Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis (19 page)

Chapter
20

Tao ignored everyone as he lifted the limp form of
Arieal and carried her inside the dilapidated fortress. Subconsciously, Tao could hear the mixed cries of disbelief and outrage from the bandits over the death of their leader. However, it was nothing but white noise to him. A friend was injured and her safety was all that mattered at the moment. Wandering through the winding passageways of the ruined palace, he stumbled across the renovated chambers of the harem with a large bathing area.

Fully armored, Tao stepped down into the steaming water and gently lowered
the dark elf into the water. She was either unconscious or fainted, he didn’t know which and at this moment, he didn’t care.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to slip underwater, he climbed out and quickly stripped down to his loin cloth.
Gathering up a sponge and soap from a nearby shelf, he reentered the pool and began the process of cleaning the dark elf. All of her wounds were superficial, minor cuts and bruises but it was the injuries to her soul which mostly worried him. She had been helpless and humiliated, two things that weren’t particularly good for a person’s soul.

As he sponged down her perfect ebony body,
Tao felt himself getting aroused and the guilty feelings that came along with that. She was his friend and she was injured. Not to mention that he had just learned that his wife was still alive. He had no reason to be lusting after another woman. Of course, one part of his mind knew that psychologists had always argued that there was a correlation between combat and sex. Something to do with how the brain was affected. That didn’t excuse his condition or his guilt. But here he was, fully aroused and yearning for the dark elf’s body.

*   *   *   *   *

Arieal had passed out sometime during the battle between the Gladiator and the Samurai only to awaken at the gentle touch of Tao and the warm water caressing her skin. Cautiously looking around, she noted that she was in a sandstone room with tapestries and drapes covering the walls. A large pool lay in the center of the room which is where she was floating and Tao was sponging her down.

It was a strange feeling.

Annie hadn’t been with a man for nearly twenty years and had never even considered having an affair on her current girlfriend. Her little romps with Tao over the last few days had been strangely satisfying but this…this was more erotic than anything she had ever imagined. She just closed her eyes again and enjoyed the feeling. Letting her mind drift back over the events of the last few days, she thought about everything that had transpired. Now that she had time to think about it, even her kidnapping and being put on display stripped naked was slightly stimulating.

Giving in to her
lust, Arieal reached out with one of her hands and grabbed Tao’s manhood. As he started to object, she grabbed him with the other and pulled him down into a kiss.

He resisted for all of about five seconds before giving into his own carnal desires.

*   *   *   *   *

Kastle watched as
Aaliyah moved over to Jagoda’s body. He tried to sympathize with her as she mourned his death. Even before they had crossed over, he and Leon weren’t friends. They were cordial to each other but that was about it. Richard had always thought that Leon was overbearing and rude but the others had liked him.

His relationship with
Aaliyah was different. They had always been friends. He had always hoped for more and had been working up the courage to ask Ashley out when they had been brought across by Al Shaytan. However once Leon, in his Jagoda persona, got a good look at Ashley in her Aaliyah persona, he began to flirt with her. Richard found that even as Kastle he was shy around her. In the end, she became Jagoda’s lover and he found solace in Calli’s arms. Now here they were standing together over his body and Kastle really didn’t feel any remorse over her loss. He had sympathy for what Aaliyah was going through but that was about it.

Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, Kastle looked around and spied the large group of bandits standing around.
Pointing at the closest bandits, he commanded. “You two! Find a shield and come here! The rest of you, gather some wood for a funeral pyre.” Seeing them hesitate Kastle added, “Now!”

As the bandits scurried off to do the
priest’s bidding, Cozad placed a gauntleted hand on his shoulder. As he turned to face the dreadknight, Kastle absentmindedly noted that his eyes were glowing a soothing yellow although his voice still sounded as if it was coming from beyond the grave.

“Take her away from here. She should remember him at his best, not like this.”
The priest started to object but Cozad interrupted him. “Go. I will handle the funeral preparations. It will be at sundown.”

