What do you see?” Hal asked.

“They’re definitely preparing to fire. And they’ve got bigger guns than you can carry on a ship. I think they’re going to scare off our naval friends with a castle broadside of their own.” Mona looked once more at the battlements of the fort then turned her gaze back onto the lead naval vessel. “It’s going to be really close.”

The next ten seconds were tense on the fishing boat, waiting to see which side got the next shots off.

Hal cheered when the fort fired first.

The larger cannons boomed and belched smoke and fire as their cannonballs flew directly at the first naval vessel. Hal was disappointed at first to see them splash into the ocean a hundred yards short of their target.

The fisherman, however, whooped and hollered. He cheered and pumped his fist in the air.

“Why are you so happy? They missed.”

“They marked their range for the bastards. Look. The Imperial ships are turning around.”

Hal glanced seaward and saw the old fisherman was right. The naval vessels had come about, turning away from their approach to the harbor. The fort had the range on them and if they got any closer could probably smash them to bits before they could return fire.

The little vessel Hal, Mona, and Stefan sailed on had a clear shot at the harbor mouth.

Hal breathed a sigh of relief. This new type of warfare on the high seas made him a bit anxious. He couldn’t understand how Cari had managed to deal with it all this last year in her time as a Raider captain.

As they rounded the headland into the harbor mouth, Hal waved up at the battlements of the harbor fort. His gesture was returned by several of the soldiers manning the guns. Hal turned to Mona. “We should gather our things. I want to make sure we get up to see the Duke a soon as we get in. There’s a lot of things I think we need to put in place before we leave to go try and catch up with Cari.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Mona said. “There’s something I need to check on at the Caravansary Outfitters. I’m hoping Colin can help me with something I need for the portal device. Heath and I almost had it completed, but something is missing and I’m hoping Colin will be able to help me figure out what it is I need to complete the project.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Hal asked.

“No, that’s all right. You and Stefan head up towards the palace. Go tell the Duke what’s going on. I’ll be there as soon as I’m finished at the outfitters.”

The three of them set about gathering their belongings. Living on an open fishing vessel for days as it sailed around the coast had been an interesting experience. It was not one Hal was ready to relive if he had a choice. Still, the captain had lived up to his word and gotten them here in record time. Now he had to do what he could to make sure Cari had the support she needed when she reached the capital. It was going to be a race against time.

As soon as they docked in the harbor and Hal settled up for the cost of their trip with the captain, he and Stefan headed up the hill towards the Palace District. Mona accompanied them the first part of the way, then she peeled off and headed towards the Caravan District with a wave over her shoulder.

Hal wondered if she’d be able to get the answer to the question she had. No matter what happened when they caught up with Cari, they still needed that portal device to get home.

Chapter 21

Mona opened the door leading into the ramshackle collection of buildings that was known as the Caravansary Outfitters. All of the buildings stood pressed up against each other, connecting wall to wall so the peculiar store ran into one continuous building on the inside.

While it looked rundown and decrepit on the outside, the interior of the Caravansary Outfitters was spotless as always. Of course, that didn’t mean that it wasn’t a little bit cluttered and disorganized to the casual eye. Stacks of adventuring items of various types, new and old, were on display in piles everywhere on the floor and on shelves. Some items hung down from hooks in the ceiling beams above.

The store layout was different every time she’d ever entered the building. This particular time there were rows upon rows of stacked muskets, leaned up in racks as if waiting for soldiers to come and grab them from their positions. Each had a bayonet affixed to the end of the barrel. Beside the musket racks were shelves containing powder boxes and cartridge satchels. There were even a few leather bandoliers lying about like she might see in an old-fashioned Mexican western film.

Mona wondered if that meant Collin had a few more modern weapons lying about somewhere. She’d have to ask. It might be nice to have a revolver or even a shotgun or semi-automatic pistol around in the coming days and weeks.

Mona shifted to thinking about the engineering requirements of machining a new type of firearm like a revolver. No one had developed anything like it here in Fantasma yet, although it was only a matter of time. She wondered if she wanted to accelerate that learning curve by creating one herself. It would be handy to have, but there were going to be repercussions across the social fabric of this land if she introduced something like that to a world that wasn’t ready for it.

She was still browsing through the items around her when a tap on her shoulder made her jump in alarm. “Dammit, Colin! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Why does everyone always say that to me? Don’t they realize that’s how I roll?”

Mona turned around and pulled the short man into a tight embrace.

“What was that for?” Colin asked when she let go of him.

“You are the closest I’ve been to my daughter since I’ve been here. You’ve talked to her, not once, but twice. I’m kind of jealous and hoping some of her might’ve rubbed off on you.

“I didn’t hug your daughter. That would be weird.”

Mona laughed and patted the strange little man on the head. “I don’t suppose she’s been back since we left?”

Colin shook his head. “No sign of her. I am pretty sure she’s started heading east. She’s got the young princess with her and she must know the Empress has passed away by now. She is in a race against the clock at this point.”

“That’s what Hal and I think as well. He’s up speaking to the Duke now about rallying some support from the western cities and gathering a military push towards the capital. I’m not sure His Grace will be able to pull anything together in time so the two of us and probably young Stefan are going to head out on our own and try to catch up with her.”

“What brings you here? Do you need some supplies for the road?” Colin asked.

“Probably, but I’m also here because I need your help with something I’ve been working on. You’ve got that permanent portal back-and-forth between the worlds Tildi set up for you years ago, but we don’t have a way to get home right now. I know we can’t use yours. I’m hoping, though, you might be able to help me with a device I’m crafting. I think I’ve almost finished it, but it’s missing something. Would you have a look at it for me?”

“Sure. Come on, and join me back here,” Colin said. “I have a crafter’s bench set up in one of these rooms for making last-minute modifications to gear for my clients.”

Colin started off between the racks of shelves and Mona fell in behind him. His path twisted and turned several times until she was thoroughly lost as usual. Eventually, she gave up on keeping track of her position and the way back to the front door. Colin would make sure she got back out safely.

“Here we are,” Colin said. They entered a small room with a tool bench and racks of equipment and tools of various shapes and sizes lining the walls.

Mona gawked at the room. “How long have you had this?”

“It’s always been here. Why?”

“Because I could have used more than half of these tools long ago. I ended up having to craft the tools from scratch on my own just to get things done. If I’d known I could’ve just come here and bought them, I would have.”

“I am Colin, and this is the Caravansary Outfitters. I offer everything the intrepid adventurer needs. That includes things for artificers like yourself.”

Mona shook her head and decided not to argue the point. In all their interactions in the past, she knew she had mentioned some of her difficulties in crafting new items of higher technology here in Fantasma. Never once had Colin said he had a room full of modern tools like this.

“Where is this thing you want me to take a look at?”

“It’s right here.” Mona reached into her backpack and pulled out the prototype portal device. It had changed form several times before she settled on its current design.

The device looked a little bit like a baker’s rolling pin with buttons, dials, and a few glass windows built into the metal cylinder where a wooden roller would’ve been. There were round metal handles on either side of the central cylinder, sticking out like handlebars. One of them had a lever attached to it like the brake handle on a bicycle.

The other had several circular tiles built into the handle that rotated like a combination lock to enable even more settings and adjustments.

“Oh my, that looks awesome,” Colin said. “Hand it over.”

Mona handed him the prototype and Colin pulled a jeweler’s loop out of his pocket setting it to his eye as he squinted through it, hunched over the portal device. He checked every inch of it with the tiny magnifying lens. As he did so, Colin rattled off random comments on some of the things he noticed. Mona nodded but held off replying to his mutterings to allow him to finish his examination.

When Colin finished his meticulous scan of the device, he set it down on the workbench in front of him and turned to Mona. “My dear, this has got to be one of the most incredible things you’ve ever created. I am not sure what it is you want me to do, though?”

Mona reached over and flipped up a transparent glass cover on the central cylinder. She pointed inside. “It’s the central focal point of the portal generator in there. I’ve got everything else figured out on the device. The only thing I can’t do is adjust the destination. I’m pretty sure if I powered it up and activated it now, it would open a portal. The problem is there’d be no way for me to know where the portal went to. That’s kind of a dangerous thing, don’t you think?”

“Hmm. Let me think for a minute.” Colin stared at the device on the workbench. “Ordinarily back home we’d do this sort of thing with a dedicated chipset build out of silicon and circuit traces. Here, though, we’ve got to think a bit differently. We’ve got to go analog.”

“Agreed,” Mona said, nodding. “What are you thinking?”

“Back in the old days on Earth, old radio systems used crystals as tuners to dial-in the frequency for their shortwave receivers. This isn’t all that different, although you’re tuning in a different sort of waveform with a bit of magic and quantum mechanics thrown in for good measure. Still, the concept is the same. I think you might be able to use a special crystal here in Fantasma to allow you to create the turning mechanism you’re looking for.”

“I don’t suppose you have a crystal fitting the bill just laying around, do you?” Mona waved a hand at all the items scattered across the store around them. “After all, you are the Caravansary Outfitters with supplies for adventurers of all sorts.”

“There’s supplies, and then there’s supplies,” Colin said. “This is something altogether different. That said, I do recall hearing about something that might do what you need. If I’m not mistaken one of the great mages from a few centuries ago was supposed to be able to give his minions the temporary ability to travel by portal even though they weren’t technically mages themselves. It is said he gave them the stone from the head of his staff. It must’ve been something similar to what Hal had on his mage staff, though with a different purpose.”

“If that’s the case, then maybe all we need to do is go back to the Palace in the Crystal City and get his staff. It’s still there in our bedroom leaning up against the wall.”

“I’m not sure that particular stone is what you need. That stone is a scrying stone and allows Hal to see what’s going on in another place. It doesn’t allow him to transport there.”

Colin tapped the side of his head with a finger while he stared up at the ceiling. His lips moved, though Mona could not hear him say anything. It was as if he was talking to himself in a voice only he could hear. After several seconds he snapped his fingers and turned and left the room.

Startled by his sudden departure, Mona grabbed the portal device from the workbench and followed him. She had to jog a little bit to keep up. He almost ran along through the stacks of shelves muttering to himself the whole time.

Colin slid to a stop in front of a large cabinet mounted on the wall and flung open the doors. Inside were wide shelves, set very close together only a few inches apart. It appeared they each held stacks of papers of some sort. He reached up and pulled one of the shelves towards him. It slid outward like a cabinet drawer. A small step ladder stood near the tall cabinet and Colin moved it in place, climbing up on it to peer down into the shelf as he slid it out.

“Not that one.” Colin shook his head and slid the shelf back into position. He pulled out another one. He appeared to be shuffling some of the papers on the shelf. He shook his head again and slid the door shut, opening another one.

“What are you looking for?”

“I think I have a map to that mage’s tower here somewhere. It occurred to me it might make a nice adventuring quest for someone who came to visit the Outfitters. I was planning on charging a pretty penny for it.”

“I suppose we can pay if we have to, Colin, though I was hoping for some sort of professional courtesy, seeing as how we’re nearly family and all.”

Colin waved his hand over his shoulder. “You won’t have to pay, hon, don’t worry.” He opened several more drawers, shuffling through the papers stored inside before he shouted. “Aha!“

Colin pulled a folded parchment from the drawer and climbed back down the ladder. He handed the folded parchment to Mona.

She unfolded the yellowed, crumbling map with care. It was very fragile and some of the edges fell away as she opened it.

“Be careful, my dear. I’m not able to keep things like that in a climate-controlled container like I would if I were at home.”

Mona finished unfolding the map and laid it on the desktop set in the front of the cabinet. She scanned the map for a moment before she got her bearings and realized what she was looking at. “So, this is Tandon down here, right?”

Colin leaned over to see where she’d stabbed a finger down on the map along the coastline shown on the document. “Yes, that’s Tandon. The mage’s tower is up here above the Great Forest. It’s not quite in the Northland, but it’s close.”

“Are you sure this crystal is still there? I’m wondering if we shouldn’t go and try to catch up with Cari first, then go looking for it.”

“I think it’s still there,” Colin said. “I’ve heard nothing about any artifact like it being found and used by anyone. As to holding off on finding it, imagine if you found it and got your transporter working. You’d be able to immediately open a portal to wherever you needed to go. All you’d have to do is fit it into your contraption there and everything would be fixed.”

“In theory, you’re right.”

“Well, yeah, in theory. But you’re the artificer here. If anyone can make it work, you can. Putting things like that together is what you do. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Mona reached out and pulled the tiny man into another hug.

Colin groaned. “I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

“Sorry, I am going to give you another hug every time I see you from now on. This could be the thing that helps us all get home again. Remind me to have you over for dinner once we’re back on Earth.”

“I never turn down a home-cooked meal, Mona, you know that.”

“I’m counting on it, Colin. It’s been too long since we last had you over. Thanks again. Now, I don’t suppose there’s a shortcut from here that’ll get me to the Duke’s palace in a hurry?”

“Of course there is,” Colin said with a wink. “Follow me. I’ll have you there in a jiffy.”

Chapter 22

Cari found Merrick waiting for them at Smiley’s carriage. The four companions marched away from the camp leading not just Merrick’s men and women, but all the drafted imperial soldiers. It turned out all of them were eager to return to their lives and homes. Cari and the others made sure to burn the sergeant’s records of their enlistments so none of them would fear any retribution.

“Merrick,” Cari said as they walked up to the carriage. “I didn’t expect to see you here so close to the action.”

“I wanted to be here to escort my people back into the city. Besides, I have something that belongs to you.” Merrick reached into his coat pocket and pulled free Cari’s holocube.

Cari reached out and took back what she’d once offered as collateral against Prince Timron’s debt.

“So, we’re all settled up then?”

“We are.” Merrick nodded towards his gathered men and women as well as all the others filtering back into the city from the army camp. “You have fulfilled your end of the bargain and then some. I said I would wipe away your debt from our earlier agreement. I have done so.”

“Then I guess this is it unless we somehow meet again.”

“I want you to know, Cari, I am as committed to your ultimate mission as you are. Having Timron on the throne would be devastating, not just to me, but to many of the merchants in and around the empire. The Duke of Charon and his machinations have gone a long way to destabilizing many of our most profitable business ventures as he seeks to control many merchant markets for himself and his allied factions.”

“So, you’re offering direct assistance? I thought you tried to remain in that background and stayed out of politics.”

“I believe this may be a time for more overt action. When you get to the Crystal City, or even close to the Crystal City, and have your plans worked out, reach out to me. I’ll be back in my offices in the Canal District. I will lend what aid I can.”

Cari nodded and reached out, clasping wrists with Merrick. “I’ll do that. I suspect we are going to need all the help we can get.”

Merrick smiled and gathered up his people leading them back into the city walking with the rest of the former imperial troops heading for the city’s north gate.

Cari looked at her friends. All of them were injured in one way or another and needed medical attention. “Come on, let’s get back to the inn. Chance should be able to heal up most of your wounds with his elven magic. We have a lot of planning to do.”

Together the four of them climbed back into the carriage. Cari rapped on the roof with her knuckles, signaling to the driver as she called out. “Back to the inn, Smiley.”

“As you wish, ma’am.”

The carriage once again jolted to a start and took them back into Hyroth. Cari settled back in the seat and closed her eyes as she thought again about how Major Novachik had just disappeared right in front of her. She was sure the two of them would meet again and Cari wanted to come up with a way to counter the trick so he didn’t get away again. She worked through many possible solutions all the way back to the inn.

After they left the carriage and headed into the inn, Cari and her friends found the three Dragoons seated in the upstairs room talking amongst themselves. In the far corner, Percy sat watching over Jaycee. The young princess was curled up on top of a small stack of folded blankets on the floor. She was sound asleep.

Cari pointed to the little girl. “Why isn’t she sleeping in her bed like a normal person?”

“Our little Empress is quite determined and knows what she wants,” Liam said.

Chance laughed. “Determined isn’t the word for it. Stubborn is more likely. She refused to go to bed until you returned from your mission. She threatened to sneak from her room and go down to the common room to wait if we didn’t let her stay.”

Cari smiled at their characterizations of the girl. Determination and stubbornness were things that would stand her in good stead when she took the throne.

“Let’s get her settled back in her room. Percy, you can sit outside the door and guard her while the rest of us come back here and make plans for what we’re going to do next.”

The three Dragoons nodded, and Cari continued. “Chance, is it possible you could lend some healing aid to the others while I get the princess settled? We’re all a little beat up after our fight at the army camp.”

“Of course. Why don’t you three come over here and sit down while I have a look at you.” The elf opened his belt pouch picking out some bandages and herbs. Cari knew he would use some of his elven earth magic in addition to the more traditional first aid. The spell would help the most serious wounds. The rest would be bandaged and treated to heal on their own.

Cari walked over to Percy. “You’ve done an excellent job watching over her, Mr. McShea.”

“I have to, ma’am. She’s important to us all.”

“Agreed. Come and help me get her up. We’re going to take her back to our room. You can stay there and watch over her, alright?”

Percy nodded and helped Cari get Jaycee to her feet. The girl was a little groggy, but as soon as she laid eyes on Cari, she woke enough to wrap her arms around Cari’s neck, giving her a fierce hug.

“I’m so glad to see you back and not hurt, Cari,” Jaycee said. “I was very worried about you and the others. You are alright, aren’t you?”

“We are here, and none the worse for the wear; just some cuts and scrapes to wrap up. See, the others are getting tended to by Chance now.” She pointed behind her to where the elf had started treating a laceration on Rod’s shoulder.

Helen lent a hand, as well, until it was her turn to get her own wounds looked at.

“We’re taking you back to the room, Jaycee,” Percy added. “You said you wouldn’t go to bed until they got back. Well, they’re here. It’s time for bed.”

Jaycee resisted a little bit, grumbling at Percy. She stopped when Cari leveled a stern stare at her. Jaycee gave her chosen champion a shrug and together the three of them went back to the room they shared. Cari tucked the little girl into bed, turned down the oil lamp on the bedside table. As she left, Percy took his position to stand guard at the door.

By the time she returned to the meeting room, Chance and Helen had finished dealing with each of her companions’ wounds. Chance was finishing up, wrapping a bandage around Helen’s injured arm when Cari walked in.

Liam, leaning in his chair against the wall, reached out with his foot and hooked a neighboring chair with his foot and slid it away from the table for Cari. “Your friends tell me you completed the mission for the merchant.”

“We did. It was a close call and I ran into one of the Duke of Charon’s people that I’d run into before, though I didn’t know his name the last time. “

“You have his name now?” Liam asked. “What is it?”

“He called himself Major Carson Novachik.

“Novachik,” Thad growled. He spat on the floor beside his chair and sneered. “It would be that bastard you ran into.”

“Who is he?” Cari asked.

“He used to be one of us. He was a sworn Dragoon sergeant like Chance, Thad, and I,” Liam said.

“I thought you all took an oath? How was it he came to work for the Duke?”

“He was caught stealing from the imperial coffers,” Chance explained. “The Dragoon commander at the time wanted him put to death for betraying his oath. Empress Kareena said we must show mercy to him for his past faithful service. He was merely drummed out of imperial service and stripped of his Dragoon rank by the regiment. We’d heard the Duke of Charon had snatched him up, adding him to the payroll. We weren’t sure, though. It’s interesting to find out what he’s been doing since then.”

“He claimed to be in charge of the Duke of Charon’s security force.”

“Carson always did have a high opinion of himself,” Thad said. “What I wouldn’t do to cross blades with him just once. It would be good to take him down a peg or two.”

“He’s very good with the sword,” Cari said. “The first time I met him, he almost killed me. This time we fought to a draw and he managed to escape.”

“It’s a shame you couldn’t manage to capture him,” Liam said.

His tone and the look on his face sent a chill down her spine. Cari shook her head. “He got away before I got the chance. It was the darnedest thing. We were fighting a desperate duel, one on one. Then, when things turned against him, he just disappeared. One minute he was there, the next he was gone. I found boot prints in the dirt that might have been his walking away, but I couldn’t be sure.”

Chance let out a wry chuckle. “Looks like he’s still got it, Liam.”

Liam nodded. “It’s that damned invisibility ring of his. It’s some sort of family heirloom. He had it back in his days in the palace, too.”

“He’s always bragged about how that thing was going to bring him to high places,” Chance remarked. “We always suspected it was the way he managed to get access to the imperial treasury’s coffers. We never did recover all the gold and silver he stole.”

“Is there any way to track him once he disappears?” Cari was curious. These men knew more about this adversary and she had a feeling she’d run into him again. “I found tracks like I said, but it’s not practical to try and spot his boot prints in the midst of a fight. There must be another way to track him in a battle, so he doesn’t sneak up behind you.”

Chance nodded. “Such things and powers usually have limitations. In his case, Novachik can only use the ring’s powers once per day. Plus, if he were to attack while invisible, it would dispel the magic instantly leaving him visible and without a way to escape should things turn against him again.”

“That’s good to know,” Cari said.

Cari settled in the chair and took in the group she’d assembled around the table. She had the three Dragoons back again, as well as Rodrigo, Helen, and Francesca. It was time to talk about moving on towards the capital.

“I don’t think we can stay here any longer. Word is bound to get out of the rescue from the imperial camp. People are bound to put two and two together and connect me with the incident. That’s bound to alert the wrong people that we’re in the city.”

“Plus, there’s the problem of Novachik running around out there,” Helen added. “He’s going to let his boss know exactly where you are. I agree we should leave Hyroth first thing in the morning.”

“That leads me to my next question,” Cari said. “Do we just head straight back to the Crystal City by the most direct path?”

“We have no way of knowing where Timron is,” Chance pointed out. “If we don’t take the most direct route, or something close to it, we may find ourselves out of time. Once the prince assumes the throne, he will have all of the resources of the empire along with the Duke of Charon behind him. It will be tough to dislodge him once that has happened.”

“The direct route is best, then,” Cari said. “I’ll head down and check with the innkeeper before I go to bed. Hopefully, he and his wife can put together some travel rations for us to use on the road. It’s probably best we avoid any sort of inn or towns along the way, at least as a group. We’ll camp outside any villages and send one or two of us in for supplies. That should make it harder for the Duke and Novachik to track us down.”

“That’s a good idea,” Liam said. “We can travel with you, though at some point, the three of us are going to have to split off from your group and go out to the countryside around the capital to gather our former comrades in arms. I agree with your earlier request of us. It’s time the Dragoons reformed again and came together to serve their empress.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll travel together as far as we can, then we’ll meet back up in the Crystal City to bring our final plans together. I suggest an inn called The Last Retreat.”

Liam nodded. “We know that place. They’re friendly to the cause and will help conceal us. We’ll meet back up there if we get separated sooner than expected.”

Cari stood, joined by her new, larger group of companions. “Let’s all get some rest. We’ll leave right after dawn and an early breakfast.”

Quest accepted — Get Jaycee to the Crystal City

Chapter 23

The next morning, Cari and Jaycee met the rest of their companions downstairs in the inn’s common room. Though it was still dark out, innkeeper’s wife was up and had already laid out quite a spread for their breakfast. There were also several satchels of food for the journey set nearby against the wall.

“This is very generous of you,” Cari told the innkeeper as his wife and one of the serving girls came around with their platters of eggs, sausage, cheese, and fresh biscuits.

“It’s the least we could do, Cari. All of you are going to need your strength for the road. I’m only sorry I am too old to head back into battle. My sword arm’s not what it used to be.” The old innkeeper reached out and massaged his right shoulder. “My arthritis keeps me from doing much more than pull the ale tap anymore.”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Cari said, gesturing at the food on the table. “This is just fine. Thank you.”

The companions all sat and dug in, eating a full breakfast. There wasn’t much banter. Everyone was still waking up and their minds seemed to be focused on eating and the rigors of the road ahead.

When they were finished the party gathered up their packs and weapons, including the additional food supplies provided by the innkeeper and his wife, and set out from the inn.

“Which way do we go from here?” Cari asked once they were outside. “We could head through the city to the eastern gate or leave by the caravan gate here and walk around Hyroth to the south.”

“I think it’s best we get out of the city sooner rather than later,” Liam said. “As you pointed out last night, there are going to be people looking for us this morning to either follow us or try to slow us down. I say we leave by the closest gate and circle around to the east.”

Cari considered what Liam said for a few seconds. It made sense and she nodded for him to lead the way as they walked towards the caravan gate. They circled to the south and then east around the city and soon reached the far side to join the road heading towards the capital.

As they walked throughout the morning with the city receding in the distance, Cari checked back on Jaycee from time to time. The little girl was resilient and insisted on carrying her own pack when walking. She wanted to shoulder her share of the load. One of the things that amused Cari right away, as their journey began, was how Jaycee attached herself to the orc Dragoon, Thad. Though usually quiet and taciturn, he displayed a surprisingly gentle side when it came to the young princess.

Cari dropped back until she was next to him. “Thad, just let me know if you need any help keeping an eye on her.”

“I will never tire of spending time with my little empress here. She means everything to the Empire and to me.”

When she heard his words, Jaycee’s broad grin beamed up at the orc from where she walked beside him.

Cari returned to the front of their group, rejoining Liam as they walked along the side of the road eastward. She remarked on what Thad said.

Liam smiled. “Thad took it very hard when we received word of Empress Kareena’s death. He’d long worried she would die alone without anyone there to protect her.”

“Protect her even in death?” Cari asked.

“Yes, it is something to do with the Orcish funeral rites. He says that there must be a proper honor guard for the dead until they’re led to their final resting place. He always believed he should be part of that honor guard as the Empress got older.”

“Speaking of age, I know Chance, as an elf, is much older than the rest of you. He remembers my father’s time here in Fantasma. How old is Thad?”

“I’m not sure. Orcs are nowhere near as long-lived as elves, but I’d guess he’s probably close to 80 or 90-years-old.” Liam smiled as he answered her. “He remembers tales his father told of fighting in the war with your father. Orcs live longer lives than humans do. Based on his father’s service with Prince Hal, as soon as Thad was old enough, he traveled to the Crystal City and enlisted in the Dragoon regiment. I’ve heard tales of how difficult it was for him as an orc recruit in the beginning, but he never gave up. He’s earned his place in the unit many times over through the years since then.”

Cari glanced back over her shoulder and smiled again. Jaycee was skipping along holding Thad’s hand as they traveled down the road, her tiny pink hand dwarfed by the orc’s huge green fist. She appeared to be chattering up at the orc about something or other. He just smiled and nodded as she talked.

This was another instance where the three Dragoons surprised her with the things they did and what she learned about them. Cari smiled to herself as she listened to the little girl’s voice behind her.

They settled down for lunch at midday. Over the course of the morning, they passed many travelers heading in both directions on the road. They’d run into no trouble, though, which was a relief. Cari was sure they’d be followed from the city by some of the Duke’s men once it was discovered they’d left. She was sure someone was watching all the gates for Cari and her friends.

As they shared their lunch seated in a circle beside the road, Cari listened as the new companions in the group got to know each other better. Helen and Francesca used Rodrigo as a bridge between themselves and the Dragoons, telling stories of the young man’s exploits as a lieutenant on a Raider ship with the Dread Pirate Cari.

He helped them by drawing them into conversations with the trio about stories his uncle shared with him about the three of them. Jaycee sat beside Thad, eating a sandwich of sliced ham and cheese. She listened intently to the stories the two groups shared. Of all the stories they swapped, the three Dragoons were most interested in hearing about Cari’s exploits aboard the Vengeance.

Hearing about herself in stories told by her companions this way made her a little uncomfortable. They made everything she did sound so heroic. She’d only been doing what she thought was right.

When Liam saw her shake her head at one point, he asked her why she had that reaction and she explained her feelings on the incidents recounted by Rodrigo and the others as just what anyone would do.

As she finished her explanation, it was his turn to shake his head. “Cari, from everything I just heard about what you’ve done, it was much more than a common person would do in your position.”

Chance chimed in to agree with Liam. “I knew your father, Cari. He did the same sort of things you did. He, too, only acted on what he thought was the right thing to do and somehow managed to save an entire empire. It appears you’ve done much the same thing, or close to it, in your short time here on Fantasma.”

Cari considered what the two soldiers said. Part of her was irked at being compared to her father. Another part felt a sense of pride at being able to do things that made people compare her to him. It was a strange, conflicted feeling and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

She decided to change the subject and get them back on the road east. Cari stood up and got them packing up their lunch and donning their packs to resume their trip east.

They didn’t make it back onto the road to resume their journey before a mounted patrol came down the track from the west. There were eight mounted troopers. They turned off the road towards the group as soon as they spotted them packing up their meal.

The leader of the group rode over to them. “We are looking for some ruffians and thieves who attacked an imperial camp outside of Hyroth. Tell us who you are and what your businesses is here on the Imperial Road.”

Cari started to answer, but Liam stepped in front of her. “Sergeant, we are merely traveling together out of convenience. This young family here,” Liam said indicating Cari, Rodrigo, and Jaycee, “were concerned when they heard about that attack. They asked if they could join us as we traveled east to attend the coronation of the new emperor.”

Cari noticed the remaining mounted troopers had spread out in a loose semicircle, partially surrounding her group of friends. She didn’t think the sergeant was going to let them get away with such a simple explanation.

She was right.

“That might be the truth, or it might not,” the sergeant said. “I still think I should take you in. My superiors back in Hyroth will want to question you and make sure you are who you say you are. If everything you say is true, you’ll be allowed to proceed eastward again. Corporal, take them into custody,” he said to his assistant troop leader.

Without missing a beat, Liam reached up and yanked the sergeant from his saddle. He fell to the ground, the impact driving the air from his lungs. As he struggled to rise and draw his saber, Liam’s dirk slammed into his chest up to the hilt, killing him instantly.

“Don’t let any of them get away,” Liam shouted.

Cari turned and charged at the nearest horseman. He had drawn a saber and hacked down at her as she approached. She was inexperienced at fighting mounted troops from the ground and she almost failed to deflect the heavy cavalry saber’s downward stroke as she charged forward. Springing into the air, she leaped forward at the soldier from a dead run slamming into him as his blade swung wide and missed her. The force of her attack carried both of them off the horse to fall to the ground on the far side.

Cari twisted so she landed atop the man. She heard the air expelled from his lungs as the combined weight of them both crushed down on him. The trooper gasped for air for a few seconds while simultaneously struggling to free his saber arm from beneath himself.

Cari rolled off him and bounced back to her feet. She was a little winded herself and it took a few deep breaths to gather her wits. Unfortunately, that gave the trooper a chance to rise and face her.

