Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis (7 page)

When
Kastle entered his small room above the rectory, he knew immediately that he was not alone. There was an earthy smell that wasn’t normally there. However, seeing the naked form of Callistra on his small bed was not what he was expecting.

“
Callistra, what are you…”

“Shh…no words. Come. Warm my body and my blood.”

Very few men could or would turn down such an offer, especially from a vision as lovely as Callistra. Kastle was not one of those men. Stripping off his robes, they fell to the floor forgotten as he rushed to accommodate her desires.

*   *   *   *   *

“Hold.” Tao held up one hand.

According
to the position of the twin suns, it was almost noon and the companions could just make out the walls of a village in the distance. Judging from the nets, Tao figured that most of the harbor traffic were fishing boats and they could be seen entering and leaving the port regularly. Most were small, one or two-masted sloops. No large merchant ships or warships could be seen or oar powered slave ships either.

Tao turned
back to face his friends. “Okay. Judging from what I can see, this is mostly a small fishing village. In my mind this means simple folk who just want to be left alone. So I’m unsure of our reception. They might have a phobia about elves or dwarves. We just don’t know.”

Cozad asked, “What
’s your suggestion?”

“We go in cautiously. Elves keep your faces co
vered and Pixi stay invisible. Cozad, you and I need to keep our helmets off and hands away from weapons.”

“Why?”

It was Bjǿrn who answered. “If they are indeed an isolated fishing community, they will naturally be suspicious of outsiders. In Alaska, we have many such communities. When I was a State Trooper, they treated me with suspicion and distrust, even when they were the ones who called us in. It is the way of things for small villagers.”

Cozad and the others nodded. They were out of their element and
realized it.

Walking into an unknown city in the game was easy.
The players could tell from a distance if a guard would attack you or not, due to the game mechanics. Anyone that would attack you would be highlighted in red when you selected them as a target. That little trick of the game couldn’t be used in this situation. Nor could the companions bypass the village. They needed information and a map of the area if possible.

T
ao’s first thought was to wait until dark and enter the village unannounced. But that came with its own set of problems. Since it was a walled city, the odds were that they would lock the gates at dusk and not open again until dawn. Not that they couldn’t sneak in. As a skald, Gamble would have the necessary skill set to accomplish that feat, the same could be said about Mathias the Archer. Of course, his own training from his days in the Special Forces gave him the skills also but once inside, then what? They couldn’t just walk into a tavern and get information or food. This was obviously a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. There would be no hiding. No, they had to go during the daylight. Of course, he could just send in Pixi since she could stay invisible and just scout out the town. But honestly, he felt that was too dangerous a mission for the teenager. Feeling that he had finally weighed the matter fully, Tao made his decision.

“We go in ca
utiously. Bjǿrn will follow up the rear. I don’t want his size to be too intimidating to the guards.” Tao paused and turned to fully face the dark elf necromancer. “Arieal…”

“I can use my magic to disguise my dark elven heritage. Would you prefer human?”

“Yes. That would help.” Tao grinned as he gazed at the beautiful dark elf. Her outfit was very revealing, showing off her shapely legs, a flat tummy and a well-endowed chest. He cleared his throat. “I would suggest a form that wasn’t as stunning as this one either. You might draw everyone’s attention to yourself but not too homely either, if you get my meaning.”

Arieal
hadn’t received a compliment on her looks in a long time and felt herself blush at Tao’s remark but nodded and closed her eyes. Calling on one of the innate abilities of her race, she pictured herself when she was twenty years old; short mousy blonde hair, a button nose and an average figure. Not a head turner but not a dog either. Feeling the spell take shape, Arieal opened her eyes and asked, “How’s this?”

“Excellent. Walk up front with me. Everyone else, keep you
r hands away from your weapons and whatever you do, don’t lose your temper.”

Everyone nodded and the companions began the short
hike to the village.

*   *   *   *   *

Callistra climbed out of the bed and wrestled with her conflicting emotions. Back home she was married and honestly, she was unsure if this qualified as adultery. After all, she was inside a game. Callistra wasn’t her real name nor was this her real body. Besides, she was stuck in this realm and didn’t know if she would ever make it back home again. One part of her was more relaxed than anytime over the past four years. It had been a long time since she had sex and it was very liberating. But as always, the guilty feelings remained.

Kastle
watched quietly as Callistra got dressed. It was always the same. Their lovemaking was intense and overwhelming, like nothing he ever imagined back in the real world. Of course, back home he would never have had the chance with a woman as lovely as Callistra and he knew it. He was grateful for the few times they had sex but when it was over, she was always moody and stand-offish. Kastle didn’t know why but just accepted it as a normal part of dealing with her. After a moment, he propped himself up on one elbow and asked, “Not that I’m complaining but to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Callistra
sat at the desk and turned to face him. “Al Shaytan has sent another group through the portal.”

