Chapter 29: Patron Journey (P5)

By the time Lotar returned me to where he'd plucked me from, several hours had magically passed it seemed. Anselm's sense of time is broken so I couldn't actually confirm this but the sun rose up just as I was thinking about setting up camp.

Giving up on the idea of getting any rest, especially any safe rest with the sun lighting up everything, I continue on with the journey to…somewhere.

I still haven't the slightest clue where I should be headed. But the path is clear, broken with previous attempts to improve the infrastructure and the stubborn, resilient flowers that broke through the stoned path, but it is clear.

I don't have to know where I'm headed, I just need a general direction and a vague expectation of what I am to meet. All which I had.

Just keep moving forward and I'll meet people who can give me actual directions. At least, that's it for the primary goal; becoming some well-off noble. My secondary goal however, destroying the Cult of Phien.

Honestly, I don't expect to find them by looking, they felt real, they are real and yet they felt like the subject of rumours, things spoken in the dark, in secret and by candle light.

And yet they were a crisis of this world, a scourge important enough to warrant the attention of a being like Lotar. Although, I'm not sure how much he ranks on the power scale, he is certainly otherworldly enough to throw someone like Perlman out of the water.

With a heavy sigh I release a ball of mana and summon Anselm, the road ahead is barren with life, there's nothing but stone, flowers and grass set on the sides.

"What's got you down?"

"What's your guess?"

"Could be anything, outside circumstances affect you a lot you know? You're hungry, you're scared, you're mildly love struck, hungry again this time for power. Oh, and recently, it's all just been power."

I click my tongue, "You always have something to say, don't you?"

Anselm grins, smugly impervious to the scorching sun and every other natural element. "But I do know what's troubling you. That wolf, right? You want to back out of the insane deal, don't you?"

"What? No. Well, I'd definitely appreciate a change in the terms, the Cult is…daunting to say the least. There's so little we know about them and that last encounter with them doesn't exactly make me eager for another go."

"But regardless you're still going for it." Anselm sighs.

"What are you huffing about, you're the one who's immortal."

"That's not my problem, my problem is you likely dying. I can't intervene without you summoning me so my convenient immortality doesn't extend to you." He grumbles.

"Right." Anselm's only true concern was my survival, it would be touching if it weren't self-preserving. Though, I couldn't blame him for feeling so, I definitely don't understand what it's like to live in just outside of touch but, I could relate to wanting to protect a way of life. And his way of life just happens to be me.

"Sorry, I'll be careful. But I have to do this."

"Sure, whatever, there's a fort ahead."

"What? A fort?"

I poke my head out and look over the horizon. True to his word, there is a large construct waiting ahead. I can't tell a lot from where I stand but I am hopefully.

"Who do you think is in there? What should I expect?"

He turns to me and gives me a tired look, "Soldiers."

Right. It's a fort. "So that means people."

"It means hungry people," he groans, "Especially if there's a war so keep your coin tucked safe and away from sight."

"You think they'll rob us?"

"I know they'll rob us."

I gulp but head on anyway. It'd suck if they tried to rob us, but I'm prepared to defend myself and eager to test out my dagger.

***

As we trekked the road ahead, watching out for whomever would hid behind rocks or in the thin bushes that sparsely covered the road, I got anxious with very step.

Anselm is very certain that whoever we find in that fort, broken down as I now began to see it to be, would be thirsty or greedy enough to attack and rob us of everything remotely robbable.

It's good I can expect the worst but not so good that it's all that lies ahead.

The fort is on a hill, or at least elevated from where I stood by a significant amount. I imagine this to be a natural defence. Speaking of defences, there's a large, wide wooden wall with spiked pikes lining from end to end. There's a lot more wood littered around but it seems like some siege destroyed all of that.

This is something I can understand with easy. Total War games are very educating. There was a battle here at some point, and this fort lost.

I walked up closer to the broken, defeated fort, to its walls. There's no entrance here, but there is a smashed archer's perch. Archery or Magic projectiles? I'm not sure, it could be magic projectiles. This world seems to be set beside itself with magic worship and fear.

To the extent that races are segregated or rather, enslaved and prevented from developing any potential for power. Humans, very impressive when it comes to subjugating others.

I turn and start to look for the entrance, it couldn't be to the back else I would have seen it coming so it'll have to be at the front. I start to follow the path, the wall to the end when my ears perk at the whistling sound coming straight at me.

I tense and immediately an arrow lodges itself in the wood ahead. My head whips around as I look to find my assailant, meanwhile I try to look for cover; it doesn't take a Total War game to let me know archers do heavy damage to exposed infantry.

I can't find anything. The sun is blinding and even worse, they could have already determined to kill me and that shot was not a warning.

I found a large rock and slapped my back to it. Breathing in I call out, "Hey! Hello! I'm just a lone traveller now, I'm not looking for any trouble. I was just a bit curious you know?"

There's a bit of silence but that's expected. Wouldn't want to give away their position now. Besides, I need some time.

I summoned Anselm again, wisely, he appears right be for me and immediately goes invisible.

"I'll scout them. Wait here."

I nod and feel him fly off. Turning invisible and flying would put a huge drain on the mana his has to make him tangible but, it'll be worth it if I come out alive and well.

Then I hear it again; the whistling. I duck and the arrow barely lodges itself in the rock. They could see me here? Shit.

I move out into the open again. There's no cover left. I'd have to make a break for it but I know I wouldn't make it. There could be more than one archer and there's got to be someone on foot.

"We can see you wherever you are, adventurer." It's a feminine voice, calm with a pinch, dab and whole bag of arrogance in it. "There is no treasure here for you to loot. Fall over and die."