Cari made the first strike while he staggered erect. He parried the blow and followed with an attack of his own. The cavalry trooper was good, but Cari was better. In a few seconds, she beat down several probing attacks he made before working her way past his defenses and running him through with a thrust to the heart.

3,000 experience awarded

Cari pivoted, scanning the fighting around her to see where she could lend a hand. The others had managed to dispatch the remainder of the mounted troops. It looked like Percy hung back watching over Jaycee, cutlass drawn and ready to strike at anyone who came near. He caught Cari looking in his direction and grinned at her. She gave him a nod of approval and his grin grew even brighter.

“Grab the horses,” Cari said. “We can use them to travel faster than on foot.”

“They’ve got imperial saddle blankets,” Thad remarked. “No one’s going to think they’re private mounts.”

“I don’t care,” Cari said, shaking her head. “I think we need to get farther away from Hyroth as quickly as possible.”

“No, she’s right,” Liam agreed. “Gather the horses. Let’s get back on the road.

In the end, they opted to turn the saddle blankets over, which partially hid the imperial emblem. They could do nothing about the embossed imperial crests on the leather saddles themselves, but someone would need to approach pretty close to them to spot that. The simple disguise they’d managed would have to do for now. Jaycee opted to ride behind Thad which gave each of the others their own mount.

Percy was a little skittish about riding a horse, Cari could see. He was trying to show a little bluster, but it was something he knew nothing about. Growing up on a ship, he never had an occasion to ride a horse.

Cari caught Rodrigo’s eye and nodded in young Percy’s direction. Rodrigo glanced that way, then smiled and whispered, “I’ve got this.”

“Good. Be nice.”

“Always. He just needs someone to teach him.”

Rodrigo walked over and helped familiarize Percy with how to check his saddle and make sure the stirrups were correctly adjusted before mounting. Percy seemed to relax immediately at the assistance from the slightly older man. Cari smiled as Percy mounted. He seemed a little surer of himself. She climbed on her own horse. It hadn’t been that long for her since she first rode a horse either.

“Let’s go,” she called out. “We’re burning daylight.”

Cari winced to herself at using that phrase. Her father used it all the time when he’d thought she wasted time getting moving in the morning. It seemed appropriate to use it here, though. They still had a long way to go before nightfall. She wanted to get as far away from the dead troopers beside the road as possible.

Chapter 24

As expected, the party covered much more ground on horseback. They traveled for nearly two days before trouble caught up with them again. Again and again, they encountered imperial patrols. So far, they’d been able to avoid them, either talking their way past officials or, on a few occasions, hiding from them as they passed.

Their luck ran out when they crested a low rise in the imperial road to run into a full troop of imperial cavalry taking a break beside the road. The troopers were all seated in the grass, relaxing by their mounts. The captain in charge of the unit, still seated on his horse, pointed in the group’s direction and shouted, “It’s them. Don’t just sit there, you fools, chase ‘em down.”

Cari made a snap decision and decided they should try to fight their way through, rather than run. Drawing her sword, Cari kicked her mount with her heels, spurring it forward at the imperial officer still calling out orders to his resting troopers. He spotted her coming and wheeled his mount around, drawing his saber to prepare for her charge.

As she reached his side, the two of them traded blows as the horses danced around each other. It was difficult fighting on horseback and Cari had to work hard to make sure she didn’t accidentally hack off her mount’s ear or some other body part.

The unfamiliar situation made it difficult for her to use any of her normal attack moves and the captain got in the first hit, as Cari’s horse shifted to the side, suddenly causing her to miss her attempt to parry his attack. His slashing blow landed and gouged a deep gash in her left leg.

Health damage — health -10

Cari hissed at the pain and tried to return with an attack of her own. The horse had moved too far away from the captain, though, and she was unable to land the attack. She stretched out awkwardly, extended from her horse’s side and nearly fell from her saddle.

As she recovered her position, the captain spun his mount around and charged back in at her. Cari managed to bring her dagger up and parry his heavy saber attack. At the very last instant, she knocked his blade aside.

Cari followed the incoming attack with a desperate thrusting attack. To her surprise, it worked and the rapier stabbed through the captain’s shoulder. She withdrew her blade immediately as the officer tried to follow up with a counterattack.

He swung the saber around trying to take off the top of Cari’s head with his heavier cavalry blade. Cari ducked under the attack and thrust forward with a dagger. This time she connected with it. It plunged into the center of his chest.

The captain stared down at the dagger impaled in his heart, then looked up at Cari with surprised eyes before he slid from his saddle to the ground.

5,000 experience awarded

Cari pulled at her reins, turning her mount, looking for Jaycee. The girl was still seated behind Thad, clutching onto the orc for dear life as he expertly maneuvered his horse to keep her away from any of the attacks coming in at him. The orc Dragoon showed several wounds on his arms, though, and Cari immediately raced to his aid.

The arrival of a new attacker caught the trooper slashing at Thad by surprise. Cari landed a double combination of slashes with her sword. She followed with a final thrust forward with her dagger as she rode past. The light rapier blade only caused a few minor wounds. Her dagger, however, sank deep into the cavalryman’s side, piercing his kidneys.

The trooper screamed in agony. His back arched and he pitched over off the back of the horse, landing lifeless on the ground.

3,000 experience awarded

“Thad, get Jaycee out of here. I’ll send the others down the road after you as soon as I can.”

Thad grunted in agreement and spurred his mount forward through the melee by the road, racing towards a copse of trees ahead. Cari turned to find another target.

The patrol had been a large one, with fifteen troopers and the captain. Cari had accounted for two of them but her companions were still involved in engagements with the remaining soldiers. More than half the cavalrymen were down, though.

Seeing the way things were going and without an officer to rally them, the last of the troopers lost heart. They wheeled their mounts around, trying to race away from the battle.

Helen and Francesca each drew a pistol and fired at their retreating adversaries. Each of them managed to fell one of the troopers.

Liam and Chance each managed to cut down the one they were fighting as they turned to escape. The other four troopers got away, galloping off down the road to the west.

“Leave them,” Cari ordered. “I sent Thad on ahead to those trees with Jaycee. Get after him and watch out for other patrols.”

As the others turned their mounts around and raced off after Thad, Liam rode up to Cari. He shook his head. “Those four are going to bring more trouble after us. There is an imperial cavalry garrison not too far from here. We’re going to have a lot more imperial soldiers here before we know it.”

“What should we do?” Cari asked.

“We need some sort of a diversion. We need a way to get them to think we’ve gone one way when in fact we’ve got another.”

Cari shook her head. “It won’t work. We might divert them for a short time, but they’ll figure out we’ve gone in a different direction soon enough.”

“Perhaps if we split up. We could leave you, Jaycee, and a few others in hiding while the rest of us lead the mounts away. We might be able to do it in such in such a manner as to encourage the troopers to chase after us.

Cari pondered Liam’s suggestion. The only problem with the plan was that anyone who saw them would realize that the Dragoons were leading rider-less horses.

She shook her head. “As soon as they spot you, they’ll realize what we’ve done right away.”

Liam shrugged. “I am not sure what else we can do. We’re not going to be able to fight our way into the capital. We’re going to have to use trickery at some point. We have to make them think we’re headed to the capital from a different direction.”

Cari thought about the problem for a few seconds then snapped her fingers. “What if we split up as you suggest, except we make it look like we’re all still together. It’s going to require you to stay just ahead of them but still in sight for as long as you can. Eventually, you’ll lose them while leaving a trail for them to follow. Can you do that?”

“I can. Chance, Thad, and I are used to riding hard and fast. They won’t catch us, especially since we will have fresh mounts along for the ride. The question is how are you going to make them think that you’re still traveling with us?”

Cari reached into her belt pouch and pulled out her holocube. “With this.”

“That is a strange looking device. I assume it’s something you brought with you when you came to Fantasma. How does it work?”

“It is from my home and it allows me to project images and sounds that look real. If I can manage to tweak the projector settings right, we should be able to make it look like Jaycee and the rest of us are traveling with you. It won’t work close up, but from a distance, it should look like we’re all riding on horseback right behind you. All we have to do is mount it to the back of your saddle in some way. With the projector pointing to the rear, it’ll show the rest of us galloping behind you. You ride at the rear of the group, with Thad and Chance leading the remounts ahead of you. The picture behind will look like the rest of us are there with you.”

“What a strange and wondrous device. It must be a valuable magic relic.”

“Not magic, technology,” Cari said. “Come on, let’s get to the tree line and hide while we put this plan together. It’s going to take me a little while to program the holoprojector to do what we need it to do. I need to take the pictures it’ll need to approximate our appearance and animate the characters.”

Cari and Liam rode after the others already heading for the small cluster of trees beside the road.

The others were waiting as the two of them arrived in the wooded lot. Cari beckoned for them to follow her as she moved as far away from the road as possible. It was imperative they remain hidden while she finished what she had to do.

As Cari explained the plan she had come up with, the others seem alarmed. “If we get separated as you suggest, they’ll have a much easier time capturing either group if they do figure out where you are,” Helen said. “Who do you plan on taking with you and who do you plan on sending off to lead the searchers away from you?”

“My plan is to have the three Dragoons lead the horses away and make it look like all of us are fleeing to the south. Once they’ve gotten the search parties to move away from this area, we’ll continue onward towards the Crystal City on the main road.”

“And this magical device of yours is up to the task?” Rodrigo asked. “Will its magical charge last that long?

“I think it will do the trick if that’s what you’re asking. It’s just going to take me a little while to get it set up to do what I want it to do. Why don’t all of you get some rest and have something to eat. That will give me a chance to get my work done.”

While the others set to putting together a midday meal, Cari took out her holo cube. She checked the charge. It would re-charge on its own if was kept in the sunlight while they were riding. What charge it had should last them a half a day or so. The projector’s minimum charge was good for about 4 to 6 hours, give or take.

Cari set the small metal cube on a flat stone at the edge of the trees so that it would capture some sunlight. Whatever trickle charge she could manage to add to the batteries would help it work a little bit longer.

While it sat and charged, she deployed the virtual keyboard and holo-display. She called up the menu of basic animations built into the presentation software she used for school. She wasn’t a professional animator by any means, nor did she have the tools used to create photo-realistic, full length animated holo dramas using animated characters.

Cari didn’t need to start from scratch, though. She used the cube’s 360° camera system to snap photographs of everyone in the party as they moved about behind her. It only took her a few minutes to assemble several different angles of each person. Then she collected the various photos and rendered 3-D figures of each member of the group including herself.

As she looked at the figures of the party hovering in the air over the projector, she nodded as she made final adjustments to each one of them. These would definitely fool pursuers from a distance. However, when anyone got close, there would be many details that just didn’t look quite right. She didn’t have the time to add them either so she had to trust the three Dragoons to be able to keep their distance from anyone chasing after them and break contact before they were caught.

Once she had the 3-D renderings of each person, it was easy to add an animation of them riding horses. She set the program to judge the appropriate running speed of the horses based upon the moving speed of the projector. Its internal sensors would be able to approximate that based upon its own sense of position and direction.

She heard a gasp behind her. She turned to see Rodrigo standing there looking at the group of riders on horseback moving around in the meadow behind the trees. “That is amazing. I don’t care what you call it. I’m telling you that is magic right there.”

Cari smiled and didn’t bother to correct him. She could only imagine what this must look like to his eyes. “I’m almost finished. Do they look real to you?”

Rodrigo nodded and pointed at himself riding a horse. “That would fool my mother, I think.”

“Good, then it’ll definitely fool a troop of imperial guards chasing after them.”

Cari finished up just as the others completed their meal. Liam brought over a sandwich. “That’s the remainder of our sliced ham. You’ll have to stop in a village or town at some point soon to resupply.”

Cari was still bothered by the battery life of the unit. The animation was going to draw more power than she’d expected. “I’ve run into a bit of trouble with the display.” Cari pointed at the horses moving about. “It will run a lot longer if it projects a smaller group. I’m thinking of using it to only project three of us following after you.”

Liam cocked his head to one side and raise an eyebrow in question. “Which three did you have in mind. Obviously one of them is Jaycee, and I assume another is yourself. “

Cari nodded. “I’ll send Francesca and Rodrigo with you. That would leave Helen and me to take Jaycee on towards the capital.”

“That won’t work,” Liam said. “Two women traveling on the road armed to the teeth and escorting a young girl will draw attention to you. I think it should be Rodrigo who stays behind with you.”

“Why? I would think he would want to travel with the three of you and help round up the disbanded Dragoons.”

Liam disagreed. “If Rodrigo travels with you, the two of you can pose as Jaycee’s parents. She’s a young girl and the two of you can pose as a young couple traveling to visit relatives. The imperial soldiers are looking for a group of armed fighters traveling on horseback. They should pay little to no attention to a young farming couple traveling down the road.

“I don’t think I look much like a farmer’s wife,” Cari said.

“No, I guess you don’t at that,” Liam laughed. “We’ll have to make some adjustments and you’ll have to carry your weapons in a bundle on your packs so they remain hidden. I think it’s the best option. We’ll take Francesca, Helen, and Percy along with us. You can create the magical image of you Rodrigo and Jaycee riding along behind us.”

Cari considered what Liam said. His argument made sense. Helen and the others had come up to stand beside Liam. They overheard the conversation and the change in their plan.

“What do you think, Helen?”

“I think it has the best chances of succeeding if we leave the three of you behind, Cari. I do hate leaving you this way. Rodrigo can hold his own in a fight, though. He’ll be good backup for you.”

“Good, it’s settled,” Cari said. “Let’s get this working. There’s got to be another patrol coming along here before too long. Those four troopers who escaped are going to come back with all the help they can gather. “

Cari took the holoprojector and made the changes so that three people rode on horseback in the animated image it produced. The cube itself was about two and a half inches on a side. They secured it to the rear of Liam’s saddle so it projected out over his horse’s rump.

“Liam, this device draws its energy from the sunlight. As often as possible keep it out in full sun. If it shuts down as it runs out of power, you can recharge it that way. Then all you have to do is press this button on top and it will begin the same sequence of projections again. That way, if you break contact, you can recharge it. Then, need it again, you’ll have it.”

Liam smiled. “We’ll lead them on a merry chase. “

“It’ll be the best story to tell when this is all over with,” Thad said. “No one will believe a word of it.”

Chance chuckled. “That’ll just give you an excuse to start a fight with them, won’t it?”

Thad laughed aloud and nodded. His friends knew him well.

“There’s a troop of soldiers coming down the road from the west,” Percy called out from the other side of the cluster of trees.

“Everyone on their horses,” Liam called out. “It’s time to see if this trick works.”

“Rodrigo, gather Jaycee and find a place to hide in the trees,” Cari ordered. “I’ll join you as soon as I turn the projector on and get them on their way.”

Rod took Jaycee by the hand and walked to the other side of the trees away from the road.

Cari reached up and clasped wrists with Liam. She smiled and nodded at the others. “Godspeed. Let’s hope this little plan of mine works.”

“We’ll make sure they see us as we leave the trees. Once they give chase, it should be safe for the three of you to strike back out on the road. Though it might make more sense to go cross country for a short time first.”

Cari nodded. She offered a grim smile as Liam and the others rode out onto the meadow behind the trees. From her vantage point about twenty feet away, it looked like she, Rod, and Jaycee were riding just behind them.

As soon as they appeared from the trees, a shout went out from the imperial troopers trotting down the road from the west.

Once they realized they’d been spotted, Liam called out to the others. They spun their horses about, heading south, cross-country away from the road.

Cari watched from behind a tree as the imperial soldiers took the bait. The officer in charge shouted and pointed after the fleeing Dragoons, accompanied by Helen, Francesca, and Percy. Soon the entire troop of imperials, amounting to what looked like about thirty soldiers, gave chase.

As they disappeared into the countryside to the south of them, Cari checked the road to the west. It was clear. There was no sign of more soldiers coming after the first group.

Moving from her hiding place behind the tree, Cari went back into the small grove and found Rodrigo and Jaycee hidden under a fallen log. “It’s safe now. You can come on out. Let’s get ourselves situated so we look like a farming couple on the road to visit family.”

Together she and Rodrigo bundled up their weapons, each of them wrapping their swords in a blanket to create a long thin bundle they tied across their backs with some rope. They both kept their daggers on their belts. If it came to a quick fight, they wouldn’t have time to unwrap their swords. They needed to have some way to defend themselves.

Cari took out her traveling cloak and pulled it about her. If she wore it in this manner, with the front closed, no one would be able to see her attire. It might appear as if she were wearing a dress underneath if she was careful how she walked with people nearby. Rodrigo did much the same, though it was easier for him to disguise himself since he wasn’t a woman wearing men’s attire.

“What do you think?” Cari asked. “Do we look like the proper couple?”

Jaycee clapped her hands. “You both look perfect. I like to pretend. This will be fun.”

“It’ll be fine as long as we play the part. From now on, Jaycee you are Janie again. Rodrigo and I are mama and papa. Got that?”

The little girl nodded in earnest. She smiled at Cari. “When are we getting on the road mama?”

Cari smiled. The little girl was way smarter than herself at that age. “I guess we get on the road now, little one. Shall we go, husband?”

Rodrigo nodded and smiled back at her. Together the three of them stepped out of the woods and started across the fields to the east.

Chapter 25

Cari, Rodrigo, and Jaycee made good time on foot that evening. They managed to get far away from the place where the soldiers began chasing their friends to the south. As it got dark, they camped out in a small abandoned barn just off the road for the night. While most of the roof was missing, there was partial cover in one corner. It was there the three of them settled down for a cold night in camp.

In the morning they set out again, pressing on through a light drizzle of rain and traveled eastward. Fighting with the wet grass and mud in the fields, Cari made a decision to return to the road and make their way on it towards the Crystal City.

Judging from maps she’d seen of the empire and pulling up her Earth Sense ability, Cari figured they had four or five days more travel on foot before they reached the region of the Empire in which the Crystal City lay.

They traveled most of the day without seeing anyone else on the road. The rain let up around noon the three of them had mostly dried out by midafternoon. They were in pretty remote country here. And as it got dark, Cari made the decision to settle in and look for a place to camp for the night. She stopped their progress towards the nearby trees when a group of seven men rode from the tree line and cut them off. The men moved to block the road ahead of the three of them.

Cari glanced at Rod. Judging from the worried look on his face, he was just as concerned as she was. Jaycee had moved behind Cari and clutched at her hand.

“What is it you want?” Cari asked the men as they got down from their horses and approach the trio.

“We have to charge a toll for people passing along this section of road,” one of the men said. That brought laughter from the other six.

Cari scowled. Clearly, these were common brigands who waylaid travelers passing by, stealing from them or exacting extortion for free passage along the road. Cari didn’t like people who treated others that way. Though it bothered her that they might have to pay to avoid a fight, she had to remember the mission and keep her temper under control.

“We have nothing you would want,” Rodrigo said. “We are just a young family traveling to visit relatives to the east. We have nothing of value.”

“We’ll see about that. Search them,” the leader said.

The other robbers dismounted and approached.

Cari backed up trying to decide if she could get her sword free of the bundle on her back in time to put up a fight. Rodrigo backed away on the other side of Jaycee. He’d already drawn his dagger.

The man saw the dagger pointed at his men and laughed. “Look, lads, the boy thinks he can play this off with that little pig sticker.”

The statement brought more laughter from the group and they increased their speed, closing the gap between them.

Just as the men were about to reach them and Cari was getting ready to launch an attack on the group. Horses rode down the road from the east in their direction. Cari looked past the men moving up on her to see a patrol of twenty or so men in the Duke of Charon’s uniforms riding towards them. Cari wasn’t sure if she should be happy or concerned.

The leader of the brigands shouted at his men. “More soldiers, boys. Let’s get out of here.”

The six men approaching Cari, Rod, and Jaycee turned around and ran back to their horses. They mounted and took off back to the north, racing away across the fields at top speed. Cari heard a distant shout as the officer in charge of the column pointed at the fleeing men. Immediately, a group of twelve troopers took off after the would-be robbers.

The remaining soldiers and their officer came on down the road towards where Cari and the other two stood.

The officer tipped his hat at the three of them. “I hope you three are well? It is dangerous to travel this stretch of road in such a small group. I’m surprised someone didn’t tell you that.”

“We lost our farm when the most recent crop failed,” Rodrigo said. We had no choice but to travel eastward to seek out our family there. My wife and daughter and I have nowhere else to go.”

Cari thought he did an excellent job of sounding like a meek and humble farmer.

The officer seemed to believe him, too. “Well, you can travel along with us back to our garrison. Once you’re there, we can see about connecting you with a regular wagon train heading east. They can take you on towards your family. Does that sound all right?”

Cari and Rod exchanged glances. Cari nodded, and Rod turned to the officer. “That would be perfect. Thank you, sir.”

The officer instructed his men to head back the way they had come. They had some spare mounts, so Jaycee and Cari rode one of the horses while Rod rode the other. They moved down the imperial road amid the group of guards to the east.

Cari glanced at Rod. This wasn’t necessarily the best of options for them. For the time being, though, at least they were headed in the right direction.

They traveled along for an hour or so and Cari soon noticed something strange about the officer’s demeanor. He’d leaned over and whispered something to the trooper riding next to him. He pointed at something he held his hand, but Cari couldn’t see what it was.

They all continued along the road. The officer glanced back in her direction on several occasions. He smiled at her when he caught her looking at him.

On one occasion, when he turned back to the front, Cari caught a glimpse of what he was holding. It looked like some sort of wanted poster. The face drawn on the paper was unmistakable. It was hers.

Cari pretended not to see anything and continued riding along as if nothing happened. She nudged Rodrigo with her boot. When he looked her way, she mouthed the word “trouble.”

Rodrigo looked forward and saw the officer talking to his sergeant at the front of the group. Rodrigo nodded. He had slipped his bedroll off his shoulders and rode with the bundle that hid his sword across his lap.

It was a good idea and Cari wished she had done the same thing. She tried to shift the bundle around in front of her. The officer glanced back again. He saw her shifting her bundle and frowned.

“Is everything all right, mistress?” The man asked.

“Yes, I’m just a little uncomfortable, that’s all. I’m trying to situate my pack here so that it’s easier on my daughter riding behind me.”

“Well, we’ll be stopping soon to have a rest. Perhaps you can rearrange your pack then. It won’t be long.”

Cari nodded but continued working at her pack. She whispered under her breath hoping Jaycee could hear her. “Jaycee, these men know who we are. When the fighting starts, stay on the horse and ride for the nearest trees to the north. Don’t worry, we’ll catch up to you. Don’t stop for anything unless it’s Rod or me. Keep moving north.”

Jaycee squeezed Cari in a hug from behind. “Yes, mama,” the little girl said, playing her part.

The officer rode to a clearing on the side of the road. “We’ll stop up here.”

As they arrived at the clearing, the soldiers dismounted. The officer and sergeant talked to each other and then the sergeant moved over to speak to another pair of troopers next to them.

Cari realized it was now or never. Rodrigo had already dismounted. His hand reached inside the blanket roll holding his sword. He was ready to pull out his weapon. Cari got down from the horse but left Jaycee up in the saddle. The little girl slid forward and grasped the rains. Once all the troopers had dismounted Cari reached her hand into her bundle.

At that instant the officer pointed to the sergeant, calling out his orders. “Get them!”

Cari slapped the horse’s rump in front of her, sending Jaycee, seated atop it northward across the road. As the little girl fled, Cari reached into her bundle and pulled out her sword. She drew her dagger with her other hand.

Cari armed herself just in time to deflect the incoming attack of the nearest trooper behind her. The other one was trying to mount his horse to take off after Jaycee.

Cari shouted at Rodrigo. “Don’t let any of them mount up and go after the girl.”

Rodrigo had already seen what he needed to do. He’d cut down one of the troopers already and was facing off against the sergeant and another one.

Cari ignored the one attacking her from behind and ran over to the one trying to mount his horse. She got there just as he mounted up and reached up to pull the man down again. A swift sword thrust from behind her slashed across her back. Cari winced and ignored the pain.

Health damage — health -10

Despite the injury, she managed to yank the trooper from his saddle and he slammed to the ground. She finished it with a thrust of her dagger to his throat. As she killed the man, she took another hit from behind.

3,000 experience awarded

Health damage — health -12

Cari turned around to face the attacker who’d managed to get in the last hit on her. She blocked his next attack and followed it up with a lunging riposte of her own. She managed to cut a gash across his cheek that bled freely. It wasn’t a deadly wound, unfortunately.

He grimaced and continued pressing his own attacks on her. The officer in charge of the guards moved over to join him against Cari.

The two of them pressed in on her as she worked to hold them both back. She managed to fight off the trooper’s blade and blocked the incoming officer’s slashes as he drove in at her.

Pressing the officer backward with a fresh combination of thrusts and slashes, Cari pivoted around, crouching low, using her leg to sweep the feet out from under the trooper in front of her. The move caught him by surprise and he fell to the ground with a groan.

Cari continued her spinning move, bringing herself back to her feet. She was just in time to catch the incoming attack from the officer. He must have thought she’d gone down injured. He’d slashed downward at her, assuming she’d remain on the ground. She caught him by surprise as she rose to her feet, catching the attack of his heavy saber on her dagger, pushing it aside and slashing back at him, cutting a deep blow across his chest.

The officer gasped in pain and he retreated two steps to avoid Cari’s follow-up thrust. Smiling, Cari continued turning around, spinning in place. The second thrusting attack on the leader of the troop had been a feint and he’d taken the bait. It allowed her to turn and finish off the soldier behind her as he struggled to get up.

Cari’s slash with her dagger cut deep into his neck and he fell backward, blood spurting between the fingers clutching at his severed throat.

3,000 experience awarded

Cari turned and faced the officer once more. She spared a quick glance to assess the situation at hand. Rodrigo had dispatched the sergeant and looked like he was ready to finish off the final trooper as well.

There was no sign of Jaycee. The horse she was on had disappeared into the tree line a hundred yards to the north.

Cari returned her attention back to the matter at hand. She had the officer to deal with before she could worry about the missing princess.

“I’d ask you to surrender, captain, but I can’t afford to let you go and I don’t have the time to take you with me.”

“I wouldn’t surrender to you, anyway,” the man said, sneering at her. “You’re a pirate and a menace. We’ve heard all about the trouble you’ve caused in the west country. The Duke of Charon has offered a hefty price to the man who brings you and your companions in. He wants to deal with you himself.”

“It’s a shame you won’t be the one to collect,” Cari said.

She launched an attack at the man’s head causing him to raise his sword to block her descending blade. He almost realized too late that she’d followed it up with her dagger from below. He managed to bring his saber down just in time to parry the dagger thrust, too.

The awkward combination left him open to Cari’s next move. She launched a spinning roundhouse kick that caught him on the jaw with the heel of her boot. His head spun to the side and his neck broke with an audible crack from the mighty blow. The officer’s body dropped to the ground as all his muscles went limp at once.

5,000 experience awarded

The final opponent finished, Cari looked around and saw Rodrigo take out the last trooper. He turned and looked at Cari to see if she needed help. She saw he’d taken a thrust to his side and he had his hand pressed against the wound to staunch the flow of blood.

“How bad is your wound?” Cari asked.

“It’ll probably need a few stitches. I can’t heal it with magic the way you can.”

“Come here and let me have a look.”

“We don’t have time, we have to go after the princess.”

“We won’t get very far if you’re bleeding out on the horse next to me. Take off the shirt and let me have a look.”

Rodrigo lifted his shirt and Cari saw a ragged gash in his side. It didn’t look too deep, but it needed several stitches.

She went to where she dropped her pack and dug out some supplies to do the job. She wanted to race off after Jaycee, too, but she couldn’t let Rodrigo go untreated either. She needed his help to locate the girl.

Cari wasn’t as handy with a needle and thread as Helen was, but she’d learned a thing or two after all the times the woman had stitched her up. It occurred to Cari she really had to find an apothecary or temple along the way and purchase a few healing potions. They were going to need them before this was over.

It didn’t take her long to put in the six stitches needed to close Rodrigo’s wound. She pressed a dressing on the area and wrapped a bandage in place around his waist to hold the folded wad of cotton cloth in place.

“That’ll have to do. I’ll check it again and change the dressing later after we catch up to Jaycee.”

“I hoped she would have seen we’d prevailed and come back by now.”

“I told her to ride north and not look back. She’s probably still headed that way. Let’s get a couple of horses each so we each have a remount and get after her. She’s got a pretty good head start.”

Rod nodded and did as she said. It only took a few minutes to get their packs secured behind the saddles and remount. They each led a rider-less horse behind them as they took off northward.

Quest accepted — locate the lost princess

Chapter 26

Cari and Rodrigo raced into the forest after the missing princess. As the afternoon shadows lengthened, they wove through the trees while Cari leaned over the side of her horse’s saddle, scanning the ground for signs of Jaycee’s passage. Rodrigo was the one who spotted the first evidence of the girl’s trail.

“Over here, Cari. See how these branches are broken off. Someone on a horse rode past this bush causing the branches to break. The ends point in the direction in which they are heading. It’s a trick I learned from my father back at the family homestead growing up.”

“Good work. Let’s keep going and see if we can find more of her trail.”

“We’re going to have to slow down if we want to catch the signs we need to see.”

“I don’t want to slow down,” Cari said. “If it gets dark out here what’s she going to do?”

“We don’t have a choice, Cari. If we go too fast, we’re likely to miss the point where she turned off the trail and went in a different direction. It’s better this way.”

Cari grumbled but ultimately agreed with him. She didn’t have to like it, though. Together they trotted side by side so that they could both look for any signs of the girl’s passage. Rodrigo was right. They continued to pick up small signs here and there where the girl’s horse pushed through the thick brush beneath the trees.

Cari looked up through the leaves overhead at the deepening gloom. The sun was setting, and they were no closer to finding the girl.

“I shouldn’t have sent her off like that. What was I thinking?”

“Stop beating yourself up, Cari. You did what you thought best at the time. What would have happened if we had been overcome by those imperial soldiers? She would’ve been captured along with us. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

It got darker and darker as they continued their search of the woods. So far, the girl’s trail headed almost due north. Cari could see the track they’d followed using her Earth Sense. With that ability, she could tell north from south, east from west, and she knew which direction they were going and also backtrack where they’d been. She knew where major landmarks and cities were located on the map, too. It was amazing that she had this ability, but it was also frustrating because, while she knew where she’d been, she could not use it to find the little girl ahead of her.