Seeing the wisdom in his words, Kastle led the sobbing Sha’ir back
into the palace. She walked stiffly, content to be escorted. Once they reached her bedchambers, she sat on the bed and finally looked up. Her eyes and cheeks were red from her crying and the faint blackness around her eyes from her broken nose could still be seen.

Personally,
Kastle never thought she looked more beautiful.

Finally
, she choked out a question. “Why….why did you come here?”

Kastle had been expecting this question and answered quickly. “We need your help.”

“Why? Why me?”

Kastle shook his head. “Not us…you. Only you have the power to save Calli.” Seeing her start to object, the
priest waved her silent. “Let me fill you in on my new companions.”

Aaliyah
listened patiently without interrupting. When Kastle was done and leaned back, she asked. “Let me get this straight. You originally needed my help to find Tao and his companions but during your journey you ran across the Peacekeepers and they captured Calli, which is in fact Tao’s real life wife?”

Kastle nodded.

“Does he know that you two are lovers?”

Kastle paused for a split second before shaking his head. “That was over a long time ago. Besides, it was never more than a physical thing between
the two of us. Neither of us were looking for a commitment…”

“Looking or incapable?”

“Looking. Calli was, and is, still in love with her husband. And I…well, let’s just say I wasn’t looking either and leave it at that.”

Aaliyah
thought about pressing him more on the matter but the fact that he wouldn’t meet her gaze once more gave her the answer. Ashley was still puzzled about why he hadn’t pursued her once they crossed over. She knew that Richard was extremely shy; especially around women. It had taken nearly six months of gaming together before he would even talk to her about anything that wasn’t game related, even when they found themselves adventuring as a duo. She leaned back and studied her old companion as he made himself busy in the small room.

Once they crossed over, she thought he would change
and become more aggressive and confident. He was, in every area except her. He still seemed unsure of himself when talking to her. That’s when Jagoda entered the picture. He was charming, witty and a smooth talker, both on this side and back home. He had tried his charms on Calli. She was cordial but cold to him. However, Ashley was unused to all the attention and fell prey to his charms. She knew that now. She had known it for months. But she found herself stuck in an unwinnable situation in a foreign land and had strived to make the best of the situation.

The reality of the situation suddenly hit h
er. She was free. Free to do what she wanted. Free to talk to whomever. Jagoda had been intensely jealous and once killed a man because he had whistled at her as she strolled through the town. That had been six months ago and since that time, she had sequestered herself in the palace and only came out at Jagoda’s bidding. Now she could go anywhere and do anything.

She looked back at Kastle and felt a longing for
him. She didn’t realize how much she missed his friendship until this very moment. Maybe it was his shyness, maybe it was the euphoria of freedom but suddenly she knew what she wanted and she wasn’t going to wait on him any longer.

Standing slowly, she noted that the priest stopped in mid-motion and looked up at her. He had kept himself busy and gave her the personal space she needed by making tea. The water was steaming and he had set out two cups. But she had no desire for tea.
Stepping up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up and pressed her lips to his.

Kastle
hesitated for a split second in surprise but when he responded she was overwhelmed at the passion in their first kiss. A second followed and third. After that Aaliyah lost count as she let her passion loose and they didn’t know anything else for hours.

Chapter 21

Mathias glanced over his shoulder once again. His half-elven nature granted him excellent vision. As long as there was some sort of ambient light he could see relatively well, even the reddish glow from the twin suns setting in the distant east. “We’re still being followed.”

Gamble cursed again. Since it was in dwarvish neither of his two companions understood exactly what he said but his tone spoke volumes.

Pixi popped back into view. “The forest is probably less than twelve kilometers miles away. Unfortunately it’s mostly uphill.”

Gamble held his sides as he struggled to catch his breath. “Have they gotten any closer?”

Mathias peered at the trackers through the fading light. Unable to make out fine details, he could tell that a group of ten, maybe twelve, soldiers were following them but they were still a good distance off.

The twin moons of Hyperborea had
already climbed into the sky about an hour ago but when the night truly fell, the companions would be forced to slow down. Granted, Mathias’s night vision and Gamble’s darksight would allow the trio to keep moving but the companions had been on the run constantly for almost a full day with very little rest or nourishment and they were tired, especially Gamble. His short legs and stout frame were not designed for long distance running.