How polite. I'm not sure how true that saying is about bullets and zig-zag motion is but I'm willing I could substitute an arrow for a bullet in this situation. I jump out and start moving in the most random movements I can think of.

"I'm not an adventurer. I'm just a traveller trying to get to the next town or village. Don't shoot!" I turn around as I'm doing some form of hopscotch all about the place.

For my troubles I get another arrow flying at me. It misses completely. Huh.

"I shouldn't be worried, you're a bad shot anyway!"

I hear an enraged growl from over the wall and someone jumps to their feet. It's a woman after all. Her hair whips around her head as she cries out and nocks her bow, "Just stand still and I'll show you a good shot!"

CRACK

She doesn't get the chance to show me that shot. Her head snaps back violently with a bone scratching crack. Her body falls limp immediately and she falls over the wall like a marionette cut off from its strings.

"Nice." I pant, taking a break from the erratic dancing.

"Watch out!"

Too late. I'm tackled to the ground by yet another growling person. This one straddles me and immediately starts punching my face. Giving me no time to recover.

I'd forgotten what being punched felt like. It's a different kind of pain, an attack on your face. Getting some of my bearings I try to block the heavy fists from landing any more solids on me.

I'm not successful, but I didn't need to be. Anselm come flying at the man, shooting him off of me with the force of his weight and his speed.

I groan as I get up. My eyes were shut for the duration of the beating I just received but upon opening them I find I'm surrounded. Anselm is still beating the shit out of the man who just beat me but they don't pay that any mind, they have their bows drawn and pointed at me, the swordsmen among them have their weapons drawn and are glaring at me and finally there are several spearmen.

A complete encirclement.

I sigh. This is not good.

Anselm gives one final grunt and stands over the man whose face had just been pulped by his fists and that one rock nearby.

"Anselm?" I call out. "We've got some other problems."

He turns, looking about us and groans, "I shouldn't have let you come here."

"I shouldn't have let me come here."

"Hush you adventuring blight!" this time a man speaks, a swordsman. He must be the leader because his armour looks so much better than the rest. "If you want to live, you will strip."

I blink. Strip? Did he say strip?

"I'm sorry what?"

"You heard me. Both of you, especially you!" He jabs his sword at Anselm, "I want your armour, rather, some of us could better use it."

"For banditry and thievery no doubt." Anselm spits.

"The Kings lapdog will understand nothing of the plights of the nation, the army provides, it takes from all and gives to none in the name of protecting the kingdom. Strip! I am so inclined to change my principles and have you fired on like the scum you are." The man sneers. There are couple of jeers and curses that all call for the latter action to be taken.

"Anselm, you're running out." I whisper.

"I know."

"So, let's make this quick."

"You'll die." He says through gritted teeth.

"I'll die trying to live a life with clothes on my back."

Not waiting for another response, I summon mana into both my hands and shoot it out in speed. "Death Grip!" I call out as my tendrils latch onto the necks of two of the three archers, with a squeeze I snap both of their necks instantaneously.

Anselm jumps at their leader before anyone knows what's happening, and with a sword in hand, though I'm not sure where he picked that from. He lunges at the man, his sword hammering against the man's hastily lifted one. He begins to float around, spinning and swerving in the air like a mosquito who'd just gotten away with a pinch of blood. The advantage is clear.

The others roar into action, most haven't realized that two of their archers are dead, I look for the next and fine him pretty easily, not wanting to waste my mana I quickly latch onto him and another swordsman coming my way. Squeeze and dead.

Absolutely no resistance. It's like they didn't even have mana to fight back like Perlman did. Still, no one seems to realize what's happened until another swordsman comes at me.

I dodge, deftly, surprising even myself. Taking advantage of the opening I slap my hand on his head and, "Soul Drain!"

Frankly, it's my first time using this skill on a living human. It's unnerving how quickly the skin crumbles away, and the muscle shrinks to the point of being wisps on the skeletal bone that now loosely wore the brown leather light armour.

"AHHH!!" the resounding screech comes from a swordswoman who falls to her knees, her sword clattering to the floor.

"It's a mage! It's a mage!"

They begin to look about themselves but I'm not satisfied leaving them in shock and awe. I latch onto two more with Death Grip and snap some necks. They fall beside their comrades like rags.

Even more screams. Immediately there are desertions, too quick for me too kill. But quick enough for me to feel relieved that my less than awesome powers struck fear into these people.

I look over to Anselm and find the bandit leader in a haphazard shape. It looks like Anselm took slices of him for a barbecue, yet he was still alive. Anselm's nowhere to be found though, ran out of mana.

"Please…Kill me." The man begs. It's the quickest downgrade I'd seen honestly, from making demands to pleading for mercy.

Anselm was very angry at this man though, for him to come out like this. Knowing him he probably did this with the intent of making him suffer.

I have mercy though. With a quick squeeze I put him out of it.

"Summon Spirit."

"You should've let him suffer."

"This side of you is new, Anselm. Merciless? Yet you wouldn't help me steal a few coins from the villagers in Ioina."

"It's not a question of mercy. This is justice, justice against those who would do harm to the livelihoods of others without any remorse." He stares pointedly at me.

"Whatever." I grunt. "The entrance is right ahead. I can be a robin hood and return all the stolen goods hoarded in there to the poor of the next village or town we come across." I give a forced smile as I say this.

"And risk yet another ambush from these guys? Sure, why not? After all you weren't just almost killed." He laughs a dry sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, I'm feeling plenty confident I can take these guys on. They're afraid of mages, can you believe that? I'm a mage Anselm." I grin.

Anselm rolls his eyes. "I'll scout ahead." He mumbles, flying off.

I smile to myself and start off on my own work. Looting their bodies. They've got to have something of worth in them, right?