She was almost ready to tell Rodrigo they should settle down and find a place to camp for the night when they came upon a clearing in the woods. A small log cabin sat in the broad, open area in the trees. Up ahead, the little house sat next to a lean-to barn and small fenced in garden. A trail of smoke trickled upward from the chimney and a light shined from behind the shuttered window beside the door. Someone was home, Cari thought

“Rodrigo, we should check here. Perhaps Jaycee found her way to this cabin and the person inside took her in. At the very least, they may have seen her ride past.”

Rodrigo shrugged. “It’s as good a plan as any. If they don’t know anything, maybe they’ll let us stay in their barn for the night and we’ll be able to get a fresh start in the morning and find fresh signs of Jaycee’s trail.”

Cari and Rodrigo walked their horses up to the front of the small cabin and dismounted, tying the horse’s reins to a short post set in the ground there. Cari was about to knock on the door when it opened, and a kindly old woman peered out at them, holding a lantern high to see their faces in the gloom.

“I thought I heard horses out here. What are the two of you doing running around in these woods this time of night?”

“My pardon, ma’am,” Cari said. “We were traveling with our daughter. She ran off when some animals startled us on the trail. From what we can tell, she rode in this direction. We’re hoping you might have seen some sign of her or heard her horse ride by.

The woman smiled. “A little girl, about five or six years old?”

Cari felt her heart fill with hope for the first time that afternoon and evening. “You’ve seen her?”

“She’s just inside. She was lost and I invited her in to get warm. Why don’t you come join us? She’s quite a remarkable young lady.”

Cari turned and smiled at Rodrigo. She breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. She knew it was all going to be alright and walked into the cabin. Rodrigo followed as the kind woman shut the door behind them.

Chapter 27

Cari rolled over in bed, sat up and stretched as the morning sunlight came in through the window of the farmhouse. She was tired from a long day’s work the day before bringing in the first part of the harvest. It was a good kind of tired, though, born of hard work towards an accomplishment of which one could be proud.

A snore next to her brought a smile to her lips as she looked down at her husband, Rodrigo. He’d worked twice as hard as she had, but then he always did. He always slept better because of it, too; which she envied more than a little.

Cari reached over and jostled him by the shoulder. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We’ve got more work to do today in the fields if we’re going to finish up before that barn raising at the Finch’s tomorrow. We have to get everything done before then.”

Rodrigo groaned and rolled over. “I need to go back to sleep,” he said.

Cari smiled and reached over, tickling his ribs. He bolted upright and darted out of bed, turning around and pointing his finger at her. “Don’t do that, woman. You know how I hate it when you tickle me.”

“You should get out of bed when I ask you to, then.”

Rodrigo smiled and waggled his finger at her.

Cari headed out into the main room of their small cabin and started making the batter for griddle cakes. A soft sigh of “mama” behind her drew a fresh grin on her face. She turned around to see her daughter Jaycee sitting at the top of the narrow stairs up to the loft overlooking the main cabin.

“Good morning, my dear. Are you ready to help us with the harvest again today?”

“Yes, mama. I like it when we all work together in the fields.”

“I know you do. You’re such a hard worker. Now come down here, grab a bucket and fetch me some water from the well. I’ll have breakfast ready by the time you get back.”

Cari turned back to mixing her batter and paused, frowning for a moment as the shadow of strange words appeared right in front of her eyes. They faded as soon as they appeared, and she was unable to make out what the words said. A nagging sensation in the back of her mind told her it meant something important. Of course, that was silly, and she decided it was just a figment of her imagination.

She went about her work getting breakfast ready as Rodrigo went out to feed the animals in the barn. He would be back soon, ready for breakfast. It was always best to have it prepared for him when he came in because he worked so hard to keep the farm running alongside her. As she poured the batter onto the griddle of their wood stove, she thought back to that time six years before when the two of them were first married.

It seemed so long ago, yet the time had flown by so quickly that it seemed too fast. It was almost as if it all happened overnight. Cari shook her head at that last thought. Why had she thought that? What a strange thing to… Once again, the faded hint of words appeared in front of her eyes and faded away just as quickly.

It bothered her that she didn’t know what the faded words meant.

Cari pondered the words for a few more seconds, then Rodrigo’s return from feeding the animals interrupted her thoughts. “Is breakfast ready yet?”

“It will be soon, dear. Jaycee is fetching the water from the well. There’s still some in the pitcher on the washstand. Make sure you wash up first.”

Rodrigo went to the washstand and poured the remaining water from the pitcher into the basin, washing his hands and splashing the cool water on his face before drying off with the rough cotton towel folded on the washstand. He settled down on the bench beside the small table in their tiny cabin and smiled as Cari set the stack of griddlecakes on the plate in front of him.

Rod slid the jar of honey over next to his plate and lifted the ceramic lid pulling out the notched wooden rod to drizzle honey across the top of his breakfast cakes. “These look delicious, honey.”

“They’ll taste just as good as they look, I promise.”

Jaycee came in holding the bucket in front of her with two hands. She worked hard to not spill any as she set the bucket of fresh water down next to the stove and then sat at the table next to her father.

Cari set a smaller stack of griddlecakes down in front of her daughter, who also drizzled fresh honey over them before starting to eat. Cari prepared her plate last of all and sat down across from the two of them. She was so happy here with the two of them it almost seemed like it was a fairytale.

Once again, the hint of shadowy words flashed across her eyes. She had that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something wasn’t right. She stared at Jaycee and Rodrigo, making sure they were alright. They seemed fine to her eyes and Cari shook her head, banishing the concerns.

Rodrigo looked up at her, concern showing in his eyes. “Is something wrong, dear? Are you not feeling well?”

“It is nothing,” Cari said. She waved her hand in the air to dismiss his worry. “I think I am just having the leftovers of a bad dream from last night’s sleep. It was the oddest thing, you know. You and I were running from someone who wanted to hurt our little Jaycee. We both carried swords. Isn’t that odd?”

Rodrigo laughed out loud. “Swords? Like we were soldiers or something? As if you and I could know anything about fighting. My father would have had me hit with the strap if he thought I would run off to war and become a soldier. There’s nothing quite like earning an honest living working the land with your own two hands. My father always said that, and I believe him.

“My father said much the same thing to me,” Cari said. For some reason, the words didn’t ring true in her ears. She thought for a moment about why they didn’t comfort her the way they should. She shook her head. No, her father had never said anything like that to her.

Her father had always wanted her to achieve great things and would have been disappointed if she had settled down to work a small farm like this at such a young age.

Cari stood and backed away from the table. She stared at her husband and daughter, suddenly seeing them as companions and not her family.

Why was she here?

More of the shadowy words drifted across her vision. She managed to make out three of them before they faded away. They made no sense to her at all.

Saving throw failed

She thought about the words. It seemed like it was an odd thing to see. She hadn’t thrown anything. She once again brushed the words away from her mind and sat back down to continue eating her breakfast. There was much that needed doing today on their farm and Cari wanted to make sure she still had time this evening to continue working on embroidering the new dress she’d made for Jaycee to wear at the barn raising tomorrow. She loved to show off her needlework skill to the neighbors. It was the best in the county.

When they finished breakfast, Cari gathered the plates while Jaycee went out with Rodrigo to gather up the eggs from the chicken coop. As Cari washed the dishes off with some of the water from the bucket, she looked out the window at her daughter and husband as they walked towards the chicken coop together.

She noticed once again something strange. At the edge of her vision, things were blurry. It seemed as if the world wavered there just beyond what she could see directly in front of her. Cari wanted to turn and see what was beyond the edge of that wavering area, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Rodrigo or Jaycee. It was as if the world only existed in the direction in which she was looking.

Something was wrong.

She knew it now. Cari didn’t know what it was, but something wasn’t right with her or with her family. Were they all in some sort of danger? If that was true, she had to act and protect her family.

Her family?

Why did she think there was something wrong with her family? She looked out at Rodrigo and Jaycee again and had the odd thought again that neither of them was actually part of her family.

The instant the thought passed through her mind, many more followed in a crushing wave.

Cari wasn’t married. She didn’t have a husband and had never had any children. She was far too young to have a daughter as old as Jaycee was. This was all wrong.

Saving throw successful

Magic resistance engaged

Suddenly, as if someone tore apart a canvas picture in front of her, the image of Rodrigo and Jaycee walking towards the chicken coop ripped away and was replaced with the sideways image of the wooden floor of a small cabin. She could see the legs of a small table and chairs and behind them a small fireplace. Cari blinked her eyes and tried to orient herself to where she was.

The last thing she remembered was entering the old woman’s cabin with Rodrigo looking for Jaycee. The kind woman had invited both of them inside. Then she’d fallen into that strange vision.

Cari’s thoughts went back to the last game message she’d received. Magic resistance the message read. That meant someone had used magic on her. Someone had created that false vision of her, Rodrigo, and Jaycee. Cari sat up, anger fueling her recovery.

Across the room from her, the old woman stood in front of the small fireplace with her back to Cari. She bent over a black, cast-iron pot suspended over the flames.

“What have you done to us,” Cari whispered, her voice hoarse as she struggled to get to her feet. Her mind was still fuzzy, and she found herself stumbling a little as she stood up. Dizziness threatened to make her fall back to the floor of the cabin.

The old woman spun around. Her eyes wide with shock. “How did you break my spell? No one has ever been able to break my spells before.”

Cari drew her dagger and pushed past the dizziness, advancing on the old woman.

“None of your unsuspecting victims has ever been a member of the Dix family before. You made a mistake casting that spell on me. You should have killed me while you had the chance.”

The woman backed away from Cari sidling around towards the cabin’s only door. Cari turned to continue her advance around the table. An open flyer on the table caught her eye. Once again, Cari saw a remarkably accurate drawing of her face along with a description of Jaycee. This time there were also descriptions of the Dragoons, Rodrigo, Helen, and Francesca. Below the descriptions were the words, “2,500 Gold Crowns for any information leading to their capture.”

Cari snatched up the flyer and held out in front of her. “Is this what you’re after? You thought you could capture us with this simple magic spell?”

A glance around the small cabin revealed Jaycee lying on a cot in the corner and Rodrigo collapsed on the floor next to where she’d been lying moments before. “Release my companions. Release them this instant or so help me I’ll break the spell by gutting you with my dagger right here in the middle of your home.”

Rage boiled within her. Cari felt betrayed and deceived. She was embarrassed at being caught by the illusion, in part because something deep inside of her had enjoyed the vision the woman had cast on her. That revelation renewed her anger and she took another step towards the old witch. Cari wanted blood.

She wasn’t sure, however, if killing the woman would break the spell on Rodrigo and Jaycee. Cari took another two steps forward, pinning the woman against the wall with a hand against her chest while holding the point of her dagger at the woman’s throat.

Cari looked back at her friends, trying to puzzle out what to do next. Rodrigo’s eyes were open in a blank stare as he walked through the vision created by the old witch’s spell. Jaycee still lay on a small bed in the corner. She too stared forward, still caught in the illusion.

Cari turned back and fixed her eyes on the woman cowering before her. Then she noticed the woman’s lips were moving.

She was casting another spell.

Cari leaned forward and pricked the tip of her dagger’s razor-sharp edge against the woman’s throat. A drop of blood welled up and dripped down onto her bosom. “Utter one more syllable and you’re done,” Cari hissed. “Just one more syllable.”

The woman’s lips stop moving and her resolve withered beneath Cari’s grip and the tip of her dagger.

“Finished with trying to use magic against me?”

The woman didn’t say anything, she merely nodded.

“Good. Don’t talk, just nod or shake your head. Do you need to say anything to break the spell on my friends?”

The woman shook her head.

“Also good. Now, without saying a word, bring them out of the spell you have them under.” Cari kept her eyes on the old woman, ready to skewer her the instant she said anything before she got any more spells off. Behind Cari, she heard both Jaycee and Rodrigo groan and begin to wake up.

“Where am I?” Rodrigo asked. “Cari, what’s going on?”

“Go and help Jaycee. This woman cast a spell on us so she could try and take the bounty offered for our capture.”

“But, what about the farm, and our family together? It was all so real.” Rodrigo’s voice sounded confused. He still wasn’t entirely free of the spell’s effects. Cari wanted to turn to look at him but resisted. She needed to make sure this woman didn’t cast any more magic on them and she was unsure how much she might be able to do if Cari wasn’t vigilant.

Jaycee called out to Cari. “Mama, uh, I mean, Cari, that woman asked me to come into her cabin. Then she gave me something to eat and told me to lie down and rest while she went to look for you and Da— I mean Rodrigo. Then I had a bizarre dream. It was a dream, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, honey, it was a dream, a spell. It was cast by this woman while she tried to capture us for the reward. We all fell for it. It’s alright, though. I’m here now. I told you. I’ll always come to rescue you.” Cari spared a glance back to reassure the princess.

The old woman took advantage of Cari’s distraction and lunged towards the door while muttering something under her breath. She almost slipped past Cari’s guard.

Almost.

Without a thought, Cari turned back and plunged her dagger into the woman’s chest piercing her heart and driving her to the floor. Cari knelt on top of the woman, watching the life fade from her eyes. Killing used to bother her, but this one had her bloodlust up.

Cari shook her head, a savage grin on her face. “Foolish woman. I told you I’d kill you if you tried anything.”

8,000 experience awarded

Quest completed — escape the witch’s trap

25,000 experience awarded

Quest completed — locate the lost princess

25,000 experience awarded

Level up!

Cari waited until the light faded from the woman’s eyes, then got up and wiped the dagger clean, scrubbing off the old woman’s blood on her apron. She turned back to her friends. “I’m going to drag her body out of here and into the woods where the carrion birds and animals can have at her. She doesn’t deserve a decent burial. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Why don’t we all come with you,” Rodrigo said.

Cari shook her head. “There’s no need for that. We found this cabin. It’s safe and dry and out of the way where it’s hidden in these woods. We should take advantage of it. We can stay here safely for at least the night while we figure out where to go next. Clearly, we’re going to need a better plan than to just walk to the Crystal City.” She gestured to the flyer on the table with her picture on it. “Too many people know who we are and are keeping an eye out for us.”

Cari motioned with her head towards the fireplace. “Why don’t the two of you see what she had cooking for dinner. Hopefully, there’s enough for all of us. I’ll be right back.”

Cari bent over and lifted the woman’s legs. She dragged her by her ankles out the door of the cabin, across the clearing and a good way into the woods. She made sure to leave the body well away from any trail in case anyone should pass by.

The cabin was hidden deep in the woods, so it was unlikely anyone lived too close. Cari figured there was no way the woman had time to send for anyone since she’d cast the spell on the three of them. Cari planned on taking advantage of the break to make sure their next move was the right one.

Cari remembered she’d leveled up again and pulled up her personal stats to allot her new attribute points and skill point. She decided to increase her ability to resist magic by increasing her luck score by two.

She added another level to her acrobatic dodge skill anticipating the need in the fight she knew was coming once they reached the city and planned for interrupting the coronation of Timron.

She turned and headed back towards the light from the cabin door. Once again, she’d flirted with death and won. Cari looked over her stats one more time and wondered if the extra luck would do anything.

Name: Cari Dix

Class: Duelist

Level: 14

Attributes:

Brawn: 12 - +2 to hit/damage

Wisdom: 10 - +1

Luck: 14 - +3 to all saving throws

Speed: 22 - +7 defense

Charm: 18 - +5 personal reaction

Health: 140/140

Skills: Two-Weapon Combat, Acrobatic Dodge — 4, Multi-Foe Tactics — 2, Feint — 2, Bladesmith — Master, Prescience — 4, Ambidexterity, Seamanship — Master, Navigation — Master, Aimed Cannon Shot — 2, Earth Sense

Master Duelist — Projectile Dodge (60% Chance of Activation, Max)

Regeneration – 1hp/second (max 60 seconds); 1/day

Experience: 852,500/1,100,000

Chapter 28

It took Hal and Mona five days of hard riding northward to reach the area marked on Colin’s map. On the final day, Hal started noticing signs that a wild grendling tribe lived in the area. Grendlings were distant cousins to goblins. They lived in more of the northern regions of the empire where they followed the caribou herds. They were fairly war-like and not to be trifled with. He was surprised to find one of the northern grendling tribes shifting this far south.

“Mona, we need to be careful. There’re signs of grendlings nearby.”

“How do you know?”

“I saw a rock cairn on the trail back there. I didn’t point it out to you at the time, thinking it was an old marker. I was wrong. There’s another one over there just behind that tree. See?”

Hal pointed to a pile of smooth river stone topped by a human skull.

“It could be just a burial site.”

“This one has no moss growing on it like the other one did. This one was made recently, marking a kill in battle. They boiled the skin off the skull of their most recent kill and left it here as a warning of their battle prowess. I saw some others like it in my travels in the northland when I was training as a mage. It’s definitely a fresh sign of grendlings nearby. We’ll have to keep our guard up.”

Mono looked around and shrugged. “You know best about these types of things. I’ve never encountered these particular beasts before. Aren’t they goblin kin? Can’t we parlay with them for safe passage like you’ve done with the goblins in the Valley of the Sun?”

“I’ve only encountered them a few times. They are like goblins in many ways except that I’ve never been able to get along with them quite as well as I do their southern cousins. Let’s keep our eyes open and be ready for trouble.”

Hal scanned the forest around them as the two of them continued riding. It was getting near dark and they’d have to camp soon.

Mona must’ve had a similar idea and motioned to a line of trees just in front of a large outcropping of rock jutting up from the ground.

“Let’s go camp over there. We might be able to find some shelter in the rocks. It’ll help hide our campfire from any enemies nearby.”

“Good idea,” Hal said. “It’ll also give us a potential defensible position in case any grendlings show up.”

The two of them headed into the copse of trees. The rock outcropping was huge, towering nearly thirty feet into the air. It was a hundred feet or more across at the base. After a little search around the base, they found a small cave under a rock overhang. It would be a perfect place to camp. There was even room to bring the horses inside with them after some coaxing.

While Mona got the camp situated and picketed the horses inside the cave, Hal went out and cut some of the long grass growing just beyond the tree line to bring into the cave. It would supplement the small sack of grain they had to feed the horses.

Hal returned and dumped the double armload of grass on the cave floor in front of the horses, kicking it to spread it out before them. He turned back to where Mona was already preparing their meal.

“This is perfect,” he said, scanning the cave. We can probably use it as a base of operations while we scout the area. According to the map, we’ve got to be very close to this old wizard’s tower.”

“Let’s eat first,” Mona said. “After dinner, we can do a little scouting before returning to settle in for the night.”

Hal crouched by the fire to help her finish the meal, handing her supplies they had in their packs. Thanks to Mona’s quick work with her crossbow, they’d bagged several rabbits earlier in the day. Now Hal skinned them and cut portions of the meat up to add to their small camp pot over the fire.

The rabbit stew they had for dinner satisfied Hal’s growling stomach. He and Mona made a good team in the kitchen whether at home or here in the wild. If it weren’t for the seriousness of their quest, he’d almost enjoy their little camp excursion. It had been a long time since it had been just the two of them without any other people, electronics or technology to distract them.

The two of them cleaned up from their supper and then Hal and Mona set out into the moonlit countryside to see what else was around them. Hal engaged his dark vision skill. It enabled him to see quite well at night, especially with the full moon above them.

Mona put on a set of goggles she’d crafted long ago when Cari was young and liked to run away to hide in the palace garden at bedtime. The dark, smoky lenses of the goggles with their leather eye-cups and straps looked like they would prevent her from seeing anything, even in the daytime. The effect for her, though, was similar to powered night vision goggles back on Earth. With them on, she had no trouble seeing in the dark either. It gave the two of them an advantage over just about anyone they would encounter while scouting around.

They hadn’t gone far from their camp in the cave before they heard the sounds of the drums in the distance. Hal nodded. “I’ve heard drums like that before. They sound a lot like the drums of the grendlings from farther north. I was hoping I was wrong.”

“It seems to be coming from straight ahead of us,” Mona whispered. “Let’s be careful. It would be very easy for a large group to overwhelm our defenses if we stumble upon them in the dark.”

“Agreed. I’ll take the lead. You watch our backs.”

The two of them crept forward and continued towards the sound of the drums. They traveled for about a half mile before reaching a break in the trees. There was a large, open meadow just past the tree line. There, in front of them was a tall, thin tower. The top of it ended in a jagged crack. The top of the tower had tumbled to the ground as evidenced by the pile of stones lying next to the tower’s base. This had to be the wizard tower Colin mentioned.

It was clear it hadn’t been occupied for some time, though the camp area around it showed signs the grendlings visited this place often. The camp was currently occupied.

Mona tapped Hal’s shoulder and pointed off to the right. Some of the tower’s stones had been used to erect a sort of altar off to one side of the base. There was a large, crude stone carving in the tower’s wall of what looked like a sort of demon. Set in the middle of the demon’s chest was a glowing green gem.

“I’ll bet you that gem is the one we’re looking for,” Hal whispered.

Mona nodded. “You’re up hon. This is obviously the job for a master thief. I’ll follow you along the edge of the trees until we’re as close as possible to the tower, then I’ll find a spot where I can cover you. All you have to do is sneak out and pull that gem from the carved idol next to the grendling camp.”

Hal smiled and rubbed his palms together. He missed his days as a thief back in Tandon. It was so long ago, he almost looked forward to the danger involved in sneaking out there and stealing the stone. Hal pulled up the hood of his black cloak, pulling the rest of it around him. He moved up to the edge of the tree line.

Mona pulled out her crossbow, checking to make sure the cartridge of bolts was loaded in the clockwork mechanism. She tested the crank in the stock to make sure it was fully wound then nodded. Hal smiled. It was time for him to go to work.

“I’ll be right back.” After giving Mona a quick kiss on the cheek, Hal slipped over to the next tree from where Mona was hiding, then crouched and moved out into the open. The grendlings in the nearby camp were all clustered around a large campfire built close to the tower’s other side. They weren’t paying much attention to the altar they’d created right now. The tribe seemed occupied by the antics of a leader in very colorful robes dancing about in front of the bonfire.

It took Hal a few minutes to get to the altar, sticking to the shadows and moving slowly. The grendlings still sat in a circle, chanting around the fire. He couldn’t understand their words, but the rhythmic cadence had the sound of a ritual of some sort. They were still all focused on their leader dancing around the bonfire.

So far, so good.

Hal pulled one of his daggers free from his belt and climbed up onto the rough stone altar. The top of it was about six feet from the ground and above that stood the demon carving in the tower wall. The glowing green gemstone was set firmly in the center of the demon’s chest about five feet above the top of the altar.

From where Hal could climb near the top of the altar he was going to have to stretch around in an awkward position to reach the gemstone. That would be when he was most exposed.

He managed to get up to the side of the demon carving and crouch there beside the tower wall while he got ready to make his move and grab the gemstone. Just as he was about to move, though, a shout came from the grendling encampment. Hal was sure he’d been spotted.

The shouting continued but none of the tribe moved. It was the leader shouting as part of the ritual. They all remained seated in one big, chanting group. The guttural ritual increased in volume in response to the shouts of the leader, as did the intensity of the drums. They’d reached a new portion of their ceremony and Hal decided to hurry.

The grendlings’ chanting was reaching a fever pitch and he thought it might end at any moment. If this was a religious thing, they might all turn and approach the altar at the end. If that was the case, he didn’t want to be there when they did.

Standing up and edging around to the front of the altar, Hal reached up and tried to pull the gemstone free with his fingers.

It wouldn’t budge.

Reaching up with his other hand, he held the gemstone between his forefinger and thumb. Using one of his daggers, Hal dug at the setting in the stone wall with the tip. It took a little work and an uncomfortably long time, but he managed to pry the green gemstone free. It was round and flat, about the size of his thumbnail across its widest point. The gem’s many facets caught his eyes in the firelight behind him as he pulled it free. It was gorgeous.

Hal glanced back at Mona crouched in the trees and grinned as he slipped the gem into his belt pouch.

Quest completed — recover the wizard’s gem

20,000 experience awarded

A new shout came from the grendlings behind him and Hal froze, trying to blend into the shadows.

The shouts continued and were joined by many other angry voices, now growing closer. Hal didn’t have to look behind him. He knew what that meant.

Hal moved to the edge of the altar and glanced over his shoulder to see a mob of grendlings running towards the altar, weapons drawn.

They’d spotted him.

Hal reached down and drew his other dagger, then pushed off from the top of the altar, six feet above the ground. He executed a perfect twisting backflip landing just in front of the leading grendlings.

The move caught them by complete surprise.

Hal stabbed out with both hands one to either side of him catching two of the charging creatures in the chest and dropping them to the ground.

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

Hal stood, drawing the blades out of the bodies, both still twitching on the ground. He stepped to one side, avoiding the sweep of a broad-bladed axe and stabbed one dagger into the neck of the axe-wielding grendling.

3,000 experience awarded

He spun around to face more of the creatures charging at him. Six of them closest to him fell in rapid succession as Mona fired off a full magazine of her repeating crossbow bolts into the group.

Hal smiled. She was so deadly with that thing.

Half of the grendlings in the camp were down, but there were still eight of them left. That included one who looked like he was the chief priest or a witch doctor or whatever these things called their religious leaders.

The priest had stopped and stood waving his arms above his head while he chanted something. Hal knew he was drawing upon his magic.

He needed to deal with the spell caster first despite the onrushing of angry grendlings closest to him.

Hal cast his ice armor spell. Instantly, translucent plates of ice arranged in an intricate pattern of overlapping sections, covered every inch of his body. The magically reinforced ice was harder than steel and would protect him from most conventional attacks, at least in the short term.

He charged through the remaining seven grendlings straight at the witch doctor standing behind them readying his spell. Blows from various axes and swords rained down on him as he ran past. Only a few managed to connect and cause any damage.

Health damage — health -10

Health damage — health -4

Health damage — health -7

Hal finally managed to break through the initial rush, shrugging off the pain of the hits he took. Once he was on the other side, he raised one hand, the fingers all splayed outward. A large pole of ice about 4 feet long with a jagged, sharpened tip launched from his palm straight at the grendling witch doctor.

The grendling’s eyes widened in surprise and he had to stop casting his spell as he dove to one side to avoid the incoming ice lance. Hal cursed as his spell missed its mark.

Behind him, the other grendlings had already turned around and raced back at him from behind. In front of him, the witch doctor got back to his feet and charged from the opposite direction with his staff raised to strike down at Hal.

He’d been in worse scrapes than this, but he knew he was going to get hurt, possibly severely, if he stayed where he was. He needed to break away from them and try to run for the trees.

Just as he was about to dodge to one side to avoid the dual attacks from the witch doctor and the group behind him, a small silver ball flew from the nearby trees to land in the middle of the seven grendlings charging at Hal’s back.

As soon as the metal ball, about the size of a baseball landed, a fine metal mesh expanded out from it to cover the ground beneath the grendlings’ feet. The mesh tripped four of them, making them fall. As soon as the four hit the ground, the mesh sparked and flashed like lightning as the metal ball electrified the wire netting around it.

Instantly, the four grendlings caught in the mesh were fried by thousands of volts of captured electrical energy from within the steel ball. Hal laughed aloud despite the danger he was still in.

He missed adventuring with Mona. They’d taken a few quests together back in their earlier days here in Fantasma when Cari was little. She would stay at the palace with a nanny while Hal and Mona went out on their adventures.

Hal turned and fired off a stream of ice darts at the three remaining grendlings on his right. Two of them dropped to the ground pierced by a pair 6-inch ice darts each.

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

Mona called out a warning and Hal turned in time to raise his arm and cast a shield spell. The round disc of ice appeared on his forearm, catching the descending blow of the witch doctor’s staff. The impact jarred Hal’s arm despite the shield. It shook him all the way up to his shoulder. This guy was stronger than he looked.

As the witch doctor hammered away at Hal’s ice shield, he tried to slip in an attack with his dagger.

As he waited for an opening in the grendling priest’s defenses, two crossbow bolts slammed into the grendling’s back in rapid succession. The priest gasped once and fell over backward, dead. Mona stepped out of the tree line, holding her crossbow pointed forward, the stock resting on her hip. She scanned the camp and surrounding area for any other threats.

“Thanks, hon. I could’ve handled him, though.”

“Of course you could. You don’t mind having a little help, though, do you?”

Hal shook his head and the two shared a brief smile. “We ought to get out of here. I didn’t see any women in this group. That leads me to believe there might be a larger camp nearby.”

“If that’s the case, someone could show up at any moment. Let’s get back to our cave. Once there, we can decide about what we want to do next. Hand me the gem.”

Hal handed Mona the green gemstone. It still glowed with its own inner, emerald light. He had thought it was just reflecting the firelight before. That wasn’t the case. It had a power of its own deep inside. It was definitely magical in nature.

The two of them returned to the tree line and headed south towards their camp. They hadn’t gone far when they heard shouts in the woods behind them. The guttural voices signaled more grendlings arriving at the wizard’s collapsed tower. Hal and Mona picked up speed.

They reached their cave hideout without incident. Mona took out the emerald. “Let me see if I can figure out how this will fit inside my transporter design. If I can get it working tonight, we won’t have to trek all the way south.”

“It’ll also help us avoid the grendlings. They are surely going to be out hunting for us now.”

“Do you think they’ll find us?”

“I’d almost count on it. The grendling have lived in the wilds all their lives. They’ll be more than adequate at tracking us. We couldn’t do much to hide our trail moving as fast as we were in the dark.”

“Alright, I’ll try to work fast. You watch the entrance for any sign they found us.”

Mona sat down and retrieved her transporter prototype device from her pack. She set it on the ground in front of her next to the small campfire they had in the back of the cave where a natural chimney drew the smoke upward.

In the dim firelight, she popped open the access hatch in the side of the cylindrical device and pulled a set of fine needle nose pliers from her utility belt. Holding the gem with the pliers in one hand and leaning over the transporter with a screwdriver in her other hand, Mona began her work integrating the gem into the device’s inner works.

Hal returned his attention to watching outside. When the grendlings found their trail, it wouldn’t take them long to get to the cave. He sat down and tried to get as much rest as he could while still keeping watch. He was going to need the energy to cast more spells if the time came to defend the cave against an assault.