Mathias turned back to his friends. “They’re still a bit off but making steady progress. They have us outnumbered by at least three to one.” Gesturing at the flat plains around them he added, “We cannot make a stand out here in the open.”

Gamble nodded. “I know…I know. We have to make it to the safety of the trees.” Taking another deep breath, he nodded as he began to move forward once again. “It would just be easier if I knew why we are being followed.”

Mathias nodded but didn’t say anything as the three friends once more began their run toward the imagined safety of the forest.

Chapter 22

When
the twin suns sank below the Hyperborea horizon, they lit the sky afire. Maybe it was the elevated position of Akrôtiri or the remnants of the magical battle which had turned this region into the Wastelands but whatever it was the sunset was spectacular. None of the Outlanders had ever seen a sky with such dramatic colors. Even the bandits who were used to the strange sights of the Wastelands were moved at the sight. No one could ever remember seeing a more red sky. Normally, there were mixtures of purples and yellows but not tonight. It was red on red and highlighted by more red.

E
veryone was gathered in the courtyard around a large pile of logs which were neatly stacked about waist high and as long as a man. Just as the first sun completely disappeared behind the horizon, the doors to the palace flew open and out came Jagoda’s corpse. He had been cleaned up and dressed in his finest battle array before being laid to rest on his shield which was carried by Kastle and Cozad.

About ten paces behind came
Aaliyah. She was dressed in a black silk skirt with a long slit up one side for ease of movement. Her matching halter top of black silk accented her bare stomach and shapely figure. She was carrying Jagoda’s bronze helmet which had been polished until it gleamed and reflected the burning sky. Even though the faint traces of her broken nose and tear filled eyes could still be seen, none could deny Aaliyah’s beauty, including Arieal.

T
he dark elf had even tried to hate the Sha’ir. She was just so beautiful, almost painfully so, but Aaliyah had such a wholesome quality about herself that disarmed everyone she met. Arieal had been forced to talk with her about borrowing some clothes since those she arrived in were ruined. Within ten minutes of meeting the Sha’ir, Arieal felt as if they had been friends her entire life.

The last to enter the courtyard was Tao. He
was bearing the broken parts of the gladiator’s enchanted trident. Kastle and Cozad placed the corpse on the unlit pyre and stepped back to stand next to Arieal.

Aaliyah
paused and looked down at the body of her dead lover. Feeling slightly guilty at the tryst she had enjoyed with Kastle, she contented herself knowing that she hadn’t betrayed him while he was alive. Leaning down, she kissed him one last time and slid the bronze helmet in place before stepping back to stand beside Kastle.

Tao had stopped several feet short
of the pyre and watched the Sha’ir say good-bye. When she was done, he moved forward and placed the broken trident on the chest of the corpse and turned to face the gathering. Scanning the crowd, he noted that there were only one or two who would even meet his gaze and they only did that for several seconds. Tao felt that this was less a sign of guilt and more a habit learned for self-preservation. Everything he had heard about the dead gladiator spoke of someone who would interpret eye to eye contact as a challenge. Tao let the silence linger and the bandits get nervous. He knew from conversations earlier that day with Kastle and Aaliyah that prolonged periods of silence with Jagoda heralded fits of uncontrolled rage which usually only ended with someone’s death. Taking a deep breath, he began. “My friends, it might seem strange for me to be the one to deliver Jagoda’s…”

He
wanted to say eulogy but found that there wasn’t a similar word in the native tongue of Hyperborea. When they crossed over each Outlander had gained certain skills that they could access without conscious thought, speaking the common tongue of the land was one of them. They didn’t even realize they were speaking another language until something like this would pop up. Realizing that he had paused longer than intended, he tried again and gestured to the four outlanders and Jagoda’s corpse.