Chapter 29

The sun rose in the east, just cresting the trees, and Hal caught himself nodding off while he sat keeping guard at the entrance to the cave. It had been many hours since they’d returned. A soft curse from behind him told him Mona was still hard at work on her transporter design.

“Hon, maybe Colin was wrong,” Hal suggested. “It’s possible the gem won’t work in the application you’re using it for. I think we should pack up and get back on our horses while we can still make it out of here. There’s still a chance we can get away ahead of any grendling war parties.”

“No,” Mona said, shaking her head. “I almost had it working on three or four different occasions. This jewel will do the trick. I just have to fine-tune some of the other components to work with it and channel the energy flow properly.”

“Okay, if you think you can figure it out, we can stay. I am worried now that it’s light out, the grendlings are going to pick up our trail pretty quickly. It’s likely to get very interesting here before too long.”

“Understood. I’m sure you can manage to hold them off. I have absolute faith in your ability to cause that kind of mayhem.”

“Gee, thanks,” he laughed. He and Mona had fallen into a very comfortable place in their relationship. They both relied on the other to pick up where their own strengths left off.

As if his prediction caused something to change outside, a series of guttural shouts turned Hal around. He scanned the trees outside the cave. “I think they found us, honey. We’re about to run out of time.”

Mona’s voice sounded distracted as she answered. “Just give me a few more minutes. I think I might know what the problem is.”

Hal knew better than to bother her at a time like this. Her engineering brain was fully immersed in solving the problem at hand. It was going to fall to him to keep any grendlings from interrupting her.

He reached over and grabbed Mona’s crossbow from where she’d set it down by the cave entrance. Hal checked to make sure the magazine was full, and the clockwork mechanism was fully wound. Then he gave some thought to the spells he could use to hold off an attack.

It was likely the first group to find them would be rather small. Maybe as many as six to eight warriors in all, maybe less. Most of the others would have spread out looking in different directions. More would come eventually, but he’d deal with additional attacks when the time came.

The first sign of trouble came when a few grendlings filtered through the trees near the cave entrance and stopped about fifty yards away. Hal took care to hide himself in the shadows around the entrance. He was pretty sure they couldn’t see him as he observed them.

It was clear they’d followed the pair’s tracks through the trees. The grendlings moved forward, pausing now and then to scan the area ahead. They were going to investigate the source of the tracks to see if anyone was still inside the cave.

Hal lifted the crossbow to his shoulder and took aim. He wanted to let them get a little closer so that his shots would all have a better chance to hit their targets.

The grendlings crossed the small clearing near the cave entrance, crouched low to the ground and looking from side to side as if expecting trouble. There were seven of them.

Hal tilted his head to sight along the top of the crossbow, aiming at the grendling in the rear of the group. If he could pick them off one by one from behind, it might take them a few seconds to realize where the shots were coming from.

Hal let fly and smiled as the crossbow bolt slammed into the chest of the rearmost grendling. The force of the blow knocked the short, grey-skinned creature over backward.

The grendling went down so quickly, he didn’t make a sound and the others in the group failed to notice he’d been killed.

3,000 experience awarded

Hal took aim on the second one from the rear and fired. This one landed a little off-center striking the grendling in the shoulder. It spun the creature around knocking him to the ground, but he let out a piercing scream, alerting the others to the incoming attacks.

No time to be cute anymore. Hal shifted his aim to the ones closest to the cave entrance and fired off the remaining four crossbow bolts. In rapid succession, three of the four leading grendlings dropped to the ground. Two of them were dead. Another one writhed on the ground, screeching in shrill agony.

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

The remaining two grendlings were uninjured. They finally figured out where the fire was coming from and crouched, taking cover against shots coming from the cave entrance.

Hal stood up and readied a spell, hoping to take out of both of them before they sent for help. He fired off a tiny fireball at the first one closest to him.

The flaming sphere of fire, about the size of a regulation softball, flew from his outstretched hand striking the unfortunate grendling in the hip as he turned to dodge out of the way. The ball of fire exploded enveloping the creature in flames.

3,000 experience awarded

The final uninjured grendling took one look at his flaming comrade on the ground and sprinted for the edge of the trees.

Hal fired off another flaming sphere, but he missed and only succeeded in setting one of the nearby pine trees on fire. The branches caught quickly and soon a plume of dark smoke rose into the air.

“Well that didn’t work as planned,” Hal muttered to himself. If the one who escaped didn’t get help, others were surely going to come and investigate the source of that fire. “How’s it coming, Mona?”

“Almost there…”

Hal turned back to check on the two injured grendlings. They were trying to crawl back to the safety of the trees despite their injuries. One of them made it, the other didn’t, dying of his wounds before he got there.

3,000 experience awarded

Hal settled back and picked up the crossbow. “You have any more loads for this crossbow?” He cranked the clockwork mechanism using the small folding handle built into the stock.

“Yeah, they’re in the extra pack I brought,” Mona said gesturing vaguely in the direction of the horses.

Hal searched on the saddles and saddlebags and found the spare quiver of crossbow bolts. He loaded six new bolts into the magazine and slid it in place inside the bow’s stock.

Hal glanced down at Mona, hunched over the transporter device, hard at work. She seemed oblivious to what was going on with him and the events outside the cave. He shook his head. He didn’t know how she did that. It was part of her creative process.

Mona was a talented engineer at home and a master artificer here. If anyone could figure out how to get that gem working, she could. Her skills were unparalleled by anyone in Fantasma. At least they were when they had last been here years before.

More shouts from outside the cave drew Hal’s attention, and he raced back to the entrance.

Hal couldn’t see any more grendlings yet but based on the amount of noise they were making, they were getting closer, and there were a lot more of them.

Hal tried to remain hidden in what shadows there were around the cave entrance. He knew his concealment wouldn’t last for long. The grendlings wouldn’t have much trouble picking him out; especially now that they knew someone was hiding there.

A few minutes later there was another shout from the woods and a volley of arrows arched out in towards the cave mouth, right where Hal hid.

He ducked down behind some rocks as the arrows shattered against the stones around him. One of them managed to find its way past the rocks and struck him in the calf of his right leg. Hal grunted in pain as the barbed arrowhead tore into his leg.

Health damage — health -10

Hal ignored the arrow in his leg for now, focusing his attention on the tree line. He expected the flight of arrows to be followed up by a charge and he wasn’t disappointed.

The ten grendlings that loped out of the woods opposite his position ran as fast as they could directly at the cave entrance. Hal leveled the crossbow at them and pulled the trigger six times, firing off all six of the bolts he loaded. He managed to take down four of the 10 charging grendlings with the crossbow, killing three of them.

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

Hal dropped the crossbow to the ground and cast his ice armor spell. He was annoyed with himself for not casting it sooner, but it would’ve inhibited some of his thief skills and made it harder for him to hide in the shadows by the entrance.

With his armor in place and a shield covering one arm, Hal drew his long sword. It was time for him to put his warrior skills to the test. It was about to get interesting here at the cave’s mouth.

“Mona, you might want to hurry up. It’s heating up out here.”

He turned back and took the first axe blade on his raised ice shield, returning the attack with a quick thrust at the attacker. He managed to hack into the grendling’s thigh, causing it to stumble and fall over backward. It wasn’t a killing blow, but it would keep that one out of the fight for now.

Two more of the creatures stepped up to take their injured comrade’s place in the narrow cave opening. Hal was glad for the opportunity to use the defensive position to his advantage. No more than two of them were going to be able to get in at a time. Others milled about outside the entrance waiting for their chance to get at him.

Hal caught the next two blows on his shield, reaching around to slash out with his longsword. He cut a gash across the face of one of the grendlings.

It didn’t back off, though. It merely snarled and drove in with another series of attacks.

Hal had to take a step back at the fury of the new blows coming in from his opponents. He recovered quickly, though, and managed to get in another strike. This time he was able to thrust straight through the grendling’s midsection. The beast croaked out a sort of funny sound and fell over to the side clutching his belly.

3,000 experience awarded

The dying grendling’s companion managed to get another attack in on Hal with his axe. He felt the edge of the blade force its way in between the crevice where his shoulder and breastplate armor met.

Health damage — health -12

Hal batted away the axe the grendling used to hit him and kicked out with one foot. He managed to catch the creature unawares with the surprise attack. Hal’s steel-toed boot fractured the grendling’s knee.

It fell to the floor at the cave entrance, howling in pain.

Hal stabbed downward through its back killing it and turned to face the next two grendlings already charging into the gap.

3,000 experience awarded

Beyond the two he fought, Hal saw more of the grendling tribesmen coming from the trees. He wasn’t going to be able to hold them all off on his own. He also couldn’t keep fighting them in a conventional fight much longer.

He had an idea, but first, he had to finish off the two he was facing before he could put it into action.

Hal took a series of blows from the two axe-wielding grendlings. They rained attacks down on his battered ice shield. They were now hacking chips out of the edge of the shield with their axes and Hal knew it wouldn’t be long before the beleaguered shield spell failed, and the ice shattered. He slashed outward with the sword managing to drive one of the attackers backward as it danced away to avoid getting hit.

That left an opening beside the other grendling. Hal switched directions with his sword blade and drove it sideways, putting a broad slash in the grendling’s torso from the shoulder to the opposite hip. With a squeal of pain, the creature fell over backward, writhing on the ground for a few seconds before becoming still.

3,000 experience awarded

Hal turned and smiled at the other grendling and stepped forward. The creature backed up, not wanting to face this ice-covered demon standing in the cave entrance. His retreat blocked the advance of those behind him for a moment and Hal realized this was his chance. He readied two magical spells to cast in rapid succession.

The first spell was a flaming horizontal sheet of fire he fired from his fingertips outward. It caught the closest three grendlings in its arc and sent them to the ground covered in flames. The burning bodies momentarily blocked the cave entrance.

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

That gave Hal the chance he needed to cast a follow-up spell. Summoning all the moisture he could from the air around him, Hal created a wall of ice across the cave entrance. It took every ounce of magical energy he had left and ended up being about 10 inches thick. It was anchored from floor to ceiling into the rock. Hal wiped sweat from his brow and stepped back as he surveyed his handiwork.

“That should hold them,” Hal said to himself. “Mona, I’ve bought us a few more minutes. I hope you’re close to being finished.”

Turning around, he looked at his wife. She still sat hunched over the transporter device on the cave floor. “Hon, that ice wall spell bought us about a half an hour at the most. But, once they hack their way through, I’m gonna need you up here beside me or we’re going to have to have a way out of here. I can’t cast any more large spells. I’m tapped out.”

“I’ll have a way out of here, Hal. Be patient. I’m almost there. There’s just a little fine-tuning I have to do.”

Hal decided he’d better get everything together and on the horses. If she did manage to open a portal for them, they were going to need to get through it quickly and wouldn’t have time to pick up any of their supplies.

Hal gathered their packs and tied them to the saddles on the horses. He also tied the saddlebags in place behind the saddles. Once he had everything packed up that he could, he went back and retrieved Mona’s crossbow. There were six bolts left in the quiver. He cranked the winding mechanism, resetting the spring-loaded mechanism inside. Hal then reloaded each of the bolts and released the cocking mechanism.

Amidst the sound of shouts and axes battering at his ice wall from outside, Hal scanned the interior of the cave around him for anything else that needed doing. He realized he had done all that he could do and settled in to wait and see which happened first. Either the ice wall came down or the portal opened.

From the sound of the blows ringing through to the interior of the cave, they had several of their number working on breaking through the barrier. Hal didn’t think it would take much longer. Grendlings were strong and tough. They wouldn’t give up.

Hal sat down on a small boulder near Mona and set the crossbow across his knees. All he could do now was wait for her to finish what she was doing.

The first hole in the ice wall appeared 15 minutes later. It was about the size of a frisbee. As the axes chipped away to enlarge the opening, Hal lifted his crossbow. As soon as a grendling face appeared in the opening, he let fly with a bolt. It’s slammed home right between the grendling’s eyes. Hal saw the final shock register in the dying expression of the poor creature before it fell back out of the way.

3,000 experience awarded

Shouts of alarm and anger drifted in from outside and the chipping and hacking at the ice wall began again in earnest. It wouldn’t be long now.

“Hal, get the horses. I’ve almost got it.”

Hal looked at the widening gap in the ice wall then at his wife as she stood up, holding the transporter in front of her.

“I love you,” he said.

“I know. Now hold the horses while I try this out. Be ready to lead them through.”

Hal checked the now jagged fissure in the ice wall which ran from the ceiling to the floor of the cave. A few more blows landed from outside and another crack opened. Then another. Then another.

“Mona, that thing’s about to shatter. We’re going to have a whole bunch of grendlings in here any second.”

“Almost there.”

“Mona.”

“Almost there.”

“Mona, I don’t want to rush you, but…”

“Almost there.”

With a crash, the ice wall shattered into fist size chunks and the grendlings started to climb over the chunks of ice into the cave.

Hal fired off the five remaining crossbow bolts, dropping four of the grendlings as they crested the top of the ice pile.

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

3,000 experience awarded

Hal let the crossbow dangle by its sling at his side and drew his sword.

Mona called out behind him. “Got it!”

She stood in the center of the cave, grasping the handles on either side of the rolling-pin-shaped device. She twisted the handles and squeezed the lever that looked like a handbrake. In that instant, a one-foot wide glowing disk appeared in front of Hal before broadening until it filled one entire wall of the cave.

“Hal take the horses through, I’m right behind you.”

“Mona, I don’t…”

“No time to argue. Get through that opening I’ll be right behind you.”

Hal yanked at the horses’ reins, pulling them through the portal in the cave wall. He heard shouts from the grendlings behind them. Their quarry was about to escape them.

He turned around once he was through the opening, now standing on a grassy field somewhere far to the south. Mona stepped through, followed by a barbed arrow. The arrow struck her in the side, spinning her around. Out of reflex, she released the lever on the handle and the portal snapped closed.

Hal ran to Mona’s side and lowered her to the ground. She looked up at him and smiled “I told you, I had it.”

“Shut up. Let me look at that wound.”

“It’s nothing. Pull the damn thing out and give me a healing potion. There’s a few of them in the backpack tied to the back of my horse.”

Hal grimaced and grasp the shaft of the barbed arrow. “This is going to hurt.”

Mona nodded and gritted her teeth. Hal broke off the back half of the shaft, eliciting a grunt from Mona. He reached around the other side and pulled at the barbed head where it just appeared from the skin just above her hip. In a quick, smooth motion, Hal pulled the remainder of the shaft through the wound.

He quickly slapped a dressing over both sides to stop the bleeding, then he ran over to Mona’s horse and opened the pack, fumbling around until he found one of the flasks of healing draughts.

He cursed because he couldn’t heal her himself. His magical energy had been used up in making that ice wall.

Hal popped open the stopper and handed it to Mona. She smiled at him and then drank the potion down.

Standing up and looking around, Hal scanned the area. They were on a broad grassy plain. Judging from the temperature, they were much farther to the south from the position they had been only moments before. “Where did that portal take us to?”

“Right where we need to be, Hal. It took us as close to the Crystal City as I could get without triggering the magical wards. We’re only a couple of days away from the capital.”

Hal smiled. She’d thought of everything. Now, all he needed was to hope that Stefan and the reinforcements from the Duke of Tandon and the other free cities of the west arrived in time to help him stop the coronation of Prince Timron while they recovered Cari. Then they could finally take their daughter home.

Chapter 30

Rodrigo paced across the wooden floor of the cabin in the woods before turning and confronting Cari. “I don’t think we should stay here any longer, Cari. It’s been a day and a half. Someone who knows this woman is bound to come check on her and if they do, we’re going to have some difficult questions to answer.”

“I’m not sure where we should go. I feel like we need to find a different way to sneak into the Crystal City. We can’t just waltz through the gate like we planned before.”

“I don’t disagree with that. We need to find somewhere else to hide while you figure it out, though.”

Cari knew he was right. They were pushing their luck staying here too much longer. It had been good to get a day and a half worth of rest and healing in, though. They’d also been lucky enough to find a stash of healing potions belonging to the woman who lived here. She must have made them herself. Rodrigo had taken one the night before to bring him back to full strength.

Now that both she and Rodrigo were healed up, they were ready to get back on the road, at least as far as they were planning to go right now.

Cari thought about where they were in relation to the capital. She pulled up the overhead map using her Earth Sense skill. She saw their location clearly marked by a flashing blue dot. They were inside the edge of what was called the Great Forest.

To their west, she could see the road to Hyroth. To the east lay the road to the Crystal City. She looked due south of their location to a peninsula that stuck out into the Southern Ocean. It was sort of a dividing point between where the Southern Sea ended and the Western Sea began.

At the top of that peninsula near the mainland, Cari saw a small dot marked on the map. She couldn’t read the name which meant it was probably a rather small town. She concentrated on the dot and waited as the map zoomed in on the location. It was what she thought it was. Morton Creek was almost due south of their location.

She might have the bare inkling of an idea but she wasn’t sure if they could pull it off or not. It would require them to travel for several days south rather than west. That might work to their advantage, however.

“I agree with you Rodrigo and I think we should leave here. I think there might be someone in the general area who will be able to help us as long as we can get to them.”

“Just so we don’t stick around here. I’m telling you someone is going to show up and wonder where this woman disappeared to.”

Jaycee sat quietly playing in the corner with her two rag dolls. Cari looked over at her. So much of what they had to do rode on keeping that little girl safe. “We’ll head to the south rather than west. There’s a crossroads I know of southwest of the Crystal City.”

“What’s at the crossroads?” Rodrigo asked.

“There’s an inn there. I stayed in it once upon a time. I’m hoping they might be able to direct me to a friend who lives somewhere nearby.”

Cari left it at that and began packing up their gear. It took them only about 20 minutes to gather the few belongings they had and strap everything to their saddles. They had three mounts plus two spares which meant they could make good time heading overland rather than following the road. With Cari’s Earth Sense she was able to chart a path reliably without having to stick to any of the marked roads or caravan routes.

It was almost lunchtime when they started out from the cabin. After they rode the first mile or so, Cari asked Jaycee if she was up to picking up the pace.

“I love to ride. It’s one of my favorite things and I used to anger my mother by making my horse canter away from my instructor. She was always worried I might fall and hurt myself.”

“Well, I’m not your mother but I do hope we can move a little faster. I’ll trust that you’ll hold on and not fall off. Deal?”

Jaycee laughed. “Deal.”

They moved up to a trot and Cari and Rodrigo continued at that pace for about an hour. Then they slowed to a walk for an hour before picking up the pace again. By alternating and switching out mounts periodically, they were able to make good time overland.

On one occasion they spotted a patrol in the distance. Cari directed them to a nearby gully where they hid out amidst the thick brush and waited for the patrol to move away from their location. It was getting on towards dark and Cari looked around the bushes where they sat waiting. “This might be a good place for us to camp for the night.”

Rodrigo looked around. “There’s not much cover. I guess it’ll do, though.”

The three of them set up camp. All of them had been traveling cross-country together long enough that they had the routine down. Everything was set up inside a half hour. It was well before dusk and Cari decided they could risk a small fire to cook something. They could put out the fire before dark so it wouldn’t show their camp from a distance.

They’d brought some fresh pork from the old woman’s larder, and a small ham as well to last them a little bit longer on the road. There was also some cheese and fresh bread. Cari didn’t want to stop and purchase supplies anywhere if she could help it.

She cooked the pork chops on an improvised spit over the fire. Cari used the driest of the wood Jaycee gathered from nearby so there wouldn’t be much smoke to signal the location of their camp. She hoped in the gathering gloom of dusk, the smoke would disappear against the sky and not be visible from very far away.

They ate a nice dinner listening to the sound of the chirping insects around them as night fell. As soon as they were finished Cari and Rodrigo threw dirt onto the fire, dowsing the flames so no one would be able to glimpse the light of their camp from anywhere nearby.

In the gathering darkness under the tall bushes around them, they all settled into their bedrolls. Rodrigo took the first watch, agreeing to wake Cari a little after midnight. Cari lay down and felt Jaycee pull her bedroll closer and snuggle up behind Cari.

The little girl threw an arm across Cari’s waist and hugged her close. “I love you, Cari. You’re like my big sister. Is that all right?”

“Of course it is. You’re a lot like a little sister to me, too. Now go to sleep. We’ve got a lot of riding to do in the morning.”

Jaycee squeezed Cari’s waist once and burrowed her face into the blanket wrapped around Cari’s back. Cari listened as the little girl got settled. Soon she heard Jaycee’s breathing change to a more regular and deep rhythm. When she was sure the little girl was asleep, Cari let herself fall asleep as well.

The night passed without incident and Cari woke Rodrigo and Jaycee at first light the next morning. She had already started a new fire and cooked up some ham and cheese slapping the meat and melted cheese on to a slice of bread and handing it to each of them. She took a similar portion for herself then kicked out the coals of the fire once again to keep the smoke from showing through the tree line.

“How much farther do we have to go to find this friend of yours?” Rodrigo asked.

Cari paused and glanced at her Earth Sense map in her mind. “My best guess is a day and a half, maybe two days at the outside. Once we get there, I’ll be able to find out how close my friend is to the inn at the crossroads we can decide to either stay at the inn or press onward to her house.”

Rodrigo nodded and started packing up his bedroll then helped Jaycee with hers. Cari put away the utensils and griddle they’ve used to cook dinner and breakfast then packed up her own bedroll and pack onto the back of the horse she was riding. They set out once again heading south.

The next two days went by quickly. They saw patrols in the distance several times. They were all on the imperial roadways, though, which Cari took pains to avoid. With her ability to follow the map in her mind, she was able to find their way cross country without any trouble or need to follow a road. By the end of the second day, they had neared the crossroads where the inn was situated. Cari figured this was the most dangerous portion of their journey.

If there were going to be any patrols about, she figured it was likely they would be in and around this inn. It made a logical staging area since it was at the main crossroads. “We’ll have to be very careful approaching the crossroads ahead. If there’s a place we can hide out nearby at first, we’ll do that.”

“Then what?” Rodrigo asked.

“We get you and Jaycee settled somewhere safe. Then I’ll go on to the inn on my own. I think it’s best to do this that way. The innkeeper probably remembers me, but probably doesn’t know who I am. I’m hoping he won’t associate that with the person the soldiers are looking for.”

“I hope you’re right Cari. People can get kind of strange when there’s a lot of money on the line. And there’s a lot of money riding on people finding us and turning us in for the bounty.”

“That’s why it’s best I go in on my own. I think if he remembers me at all, he’ll just see the girl who passed through his inn a year and a half ago.”

As they approached the crossroads, Cari spotted a ramshackle barn nearby. It was falling apart, but part of the structure still stood and would provide both cover and shelter for the night. It was a good place for them to hide Rodrigo, Jaycee, and the spare horses.

“I’ll ride in from here alone. The inn is just over the next rise at the crossroads. If nothing happens and there’s no trouble, I’ll come back to get you. With luck, we’ll either stay at the inn tonight or we’ll move on and try to find my friend on our own.”

“Good luck,” Jaycee said.

“Luck is for people who aren’t prepared to do things on their own,” Cari said. “I don’t trust in luck. I trust me.”

She kicked her horse’s flanks with her heels and cantered off across the grassland. As soon as she crested the hill, she saw the crossroads below with the sleepy little inn sitting next to it. It was a small farming village if it could be considered a village at all. Most of the buildings at the crossroads belonged to the inn and its outbuildings. She knew from her last visit here the local farmers came and hung out there in the evenings. Since it was nearing dusk, Cari figured that somebody there would know how to find Granny Gerald.

She tied her horse to the post in front of the inn’s common room entrance and walked inside. It was much as she remembered it from before. She thought she even recognized a few of the farmers’ faces from the last time she was here. She turned towards the bar, checking in with the innkeeper who stood wiping down the countertop.

He looked up when she came in and a broad grin crossed his face “I remember you. You’re Granny Gerald’s young friend. She talks about you all the time on her way down to visit her daughter in Morton Creek.”

Cari was concerned about what that meant given the price on her head. “Hope it’s nothing too bad.”

“Oh, not at all. She just talks about how she gained a new daughter when I bunked the two of you together and always looks forward to hearing about what you’re up to when she visits Becca.”

“That brings me to why I stopped in. I’m hoping you can help me.”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“I happened to find myself traveling by this direction and thought I might drop in and surprise Granny Gerald. I don’t suppose you could tell me where she lives in relation to this inn and how far away it might be?”

“Sure I can. She’s about half a day’s travel to the east, angling a bit to the north. I could show it to you on a map if you like.”

“That would be wonderful. I suppose that means it would be a bad idea for me to try to make it tonight?”

“I wouldn’t try it.” The innkeeper said, glancing at the waning sunlight through the window outside. “I have a room available. You’re welcome to it.”

“I’m actually traveling with a couple of companions. Do you have a room with three beds or two large beds?”

“I have one with two beds. It’s only two silver pieces.”

“Fair enough. I’ll pay you when I get back with my companions. I need to go fetch them. They’re not too far away.”

“I’ll have one of the girls get the room ready for you. We just got done serving dinner, but I think there’s some food left if you’d like me to have some saved for you.”

“Yes, that would be fine. Three servings if you don’t mind.”

Cari turned and left again, settling on her horse and riding back towards the barn. As she approached, Rodrigo stepped out from the barn, accompanied by Jaycee. “What did you find?” he asked.

“Everything’s good. I found out where my friend lives and we’ve got a room for the night. No more sleeping outdoors without a campfire for a while. There’s also some hot food waiting for us, come on.”

The three of them rode down the hill into the village. They took some time to unsaddle the horses and settled them in the inn’s stable. A stableboy helped them and assured Cari he would take care of rubbing the horses down and making sure they were fed some grain in addition to the hay in their stalls. Cari tipped him a few copper pieces and headed into the main building.

The food was as good as it was the last time she was here and the room upstairs was suitable for their needs. It was a bit cramped with two beds. Cari wondered if the innkeeper had moved things around from another room to accommodate the two beds Cari wanted.

At the end of a long day, though, it didn’t matter. The beds were there. The room was warm and dry, and the three of them settled down to get some sleep. Hopefully, Granny Gerald would be able to help them figure a way into the Crystal City.

Chapter 31

The following morning, the trio ate breakfast in the common room before bidding the innkeeper farewell. He showed Cari where Granny Gerald’s house was on the map he had framed on the wall of the common room. Her family farmstead was located almost directly northeast of the crossroads. Cari pulled up her Earth Sense map and compared it to the one on the wall. She marked the location of the farmstead in her mind. A flashing red dot now pointed to where Granny Gerald’s home was located. The three of them saddled their horses with the help of the stable boy and once again got on the road.

The innkeeper was right. It was just past midday when they reached the cluster of buildings making up the farm where Granny Gerald lived. It was larger than Cari expected, looking almost like a village unto itself. It looked like most of Granny’s family lived and worked on the farm. There were many fields and orchards spread out around the central house, barns, and other buildings. Cari and the others left the road and traveled up the farm lane between fields of wheat towards the main house. A man who looked to be about the age of Cari’s father met them as they rode up to the front porch of the home.

“Good day to you travelers. What brings you to our farm?”

“I came searching for a friend of mine,” Cari said. “She told me to stop in if I was ever in the area.”

The man’s face broke into a broad grin. “You must mean my mother.”

“I thought you might be Granny Gerald’s son. There is a strong resemblance,” Cari said. “Is she here?”

The man nodded. “She’s out back, supervising the butchering of some of our hogs.”

She smiled at the man. “Is it all right if we ride around the back of the house to greet her.”

“Why don’t you just tie up your horses here. I’ll have my sons come over and get them situated in our stables. They’ll be all right for now where they are. Come, I’ll take you back to Momma.”

The man led them up onto the porch and around to the back of the house. The porch wrapped all the way around to the rear of the large home. They stepped down a flight of stairs leading to the rear of the farmstead’s yard. Just across from them, next to one of the barns, Granny Gerald stood with her hands on her hips, watching as two farmhands expertly carved up the carcass of a recently butchered hog.

“Momma,” the man called out. “There’re some guests here to see you.”

Granny turned around and as soon as her eyes fell upon them, she smiled. She came over to the trio and embraced Cari in a hug.”

“Cari, my dear, I’ve been so worried about you.” Granny stopped and held Cari out at arms’ length. The old woman studied her face. “You look like you’ve had a bit of a hard time since we last met.”

Cari wondered what she meant, then Granny reached up to trace the line of the scar across her forehead.

“It’s nothing, Granny. I’m fine. I’m traveling with my two friends here and hoped we might stay with you for a little bit. This is Rodrigo and that is Janie.”

Granny turned and greeted Rodrigo with a nod. She knelt and gave Jaycee a brief hug then stood up. She said to Cari, “I’ve been worried about you given the recent news being spread through the region. Does anyone else know you’re here?”

Judging from her tone, Cari realized Granny knew all about their being hunted by imperial soldiers. There was no other reason she would have asked that question. Cari had a moment of concern, then she realized she had to trust this woman. There was no other choice at this point. Granny Gerald had no reason to betray her.

Cari nodded. “I told the innkeeper back at the crossroads where we were going. We stayed there last night.”

Granny Gerald turned to her son. “Go saddle a horse and ride into town right away. You can stay there for the night and come back tomorrow. Tell old Bertram to keep his mouth shut about Cari and her friends staying here. Tell him if he lets out one peep about her, I’ll take it out on him personally.”

“OK, Momma. What’s this all about?”

“Don’t you worry about that for now. Just do as you’re told. I’ll explain everything when you get back tomorrow.” Granny watched her son leave then turned to Cari and her companions. “You all look like you could use some help getting washed up and a place to sit and relax for a bit. Come along into the main house. We’ve got a nice brass bathtub. I’ll have Hank’s wife start heating the water to fill it.

“That would be wonderful,” Cari said. “I think we could all use a nice soak in a tub.”

“It goes a long way to curing the ails of a long time on the road. Come along.” Granny led them into the house and seated them in a well-appointed living room. There were several upholstered chairs and a cushioned sofa.

“Becca never told me you had such a nice home Granny.”

“Becca’s got a mind of her own and doesn’t like to compare what she has with what we have. Besides which, she and Heath have done very well all by themselves, especially with the help you gave Heath with his blacksmithing.”

Granny paused as a woman who was about forty years old came in carrying a tray with a tea kettle on it and four cups and saucers. She set them down on the table in front of Granny Gerald. “Will there be anything else, Momma?”

“No, Sophie. You can go back to what you were doing. I’ll take care of things from here. By the way, this is my friend Cari, her husband Rodrigo, and their child Janie.”

Granny shot Cari a glance as she told her daughter-in-law the small fib about who Janie was. Given the situation and Granny’s subterfuge, Cari wondered if the old woman suspected who Jaycee really was.

Sophie smiled and greeted the three of them with a nod, then left them alone again.

After she left, Granny leaned towards Cari. “There’s a whole bunch of people looking for you, girl. I’m glad you made it here, but I have to wonder why you came?”

“If you know they’re looking for us, Granny, then you know or at least suspect who Janie is. You also know why it’s my job to get her to the capital and ensure she receives what’s rightly hers.”

Cari chose her words carefully while saying enough to make sure Granny got her meaning.

The old woman nodded. “You’re safe enough here for now. That, I can assure you. As to getting you three into the city, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. Everyone is looking for you. Whether it’s soldiers or common people, everyone wants a piece of the prize money for capturing you.”

“There must be a way for us to get in. Is there no one you can trust?”

Granny paused in thought for nearly a minute, staring out the window while she pondered the problem before she answered. “There are a few farmers around who don’t care much for the way the Duke of Charon has been doing things regarding local farm goods and supplies for his soldiers. I think we can count on their discretion.”

Granny stopped for a few seconds as she considered the problem at hand. “There’s a delivery of fresh hay from this region every few weeks to the main stockyards at the western gate. That’s where all the caravans come into the Crystal City. They have lots of livestock and need more hay to feed them than can be grown locally right around the capital. It’s just over a day’s travel by wagon from here with an overnight stay. If you don’t mind getting a little itchy, we could probably hide you under the haystack in the back of one of the wagons until you’re inside the city gates. The next load is scheduled for later this week.”

“If that’s the best way you can think of, Granny, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Granny smiled and poured tea into the four cups. “Good, then it’s settled. You’ll stay here for a couple of days, while I arrange for the wagon train to come by here on their way to the city. You’ll be safe enough in our home in the meantime. I have a few grandchildren about Jaycee’s age who would love to have a new friend to play with for a few days. If anyone does show up looking for you. It’ll be easy to hide her amongst all the grandkids.”

Cari smiled. Granny was always so willing to help. It was one of the things she liked most about her. She was glad she had the chance to come back and visit on her way back to the capital.

She sipped at her hot tea and sat back while Granny Gerald chatted with Jaycee about the names of her two rag dolls. The little princess had carried them in from her saddlebags. It was going to be nice to be able to rest here for a few days. It was exactly what they needed.

It took three days to gather together the wagon train. During that time Cari, Rodrigo, and Jaycee spent their time relaxing and gathering their strength for the final push ahead of them. Jaycee, in particular, had shown a great deal of grownup resilience along the journey so far. Here at Granny Gerald’s, she became a six-year-old girl again. Cari was happy to see her be able to play with children her own age. It had been a while since she’d been able to do that.

Most of Granny’s family gathered to see Cari and the others off. Everyone agreed that Cari should come back and visit again soon. Cari and Rodrigo helped Jaycee climb into the back of the leading wagon and then they climbed up with her. They had a basket of food to share for the journey along with what the wagon drivers carried.

The three of them were able to sit in the open for the beginning of the journey, but Cari knew once they reached the road, they’d have to sit in the bottom of the wagon covered with hay.

Cari smiled as Granny came over and reached up over the side of the wagon and grabbed her hand. The old woman gave it a squeeze and said, “You be careful, girl. I don’t want to hear anything about how you got yourself hurt or killed in the midst of doing what you have to do.”

“I’ll do my best, Granny. We have a lot to accomplish, but I’m confident we can get it done. That’s thanks in no small part to the generosity and hospitality you and your family have shown us. I’ll make sure it’s not forgotten.”

Granny shook her head. “We just do what we’re supposed to do. Doing the right thing is not something that should be commended. It is something that should be expected.”

Cari couldn’t argue with that.

Granny stepped back and raised her hand, motioning the wagons forward. Her eldest son, Hank, drove the lead wagon. With a flick of his bullwhip, he got the team of horses moving.

There were eight wagons full of hay in the wagon train. It moved along slower then Cari would’ve liked. But, maybe that would serve to hide them in plain view. Whatever their speed, they were back on the road to the Crystal City. This time, she was confident they’d be able to get inside without getting caught.

Chapter 32

The journey from the farmstead to the Caravan Gate on the west side of the Crystal City took just under two days. It was longer than expected because of the numerous inspections by imperial troops along the way. They camped that first night by pulling the wagons into a clearing off on the side of the road. Forming a semi-circle and settling in for the night, the farmers who made up the wagon train got ready to make themselves dinner before turning in.

Several times while they were preparing the camp and throughout the next day, mounted soldiers patrolling the road passed by. Cari could hear them as their horses clip-clopped past the slow-moving wagons. On one occasion, an officer stopped and conversed with Hank as he drove the wagon in which Cari and the others hid. It turned out the officer and Granny’s son knew each other from previous journeys to the capital with farm goods. Cari overheard their conversation from her spot beneath the hay.

“Hank, I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to deliver your load directly to my garrison’s stables?”

“I’m supposed to take everything to the main stockyards, but I suppose I could divert my wagon if the price was right.”

“I’ll make it worth your while. Plus you’ll be able to drive right into the city without going through the checkpoints. I can write you a pass.”

“What’s all the hubbub about, Captain? It seems like there’s a lot of soldiers out and about. Is there trouble in the city?”

“Just taking precautions. The new Emperor is to be crowned in the next week and the Duke of Charon doesn’t want any trouble. There’s rumors someone is trying to usurp the throne from Prince Timron. You should stay and enjoy the coronation celebrations while you’re here.”

“I don’t care much about what the royals do, Captain. Besides, my mother will have my hide if I don’t head back with the wagon of trade goods she has me picking up to bring home.”

The officer laughed. “You’re a grown man, Hank. Your mother shouldn’t be able to tell you what to do anymore.”

“You don’t know my mother. Believe me, you don’t want to cross her. She’s a very determined woman.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Here’s your pass. Show it at the gate and they’ll wave you through to head directly to the garrison inside. My quartermaster will pay you for the load when you get there.”

“Good enough. Pleasure doing business with you, Captain.”

The patrol moved off down the road. Hank called back to the rear of the wagon. “This pass’ll get us into the city right quick. We should have you all safely inside before nightfall.”

“Good. Thank you, Hank.”

It was late that afternoon when they arrived at the Caravan Gate. This was the moment of truth. If anyone were to catch them, Cari and Rodrigo would be forced to fight their way free of the gate’s guards.

It turned out the pass from the patrol captain did the trick. Hank mentioned the officer’s name and showed the pass. The guard at the gate told them to continue on through.

Through a small gap in the hay, she could see to the rear. The other five wagons behind theirs were stopped and guards began to clamber up and search them. Cari didn’t like to believe in luck but this time she was willing to make an exception. They would have been discovered for sure if their wagon had been searched that way.

They trundled over the cobblestones for a few more minutes after leaving the gate behind them, then the wagon stopped. “You can climb out now,” Hank called out. “It’s safe and we’re out of view of the gates.”

Cari moved the hay from over her head and stood up. They were in a side street off the main avenue. There was no one else nearby. Cari helped Jaycee get out of the wagon then jumped down, followed by Rodrigo.

She turned to Hank. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. I’ll make sure the princess doesn’t forget the service you did for her these past few days.”

“Oh, it wasn’t much of a fuss. Granny wouldn’t want us taking credit for just doing the right thing. You heard her back there when we left.”

Cari smiled and reached up to clasp wrists with the man. He shook the reins and cracked his whip. The team of horses moved forward once again.

Quest completed — get Jaycee to the Crystal City

15,000 experience awarded.

As the wagon drove away, Cari and Rodrigo looked around, trying to get their bearings. It took Cari a few seconds to remember to pull up her Earth Sense map display. Once again, she focused on the Crystal City and zoomed in the view to get a close-up look at where she was in relation to other landmarks she knew and recognized.

She was looking for a particular location from her first time in the city. She could see the blue dot marking their position and, after scanning the map, Cari found their destination. She marked it with a red dot and mapped out the quickest path to reach it. They were headed to the Last Retreat Tavern. It wasn’t far away from their present location. Cari hoped the friends she’d made there before she left the city would be able to help her again.

The trio walked together down the busy city streets. Market vendors still had their stalls open and were calling out their wares, listing all of the wonderful things they had for sale. This close to the Caravan Gate, the variety of things available for sale was much larger than in other parts of the city.

Many of the caravan merchants unloaded small portions of their goods to the vendors here for sale to the city’s populace before selling larger stockpiles to the merchant factions inside. The marketplace was crowded, which Cari was glad to see. It would serve to help them hide in the crowds as they headed to the tavern.

Twice imperial patrols passed by them. None of the soldiers were from the city watch. All wore the colors of the Duke of Charon’s troops.

Rodrigo nodded at them as one of the patrols passed by. “They aren’t even hiding the fact that they are in control anymore. You have to wonder if they’ve locked up all of the supporters of the old Empress we knew back at the Empress’ Rest Inn.”

“I’m not sure if they’d do that, though I wouldn’t put it past the Duke to at least lock up the leaders of the movement. Remember, the Empress is dead and the people don’t know about our young friend here.”

“I hope you’re right. Otherwise, there isn’t going to be anyone to come to our side when the time comes to act.”

They arrived at The Last Retreat Tavern as the sun set over the western side of the city wall nearby. The common room was already half full as patrons drifted in after their workday. Those who were there sat eating their evening meal served by the innkeeper and the few tavern girls working the night shift. Cari scanned the bar looking for either Harley Denne, the city guardsmen who’d helped her escape the city, or the barmaid, Mitzi Berry.

She spotted Mitzi first. Cari waved as Mitzi walked past carrying a tray of empty tankards and plates back to the kitchen. The girl’s eyes grew wide in shock and she nearly stumbled and dropped the tray. She recovered, though, and quickly crossed to the bar, setting the tray down and gesturing for another one of the girls to grab it for her.

Mitzi rushed over to Cari and the others. “What are you doing here? Don’t you realize every guard in the city is keeping their eyes open looking for you and that girl.”

“That’s why we came here, Mitzi. We need your help. Is Harley here?”

The tavern maid shook her head. “Not right now. I think he’s on duty at the north gate tonight. He should be back before too long. He’s off at sundown.” Mitzi looked around, then beckoned to Cari and the others. “Come with me. We need to get you out of sight.”

Cari followed Mitzi, who took them to a back room down a long hallway. It looked like it was a spare storeroom, judging from the sacks of grain and rice stacked along the walls.

“You three stay here. Do you need food?”

“Food would be nice,” Rodrigo said.

Mitzi nodded and smiled. “Give me a few minutes. I’ll come back with some food for the three of you.”

Mitzi left, closing the door behind her. Cari sat down on a stack of flour sacks and leaned back against the wall. Jaycee sat down on the floor at her feet and leaned up against her legs. Rodrigo paced back and forth in the small room, waiting for Mitzi to return.

“You don’t have to be so nervous, Rod. After you and Timron escaped the city the last time we were here, I was captured by the Duke. Harley and Mitzi helped me escape the city. Harley and Mitzi are good people. They were loyal to the old Empress. They’ll be loyal to Jaycee as well.

“I don’t like being in here where I can’t see what’s going on out there.”

“There’s no reason for you to have to stay in here with us. No one is looking for you. I’m the one with her face out there for the guards to recognize. You can go sit in the common room if you want. In fact, that might be a good idea. It will give you a chance to spot trouble long before we would back here.”

Rodrigo nodded and pulled the door open. He glanced both directions, then left pulling the door shut behind him. Cari smiled and reached down to stroke Jaycee’s long blonde hair with her hand. “Would you like me to braid your hair for you? Granny gave me a hairbrush. Maybe I can get some of that dust and hay out of your hair.”

“That would be nice, Cari. Make the braid just like yours. I like looking fierce like you do.”

Mitzi arrived soon with a tray of food. “I spotted your friend out in the common room. He told me he was going to keep watch out there. Here’s some food for you and the little one.”

As she put the tray down and handed them the plates, the serving girl’s eyes kept shifting back to glance at Jaycee. She stood to leave then turned back and said, “The girl. Is she really…”

Cari nodded. “We don’t want to make a big fuss. But yes, she is who you think she is.”

Mitzi stopped what he was doing and offered a brief curtsy in Jaycee’s direction.

Jaycee giggled, “You don’t have to do that.”

“But I do, your Majesty. It wouldn’t be right for me not to show you respect.”

“Cari says respect must be earned. I haven’t done anything to earn it. Not yet, anyway. Don’t worry, though. I will. I’m going to be a great warrior like Cari and like my great-grandmother.” The little girl drew her belt knife and held it up in front of her as if she were fending off an attacker.

The gesture made Mitzi laugh out loud. “You are very fierce, your majesty.”

“I think we should dispense with the royal honorifics, Mitzi. Jaycee is right. Please call her by her first name for the time being.”

Mitzi nodded and picked up the empty tray. “I had one of the busboys run out and take a message to the North Gate where Harley is standing watch.”

“Isn’t that taking a risk, letting someone else know we’re here besides you and Harley?”

“It’ll be all right. I just told the boy to run tell Harley an old girlfriend had stopped by and was waiting for him. The boy doesn’t know anything else. You’re safe, at least for now.”

“Thank you for the food, Mitzi. Why don’t you get back to work so no one misses you and comes looking for you? We’ll be fine here. Rodrigo will watch out for trouble in the common room.”

Mitzi smiled and left them alone with their meal. There was fresh baked brown bread. It was still warm from the oven and smelled wonderful. There was also a nice slab of warm roast beef, a hunk of cheese and even a chilled glass of milk for Jaycee. There was also a bottle of wine and a tankard for Cari.

The two weary travelers sat down to their meal and ate their fill. There was nothing left of the food by the time they were finished. Their travels over the last few days had left them hungry.

Their stomachs full, the two of them settled back against the sacks of flour and rice, struggling to remain awake. Despite her best efforts to keep her eyes open, Cari drifted off to sleep with Jaycee cuddled up against her.

Rodrigo wakened Cari when he tapped on the door before entering the storeroom.

She sat upright, still sleepy and trying to get her bearings. Jaycee rolled over and was still asleep next to her on the pile of flour sacks. “Is everything all right?” Cari asked.

“Everything’s fine. I was just checking in on you. Your friend Harley just returned from his shift on watch at the North Gate. He told me to tell you they are preparing rooms for us upstairs where a few of the barmaids and busboys for the tavern live. There’s room for all three of us. He has you and Jaycee sharing a room and me sharing a room with one of the busboys.”

Cari stood and reached over to Jaycee and gently squeezed her on the shoulder. The girl’s eyes opened slowly. She looked up at Cari as she stretched. “Is it time to leave?”

“Not quite yet, but we found better accommodations with actual beds. Come on. Rodrigo is going to take us there.”

The trio left the storeroom and Rodrigo led Cari and Jaycee up a back stairway to the rooms where the tavern keeper, his wife and some of the help lived. Harley Denne was standing in the hallway outside two rooms at the very end of the hallway. He smiled when he spotted Cari.

“I have to say I wasn’t sure I’d see you again. I have been following the tales of your adventures, though.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear, Harley. It’s not all that exciting.”

“I’m not sure that’s the case. You rescued Prince Timron, became a notorious pirate raider, and now you show back up here with another lost princess, just like your father. I call that pretty remarkable.”

Cari shrugged. She didn’t know what to say in response so she changed the subject. “Are these the rooms you have for us?”

“Yes,” Harley gestured to the first of the rooms.

Cari peeked inside the open door. There was a large bed set in the corner of the room with a washstand and small table. “This will be perfect, Harley. Thank you very much.”

“You mind me asking why you came here? Do you need my help with something?”

“I’m supposed to meet some friends here. You may know them. They are former Dragoons and a few others who might’ve been traveling with them. They were supposed to come here after they arrived in the city to wait for me. I’m hoping they got here ahead of us.”

Harley had an alarmed look on his face and he shot a glance at Mitzi. “You haven’t told them?”

Mitzi shook her head. “I thought it was best coming from you.”

“What?” Cari asked. “Have you seen them?”

“Cari, I don’t know about the others you spoke of, but your three Dragoon friends were here two days ago. Soon after they arrived, though, a large patrol of the Duke’s guards showed up in the middle of the night. After a brief fight, they arrested them. The three of them managed to kill half the Dukes guards before they were overwhelmed. There were just too many of them.”

“That’s not good,” Cari said. “I need to figure out where they are.”

“That’s not the worst of it,” Harley said. “They’ve already been tried and scheduled for execution. They are due to be hanged in the ceremonial square outside the imperial palace tomorrow.”

Cari bared her teeth and shook her head. “That’s not going to happen. Not on my watch. We have to figure out a way to rescue them, Rodrigo.”

“Agreed. But we’re going to need more people than just the four of us and Jaycee. Are you thinking of pulling off something like you did when you rescued me from the Sultanate’s soldiers?”

“I think something like that might be in order. We’re going to need some help, though. Harley, can you find some reliable men and women who might be able to assist us in putting together a plan to rescue our friends?”

“I’ll see what I can do. You know they’re going to be a lot of guards there and anyone who gets caught helping with their escape will seal their own death warrant.”

“I know,” Cari said. “But this is important. They have vital information we’re going to need if we’re going to get Jaycee on the throne where she belongs.”

“All right, I’ll see what I can do. I’m not making any promises, though. You’ll have my help but aside from that, I’m not sure how many people will step forward at this time. The Duke of Charon’s men’ve got everyone pretty scared.”

Harley turned to leave and Cari took Jaycee into their room. She had a lot to think about and some serious planning to do if she was going to rescue the three Dragoons.

Quest accepted — rescue the Dragoons

Chapter 33

Cari slapped her hand down on the table top stopping the heated discussion passing back and forth between Rodrigo and Harley. “Stop arguing. We’re not going to be able to figure out how to rescue them if the two of you keep bickering over which danger is worse. Now, let’s focus. There’s got to be a way to make this work.”

“I don’t see how,” Harley said. “We don’t have the people we need to make this work. I know what kind of guard presence is going to be around that scaffolding for the gallows. They need that many troops to hold back the crowd just as a matter of general protection. If they think there’s going to be some kind of rescue attempt, there’ll be double that number present. I was only able to get five people to join our cause.”

“Then we find more,” Rodrigo said “we can’t let them just die. Cari, what about Merrick? He said he was willing to help us when we got to the Crystal City.”

Cari shook her head. “Merrick said he’d help us when it came time to put Jaycee on the throne. I think he meant doing something much more behind the scenes than staging a daring rescue in broad daylight in the Palace Square.”

The group fell silent for a moment. There was a tap at the door.

“Come in,” Cari called out as she stared at the map of the square on the table Harley had drawn up.

Helen cleared her throat from the doorway. “I heard you needed a few good hands to help you rescue a few friends.”

Cari’s face broke into a grin on hearing her friend’s familiar voice. She spun around. “Helen, my God, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Come in. Where have you been?”

“We split up from Liam and the other two a day after we drew the patrol away from you. We joined a caravan as guards and only just got into the city.” Helen entered and was followed by Francesca and Percy.

“It’s good to see you all. I’m hoping you can help us figure out a way to rescue the Dragoons. They’ve gotten themselves captured and condemned to death tomorrow.”

Helen pointed to the table and the map on it. “Tell me what you’ve got figured so far.”

“Not much, I’m afraid,” Cari replied.

Helen leaned over the map and scanned the layout of the square. “We aren’t going to be able to pull off the same sort of rescue we did when we saved Rodrigo. We don’t have the resources, the gunpowder, or the type of layout that made that plan work.”

Cari agreed with Helen’s assessment. The layout of the square made it impossible for them to funnel the crowd away from the hangman’s scaffolding in such a way that they could make a quick escape through an opening in the mass of people that would be there.

Without a quick escape plan, any rescue was doomed to failure. They’d all just end up as more traitors strung up on the gallows the next day.

“We’ve got to try something, think, people.”

Harley was the first to raise a hand after about ten seconds of silence in the room.

“Go on, Harley,” Cari said. “What do you have?”

“I think our only shot at this is to try and get enough people close to the scaffolding to stop them right before they trip the trap doors beneath the condemned prisoners. If we are close enough, there’s an open space under the scaffolding. If we could break through the cordon of guards, we could run under and catch them as they fell. We’d have to have someone get up onto the platform above and cut the ropes before they were strangled to death, but I think it would work.”

“Whoever went up on that stage was going to be pretty exposed.” Cari looked around the table before continuing. “I think I should be the one to do that.”

“No way, boss,” Francesca said. “I know how fast you are when you want to be. But I think that speed is better saved for helping us to get away when the time comes to leave the square. If anyone should go up there, it should be Rodrigo or me. We are the youngest and fastest after you.”

Rodrigo nodded. “I agree with Francesca. All we have to do is get next to the stage or close enough that we can break through the line of guards and climb up there in time to separate the ropes right before they drop. Then all the others have to do is cut their bonds and bring them out into the crowd.”

“That doesn’t give us much room for failure,” Helen said. “It’s a pretty desperate plan.”

“It is,” Cari said. “It’s also the only plan I’ve heard so far that has any chance of succeeding and it still doesn’t give us a way to escape the Palace Square after we rescue them.”

Francesca pointed a finger at the map. “There are four main entrances to the square. I suggest we rescue them and split up. Everyone taking a different direction. It gives us a better chance of saving at least some of them. We lose ourselves in the crowd.”

Cari smiled and shook her head. “We stick together. I like the idea of losing ourselves in the crowd, though. What if we brought double-sided cloaks with us? We rescue them wearing our cloaks in one direction. We bring three spares for the Dragoons. After we break free and mingle back into the crowd, we duck down and turn our cloaks around so that they’re a different color. The guards will be looking for people wearing one color and perhaps in the panic of the crowd, they’ll miss seeing the rest of us mingling with the other people as we make our way towards one of the exits.”

Harley looked at the map and then at Cari. “That might work. I know when I am chasing after someone when I’m on patrol, I generally look for them by the color of the clothes they’re wearing.”

“Good,” Cari said. “Can Mitzi get her hands on some material, so we can fashion cloaks for ourselves or maybe there’s somewhere we can buy them?”

Harley paused and thought before answering. “I think it’s best if we get the material and make them ourselves. It won’t take us too long to fashion something quickly and if we go out and buy something as specific as that, it’s likely to be something a merchant would remember. They might come forward when details of our rescue are released. It would be one more way they could find us after the fact.”

“Then we go with that plan.” Cari looked up and nodded at Francesca. “You’re a little quicker and more agile than Rodrigo is, even with that eyepatch. I think it has to be you who gets up to the scaffolding to cut them free. Rod will break you through the cordon of guards around the scaffold. You slip through the gap and get to that stage as fast as you can. Got it?”

Francesca smiled and nodded. Cari could tell she was happy to have gotten the opportunity to lead that part of the escape plan.

Cari continued. “Rodrigo once you get her through the guards onto the scaffolding you’re going to have to break away and move to another side of the scaffolding and be ready to help us break through there to get the Dragoons out once we rescue them. Helen, you will come from one side while I come from the other. Harley, you and your men stay back in the crowd and be prepared to help Rodrigo open a hole in the guards’ line. Once that opening is made, we’ll get the Dragoons out from under the scaffolding and slip into the crowd where we’ll make our quick color change and then make our way free.”

There were nods all around the table as everyone agreed to their assignments. Cari looked at the map one last time. There was a lot about this plan that could go wrong. She had a nagging suspicion she was missing something, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

It didn’t matter anyway. She wasn’t going to let the Dragoons hang without making some attempt to get them free. She knew this was an all or nothing plan. If they failed, their whole mission failed, including the mission to get Jaycee on to the throne. That left her with one more task to accomplish before they set out on the rescue attempt.

Cari found Percy with Mitzi and Jaycee downstairs in the common room. She motioned to the former cabin boy to come over to the corner and meet her there. Time for the next part of her plan. “Percy, we have figured out what we’re going to do with regard to our three friends who are in trouble.”

“That’s good news. From the way I heard you all talking earlier, it was nearly impossible.”

“It nearly is. That’s why I came down to talk to you. Someone is going to have to stay here and watch Jaycee. If things go bad and we all get caught, it won’t take them long to figure out where we were hiding. I need to know she’s going to be safe. I need to know someone like you will be there to watch over her and get her out of the city.”

“I want to help, Cari, but I wouldn’t know where to take her. I don’t know anyone around here where we could hide out.”

Cari considered for a moment. Her initial thought was to get the girl all the way back to the Duke of Tandon. Then she realized that would be the obvious choice. It would be the first place the Duke of Charon would look for her and would probably start a huge Civil War. There was one other place though, where she knew Jaycee would be safe and where she could live out a happy life if there were no way for her to reach the throne.

“I have a friend who owns a farmstead to the south west of here. I will give you her name and draw a map of how to get there. Once you get to Granny Gerald, she will recognize Jaycee. Tell her what happened and ask her to take you both in. She’ll keep you both safe for as long as you want to stay there.

Percy stared at Cari. Cari could see the wheels turning inside his head as he calculated what it would mean to spirit Jaycee away and keep her safe.

“I can’t let anything happen to Jaycee, Captain. You know that. You have my word. I’ll make sure she gets away to safety if anything happens.”

“That’s all I wanted to know. Hopefully, we’ll meet up again tomorrow evening and laugh off this conversation as unnecessary. Still, it makes me feel a lot better to know she’ll be cared for.”

Cari headed back up to the room she shared with Jaycee. She needed a good night’s sleep. There was a lot that was going to happen in the next day at Noon and she would have to be up early to help with preparations. As she climbed the stairs, Cari fought down the worry that this plan was destined to fail.

Chapter 34

Cari muttered “excuse me” as she shouldered her way past the gentleman in front of her. The crowd was thicker in the Palace Square than she’d expected. She had no idea why so many people had come out to watch the execution of her three friends. That they would have come to enjoy such a spectacle sickened her.

She craned her neck to see if she could spot any of her other friends scattered around the rest of the crowd. Helen should be somewhere off to her left and Rodrigo and Francesca should be directly opposite her on the other side the hangman’s scaffolding.

Cari continued to press her way forward, trying to get as close to the front of the crowd as she could. She needed to be in a position from which she could move to assist the others once the rescue began. The people around her were boisterous and the closer she got to the front row, the more the men and women in front of her didn’t want to give up their place close to the gallows.

On more than one occasion, Cari stared someone down as she rested her hand on her sword’s hilt until they backed away. She wondered what the crowd would be like once the fighting began. Would they move against her and her friends or would some of them assist in getting the Dragoons away safely?

Cari reached a place where she was only four or five people deep in the crowd and realized it was going to be difficult to get any closer at this point. She didn’t want to draw undue attention to herself from the guards. Harley told her the guards had more of the hand drawn likenesses of her both in and outside the square. Cari had to be careful to avoid being recognized. The presence of the flyers here told her someone expected her to try something.

When she glanced to her left, Cari spotted Helen. She had managed to make it to the front of the crowd and stood in front of the line of imperial soldiers at the edge of the scaffolding. The guards used their muskets to press the crowd back, holding them horizontally to create a sort of barrier to hold off the surging crowd.

Helen caught her looking that way and nodded. Cari smiled and turned her attention to see if she could spot Rodrigo and Francesca. She picked out Rodrigo in position in the crowd on the opposite side of the gallows from where she stood. He, too, stood at the front of the crowd. She couldn’t see Francesca, but she was sure if Rodrigo was there, the woman was close by.

There was a bit of a commotion off to her right and she tried to pick out what was causing it. She realized what it must be as the crowd near her started shouting and pointing that way. It was the guards escorting the three prisoners towards the gallows. Her guess was confirmed as the ring of soldiers parted and her friends were pushed into the clear space created by the guard team around the gallows.

They’d been mistreated during their capture and imprisonment. All of them showed recent bruises, cuts, and crusty blood on their faces and clothes. Their white linen shirts were wet with fresh blood in the back, indicating they’d been whipped as well.

Liam was followed by Thad the Orc. Chance, the Elf, was the last one brought into the center of the square. There were eight guards escorting them. Two took position at the bottom of the steps while the other six escorted the prisoners up the stairs to the top of the scaffolding, five feet above the crowd around them.

Once on the platform, each was marched to stand beneath the nooses dangling from the gallows above them. They were each pushed forward to stand on the trap doors in the floor of the scaffold. A bell rang, silencing the rowdy crowd and a loud voice rang out. Cari realized it had been magically amplified to make sure everyone could hear the announcement. She turned to the balcony jutting out from the palace wall where the Duke of Charon and several of his senior officers stood.

“People of the Empire of Fantasma, you see before you the final efforts of a conspiracy to overthrow the rightful leaders of this empire. The once vaunted Dragoons have become disgraced by the actions of these three men and their co-conspirators. Their treason is punishable by only one thing, death.”

The crowd had a mixed reaction, which Cari found interesting. There were some cheers, but there were also some boos. Most of the people, however, were silent as if they were unsure how to react. Cari wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She hoped it fell in her favor.

The Duke continued his speech, calling out to the guards on the scaffolding. “Place the nooses on the condemned and prepare to carry out your duty.”

The prisoners were held by two guards each while the hangman drew the nooses tight around their necks. They all three had their hands tied behind their backs and their ankles were now bound together as well. None of them struggled against what was coming.

Cari glanced at Helen and Rodrigo one more time. She prepared herself to push forward to the edge of the crowd. This was the moment of action.

As she reached for her dagger, she felt something sharp press against the small of her back.

A familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Cari, my dear, you should put that dagger away. I’m afraid there’s not going to be a daring rescue to save anyone this time around.”

Cari started to turn around but Major Novachik pressed the point of his blade harder against Cari’s spine until she felt a trickle of blood running down her back and she froze.

“That’s better. Now I think its best we stand here and watch the festivities before we take you to see His Grace. He’s very eager to see you again.”

Cari’s head darted to the left and then tried to look across the scaffolding to find Rodrigo. Behind her, Novachik chuckled.

“We have your friends well in hand. I told you, there will be no rescue. You were all spotted as soon as you arrived in the square.”

Cari’s heart sank as she saw what he said was true. Two men stood behind Helen. Judging from the blank stare on her face, someone held a blade against her back as well. Rodrigo was flanked by two men and Cari saw the point of a blade from one of them pressed against his ribs. There might have been another one or two behind him. She couldn’t be sure. Francesca was probably captured as well.