“
Many of you know that we are Outlanders to Hyperborea. Where we come from it is customary to have someone speak in behalf of the deceased. Usually it is a family member or close friend who would stand up and tell a story from the past. Only Kastle and Aaliyah knew Jagoda before they crossed over but neither wish to speak tonight.”

Tao paused and
gestured to beautiful blonde. “However, Aaliyah asked if I would speak in behalf of the fallen warrior. Jagoda ‘Leon’ Wartooth didn’t start out to be a bandit. This I know. I’ve talked with his friends. Even though I never met Jagoda before this morning, I know the type of man he wanted to be. He was a man of strong convictions and strong emotions. These were both his boon and his bane.”

Glancing down at the corpse, Tao paused for a moment
as he searched for the right words.

“When
Jagoda’s best friend was killed by an Atlantean, he made a vow of vengeance. There was nothing wrong in doing so and it was completely understandable. Nevertheless Jagoda let hatred into his heart and it corrupted his mission. It corrupted him. Jagoda was a gladiator, a man of iron principles. He didn’t set out to become the man you knew, a common bandit. I’m sure it was a gradual process, committing some small infraction or sin in favor of the mission, under the guise that the end justifies the means.”

Tao gestured at all those gathered. “Th
at was wrong. What right do you have to raid simple farmers and traders? Does might make right? Where is the justice in that?”

Tao studied the bandits again. Many were looking around at each other with guilty looks over their faces; however some looked angry at his words. Tao
made a mental note about those who looked upset.

“
Preying on the weak stops now. I will not let Jagoda’s legacy be that he was a bandit. By the gods, he was a man of honor. I will return that honor to him.”

Tao gestured to Kastle and the cleric lit the pyre. The flames greedily ate the dry timber.
Those gathered stayed and watched for a few minutes as the fire consumed the corpse. One by one, the crowd broke apart. Many of the bandits headed to their quarters needing the time to think on what the future would hold for them now that Jagoda was gone. Some headed to the saloon, one of the only renovated buildings in Akrôtiri. Both Tao and Cozad noted that the ones which seemed the most upset by the Samurai’s words were in this second group.

Tao nodded to his companions and the Outlanders spilt into three groups to
attend to their assigned tasks.

Aaliyah
and Arieal headed to the stables. It was their job to make sure that none of the bandits stole any of the horses or wyverns. Tao believed that this would be the night of the most desertions and he planned on making sure that no one made off with any of the flying serpents. Also, Tao wanted to see if the two spellcasters could look in on their missing companions. He knew that Mathias, Gamble and Pixi should be on their way back to Camp Five by now. 

Cozad and Kastle
had the hardest part. They were to contain those bandits which went to the saloon and use their best judgment on how to deal with them. Cozad just nodded at his orders, truly understanding what the deadly samurai meant while Kastle was confused.

The priest believed that there would be trouble. Those bandits which went to the saloon were probably the ones that enjoyed the pillaging the most, the thugs and cutthroats. Kastle briefly wondered what they were supposed to do, that was until he saw the grim look on the dreadknight’s face and the smoldering purple glow of his eyes. That’s when Kastle realized that if push came to shove, they were to use deadly force to gain compliance.

By sending the two of them, Tao had taken himself out of the equation. He could become the focus of their hatred and rage but by not being there, he wouldn’t be the spark the bandits needed to ignite their anger. It was devious. It was smart. It was a masterstroke of strategy and Kastle was impressed.

*   *   *   *   *

Tao watched as Cozad and Kastle departed. The two spiritual warriors made an interesting duo. They were like two sides of the same coin. Both were powerful servants of their gods and he knew that if the bandits stepped out of line, they would be able to take care of any problem.

Which brought Tao’s attention back to his own problem
.

T
he majority of the bandits had gone back to the barracks. It was his job to figure out what to do with them. He didn’t particularly want his own army but he just couldn’t leave these brigands leaderless. Without a strong, honorable leader they would be back raiding the peasants of the region within a week.