Cari searched her mind for some thought or idea that could get them out of this. She wasn’t worried about herself. She’d escaped the Duke’s prison before and she would do so again. She was worried about what was about to happen to the Dragoons.

No matter how many different things she considered, there was no option that presented any chance of success. Even if she were to begin to fight back against Novachik and he didn’t manage to skewer her with his blade, fighting him would not get anyone near the scaffolding to rescue the Dragoons in time. The Duke would undoubtedly continue with the execution regardless of what she did. She couldn’t save them on her own anyway.

Cari called up her stats menu scanning down the list of attributes and her various skills, trying to find some other combination of moves or other option open to her.

Her eyes scanned up and down then stopped on her luck stat for some reason. She rarely considered luck to be of much benefit in real life. Her father always said he considered luck to be something a person made for herself. Here in Fantasma, however, it appeared to help in some limited ways, but she’d never really used it before as a stand-alone skill or attribute.

She couldn’t think of anything else, though, so she concentrated on her luck score hoping against all hope there would be some kind of response. To her surprise, she heard a strange rumbling sound in her ears. Cari couldn’t quite figure out what it was. It sounded like something mechanical was spinning in the back of her mind.

Cari didn’t know what it was since she’d never tried pressing her luck like this in the past. Nothing was happening, though, just the strange rumbling sound in her head. She was about to give up as the Duke called out from the balcony once again with his magically enhanced voice. “Guards, carry out your duty.”

As soon as the Duke said the words, the whirring, spinning sound in Cari’s mind stopped and there was a chime as if a tiny bell had rung. At the same instant, the hangman stepped forward to grasp the lever that would open the trap doors beneath the Dragoons.

Then it happened.

Cari would never have believed it if she hadn’t seen it all occur right in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, a flashing blur drew her attention.

A spinning knife flew through the air, striking the hangman directly in the center of his chest.

It was followed by three more throwing knives, spinning through the air. Each struck the thick rope dangling from the top of the gallows above the condemned men.

At the same instant the three throwing knives sunk into the gallows and sliced through the ropes above the condemned, the dead hangman slumped forward over the lever he held, triggering the mechanism and causing the condemned to fall.

Cari stood frozen in place, her mouth gaping as each of the Dragoons dropped safely to the ground below. The whole sequence of events could only be described as unbelievable.

She tried to pick out where the thrown knives came from and spotted a figure wearing a hooded cloak spinning his way through the troop of guards lined up at the base of the stairs.

His movements were precise and exact. They were fluid, decisive, and lacked any extraneous effort or movement at all. Each action was timed to cause the most damage possible before moving on to the next guard.

The cloak fluttered open in front as he spun around, and Cari saw what looked like gleaming, translucent armor, almost as if it was made of blue glass.

He turned at one point and shot blue-white darts the same color as the armor straight out of his fingertips into the throat of the guard in front of him. He then raised his booted foot and kicked the dying guard into one of the other guards who was about to strike back at the mysterious attacker with a sword.

The mystery man’s hands disappeared inside the cloak and reemerged with a dagger in each hand.

A strange thought occurred as she stared at the events unfolding before her, triggering a memory. Those daggers looked familiar to Cari.

She didn’t know why and tried to place where she’d seen them before but was distracted by a new commotion to her left as the crowd surged away from a small explosion.

The blast wasn’t large and wouldn’t have caused much damage. It sounded more like a small firecracker going off. But it served its purpose and the crowd backed away from the startling noise opening a space in front of the ring of guards on the opposite side of the gallows.

Another hooded figure stood there, smaller than the man fighting at the gallows. Cari realized after a few seconds that the newcomer was a woman.

She couldn’t make out the woman’s face from within the shadows of the hooded cloak she wore. The newcomer raised an oddly shaped crossbow, holding it at hip height, and pulled the trigger.

A crossbow bolt flew out, slamming into one of the guards who started to raise his musket to fire at the hooded man on the gallows. The guard pitched over, a bolt embedded between his shoulder blades.

Then Cari saw another crossbow bolt, and another, and another, until five more crossbow bolts had flown out from the strange weapon without reloading, each striking one of the guards at the base of the scaffolding in the chest, throwing them all backward to the ground to stare with lifeless eyes at the sky.

More guards from around the perimeter surged in the woman’s direction and she dropped the crossbow to dangle by a shoulder strap while reaching to pull something from her belt. She flung the small object forward and it separated into five smaller objects in midair.

The smaller items spread out as each of them flew through the air to land on the ground in front of the charging guards. The guards ignored the tiny objects and ran directly over them. As soon as they did a fine mesh net sprayed upward, tangling feet and hands, capturing four of the guards. As they tripped and fell to the ground, sparks flew from the shiny mesh netting. The captured guards’ bodies jerked and spasmed as they were electrocuted by the charge stored in the tiny devices on the ground.

Who was this woman?

For that matter who was this man on the gallows? They fought with such intensity, with such efficiency in each of their motions, almost as if they fought as one person, coordinated in some way despite the distance between them.

The woman charged forward pulling two round objects from her belt and threw one to the left of the scaffolding in the direction where Rodrigo and Francesca were being held. She threw the other ball in Cari’s direction so that it landed in the open space where the guards were trying to decide whether to turn left or right. They had foes in opposite directions.

The two golf-ball sized objects landed and there was an explosion in each place followed by billowing streams of smoke. The initial explosions, though small, felled a few of the guards. The rest became confused and disoriented as the smoke continued to spread upward and outward until it filled the air on both sides of the scaffolding with a thick gray cloud.

Cari could no longer see the other side of the scaffolding and could barely make out the hooded man or woman fighting forward towards the prisoners crouched beneath the platform.

The hooded figures raced forward, dealing death to the remainder of the guards who stumbled coughing and blinded from the thick smoke around the gallows. The two ran beneath the scaffolding, disappearing into the thick smoke.

A few seconds later, the duo raced out of the smoke to the left with the three Dragoons right behind them. Chance laughed with total abandon in a manner she had never heard from the reserved elf before.

As the five escaping figures ran through the smoke heading back towards the edge of the square, the hoods on the two lead figures fell back from their heads revealing their faces.

Cari gawked at them in amazement as they disappeared into the crowd with the three Dragoons.

“Mom? Dad?”

Quest completed — rescue the Dragoons

20,000 experience awarded

Chapter 35

Cari’s startled brain struggled to reconcile these two death-dealing rescuers she now recognized as her parents, with the two people she’d grown up with all her life.

They couldn’t be the same people, could they?

She’d been so distracted, she didn’t realize the dagger no longer pressed against her back. Cari had forgotten all about Major Novachik during the daring rescue. The whole thing happened in just under a minute from start to finish, with a series of events most would call improbable at best.

Novachik must have been similarly distracted and amazed. He quickly regained his composure and pressed the dagger forward again. “I see you had a contingency plan, but it will do you no good. Whoever those two scoundrels were, we still have you in custody as well as your other friends. We will—”

The Major’s words cut off. The point of his blade fell away from her back.

Cari glanced over her shoulder to see the Major collapse to the cobblestones behind her. A smiling Stefan Claridge stood over him holding his pistol by the barrel and using the butt as a club.

“Hello, Captain. I bet you’re happy to see me again,” the young lieutenant said with a grin spreading from ear to ear.

“You have no idea, Stefan. Hurry we have to go rescue Helen and the others.”

Stefan shook his head and pointed a finger across the crowded Palace Square. People were now running in all directions, unsure if there were going to be more explosions or smoke. Cari could barely see anything through the smoke. “What? What am I supposed to see?”

“We have friends with us. The others should be safe as well. Come on, we must go while there is still a chance to get away. The Duke will have more soldiers here very soon.”

Cari looked down for a moment at the unconscious major lying on the cobblestones. Then was pulled away as Stefan grabbed her elbow and jerked her towards the square’s gates her parents had used moments before. Cari stumbled along sideways for a few steps before turning and regaining her balance. “Let go, I’m fine.”

Before Cari had gone ten yards through the panicked crowd, Helen joined her along with two men she’d never met before. They had a red ribbon tied to their lapels and each carried a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other.

A little farther along, as they reached the gate leaving the square, Rodrigo and Francesca caught up to them in the company of three other men. Each of the newcomers also wore a red ribbon pinned to their lapels. Cari realized it must’ve been used as a way to identify friend from foe in the midst of the rescue.

As Cari ran along, she tried to come up with answers to the questions spinning through her mind. She turned and directed one of those questions at Stefan. “Are you here with my parents?”

Stefan grinned at her again. “Of course. They are quite remarkable people.”

“My parents? How are they remarkable?” Cari realized how ridiculous that question was given what she had just seen her parents do. They’d pulled off perhaps the most spectacular rescue in history. The escape plan they enacted had come off without a hitch. Cari shook her head. It was the luckiest chain of events she’d ever seen.

Stefan pointed to a line of buildings across the street. “Come on, we need to head down that alley to the left. We want to get off the main thoroughfares as soon as possible.”

“You lead the way,” Cari said. “I’m right behind you.”

Helen, Rodrigo, and Francesca, along with the five other people in their group, followed behind her. They all darted through the thinning crowd towards the gap between the two buildings Stefan indicated.

They reached the shadows of the alleyway and ran along it until they came to the rear of the buildings facing the Square. Stefan stopped, breathing hard from their rapid escape. The others came to a halt next to him.

Cari looked around checking to make sure no one was injured. “Is everyone OK?”

They all nodded, even the five gentlemen she didn’t know. “Good, where to, Stefan?”

“There’s a catacomb entrance somewhere along the back alley that crosses this one. It runs behind these buildings. I was told there’s a basement entrance leading downward. That’s what we’re looking for.”

“You don’t know where it is?” Cari asked.

“No, I’ve never actually seen it. I only had it described to me by the man who sent these others to help us break you free. His name is Merrick.”

Cari laughed. Merrick said he’d find a way to help her if he could. She was sure he knew many of the underground passages around the city. It was a good plan to use them. They needed to get off the street and out of view.

Cari looked up and down the alley to the left and the right. “Everybody spread out.” She pointed to the five gentlemen with the red ribbons on their lapels. “You five go that way and try to find the entrance. We’ll go this way to the left and check in this direction. If you find something, call out.”

One of the men, who must be the leader, nodded and pointed the others down the narrow street to the right. Cari, Stefan, Helen, Francesca, and Rodrigo turned and went down the alley to the left. She wasn’t sure what they were looking for, only that it was some sort of basement entrance.

One-eyed Francesca was the one who found it. She called out and Cari and the others ran over to join her. There was a sloped doorway leaning up against the rear of a tall brick building. Lifting the wooden door and propping it to the side, Cari saw stone stairs leading down. “This must be it. Stefan do you have anything to use for a light?”

“Merrick told us there would be a lantern inside the passageway just beyond the entrance.”

“Go down and check. Make sure there is one. We don’t want to be stumbling around in the dark down there.”

Stefan ran down the stairs, disappearing into the darkness for a minute or so. Francesca and Helen watched the open end of the alleyway. Crowds of people were streaming past the main thoroughfare at the other end. No one came down the alley, however.

As Merrick’s men returned from the other end of the alley, Stefan reappeared holding a small oil lantern. “Come on,” he said. There’s another lantern down here so someone else can grab it and bring up the rear.”

Stefan disappeared back into the dark tunnel and Cari pointed downward for Francesca and Helen to follow him. Merrick’s men went next and then it was just her and Rodrigo standing there.

“After you, Cari.”

She could argue with him but decided now wasn’t the time. She let him have his gallant gesture and headed down into the tunnels. Rodrigo came right behind her, pulling the wooden door closed, sealing the entrance.

It was extremely dark in the tunnel, even with the two lanterns. One of the men in front of her handed Cari the second lantern and she passed it along to Rodrigo since he was bringing up the rear. Stefan had already started moving forward down the narrow passageway.

They could only proceed single file down the tunnel. The floor was smooth, which was lucky because the lamplight didn’t provide very much illumination for those in the middle of the group. They continued along for about five minutes before the passageway opened into a larger junction running to the left and right. Cari heard running water and knew they had entered part of the city’s sewer system. Somewhere down here, there were also some old catacombs. She knew of them from a previous escape she’d made here in the Crystal City. She wondered if her parents and the three Dragoons were now moving in a similar passage nearby. She wanted to see them. She wanted to ask them how they got here.

Stefan waited at the T-junction until everyone filed out of the smaller passageway and spread out on a ledge above the sewer waters flowing below. He pointed to the right and Cari joined him at the front of the group while they moved down the ledge of the larger sewer passageway. They were able to walk two abreast on the raised walkway that bordered the open sewer drain beside them to the left. As they walked, there were periodic branches off to the left and right, leading, she presumed, to similar tunnels to the one they’d used throughout other portions of the city.

They continued walking for about fifteen minutes, passing by several intersections, turning down others. Stefan led the way, following a set of directions he must have memorized.

After a few twisting turns, Cari realized she could try and orient where they might be using her Earth Sense skill and she called up the skill menu and activated the map overlay. With a little practice, she was able to look at the tunnels through which they passed with the city above for reference.

She couldn’t see tunnels she hadn’t yet walked through, but she was able to put the city map over top of the tunnel system to see which direction they traveled underground. They were heading west away from the Palace Square in the direction of the Caravan Gate and the Last Retreat Inn. That was good. They had to retrieve Jaycee and Percy from the tavern. If Novachik somehow figured out where they’d been staying. She might be in danger and already captured.

“Stefan, is there any way we can hurry up? I’m worried about Jaycee. She might not be safe anymore since Major Novachik and the others clearly knew we were in town and to watch for us.”

“I can try, Cari. It’s a little disorienting to be down here and I’m trying to remember the directions Merrick gave me. He wouldn’t let me write them down.”

“Do the best you can. I want to get back and check on her.”

“I believe she’s safe. Your mother and father sent some of the soldiers I came with from Tandon to watch over the tavern.

“How many did you bring with you?”

“The Duke decided a smaller force was better than a large one, at least right now. I came with a platoon of twenty men.”

“It was enough to do the job, I guess. The plan was masterful.”

“It was your father’s idea. I never would’ve tried anything so complicated, but he seemed to be sure it would all work out for the best. He kept saying to trust his luck. He said it never failed him before.”

“My father said that? That doesn’t sound like him at all.”

“You’ve talked about your parents some in our travels, Cari. I have to say they aren’t anything like what I expected based on how you described them.”

“They aren’t, are they? I still can’t believe they pulled that off back there. It’s like I don’t know them at all.”

“To be honest, Cari, they’re exactly like I expected Prince Hal and Princess Mona to be. If you’ll forgive me for saying it, they are total badasses.”

Cari heard a chuckle from behind her as the five men at the rear overheard that part of the conversation. Clearly, the five of them had a similar impression.

They continued to twist and turn through the tunnels stopping on several occasions while Stefan got his bearings and tried to remember the directions he’d been given. Cari was able to help a little using her Earth Sense.

Eventually, they arrived at another of the side passages and Stefan pointed up it. “If the directions are correct, this passageway leads to the basement of The Last Retreat. There’s a secret entrance that opens behind the wine racks in the cellar.”

“This is your show, Stefan. Lead on.”

Stefan turned and led them up the passageway.

They soon arrived at a stone wall. There was an iron latch and plate set into the stone in front of them. It took him a few seconds to figure out the mechanism. After a few tries, they heard a click and the wall pushed open before them letting them exit into the wine cellar of The Last Retreat Tavern.

A multitude of questions and worries filled her mind. Cari pushed past Stefan and ran up the stairs into the tavern kitchen. She startled the cook and the tavern keeper’s wife.

Muttering an apology, Cari turned and darted out into the common room. She ran into the three Dragoons. They were already seated around a table, mugs of ale in both Liam and Thad’s hands and a wine goblet in Chance’s.

“Ah, there she is,” Liam said. “It’s good to see you were able to get away and back here in one piece.”

“You sound as if you doubted I’d make it?”

“You’re as much a mystery to me at this point as your remarkable parents are.”

Cari cast her eyes around the nearly empty common room. “Where are they?”

Thad pointed up the stairs. “They went to check on Her Majesty. Percy kept her upstairs and out of sight.”

Cari ran up the stairs, skipping every other step. Her room was open, and she checked there first.

Percy sat on the floor with Jaycee. The two were playing with dolls together.

“Oh, hi, Cari. I just met your parents. They’re every bit as amazing as the legends say they are.”

“Where are they?” Cari asked.

“They are in the innkeeper’s private dining room at the end of the hallway.”

Cari muttered a thank you and headed to the end of the hall, stopping outside the closed door. She heard a pair of familiar voices on the other side and she paused. What should she say to them? Part of her wanted to apologize for getting into trouble and the other side of her was knotted up with renewed anger about how she got here and how they’d hidden this place from her.

She was still pondering the best approach when the door was pulled open and she found herself face to face with her mom. Her dad was just behind, as startled at seeing Cari as his wife.

Suddenly, all worry about what to say to them disappeared as she lurched forward into her parents’ arms.

Chapter 36

Cari held both her parents in a group hug while standing there in complete silence. She couldn’t say anything, unsure if she was going to be able to hold it together. She heard soft sobbing coming from her mother and that triggered her own tears.

After a few more long seconds together, her dad loosened his hold on both of them and they all took a step back from each other. Cari was surprised to see her father wipe a few tears away from his cheeks. He was always so stern.

Her dad gestured for Cari to come in. She stepped into the room and stood by the table, turning around to face her parents still standing by the entrance. Her dad shut the door and smiled at her.

Her mom stepped forward and grasped her daughter by the shoulders. She studied Cari’s face and her hand reached up and traced one of the scars with a fingertip. Mona’s finger drew a line just above her right eyebrow.

Cari reached her hand up and brushed her mom’s hand away self-consciously.

“Cari, honey, all these scars… are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, mom. Those are old, and they happened so long ago.”

“You should have been more careful, honey. Who did this to you?”

“Nobody who’s still alive,” Cari said, offering her mother a lopsided grin. She tried to put on a brave face. It was hard because each of the people she killed remained with her, haunting her dreams sometimes. Her mind held vivid memories of their faces.

Cari’s mom nodded. “I hope they are because otherwise, I’d have a thing or two to say to them before your father finished them off.”

“Mom, I can take care of my own battles. You don’t have to fight them for me anymore. I swear, we are back together for all of sixty seconds and you’re treating me like a child all over again.”

“You are a child, Cari,” Mona said. “You may think you’re a grown woman, but you’re just a teenager.”

“Yeah, about that. I figured out why I’ve always been big for my age. I’m not really 16, am I? I’m more like eighteen, maybe even nineteen now that I’ve been here for an extra year.”

Her dad chuckled. “She’s got you there, Mona. We knew she’d figure it out eventually once we let her come back.”

“Sixteen or nineteen, it doesn’t matter. She still not yet an adult.”

“I’ve been here in Fantasma for a year and a half, mom. In that time, I’ve been able to take care of myself just fine. I’ve captained a ship and led my people in battle. I know what it means to be an adult.”

Mona studied her daughter for a few seconds then shook her head and walked to the door. “You talk to her, Hal. You always had a better way of getting through to her than I did. I have some final adjustments to make on the transporter if we’re going to figure out how to use it for a long distance jump all the way home.”

Her mother opened the door and left the room, shutting it behind her.

“Why don’t we both sit down,” her dad said. Cari pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. Her dad took a seat directly across from her on the other side of the table. For a long time, the two of them just sat and stared at each other. Her dad gave her half a smile and said, “I can see the sadness in your eyes, Cari. You try to hide it behind your self-confidence, but I know it’s there. You may fool your mother with your bravado, but you don’t fool me.”

He paused a few seconds holding her gaze with his before he said anything else. As he was usually able to do when Cari tried to hide something from him, he jumped right to the root of the problem. “How many people have you killed.”

Cari didn’t answer at first. She shifted her gaze to stare past her father at the wall behind him, trying to gather herself. Despite her attempts to hold it in a few tears slipped past her defenses and trickled down her cheeks. She scrubbed them away with the palm of her hand.

She shifted her gaze back to her father. “How do you do it? How do you deal with all the killing? Some people here say they called you Bloody Hal. You must’ve killed a lot of people to get a name like that.”

Hal nodded and reached across the table to grasp her hand. “Too many to count, if I’m to be honest. A few of them, especially from the more desperate situations tend to stick with you, though, don’t they?”

“How do you deal with seeing their faces when you close your eyes? You see them, too, right?”

Her dad nodded again. “Sometimes I go for a run. Working out helps, too. Other times I just sit and think about it, realizing that it was a choice between my dying or their dying. Given that option, there was only one thing I could do. Is it the same for you?”

Cari brushed away another tear from her cheek with the heel of her hand and smiled. “I guess so.”

“I’d like to tell you it gets better, honey, but some of it never goes away. When we get you back home, we’ll get you in to see somebody new; someone we can trust with our secret life here. There were a couple of times while you were growing up when I was under a lot of stress at work that I found I was having trouble and had to talk to a counselor. We can find that same type of professional help for you, too.”

Cari shook her head. “What makes you think I want to go back?”

Her father let go of her hand and sat back in his chair. His eyes told her he hadn’t considered she might want to stay.

“Dad, I like it here. I’ve always liked it here, even when I didn’t know Fantasma really existed. I never really belonged at home on Earth. I feel like this is the place for me.”

Hal gave her a grim smile and shook his head. “Cari, it’s all right to visit here from time to time. Your mother and I were going to tell you about Fantasma when you graduated from high school next year. We just wanted you to get through school at home before we told you about what existed on the other side of the portal.”

“You didn’t have to hide it from me, dad. I should have been told a long time ago. You made me think I was crazy growing up.”

“I’m sorry for that. Someday you’ll discover that there isn’t a rulebook for parenting. A lot of mistakes get made along the way raising a child to adulthood. All we can do though, is make the best judgments we can at the time.”

“So not even an ‘I’m sorry?’ No apology for messing my whole life up?”

“Now you’re just being dramatic. Look, Cari, I’ll apologize to you if that’s what you want, but at the end of the day, your mother and I would probably make the same decisions all over again. You don’t know how hard it was explaining to people how you grew up so fast when you were little. We’d go away for what everyone thought was a long weekend and when we came back you’d be talking in full sentences. You told people fantastical stories of things you’d seen, and we had to explain to them we’d seen it on a video in a cartoon or something. We were worried people might get so alarmed at the way you were acting if we kept taking you to Fantasma that someone might think we weren’t being safe with you and take you away from us.”

“All right, so you had to take me away when I was little, but what about when I got older? Did you have to wait so long before you were going to tell me?”

“Maybe not, but it’s too late to worry about that now, isn’t it?”

Cari paused for a few seconds. He was right. They were arguing about things that neither of them could change. “Look, Dad, I was angry when I got here. Like REALLY angry. I guess I’ll always be a little ticked at both of you for taking this part of my childhood away from me, but I realize you did the best you could. That still doesn’t mean I want to go home now that you’re here. Fantasma is home to me now. I have new friends and a whole life here.”

Hal shook his head and pointed to the door. “Things are different here now than they were when we used to come. The Empire is in a shambles since Kareena died. There’s likely going to be a Civil War and I don’t think you want to get caught in the middle of that.”

“There doesn’t have to be a Civil War, dad. We’ve got Jaycee. There must be a way to get her on the throne before her uncle is crowned Emperor. That’s what I’m here for. I’m convinced that’s why I ended up in Fantasma again after all these years. Everything I’ve done has led me to this moment. Based on a strange series of events I wouldn’t have believed if it hadn’t been there to see it, I think I was destined to be here, just like you were once upon a time.”

Hal laughed. “Now you sound like me.” He shrugged. “Sometimes things have a way of just happening around you and there’s nothing you can do but fight your way out of it.”

“Exactly! That’s why I have to see this through. We have to get Jaycee on the throne. If we can do that, everything else will straighten itself out.”

“I suppose you have a clever plan?” Her dad asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Cari shook her head. “Not so much a plan as a hint of an idea.”

“That’s how the best plans in the world get started, don’t you know?”

Now it was Cari’s turn to be surprised. “You mean you’ll let me stay?”

“I don’t think I have a choice, do I?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Besides, you were brought here because my friend Kareena called for help. She called for me, and I wasn’t there when she needed me most. That kind of pisses me off.”

“So, what are we gonna do about it?”

Her dad looked up at her. She saw in them a feral gleam she’d never seen from her father before. “I guess the Dix family is going to war, let’s go talk to your mother.”

Chapter 37

Before they could go to war, Cari, her parents and all the others had to find a safe place to plan their next steps. The Last Retreat was no longer secure. The Duke of Charon’s men would come here eventually in their search for the escaped Dragoons and their rescuers.

Chance came up with a solution, leading all of them back down through the basement entrance to the sewers and then into the ancient catacombs beneath the city. When Cari asked where he was taking them, Chance answered, “Long ago, the Elves and others helped build this city for our human friends. When we left, we took along secrets unknown to the men who later formed the Empire.”

The elf stopped at a blank wall blocking the passage ahead. He raised his right hand, holding the strange glowing, magical light he’d used once before in the catacombs. With his left hand, he ran his fingertips over the stone wall while he muttered something in elvish. Glowing turquoise runes appeared on the wall, then, with the grinding of stone on stone, it slid back into the side of the passage, revealing a large chamber on the other side.

Chance stepped inside and beckoned for them to follow. The room they’d entered had a vaulted ceiling with a double row of six columns running down either side of the room, each supporting a portion of the worked stone ceiling above. At the far end of the room sat a broad, rectangular stone table flanked on the two long sides by low stone benches. Between each of the columns were four stone slabs arranged on the floor in a square pattern with about a foot of space between each edge.

As Cari moved through the room, she realized there was something familiar about this place. “Chance, this place was built by dwarves, wasn’t it?”

The elf’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “You know of our underground kin? I’d thought their existence had been long forgotten by the minds of men.”

“I met the spirit of a long-dead dwarven king on our journey beneath the western mountains. He lamented the disappearance of his kind but told me some of his people’s story. He believes their descendants might still exist somewhere far to the south. This place looks much like the place we found in that underground city beneath the mountain during our journey.”

“This is where the dwarves who helped build the city rested and planned their construction of the Crystal City’s foundation. No one has entered this place for many centuries or even knows of its existence. We will be safe here.”

Cari realized the low stone slabs were beds and the table was where the dwarves took their meals and laid out their blueprints for the underground foundation upon which the city above was built. “This is perfect,” she said. “It would be nice if we’d brought some more lamps with us to banish some of the gloom.”

“Here, let me help,” her dad said. He raised his hands and pointed around the room. Four fist-sized globes of blue-white light rose in the air and moved to each of the room’s corners.

“Better?” Hal asked.

“Yes, much. Thanks, Dad.”

“No problem. Let’s get settled in here and then start laying out a plan for stopping the coronation.”

“You know when it is?” Cari asked.

“Your mother says she does.”

Mona nodded. “While infiltrating the Palace Square for the rescue this morning, I overheard two of the Duke’s officers discussing how they’d have to go through all the security plans again in three days’ time. That must mean another big event is planned in the palace with an announcement to the assembled populace in the square outside. It’s the coronation. It’s got to be.”

“Then we’ve got only two days to figure out a way to stop Timron’s ascension to the Crystal Throne,” Cari said.

“They certainly didn’t waste any time, once Timron was back in the city, did they?” Rodrigo said.

Chance shook his head. “The Duke knows he can’t afford to wait, especially now that they know Cari’s here with another potential heir. If word got out about Jaycee’s existence before Timron was crowned, it would mess up everything.”

“Then why don’t we just announce her?” Cari asked.

“That wouldn’t work.” Mona shook her head and frowned. “They would just rush Timron to the coronation and crown him. They already spread word about an imposter to the throne. While the populace might rise up to support her, the Duke of Charon will have all the cards in his hands if Timron is already Emperor. There’s nothing we will have comparable to his control over the army once that happens.”

“I don’t know,” Hal said. “I’ve managed far more with less in my day.”

“Dad, we’ve got little time, and no one wants to start a civil war that sweeps through the entire empire again like before. If there’s a way to get Jaycee on the throne now before Timron is crowned, that’s what we need to do. It will keep a lot of people from getting caught and killed in the crossfire.”

“I guess you’re right,” Hal said. “So, what’s the plan?”

Cari scanned the group around her. They needed more help. “We plan soon. First, we need one more person here to make sure we can pull this off.”

Four hours later, in the early morning hours of the next day, the planning began in earnest with all of them around the broad table. Percy sat nearby with Jaycee, reading her a story from a book of fairy tales.

Merrick, the newcomer to the group, sat at the table on the bench opposite Cari. He leaned forward after hearing their initial plans and tapped his fingers on the table.

Cari looked his way, “you have some ideas, Merrick?”

The underworld merchant leader paused in thought and then said, “the big trick is getting into the Palace during the Coronation or, preferably before it. They’re going to be watching all the doors and gates leading into the Palace Square and the palace itself. They’ll also be watching all the known secret passages. There was a time when I might have been able to sneak you in via a route from the sewers, now I am afraid that option will be covered, as well. Too many people know of it to be safe.”

“There is one thing that they might not know about,” Mona said. “Kareena once told me of a passage near our quarters in the royal wing of the Palace. She said no one but her father knew about it. He told her of it only when the palace was surrounded by the usurper Kang’s forces, hoping she would use it to escape. In the end, their defenses were overcome more quickly than expected and she never got the chance to use it.”

“If there’s a passage no one knows about, that would be the perfect way to get inside,” Cari said. “Where are your rooms in the palace in relation to the grand audience hall? That’s where the coronation is supposed to happen. Is it close?”

“Close enough,” her mother said. “It’s next to the imperial apartments. The grand audience hall is right next to those.”

“Do you know where the passage lets out into the city?” Merrick asked. “It’s one thing to know where the entrance in the palace is located, it’s another to find the far end of said secret passage.”

“Kareena only told me it opened out into something she called the Chapel of the Eighth Canal. Does that mean anything to any of you?”

Cari looked around at her companions hoping someone showed some signs of recognition. Merrick sat back holding his fingers steepled in front of his nose. He looked as if he were praying despite the scowl on his face. “Merrick, something’s bothering you. Do you know of this chapel? You do come from the Canal District of the city.”

“I know where that chapel is, but that’s only the good news.”

“So,” Hal said. “What’s the bad news?”

“It’s not in my part of the Canal District. It’s in an area belonging to my chief rival and a known ally to the Duke of Charon. There are many factions that watch over that district. Many of them are allied with me and if I don’t have an arrangement with them, I can purchase an arrangement with them. But the Eighth Canal Gang is something altogether different. The leader there is one of the Duke of Charon’s cronies. If he sees you all coming, he’ll put two and two together and figure out we’re up to something. If there is a secret entrance to the palace leading to his area, my guess is he’s heard legends of its existence, if we show up in his area armed to the teeth, he’s going to realize it’s true and warn the Duke.”

“So, first we have to deal with this person and his gang. Then we have to find the tunnel entrance. Then, once all that goes according to plan, we sneak into the palace and fight our way into the coronation and put Jaycee on the throne,” Cari said. “And here I thought this was going to be difficult.”

“If it was easy, Cari, everyone would be doing it,” Hal said.

Cari finished the phrase as her father said it. It was a favorite saying of his. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Anything worth having is worth fighting for and the all the other sayings that fit here.” She turned back to the problem at hand. “Merrick, what kind of support and forces does the leader of the Eighth Canal Gang have?”

“He’s got the usual band of thugs. He keeps most of them centered around his warehouse near the central canal where all the other canals come together and lead to the river. There are probably no more than twenty or thirty in all.”

“That’s not too bad,” Stefan said. “My platoon from Tandon can probably handle them.”

“If they get tied up in the fighting in the Canal District,” Cari asked. “How are they going to be able to come help us fight inside the palace?”

“Oh, that’s a good point.”

Silence settled around the table.

“We need more people,” Cari said. “At some point, we’re going to have to open this up and let other people know what we’re planning. Liam, have you been able to round up any of the former Dragoons?”

The Dragoon sergeant nodded. “There are about fifteen in the city that I know of. There may be others who will arrive before we kick off our plan, but everyone was pretty much scattered back to their homes after the regiment was disbanded. It was difficult to get the word out to too many in time for them to travel here. Figure on no more than thirty in all.”

“That’s something and we’ll take it. We’ve got them to add to our number,” Cari said, ticking off the numbers on her fingers. “We’ve got Stefan’s platoon from Tandon, Harley Denne’s collection of loyal city watchmen, and those Dragoons who’ll get back to the city in time. We are going to need them all with us inside the palace once the fighting starts.”

Merrick cleared his throat. “I’ve been trying to stay in the background on this, but I see that if I want to have things work out my way, I’m going to have to have a more active role.”

“What does that mean, exactly,” Cari asked.

“I have some men and women of my own, but not enough to match the Eighth Canal Gang. That said, I can call in some markers. I can probably come up with another thirty people between mine and the ones I can afford to hire. That should be enough to keep the Eighth Canal’s people occupied while you all look for the entrance to the tunnel.”

“If your people go in first,” Hal suggested, “the other side might not realize it’s associated with us. Is there a way you can make it look like an ordinary underworld squabble or maybe a takeover attempt?”

“That’s a good idea. He and I are not friends at all. Some even call us enemies. He might think I’m using the coronation as a distraction to take over his part of the Canal District. If that were the case, he probably wouldn’t want to tell the Duke he was under attack. It would show weakness.”

“Exactly,” Hal said. “You tackle them on your end. Keep them occupied by hitting them down by their warehouse. That would be where you would attack if you wanted to take his resources for yourself anyway. Once that pulls all of the guards from the rest of the area, we can move in with the rest of our group floating through the canals in a barge until we are near the chapel.”

Cari nodded. “It sounds like this plan is starting to come together. All we need is a way to stop the ceremony once we reach the grand audience hall. I think I have a plan that might help with that. Liam, do you still have my holoprojector,”

“Yes, it is in my bags we brought from the tavern.”

“Then we’ve got a way to distract the Duke’s men while we get Jaycee to the throne. It should distract at least a portion of the guards in the hall. Here’s what I’m thinking.”

Cari outlined her idea. Everyone around the table pitched in their own thoughts until the plan solidified into something that might just work. Cari glanced over at her father as the final details were hammered out between her mother and Merrick. Her dad looked at her and winked.

Cari smiled. If it weren’t so dangerous, the next couple of days would be a whole lot of fun.

Quest accepted — infiltrate the palace and crown a new Empress

Chapter 38

Cari crouched behind her mom and dad as the barge floated down the canal. Jaycee sat on the deck behind her accompanied by Helen, Francesca, and Percy. Standing behind them Rodrigo and the three Dragoons rounded out this part of the assault on the palace.

As she looked at her friends and family, all of them here beside her for this final plan to set things right in Fantasma again. Cari realized her journey here in Fantasma seemed to have come full circle, not just for her, but for her parents as well.

Just as her father was instrumental in helping his friend Kay reach the throne and take her rightful place as the Empress Kareena, Cari would also be instrumental in helping Kareena’s heir reach the throne. A lot relied on the various parts of their plan coming together. Everything was in motion now. It was too late to second guess anything.

A tarp stretched across the stacks of crates on either side of them in the barge. Cari and the others were huddled in between the boxes beneath the tarp. To a casual observer, it would appear as if it was an ordinary canal barge on its way to unload its cargo downstream. Cari wanted to check on their progress, but they all needed to stay hidden. Merrick’s men manning the barge would ensure they got to where they needed to be.

In the distance, Cari heard the unmistakable crack of musket and pistol fire. “That’s the signal,” she whispered. “Merrick and his people have started their attack on the Eighth Canal Gang’s warehouse.”

Her dad looked back at her and grinned. He was acting so strange. Her father was usually stern and about as far from this risk-taking adventurer as anyone could be. Now he acted as if this was just another typical day for him in Fantasma. After thinking about it, Cari realized maybe it was.

The canal barge bumped up against something that scraped along the side of the hull. A few seconds later Cari felt the rocking motion of the barge stop. There was some more sound of gunfire in the distance and shouting voices nearby sounded the alarm.

“I think now’s our chance,” Cari said. Her dad glanced back and nodded in agreement.

Cari pointed to her friends. “Let’s go. Percy, Helen, and Francesca make sure you keep Jaycee close to me. We’re going to be moving fast.”

“She’s safe with us, captain,” Percy said, his eagerness to be part of the action causing his voice to crack. He was proud to have been able to come along. He all but insisted, claiming he was the best person to protect the young princess while the fighting was going on. Now he stood ready to live up to his promise, his cutlass shoved into one side of his belt and a loaded pistol shoved in the other.

Cari reached over and lifted the edge of the tarp.

One of the barge’s crew was climbing down from the edge of the canal and returning to the deck below. He came over to her as she emerged from their hiding place. “It looks like most of them took the bait, ma’am. There’s still a few lingering in the area of the chapel from what I could see. It didn’t look like they’re going after the others.

“Good enough,” Cari said. “You’ve gotten us this far. We’ll take it from here.”

Cari moved along the barge’s deck, crouched so she remained out of sight below the edge of the canal’s stone walls. The others padded along right behind her. When she reached the front of the barge, she jumped off onto the ledge at the edge of the canal.

A narrow stone staircase led up to the street above. Cari took a deep breath and bounded up the steps, the rest of the team following behind.

“Cari, let me go first,” her dad said, catching up to her as she reached the top of the steps.

“I’ve got this, dad. You keep an eye out for any magic being used and watch my back. I know I can trust you.”

He didn’t look happy with the assignment but nodded. He’d agreed to that part of their plan. He had to be ready to counter any magic they ran into.

Cari reached the top of the steps and vaulted over the low ledge onto the street. It took her a few seconds to get oriented and find the chapel. It wasn’t a very large building and didn’t look like much of a church. It was a square building about twenty feet on a side sitting at the end of a row of taller buildings and shops right next to the canal.

There were several small groups of men and women standing around pointing frantically to the east. That would be where the attack on the warehouse was happening. There’d been no more gunfire, but that didn’t surprise Cari. No one was going to take the time to reload a single shot musket or pistol in the middle of a fight.

As the rest of the group came up onto the street, the small groups of residents noticed there were suddenly armed people in their midst. Most of the clusters of people turned and ran for one of the nearby buildings. Cari discounted them. They were likely ordinary residents trying to get away from trouble.

Two of the groups didn’t run. They drew their swords and charged Cari and her companions instead. There were ten gang members in all.

Cari’s friends spread out to receive the charge, weapons ready.

Five of the charging thugs suddenly slipped from their feet and fell to the ground as a sheet of ice appeared on the cobblestone street beneath them.

Cari smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Divide and conquer,” her father said. He fired off a stream of ice darts in the direction of the disabled crew as they struggled to regain their feet. Several of them went down again and stayed down.

Cari didn’t see what else happened with them. She was busy as the other band of thugs reached them. There were five in this group as well and Cari’s crew rapidly overwhelmed them. Cari crossed swords with one of them for a brief time then Thad drove his sword in from the side, killing the man.

Within ten seconds the street was cleared of any living threats. All the nearby members of the Eighth Canal Gang had been dealt with.

“Come on,” Mona called out. “We still have to search the chapel and find the entrance. I suspect it’s not going to be easy.”

Cari’s mom reached the chapel first and tried the door, finding it locked. She knelt, pulling a strange device from her utility belt. Cranking a tiny wheel on the side of a small box the size of a deck of cards, Mona inserted the metal rod sticking out of one end into the lock. She pressed the button on the top of the box and Cari heard a soft whirring followed by a distinct click from the lock. Her mother smiled and pulled the device from the keyhole, stood and pushed the door open.

“That’s pretty cool, Mom. You have to get me one of those.

“You can have mine when we’re done here.” Mona stepped inside, followed by Hal, Cari, and then Jaycee and her trio of assigned guards. The Dragoons brought up the rear.

Frescos and religious scenes in bright painted colors covered the walls and even parts of the domed ceiling above. That much was visible even in the dim daylight filtering in through stained-glass windows on the front wall.

“What are we looking for?” Cari asked.

Her mom looked around and shrugged. “It’ll depend on a lot of things. Just search for something that doesn’t look like it belongs, like a seam or crack in the wall, or a mark on the floor that might show where a secret door scraped against the tiles.”

Helen, Francesca, and Percy remained in the center of the room with Jaycee, the three dragoons spread out to check the walls along with Rodrigo. Cari and her parents spread out on the opposite side of the chapel and began searching the walls there.

They searched all along the plaster walls for at least ten minutes but found nothing. Cari ran her hands along the wall in front of her. It all felt the same as the rest.

The walls were painted white plaster, with no visible seams anywhere. She found it hard to believe there was some sort of door to be found there.

“Could these walls have been plastered after the opening was built?” Cari asked. “There’s no way there wouldn’t be a seam or something visible otherwise.”

“I suppose that’s possible,” her mom said. “Kareena said she never went into the tunnel.”

Chance shook his head. “This plaster is old, as old as the building itself if I’m correct. It’s been painted recently, but it’s been here a long time.”

“Maybe the entrance is outside somewhere next to the building like the basement entrance we used to escape into the sewers a few days ago,” Rodrigo suggested.

Cari knew they didn’t have much time to waste. They’d already taken too long. Still, if they went outside and were seen searching around the exterior of the chapel, it would cause the residents here to send for help, if they hadn’t already. Cari shook her head. “Save that as a last resort, Rod. I have to think the entrance is in here, somewhere. We’ll have to go over the walls again.”

“What about the floor?” Her dad said. He pointed at the tiles on which they stood. Cari glanced down. The floor was covered in a mosaic of tiles forming patterns and arranged in panels of various images displayed in the intricate tile work. She walked along, retracing her steps when she first entered the chapel. She examined the tile images depicted at her feet. The first one showed a knight on horseback charging a dragon with his lance lowered before him. The next one in the row of mosaic panels along the center aisle depicted what looked like some sort of magic user or wizard, judging from the staff he wielded. Lightning played outward from the end of the staff. Below the mage, a group of enemies cowered. She walked forward towards the altar to the third and final scene depicted in the tiles. In that image, a king knelt in front of a throne. A robed man placed a crown on his head.

“Here,” Cari said. She pointed down at her feet. “It’s got to be here. The others came over and stood around the scene set in the tile.

“Why do you think it’s this one?” Her mother asked.

“Because the other two scenes on the floor depict things happening outside and seem to be sort of random depictions of heroic individuals. This one, though, shows a king kneeling to be crowned. It’s not anything like the others.

“Maybe it’s not a king,” her dad said. “Maybe it’s an emperor.”

Cari smiled. That clinched it. It had to be underneath here. Now they just had to figure out how to open it. “Look around for an access point, or a button, lever, or something like that.”

While the others looked along the edges of the eight-foot-wide mosaic set in the floor, Cari knelt down in the center of it and ran her fingers across the image of the Emperor. The tile was so expertly set, she could barely feel a seam between the individual tiles beneath her fingertips. They were cut in such a way as to fit like a puzzle against each other.

As she ran her hands across the floor in the center of the image, she felt a slight ridge around the circle of the emperor’s crown. She reached down with her fingertips again, running them across the floor and over the crown again. Everything was smooth until she reached the crown. It was raised just a fraction of an inch above the other tiles.

Cari pressed down on the crown.

Nothing happened.

That made sense, though. You wouldn’t want to door randomly opening when someone stepped on it. Cari tried something else. She drew her dagger and tried to wedge the point in at the edge of the crown along one of the low ridges.

After a little bit of careful work, she worked the tile free from the mosaic and lifted it up. It was about the size of her palm. There, beneath the crown, was a metal ring. Cari reached out and hooked her fingers into the ring. She took a deep breath and turned it. It took a little effort, but she managed to twist it ninety degrees clockwise until she felt a click.

Skill acquired — Find Secret Doors

5,000 experience awarded

The sound of stone grating on stone drew her attention towards the altar just a few feet away from the kneeling emperor. The carved marble altar slid back towards the rear wall of the chapel. It revealed a rectangular opening leading downward. Metal rungs set into the stone walls of the shaft formed a ladder descending to the bottom.

“I think you found it,” her dad said with a smile. He started down into the shaft beneath the altar. “I’m the only one here who has the ability to see in the dark. I’ll go first and check it out. I’ll let you know when it’s clear.”

Cari wasn’t going to argue with him. But she reached into the pack on her back and pulled out the small travel lantern she had there. Her mother had a similar idea. Mona took a cylinder about the size of a small flashlight from her utility belt. She shook it vigorously for a few seconds then flipped open the brass cover on one end. A bright yellow glow shined out from the end of the tube. Mona smiled. “It’s a reusable glow stick. Your father recharges it with magic from time to time. You shake it to activate it just like the glow sticks back home. You can use it ten times before it needs a recharge.”

Cari opened her mouth to say something, but her mother interrupted her. “Let me guess. You want one of these, too? Let’s wait until we get this mission done and we’ll talk about what I have that you might want.”

Her father called up from the bottom of the shaft. “This definitely leads in the direction of the palace. I can’t see to the end of the shaft, but it leads straight in that direction as far as I can see. Come on down.”

Cari climbed down the rungs of the ladder. Rodrigo followed her, then Mona and Jaycee. The others followed until Chance came down to bring up the rear. He cast his magical light spell from the back of the group. Between that, her lantern, and her mother’s chemical flashlight, they had enough light to see the horizontal shaft heading towards the palace in the distance. Cari used her Earth Sense and map overlay of the city above to verify this headed in the right direction.

Her dad led the way a good ten to fifteen feet in front of the group. Cari sped up so she could catch up with him, but her mother laid a hand on her arm holding her back. “His dark vision ability won’t work if there’s another light around. Sometimes he can see things in that light spectrum that we can’t see. Let him go first in case there are traps that need to be disarmed.”

Cari slowed a little, letting her father stay in the lead as they walked through the ten-foot-wide passage leading to the palace. Part one of their plan was successful.

Chapter 39

Cari followed the progress through the tunnel on her heads-up map display using her Earth Sense skill with the street map of the city laid over top of it to track their position. She saw they traveled in a nearly straight line from the Eighth Canal District to the palace.

Right below where the palace should be, the passageway ended in a shaft leading upward. It was similar to the one they climbed down in the chapel with rungs set in the stone of the shaft.

“Who goes first?” Cari asked. “Did Kareena show you exactly where this opened into the palace?”

Her mom shook her head. “All she told me, was it opened somewhere near our apartments next to the royal apartments that housed her family. There are several rooms near ours that were always unoccupied when we stayed in the palace. My guess is, it opens into one of those.”

“No time like the present to find out,” her dad said. He grabbed ahold of one of the rungs and started climbing, disappearing into the dark vertical shaft above. Cari stood below, looking up.

She couldn’t see anything beyond the first ten feet or so. There was the sound of movement as her father continued to climb, then he must’ve reached the top.

Hal called down the shaft to those below. “There’s a mechanism here to unlatch the door, but either it’s broken or there’s something on top of it. I can’t seem to open it from below.

“If there something set on top of it like furniture, it’s going to be difficult to move. We need some way to shift it or move it to the side,” Cari said. A grunt came from behind her and Thad shuffled forward, sliding around the others as he came up from the rear of the group. “Tell your father to come down, I’ll go up and try.”

Cari looked at the orc’s thick, muscular arms and nodded. “Dad, come back down. Let Thad have a try. He’s the strongest.”

Hal climbed down and backed up against the wall to make room for the orc. He disappeared up into the darkness. A few seconds later, a series of grunts came from the shaft as Thad tried to shift whatever was on top of the door out of the way.

All of a sudden, there was a muffled crash and a square of light appeared at the top of the shaft about twenty-five feet up from where she stood. Thad climbed up into the opening, disappearing from view. If he ran into trouble, he was going to need help.

Before her father could lead the way, Cari jumped forward and started climbing up the ladder. When she got to the top, she found herself in a large bedroom. There was a canopy bed against the far wall and next to the trapdoor in the floor, a tall chest of drawers had toppled over onto its side. The floor was polished hardwood and looked like the seams of the trapdoor matched up perfectly with the wooden floor when closed. If you didn’t know this opening was there, you’d never realize that you’d set furniture on top of it. Thad was by the door. His ear pressed up against it.

“Hear anything?” Cari asked.

“No. It’s silent on the other side.”

“Let one of us check the hallway on the other side,” Cari said. “People will be curious as to why am armed orc was sneaking around the palace halls. One of us might just appear to be a visiting guest for the coronation.”

Her parents had climbed up into the room and the rest soon followed. The room was suddenly very crowded

“Mom, you said this is probably near our family apartments in the palace. Why don’t you and dad step out into the hallway on the other side and get an idea of where we are in relation to the rest of the palace.”

Her mom nodded, and Hal pulled the door open. The two of them stepped outside. She kept the door open a crack watching for her parents’ return as they disappeared down the hallway to her left.

They returned less than two minutes after they left. “The coast is clear,” her dad said. “There’s no sign of anyone.”

“I think everyone has been assembled for the coronation,” Mona said. “There are no servants anywhere in this part of the palace right now.”

“We have to hurry,” Cari said. “We can’t afford to be late to the ceremony. This is where it gets a bit hairy, folks. Stefan should be in position with Harley. Their forces will be disguised to mix with the crowds in the square outside the palace. Liam, what about your friends?

“The Dragoons will be disguised and dispersed amidst the crowd in the grand audience hall. The Duke filled it with as many of the people from the city as can fit. They want this witnessed by everyone so the word spreads quickly. The commoners will be near the back with the invited guests and dignitaries seated in rows at the front of the hall. Between my people inside and Stefan’s and Harley’s outside, we should be able to break open the palace doors and get everyone inside to assist inside the grand audience hall.”

“Good, that’s what we want. The more people from outside we can get in with us the better. We want all of this witnessed so people can tell how Jaycee was revealed to be the true heir and crowned Empress in front of them.” Cari smiled at the young princess. “Ready, Jaycee?”

The wide-eyed little girl nodded.

“Good, then let’s get going. Everyone knows what they need to do and who they need to watch out for. We’re only going to have one chance to make this work.”

Hal and Mona led the way, guiding them through the palace. They were right, it was deserted. Even the servants must be in attendance at the coronation. They walked through the corridors of the residential portion of the palace until her parents stopped them.

Hal pointed to a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. “These lead to the rest of the palace. It’s unlikely this area will be deserted. We’re going to have to move fast from here on out.”

Cari nodded. “Open it. Let’s get this done.”

Cari followed her parents through the doors, readying herself for trouble.

They encountered a small group of guards almost immediately. The four men were surprised as they marched down the hall in their direction on what must be a routine patrol of the palace. They carried muskets and as soon as they saw the approaching party, leveled them and prepared to fire.

Mona pulled something from her belt, reacting sooner than everyone else to the threat. She had what looked like a pistol with a boxy end rather than a round barrel in her hand and pointed it in the direction of the guards.

When she pulled the trigger, an expanding transparent wall flew out of the end of the pistol, spreading out until it adhered to the walls in front of them. It locked into place just as the guards fired their muskets.

“Duck,” Cari yelled. Others crouched or moved against the walls. Francesca and Helen, along with Percy, crowded around Jaycee using their bodies to shield her from the incoming fire.

They needn’t have worried. The transparent shield her mother put across the hallway stopped the bullets. When they impacted, they fractured the surface of the hardened plastic leaving a spiderweb pattern around the impact points. As soon as the rounds impacted the wall, Mona pulled something else from her belt. It was a tiny hammer with a conical, pointed end. She reached up and tapped the hammer against the center of the transparent barrier and the plastic wall shattered into tiny squares that fell to the floor.

The guards dropped their muskets and drew their swords, charging forward. The three Dragoons pushed past Cari and her parents and charged into the advancing the guardsmen. Despite being three against four, the Dragoons made short work of them and beckoned for Cari and the others to follow. They knew exactly where they were at this point. After all, they had been the Empress’s personal guards at one time.

The group started to advance down the wide corridor when an even larger group of the Duke’s guards entered from a side passage. There must’ve been at least fifteen of them.

Liam shouted over his shoulder as the three Dragoons charged the party of guards, “Find another way around. We’ll hold them. Go!”

Cari wanted to stay and help them. She knew, however, she and the others had more important things that needed doing.

Her dad pointed back the direction from which they came. “There’s another way. Follow me.”

The group turned around. Rodrigo and Francesca moved to the back and brought up the rear in case the Duke’s guards broke through their three friends holding the hallway behind them.

Hal led the way back down the hallway to a side passage. Turning to the left, he took them along it for a short distance before pausing to make sure they’d all caught up.

Cari’s mom asked, “isn’t this the way to the Palace kitchens?”

“Yes, I used to go this way when I was getting a midnight snack. We should be able to cut through the kitchens to the service hallway that leads directly to the grand audience hall. That’s how they would bring food to Kareena when she was holding court. Those sessions lasted many hours and she often snacked while on the throne.”

After they proceeded a little bit farther down the narrow hallway, Cari heard the sounds of voices and the clattering of dishes and utensils. The corridor opened up into a large kitchen.

Cooks and servants rushed around preparing the coronation dinner. Everything had to be ready to serve as soon as the events in the audience hall were completed.

The appearance of a group of armed intruders stopped everyone in their tracks.

Her father smiled at the assembled servants. “No need to worry about us, folks. We’re just passing through. You can get back to work. We’ll be hungry and want to eat when all this is done.”

They continued along the side of the kitchen where pantry shelves lined the walls. Cari couldn’t help but laugh as her dad reached up and grabbed an apple from a bin at shoulder height and started munching it as he moved along through the kitchen.

They almost reach the far end of the extended kitchen and bakery area and the passage heading out the other side when shouts came from behind them. More of the Duke’s guards burst into the kitchen from the same entrance they’d used.

Cari wasn’t sure what that meant for the Dragoons who been blocking the hallway. She hoped her friends were all right.

“Go on,” Rodrigo called out. “Francesca and I will hold them here. Do what you’re here to do!”

Cari wanted to stay and help them. The six guards pointed their way and charged across the kitchen in their direction forcing her decision.

They had to get out of here and into the audience hall. Their only goal had to be getting Jaycee away from here and to the coronation ceremony before Timron was crowned.

Her dad and mom ran through the open doorway at the far end of the kitchen, followed by Percy, Helen, and Jaycee. Cari glanced backward one last time.

Rodrigo smiled at her as he and Francesca drew their pistols. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this.”

Cari smiled back and then left her friends standing there guarding her back once again.

The corridor outside of the kitchen turned to the right and then continued onward for quite a long way. On the left side, there were doors in the wall at regular intervals. Cari heard music filtering through from the other side. They were in the service hallway paralleling the audience hall.

Her dad stopped and waited for them to catch up. “This is where your plan comes together, Cari. We’ll keep Jaycee safe and close by while you go get things started. Don’t worry about us. You just take care of yourself and don’t get yourself killed.”

Cari took a deep breath, hugged her mother, and gripped Jaycee’s shoulder with one hand. “Be brave little sister. “”

“I will, Cari.”

Cari nodded and turned the doorknob in front of her. The music grew louder as she opened it. She took a deep breath and stepped through to the other side.

Chapter 40

As soon as she stepped into the vast audience hall, Cari realized they were going to be too late. She spotted Prince Timron already standing at the front of the room on a raised dais with the Duke of Charon and a robed figure who must be the Archbishop of the Crystal City. They are getting ready to crown him right now.

“I’ve got to do something to stall them,” Cari said over her shoulder to the others in the passage behind her. “The rest of you keep going with the plan. Keep Jaycee safe and have her ready. I’ll try to slow things down a little bit.”

“What are you going to do?” Mona asked.

“Time to see if I can pull some magic out of my butt. You all get in position and be ready. I’ll try to give you a sign when to make your move.”

Cari shut the door behind her and mingled with the edge of the crowd while she looked around. Her mind raced while she tried to figure out how she could put her new plan in place to stall things already set into motion.

She spotted what she was looking for off to one side and moved through the crowded room towards a six-foot pedestal with a statue on it. Cari reached into her belt pouch, taking out her small holoprojector cube. She hoped it had the strength to reach to where she needed it to. Cari tapped the top to set it to record, transmit, and project at the same time then reached up and put it as high as she could, setting the small metal cube at the edge of the pedestal near the feet of the statue. She stepped back until she was in a position where she could see the holo cube’s three hundred sixty-degree camera lens. She keyed her internal comm chip, connecting to the receiver in the projector.

“Stop!”

Cari smiled as she heard her own amplified voice echo through the room.

The holocube’s laser projection sound system bounced the voice signal off the flat surfaces of the tall stained-glass windows up and down the grand audience hall to amplify her voice. It made it sound like she was everywhere at once.

The musicians stopped playing, confused by the shouted order. There was murmuring in the crowd at the front of the hall. Cari stood at the rear of the room and all eyes were focused forward and up, trying to find the source of the voice. Then someone pointed up at a ledge high above the rest of the room. Cari’s three-dimensional hologram stood up there with her hands on her hips staring down at the crowd below.

Everyone’s eyes looked up at her projection, and because her voice boomed from the walls themselves, no one paid any attention to the girl standing alone at the back of the audience chamber in an identical pose.

“I’m afraid you’re too late, my dear,” the Duke called out to the hologram. “We are here to crown Prince Timron and you’re not going stop us from doing what the Empire needs most.”

“And what might that be, Your Grace? To put your puppet on the throne so you can rule from behind the scenes just as you’ve tried to do for so many years?”

“Who are you to lecture me about morals and ethics, Cari Dix.”

At the sound of her name, the buzzing of the crowd’s voices grew. Many pointed upwards realizing they stared at the mythical lost princess herself.

The Duke continued. “I don’t know what you think you can do. You may be a princess, but you and your family cannot inherit the throne. That is reserved for a true member of the royal family like His Majesty here.”

“Even if said the Prince conspired to murder his entire family so he could take the throne?”

“A nice accusation, my dear,” the Duke said. “Too bad, you don’t have proof.”

Time for Cari to play the card she’s held in her deck for so long. Her personal comm chip recorded everything that went on around her in a continuous loop, including conversations she had with other people. She could choose to save selected conversations before the chip would record over them with the new data from more recent events. She played back that conversation now through the projector.

Everyone in the hall heard the amplified conversation she’d had with Timron over a year and a half before after she saved his life in the forests north of Tandon.

“Why’d you side with the Duke against your family?”

“I wondered if you heard that. Well, it doesn’t matter now. I’m the only heir remaining, so there’s really nothing anyone can do to me. I’ll be Emperor soon.”

“But, they were your family. Some were only children. How —”

“How could I do it? I did nothing. I only made an agreement in order to survive when the Duke sent his men to kill me first. He thought it’d be easy to stage my accidental death. He was wrong. Afterward, once he and I reached an understanding, the Duke of Charon took care of all the real dirty work.”

“Enough,” Prince Timron shouted. “You heard what I said. I never killed anyone. So, what if I happened to tell someone where my family was traveling. That’s not a crime. I didn’t know for sure that people were going to assassinate them. What kind of monster do you think I am.”

“The type of monster I’m here to stop from taking the throne. My family was tasked with protecting the Empire of Fantasma. We were tasked with being the champions to defend everyone from people like you. That’s what I’m here to do. “

Cari was so intent on talking with Timron, she failed to realize the Duke had moved to one side and was talking with someone beside the dais.

She and Prince Timron continued passing their insults back and forth. Cari knew she had to stall for time and now she was pulling out all the stops. She wasn’t usually the type to be petty and call people names but in this case, she was willing to make an exception.

Cari became so wrapped up in what she was doing, she didn’t see the guards come up behind her until three of them jumped on top of her knocking her to the ground. As soon as they did, her projection on the ledge above the audience disappeared.

Cari heard the Duke’s voice call out over the noise of the crowd. “It was merely a parlor trick. The use of some petty magic to keep us from doing what we came here to do today. Do not listen to her. She only wants to take the throne for herself.”

Cari struggled to break free of the guardsmen wrestling her to the ground. She had to get moving with the rest of the plan. She hoped the others were already in place and ready to act. Because she was not going to be able to do much from here by herself.

Activating her comm chip once again even as she wrestled against her attackers, Cari called out, her voice amplified by the projector despite no longer being visible to the unit’s camera. “Dragoons, forces of Tandon, loyal guardsmen of the Crystal City, now is the time to act. To arms, to arms for the new Empress and the Empire.”

Gasps sounded from around the crowded room as men and women produced weapons hidden beneath their cloaks and rushed at the Duke’s guards lining the walls from amidst the rest of the attendees. Four former Dragoons broke from the back of the crowd running directly where the guards held her.