Entering the barracks was a mixed feeling of stepping back into time and walking
into his own memories from his time in the Rangers. It seems that barracks in ancient days and modern times were nearly identical. There were rows of bunk beds down each side of the building and two footlockers could be seen under the lower bunks. Of the twenty or so men that were housed there, twelve were gathered in the back of the building around a table; four were playing cards while the rest sat around drinking and talking. Tao had made sure not to wear his armor since it seemed to intimidate the men and that wasn’t his intention. He quietly moved through the barracks but paused just shy of the bright light around the table. It seemed that the bandits were discussing his speech as they played cards.

A young bandit
with dark hair and a beard played a card and drew two from a nearby deck. “I think the red warrior is a devil. How else could he defeat Jagoda?”

A burly warrior with a bald head and a ragged scar down the left side of his face said, “I don’t know nor do I care. All I know is that he isn’t one of us, therefore he has no right to lead.”

The young guard that was on duty earlier that morning when Tao arrived slammed his fist on the table upsetting the cards and coins. “Dammit, Jagoda was an Outlander and you followed him. What’s the difference?”

The burly warrior glared at
him. “Jagoda promised to make us rich.”

Seeing his cue, Tao stepped into the light. “
And how’s that working out for you?”

All
the bandits jumped at his voice and many drew their weapons. Tao ignored them, picked up a fallen chair, reversed it and sat down at the table. Leaning forward on the back of the chair, Tao looked around. To all appearances the samurai seemed completely at ease and comfortable at the table. 

One by one, the bandits sheathed their weapons and returned to their seats. However, it was Jerrick who spoke first. “What was that
m’lord?”

Tao shook his head. “
First off, there isn’t m’lord this or m’lord that, its Tao or Captain if you must. But let’s get back to your comment. Jagoda promised to make you rich, correct?”

Tao
saw several heads nods. “How’s that working out?”

Most looked around, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation but it was Jerrick who finally broke the silence. “Umm…well, it hasn’t actually happened. I mean, we’ve done plenty of raids but we haven’t seen any of the profits.”

Tao nodded. Reaching into his belt pouch, he pulled out a small leather bag and dropped it on the table. The clink of gold was unmistakable to the bandits. “That doesn’t surprise me. I haven’t completely searched the fortress but I did find several chests of gold in what used to be Jagoda’s quarters. It seems that he’d been keeping the lion’s share of the profits.”

Tao saw a few of the bandits get slightly upset at his statement. Was it the thought of
Jagoda short changing them or the fact he just insulted their former commander? Not that Tao really cared. It was the truth. He’d found out long ago that the truth wasn’t always popular but that wasn’t his problem. Hell, Cassie used to get onto him constantly about how abrasive, or blunt, he was in conversations. A wave of mixed emotions rolled over him at that thought. Guilt concerning his resent tryst with Arieal, concern over Cassie’s whereabouts and even the joy he found with the knowledge that she was still alive.

Bringing his attention
back to the matter at hand, Tao gestured at the pouch of gold. “There is a bag like this for each of you, considering we come to an agreement. Consider it payment for past services rendered.”

The burly bandit placed both fists on the table and leaned slightly forward. “Listen here little man, this gold is ours
. Won through our blood and sweat, not yours. It isn’t yours to give away.”

Tao locked eyes with the bandit. He’d been expecting a challenge of some sort. This was it. He let a small smile cre
ep over his face but he was positive that it didn’t reach his eyes. “The way I see it, you have three choices. You can take this money and depart Akrôtiri.” Tao held up his fingers as he counted down their options. “You can work for me for the betterment of Hyperborea and receive triple this amount, or you can bitch and moan some more and leave Akrôtiri flat broke in the morning.”

The burly man with the scar grinned. “You left
out one option. I could throttle you right now and take all the gold. Then we could live like kings in Antioch.”

Tao
calmly looked around and saw that the braggart did have the support of at least three of the bandits judging from the ice cold glares that they gave him. Five looked to be on the fence as to support him or not, while the remaining looked to be against the burly braggart.

Tao nodded. “You’re right
in the fact that I did leave out an option but you’re wrong in your description. The final option is that I kill you where you stand and anyone else that raises a hand against me. Then, I go back to my first three options to those left alive.”