The three men holding her to the ground had no choice but to let go of her as they were suddenly engaged in a furious sword battle with the four Dragoons.

Cari rolled to her feet, drawing her rapier and dagger. Two more guardsmen ran at her and she charged straight at them. Just before she reached them, she activated her acrobatic dodge skill, vaulting up and rolling forward over their attacks coming down between the two attackers.

They were caught completely by surprise as their opponent was one moment charging at them and the next moment knelt directly between them.

Cari didn’t wait for them to recover. She struck out with both her blades. Her dagger sunk deep into the side of the attacker on her right while her sword blade slid cleanly through the chest of the man on her left. Both attackers went down, killed instantly.

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

Letting her momentum carry her sliding on one knee past the two dying men, Cari jumped back to her feet. She barely slowed down as she ran for the front of the vaulted audience hall.

If everything was going according to plan, her parents had emerged from the servants’ hallway with Jaycee. With all the disorder around them, they should be able to get the girl to the dais with the help of Helen and Percy.

Once they got the young princess to the Archbishop and announced who she was, he could crown her Empress. Then, perhaps, they could stop the fighting and the Duke of Charon’s men would back down. It was risky, but it was a chance they had to take.

Cari was sure the Duke himself wouldn’t give up that easily, though. That was why she raced as fast as she could to the front of the room. She had to get there to help defend Jaycee and defeat the Duke once and for all.

There were knots of frantic fighting all around the room. Men and women on both sides fighting and dying while the regular attendees ran for the doors to get away from the carnage. Cari ran up the center aisle towards the dais. The Duke’s guardsmen were there in force. A double line of guards stood at the front of the room between Cari and the dais.

Cari realized right away the Dragoons were outnumbered. Despite that, they fought with such fierce energy they still managed to hold their own against their opponents. Stefan and Harley hadn’t arrived from the square outside yet with reinforcements. Cari had to do something to turn the tide. If she could activate her burst of speed power-up skill, she could do a lot to even the odds in favor of the loyalist forces.

Major Novachik rushed from the dais and down the center aisle directly at her. Four of the guardsmen peeled off to join him in his charge towards her. Novachik slowed a bit and let the four guardsmen take the lead. It looked like he’d let them soften Cari up for him.

She couldn’t stop now. She had to try an all-out attack and force her way through. If she could get past them and defeat the major, she could defend the access to the throne so Jaycee could make it there. Cari spotted her parents entering the hall behind the dais with Jaycee.

It was now or never.

Cari didn’t slow down as she hit the first of the guardsmen coming at her. She ran at him at full speed, ducking under his awkward swing at her head and thrust her rapier deep into his thigh, causing him to stumble and fall to the side. Cari ignored him for the time being and kept going.

She planted one foot and twisted, spinning forward to deliver a roundhouse kick to the chest of the next guardsman in line knocking him backward into the first row of chairs assembled for the noble guests. His fall also tripped up the guard right behind him.

Her plan to continue forward and reach the dais stalled at that point. Major Novachik and the remaining guardsman formed a line in front of Cari with the Duke of Charon just behind them watching the action. Novachik’s unnatural speed once again caught her by surprise and Cari suddenly found herself in a frantic defense of her life as the major and the remaining guard attacked her with a whirling clash of steel on steel.

She fended off a few of the attacks but many others snaked past her parries to draw blood again and again.

Health damage — health -10

Health damage — health -8

Health damage — health -7

Health damage — health -10

Out of the corner of her eye, Cari’s parents, along with Helen and Percy headed for the dais and the Crystal Throne. They sheltered Jaycee between them. Despite the mounting damage she was taking, she steeled herself to hold on and keep distracting the Major and drawing the Duke’s attention her way so Jaycee could make it to the final objective.

More attacks broke past her defenses and she winced at the pain of multiple wounds all over her body.

Health damage — health -11

Health damage — health -8

Health damage — health -9

Health damage — health -8

The hits were starting to add up. Cari tried to gather herself and keep going. She just had to hold on a little longer, despite the mounting damage she sustained. The others had almost reached the throne.

Chapter 41

Hal reached the end of the corridor running beside the grand audience hall, coming to the final door. He heard shouts and the clash of steel on steel on the opposite side. The fighting for control of the room had begun.

He turned to Mona and smiled. “You ready?”

“The longer we wait, the more chance it’s Cari that’s getting hurt out there. Besides, we’ve got to get this little girl on the throne.”

Hal nodded and grasped the handle to the door. He pulled the door open and raced through, casting his ice armor spell and drawing his weapons, ready to defend against any guards standing nearby. As soon as he opened the door, the familiar slot machine started whirring and spinning in his head. Time to push his luck.

They were about thirty feet from the dais and the throne. On it stood a man in ornate robes and a tall hat. He must be the Archbishop. There was also another man standing next to him wearing a royal purple velvet robe. That must be Prince Timron, the usurper. The two guards at the rear of the dais were watching the action in the rest of the hall and didn’t see or hear Hal as he slipped up behind them.

Two quick dagger thrusts dealt with the threat they posed.

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

He gestured to Mona to bring the girl up to the dais while he dealt with the usurper. He froze when his eyes fell on a furious sword battle going on in the central aisle in front of the dais. Cari stood, fighting a desperate struggle, holding her ground against the onslaught attacks from the two swordsmen in front of her. One was an ordinary guardsman. The other, based upon his uniform was the Duke’s senior officer, Major Novachik. The Duke stood behind his men watching the fight with Cari.

Cari took multiple blows in rapid succession causing her to backpedal away as she tried to regroup.

The swordsmen didn’t let her get any respite, stepping forward to re-engage with her. Hal winced as he saw his daughter get hit again and again.

“Mona, you’ll have to take care of getting Jaycee where she needs to be. I’ve got to go help Cari before it’s too late.”

“Go,” his wife yelled. “I’ve got this.”

More guardsmen came out of a door opposite from where they’d entered and charged at Mona and the others. Percy moved to stand in front of Jaycee, his cutlass and pistol at the ready while Helen stepped up to stand beside Mona.

While the two women formed a defensive line to protect Jaycee, Hal raced around the dais, ignoring the Archbishop and Prince Timron to attack those fighting his daughter.

Two throwing knives made short work of the guardsman fighting beside the major.

2500 experience awarded

Seeing the guardsman fall, the Duke of Charon turned to see who was attacking them from behind. His eyes fell on Hal. He smiled and saluted with his rapier.

Hal smiled right back at him and nodded in return.

The Duke and Prince Hal charged each other. The Duke’s longer rapier blade started slashing in at Hal’s acrobatic form as he dodged each of the blade’s incoming attacks, trying to get in close enough to attack with his two daggers.

His Grace was an excellent swordsman who knew what he was doing. He seemed to focus his attacks in such a way as to keep Hal at a distance where his daggers could not reach to connect for any sort of damage.

Hal could afford to take his time now, realizing he had taken some of the pressure off Cari. More guardsmen were coming to help their leaders but they weren’t here yet. He was content to circle in this dance of blades with the Duke. He’d find an opening soon enough. His uncanny luck would ensure that.

In Hal’s head, the rattling slot machine rolled on. It signaled something was about to happen that would require his unique brand of luck. He had to be ready.

Holding onto the hope that luck was in his favor, Hal rolled to the right and came up lunging forward to the full extent of his reach to plunge the tip of his dagger into the Duke of Charon’s leading thigh. A grunt of pain and a splash of red blood on his cream-colored trousers told Hal he’d finally connected for a solid hit.

The Duke didn’t let the minor wound distract him. Hal had overextended himself and the Duke took advantage of it. Hal winced as the fine point of the Duke’s rapier blade slid through a crevice in his ice armor at his shoulder staining the clear armor red with his blood.

Health damage — health -12

Hal pulled back from his lunge and nodded at the Duke. They both managed to draw blood in the same stroke.

“Let’s see how many of those each of us can take. I’m willing to bet that I can absorb more damage than you can. After all, I’m the legendary Prince Hal, come back from the dead. Care to try your luck with me, Your Grace?”

“I don’t have to wager, Prince Hal. I just have to hold out long enough for my reinforcements to arrive. I anticipated this attack. There’s a full company of a hundred guards in the barracks outside. They’re already on their way in to join with my forces in the audience hall.”

As if his revelation caused it to come about, the doors burst open on the far side of the hall and a horde of fresh guardsmen rushed in to fall upon the already beleaguered Dragoons fighting in the audience hall.

The surge of the Duke’s guardsmen running into the audience hall moved forward and the Duke stepped back as a squad of five of his soldiers moved into place to protect their master.

Hal backed up, parrying attack after attack until he found himself fighting side by side with his daughter against the fresh troops. His daughter’s weapons and battle style melded in a strange way with his own to build a mutual defense against the overwhelming odds. Major Novachik had broken off fighting as well and rejoined the Duke, heading back towards the dais.

“Cari, we need to break one of us free. The Duke and the major are going to stop mom and Jaycee from getting to the throne.”

“Give me just a few more seconds, Dad, and I’ll power up and take out some of these guards. When I do that, you head back towards the dais.”

“Power up?” Hal asked as he parried another pair of sword thrusts. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry about that, you’ll see soon enough. Just be ready.”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be right behind you.”

The two of them continued to fight side-by-side. A few attacks managed to slip through his armor and defenses.

Health damage — health -8

Health damage — health -5

Cari called out to her father. “Now, Dad, get ready. I am going to activate.”

It would help to know what she meant, but he assumed it was something that would somehow distract the guards allowing him to break free.

He glanced at the dais. Mona was engaged in a furious sword battle with Prince Timron. The Duke and his major headed that way as well. Helen fought a desperate fight against three opponents. Percy had backed Jaycee against the back of the Crystal Throne and stood before her with his cutlass out, fending off one of the guardsmen. The boy had a bloody gash on his forehead.

Hal needed to break away. Whatever Cari planned, she needed to do it now.

Then it happened.

Cari’s outline sort of blurred out as she made her move.

One second she was standing next to him, the next she became a whirling speed demon, moving impossibly fast, faster than the eye could follow, causing her to continually be out of focus.

She slashed and thrust again and again, attacking with both her sword and dagger darting out at impossible speeds.

All around her, the guardsmen who’d outnumbered them moments before started to fall to the ground, dead and dying from lethal precision strikes. The other guards around her began to back away from the spinning machine of death bearing down on them.

Hal took a step backward then turned and ran toward the dais. His heart sank as he saw Mona held by two guardsmen now with Prince Timron’s sword blade at her throat. Young Jaycee was held as well, a guardsman pinning her arms behind her. The little girl was crying. Percy lay unmoving at her feet.

The Duke and his major stood on the dais now. They both turned back to Hal with grins on their faces. They apparently believed they’d won the day.

Hal knew better. His slot machine was still whirling away meaning he still had a chance to bring his luck into play.

He just had to figure out how.

Chapter 42

Cari spun, thrust, and slashed faster than she’d ever attacked before. She had to finish the entire squad of the Duke’s guards before her power-up ended. In the corner of her vision, the clock ticked downward closer and closer to zero.

Her father had been freed up, though. That was important because she saw her mother and Jaycee get captured by the Duke’s men on the dais. She didn’t know if her father would make it there in time to stop the Duke, but she had to try and buy him that time.

The guards fell one at a time beneath her rapid attacks.

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

She twisted low and rolled by another cluster. Her deadly blades flashed and whirled. Four more guards fell.

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

2,500 experience awarded

The notifications spun past her until she lost count. She took wounds but ignored the flashing warnings about her health status. All she knew was she had to keep killing until she could kill no more.

Then she reached an open space. Most of the guards around the dais were down. Cari had two more remaining.

She had only five seconds left in her attack power-up, though. The two guardsmen backpedaled away from her, trying to fight their way backward through the rows of chairs behind them.

Cari bore down on them with relentless fury. A thrust with her rapier followed by a slash with her dagger killed one of the guardsmen.

2,500 experience awarded

The other guardsmen managed to land a slashing attack of his own when her back was turned.

Health damage — health -9

Cari ignored the burning pain of the new wound, just as she ignored the pain from all her injuries. She had to keep going.

With just two seconds remaining on her countdown, she thrust forward as she stepped over a fallen guard to reach his comrade.

The guard backed away, avoiding her thrust as he grabbed one of the wooden chairs, knocking it over in front of Cari forcing her to leap over it.

One second remaining on the clock.

Cari slashed out again, following up with the thrust of her dagger as the clock ran out.

Somehow the guard managed to block her last two attacks with a single downward sweeping parry. He continued backing away figuring she was still going to press the attack.

Pressing the attack wasn’t an option.

A new countdown clock appeared in Cari’s vision as exhaustion overwhelmed her. She sank to her knees. Thirty-five seconds counted down as she paid the price for using her power-up bonus.

As she looked toward the dais. She saw her father standing at the foot of the raised platform. He was talking to the Duke who stood next to Cari’s mom. Prince Timron held a sword at her throat and two guards gripped her arms. Jaycee was being held by another guard.

Amidst the exhaustion that overcame her, Cari felt an overwhelming sense of failure. All around her the returned members of the Dragoons were going down under the onslaught of the Duke’s guardsmen. They were simply outnumbered.

Cari wanted to cry. They’d come so close. They’d come so far. The final thing that broke her down was the site of Helen clutched between two of the guards. She was being held upright despite being sorely wounded. At Helen’s feet lay Percy. The boy moved a little, but his wounds were severe and he would surely die without medical attention.

All was lost.

And yet, Cari heard something in the background. It was that strange whirring mechanical sound in her head again. Just as she’d heard when she thought about needing some luck back in the Palace Square when she tried to rescue the three Dragoons.

She still didn’t know what it was, but it had to have something to do with her parents. Did she possess some other ability that helped her when she was close to her family?

The guardsman she’d been attacking at the end realized Cari had somehow become injured or debilitated. He was joined by four of his comrades and they advanced on her with their swords drawn.

Cari struggled to bring up her blade fend them off. If that mechanical sound in her head was going to come into play and help her, it had better do so soon. She didn’t have much time.

Behind her a crash sounded, followed by the crackle of musket and pistol fire. Cari couldn’t turn around to see who or what caused it. She assumed it was more of the Duke’s guardsmen coming to put down the rebellion. She had fifteen more seconds to go in her power down as the five guardsmen advanced on her.

A pair of pistol shots sounded from directly behind her.

Two of the guardsmen spun away as bullets struck them in the chest. Then two figures charged past her, running into the three remaining guardsmen, swords flashing in a coordinated attack, coming to her defense.

Cari smiled.

Rodrigo had managed to hold off the attackers back in the corridor, he’d met up with Stefan somewhere along the way. Now they were here, once again coming to her rescue. The sound of fighting behind her told her the Tandon and City Guard forces had arrived from outside. Maybe things weren’t as bad as she thought.

With the cooldown clock down to ten seconds, Cari looked over to the dais once again. Her father was still talking. Why wasn’t he doing something? Talking wasn’t going to do anything.

Cari’s eyes caught movement behind the Duke. It was her mother. Mona met her daughter’s gaze and smiled.

What?

Her mom’s hands hovered at her sides. In a single motion, she reached around with her right hand yanking free from the guard holding that arm and tapped the large jewel in the center of her utility belt’s buckle.

The guardsmen grabbed her arm again and pulled it back behind her. As he did, silvery arcs of lightning spun around her mother in a cyclone of electricity. It circled her body from her feet all the way up to her head.

The two guardsmen gripping her arms jolted into frozen positions of agony as the electricity coursed through their bodies. Their hair began to smoke and char.

When the silver swirls of electricity dissipated, the two guardsmen slammed to the ground, their charred bodies smoking a little from the powerful electrical charge that had run through them.

At the same instant, the guards fell, Cari’s clock ran to zero. Her strength had returned and she stood as the strange whirling sound in her head stopped, followed by the same bell chime she’d heard in the Palace Square days before.

Hal took advantage of the distraction of his wife’s electrical display to leap forward at the Duke, leading with a dagger in one hand.

Her mother bent down and picked up one of the guardsman’s swords from the ground and slashed at a startled Prince Timron, backing him away from the throne. As her father advanced on the Duke, batting away the nobleman’s sword attacks, one of his hands flipped out, throwing two knives in rapid succession. His final remaining throwing knives hit the guardsman holding Jaycee.

The man cried out and fell backward, one of the knives embedded in his throat, the other in his shoulder.

Jaycee was free, but Cari saw Major Novachik move towards the little girl.

“No!” Cari shouted.

Her strength was back and Cari charged at the dais. Unable to reactivate her burst of speed again today, Cari still focused on forcing herself forward faster than she’d ever run before. The Major stood over Jaycee, his sword raised over his head.

Cari’s heart was in her throat. If he killed her, the battle was over.

She raced forward, moving faster than ever before and dove at the Major. She flicked her wrist, extending her arms and her sword blade whipped out, catching the Major behind the knees. She didn’t completely sever his hamstrings, however, it did cause his legs to buckle a bit, stopping his downward stroke at the young princess.

Cari slid by on the smooth marble floor and rolled to her feet with Jaycee at her back and the major in front of her. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, you bastard.”

“Gladly, my dear. What took you so long?”

If things had been moving quickly before, everything happened now in what seemed like a single second. Cari, her mother, and her father were all locked in desperate, one on one combat with adversaries of equal or greater ability.

All was not lost, however. Across the hall Harley Denne led a group of twenty-five city watchmen into the hall, falling upon the rear of the Duke’s guardsmen with vicious attacks.

At the same moment Liam, Chance, and Thad ran in with a large group of Merrick’s canal workers at their back led by the underground leader himself. The reinforcements evened the odds inside the hall and things started to shift in the audience hall once again.

Of course, all of it would mean nothing if she didn’t defeat Novachik and keep him from killing the princess.

Cari activated her regeneration ability after seeing her health status reach the twenty-five percent level. She was going to need those points back in the coming fight. As if to add punctuation to that, the major’s sword flipped out, sneaking past a parry that was just a second too late. The slashing thrust cut across her waist. More health damage appeared in her display.

Health damage — health -12

Snarling through the pain as her regeneration ability continued for the next sixty seconds, Cari drove forward with her own series of attacks and drew blood from both the Major’s chest and his forearm.

Behind her, Hal pressed in with attacks on the Duke of Charon. The Duke backed away, feinting retreat, then charged forward with a desperate ploy of his own. It looked like it could go either way based on the single glance Cari was able to spare in that direction.

She heard more clashes of steel on steel behind her and knew Prince Timron and her mother were similarly engaged.

Cari cried out as the Major’s sword slashed across her left shoulder. Despite the ongoing regeneration, her arm went limp and her blade fell clattering to the stone floor.

Novachik didn’t waste time waiting for her to get her bearings. He pressed forward to finish her off.

Cari had to perform a double acrobatic dodge to avoid the follow-up attacks from her opponent.

Both were successful.

He seemed not to care, and he laughed as he drove his attacks in at her.

His laughter infuriated Cari.

Snarling, she rolled through another acrobatic move towards her laughing opponent, successfully dodging another of his attacks.

Cari’s roll put her where she’d wanted to be and she dropped her dagger, picking up her sword with her right hand. She’d practiced often using her ambidexterity skill, but this was the first time in a while she’d had an opportunity to use it in actual combat. She hoped she would be able to slip past the Major’s formidable defenses with her off-hand.

She bounced up to her feet and blocked the next incoming attack, catching it on her blade and sliding forward until the guards of their weapons met. It brought Cari and Novachik face-to-face, barely inches apart.

“You know, my dear, it’s going to be a shame to kill such a pretty thing as you. It would be nice to keep you around for some more personal entertainment. If only you weren’t so dangerous.”

Cari resisted the taunt meant to make her anger lead to a mistake. Instead, she retorted with a taunt of her own. “You couldn’t handle me, Major. I am a better woman than you’ve ever seen. Especially since I can do things like this.”

Punctuating the final sentence, Cari brought her knee up into the Major’s groin with enough force to lift him off the ground a half inch or so.

The strength of the Major’s arm slackened as he reached down with his free hand to cup his injured genitals. He backed away, hunched over. Cari slashed out with a sword once, twice, and again a third time, opening broad cuts on Novachik’s chest and shoulders.

He managed to beat away a few other attacks and somehow kept her blade from finding his throat. He forced himself to stand up straight, despite the pain in his groin. Anger flashed in his eyes. “I’ll get you for that, Cari Dix.”

“Come and get me, Major. We’ve both had a chance to fight to a draw, now it’s time to finish this.”

Novachik ran forward, charging at Cari.

She did the same from the opposite direction.

The major ducked under her sweeping slash at his head and lunged forward under her guard to try to run her through with his sword to her midsection.

Cari twisted aside causing him to only slash at her hip with the edge of his blade.

Health damage — health -7

Cari cut downward with her recovery stroke, hacking deep into the major’s extended forearm.

His hand spasmed as his blade fell from the wounded arm.

Cari pushed onward as the major backpedaled to get away from her. His hand fumbled for his dagger to try an attempt at defense but Cari was too quick for him.

With a final lunging thrust, she drove the point of her sword through his chest, piercing his heart.

The Major stared at the blade in his chest and back up at Cari for a moment, then he nodded as if to salute her. His eyes glazed over and he slid off her blade to fall to the floor.

10,000 experience awarded

Cari spun around to search for another target. Her father stood over the lifeless body of the Duke of Charon, his eyes wide in surprise with one of Hal’s daggers jutting up from his chest.

Cari’s mother stood next to Jaycee, holding the girl close to her side. There was no sign of Prince Timron. She didn’t see his body anywhere.

They’d done it.

The fighting was mostly finished, though a few clashing blades still sounded in other parts of the hall. Cari accessed her comm chip and reconnected with her holoprojector, using it to amplify her voice once again. “People of the Crystal City, guardsmen of the Duke of Charon, Dragoons, Soldiers of Tandon, and city watchmen, cease your fighting. The Duke is dead and the princess bids you to stop. Turn and behold the crowning of your new Empress.”

The clash of blades stopped and a hush fell over the room. All eyes turned to face the dais as the Archbishop lowered the heavy crown on the little girl’s head. Balancing the bejeweled, golden circlet, Jaycee crossed over and sat down on the Crystal Throne.

It was done.

Quest completed — infiltrate the palace and crown a new Empress

60,000 experience awarded

Chapter 43

Cari reached up and tugged at the collar of her new uniform jacket while she waited for the ceremony to begin. The tabs on the collar denoted her rank as a senior lieutenant. The facing colors running down the jacket’s front and on the cuffed sleeves were those of the Empress’s Own Imperial Dragoon’s.

Beside her, wearing similar garb was Rodrigo Dumont. His ear-to-ear grin hadn’t left his face since he put the jacket on earlier that morning. Cari knew this was something he’d long dreamed of.

Behind her stood their three sponsors, the newly reinstated Dragoon sergeants Liam, Chance, and Thad. Across from where she stood, Percy, Helen, and Francesca returned her smile. Each of them wore an Imperial Navy officer’s uniform. Percy had the single pip on his collar of a junior midshipman, while Francesca and Helen were each sporting the four silver bars of a ship’s captain.

All of Cari’s friends still showed a few signs of the injuries sustained in their assault to reach the audience hall to stop the coronation of Prince Timron. Cari was surprised Percy was able to stand after the wounds he had taken protecting Jaycee. He had insisted he be here for this farewell so here he was, standing in his uniform, chest puffed out with pride despite the fact he leaned on a crutch and had a sling cradling one arm.

A young, familiar voice drew Cari’s attention to the other side of the room. “The prospective Dragoon officers will please step forward to be received into the Empress’s Own Imperial Dragoon regiment.”

Cari smiled as she and Rodrigo stepped forward. Jaycee, or more correctly, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Jacinda the First, Defender of the Realm, Warden of the Northern Reaches, Princess of the Cairn Islands, and Lady of the Crystal City sat on the golden throne at the other side of the small, private audience chamber adjacent to the royal apartments.

To the young ruler’s right stood her new regent, the Duke of Tandon, flanked by his chief aide, the newly promoted Captain Stefan Claridge. Beside Stefan stood the reinstated commander of her personal guard, Colonel Sharp in his Imperial Dragoon uniform. To her left stood Cari’s father and mother, Prince Hal and Princess Mona, both wearing modern imperial attire as befitted their rank and position as royal champions of the young Empress.

Cari could have claimed that right and position, too. She was a princess in her own right and had earned the role of Jaycee’s champion over the course of the last year and a half. For this ceremony, though, she’d chosen the more modest garb as a senior lieutenant of the Dragoons. Hers was a ceremonial appointment, unlike Rodrigo’s. Nothing could eclipse her position as a member of the royal House of Dix and its role as champions of the realm. This award was, however, the thing she was most proud of and she looked forward to her new status in the regiment.

Rodrigo stood by Cari’s side so he, too, could receive his official commission as a member of the Empress’s personal guard. He’d known the little girl seated on the throne in front of him long before he realized she was to become his Empress. Now he stood before her, his head bowed to receive this honor he’d sought for so long.

The two new Dragoon officers prepared to swear an oath to defend the Empress from any threats that might come her way. Cari knew he’d take the charge as an officer in the Dragoons very seriously, just as she would.

Jaycee addressed Rodrigo first. “Through the course of more than a year, you have defended me from those who would have preferred I perish along with my family. Though I offered any boon you might request as a reward for your service, you chose this position in my personal Dragoons. You and all your companions each chose to take on a role of imperial service and for that, the Empire and I are eternally grateful.”

Jaycee paused and nodded to the three newly minted naval officers standing to the side before continuing. “Therefore, Lieutenant Dumont, take your place in the regiment as an officer and a gentleman. In addition to your rank as a senior lieutenant, however, I also bestow upon you the title of Baron of Steading Dumont, to be situated on the shores of the Western Sea. I have directed that your ancestral home be rebuilt, and a majordomo appointed to manage the estate during your absence.”

Rodrigo, newly raised to the nobility, bowed his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall serve you to the limits of my abilities and beyond.”

He stepped back to his position in front of the other Dragoons. Cari moved to join him but stopped as Jaycee called her name.

“Princess Cari, please remain where you are. You have fulfilled the charge given long ago to your family by my great-grandmother. You have served as my champion and protector, as befits your title and rank. I ask you again to remain here at my side as a member of my privy council to assist the Duke of Tandon in my regency until I come of age.”

“I regret that I cannot take that position at this time, Your Majesty,” Cari shook her head. She’d discussed this with her parents and the young ruler at length before arriving at her decision to return home and complete her schooling before she came back to Fantasma on a more permanent basis. “I must go with my parents back to Earth. It is my home and where I must remain until my studies are complete.”

Jaycee’s eye’s saddened at her words and Cari pressed on to reassure the little girl who was trying to be so big and brave on a throne that seemed so large compared to her small, six-year-old body. “Have no fear, Jaycee. My mother repaired and recharged the artifact your great-grandmother used to summon me here. You have that to call for help if your need is great. My family continues to serve yours, even though we are far away from the empire and its needs.”

Cari’s mom laid a reassuring hand on Jaycee’s shoulder. “Now that we possess the transporter device I constructed to reopen the portal to our world, we will all be sure to check in on you as you grow and learn throughout your reign.”

“Promise?” Jaycee asked, looking up at Cari’s mom.

“Yes, we promise,” Mona replied.

“Must you leave so soon, though? Surely you can stay a little longer.”

Cari took a step forward and knelt next to the throne, taking Jaycee’s hand in her own. “You’ll be fine. Duke Korran will serve you well and your loyal Dragoons have been restored to protect you.”

“But we’ve been unable to locate my Uncle Timron. He will surely try to take the empire away from me if he can.”

Colonel Sharp cleared his throat and spoke up. “We will find him and bring him to justice, Your Majesty. He may have escaped for now, but he can’t run away forever.”

“You needn’t be afraid of anything like that anymore,” Cari reassured her. “He cannot hurt you now. The people of the Crystal City and the whole Empire have cheered your coronation. They support you. Duke Korran supports you, and Rodrigo and the others in the Dragoons will be here at your side to protect you.”

Hal came over and stood beside Cari, looking down at the young Empress. “You have only to call us, Your Majesty. One of us will come to your aid when you need us most. For now, though, it is time for us to leave. We’ve been gone from our home too long. Mona, Cari?”

Cari stood and took her place between her parents as her mom pulled out the strange device she’d created to transport them home. Mona gripped both handles and squeezed the lever on the right to activate the portal device, opening the way home.

Waving at Jaycee and her other friends one last time, Cari stepped through the glowing portal, following her parents back to their home.

Sadness lay heavy on her heart at leaving Fantasma, but she knew she’d return. She had a whole life of adventure ahead of her.

In the mean time, have you read the Accidental Traveler trilogy about Cari’s father, Hal?

Get started here with book 1 - The Accidental Thief.

Also by Jamie Davis

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The Accidental Traveler LitRPG Series

(with C.J. Davis)

The Accidental Thief

Accidental Warrior

The Accidental Mage

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Accidental Champion Series

(with C.J. Davis)

Accidental Duelist

Accidental Raider

Accidental Dragoon

—

Extreme Medical Services Series (8 books)

Book 1 - Extreme Medical Services

—

Eldara Sister Series (2 books)

Book 1 - The Nightingale’s Angel

—

The Broken Throne Series (5 books)

Book 1 - The Charm Runner

—

The Delivery Mage Series (5 books)

Book 1 - Deliver or Die

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Follow on Facebook for updates, news, and upcoming book excerpts

Facebook.com/jamiedavisbooks

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To learn more about LitRPG and GameLit books and have discussions with other readers and authors, check out the GameLit Society and Lit LitRPG - Fun and GameLit Facebook groups.

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Jamie Davis

C.J. Davis

About the Author

Jamie Davis, RN, NRP, B.A., A.S., host of the MedicCast Podcast and Nursing Show (NursingShow.com) is a nationally recognized medical and nursing educator who began educating new emergency responders as a training officer for his local EMS program. His programs and resources have been downloaded over 6 million times by listeners and viewers.

Jamie lives and writes at his home in Maryland. He lives in the woods with his wife, three children, and a dog.

C.J. Davis is an IT professional, an avid gamer, and a collector of all things geeky. He lives and works in Maryland with his fiancé.

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Table of Contents

- Cover
- Title Page
- Contents
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Also by Jamie Davis
- Leave a Review
- About the Author