Kastle
nearly jumped out of the bed. “When? Where?”

“Yesterday evening and about ten leagues southwest of
Saebroc.” Callistra pointed at a small dot on the Hyperborea map. “I was out hunting when I came across a funeral pyre. It seems that ten avatars came through the portal but one was killed during a goblin attack. If I read the battle right, one of their members assassinated another and was banished from the group for his actions.”

Kastle
moved over to his foot locker and opened the lid. Inside was his armor and adventuring items from the day he crossed over. As he began to get dressed he asked, “How do you know all this?”

Callistra
graced him with a crooked smile. “I’m not without skills you know. The banished member is a Hashāshīn. He was bound by very strong dwarven magic. I found him on the northern edge of the Dark Forest.”

“How’d he get there?”

“I believe he was carried there by two goblin zombies.”

“So they have a
skald and a necromancer. That could be good and bad. Any ideas where the rest went?”

Callistra
shrugged her shoulders. “I would guess Saebroc. That’s what we tried. We went to the nearest village.”

Kastle
rolled his eyes. “Odin’s beard. I hope they find a better reception than we did.”

“True.”

“Where’s this assassin?”

“My cabin.”

“Why there?”

Callistra
moved to the edge of the window and glanced out at the small hamlet. “I wasn’t sure what sort of reception I would get. You and I didn’t exactly part as friends you know.”

Kastle
paused. “True. I know it isn’t you, just a condition of your affliction. I have come to terms with that.”

“Have you really? What will you say when I need to feed again? I can only resist for so long.”

He really didn’t know how to answer that question so he just let it go.

She understood his dilemma and didn’t press the issue but changed the subject. “Any word from
Aaliyah or Jagoda?”

“No, but I didn’t expect any either. Remember, we didn’t exactly part on good terms either.”

Callistra
nodded. She remembered the hateful words, the arguments and the sacrifices. She gazed out the window at the small town of Crooner’s Gap. The townsfolk were going about their daily lives, content and happy. In a small voice she asked, “Was I right in coming here?”

Kastle
moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Gently kissing her neck he said, “We might not agree on your lifestyle but you’ll always have a friend in me.”

As she turned to face him,
Kastle could tell that she was feeling guilty about their tryst. Not wanting to complicate things or drive her away, he released her and turned back to his room. “Now, let me gather up a few things and let’s go have a chat with this assassin.”

Chapter 8

The first thing Tao noticed when they entered the village gates were the guards. They seemed to be either very young or very old. They were probably the ones unable to work the fishing nets. He did notice that they were all dressed in brown leather breastplates and armed with short swords and spears. No bows were visible but that didn’t mean they weren’t around somewhere.

The
companions weren’t accosted as they entered but it was obvious that they were being watched constantly. Armed guards walked the wooden ramparts and a few guards followed behind them as they moved through the town. There seemed to be only one road, if that was what the dirt path could be called, which led to the center of town where historically the most important buildings in a village would be found.

With wide eyes, Arieal gazed around at the drab buildings and sarcastically asked to no one in particular. “I wonder if they have a Starbucks?”

Gamble snorted. “I doubt it but it would be nice.”

Since no one else laughed at her poor joke, t
he dark elf in disguise turned her attention back to their surroundings. After a few minutes, she finally realized what was bothering her about the villagers and nudged Tao’s shoulder. “They’re staring at you.”

Dragging
his mind away from the martial designs of the town, he focused his attention on the townsfolk. She was right. They were staring. Not at the dwarf or the ladies but at him. Tao looked down at himself. He wasn’t very tall, being just over five foot. His skin was the golden hue of the oriental people while his hair was jet black and pulled back into a ponytail. He imagined he looked like Bruce Lee with long hair. He didn’t think that he looked intimidating. He had opted not to wear his armor but just a simple black and red silk keiokgi with his swords tucked into his belt. Of course, the silk robe made visible part of his dragon tattoo which ran from the hara, the spot two inches above his navel, up across his chest around his back to the left side of his neck until it ended with the head of the dragon rearing on his left cheek. It was the mark of the Kensai or sword saint in Nippon.

When
they reached the town square, the companions were confronted with a large crowd both in front and behind them. Tao made a mental note that every citizen seemed to be armed with some sort of weapon, be it a frying pan or an axe handle. This was not good.

Tao
stopped and causally nudged Arieal back to stand with Cozad, Moira and Gamble. Glancing around, he didn’t see Mathias or Pixi. The archer had probably blended into the crowd and the faerie was invisible. Good. At least they had a couple aces up their sleeves if things went bad. Tao stepped forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Bjǿrn was standing behind him and slightly to his left.

Keeping
his hands away from his weapons, Tao held them up in what he thought would be a non-threatening manner. “We come in peace. We mean you no harm.”

Many in the crowd began to mutter amongst themselves and that scared Tao more than anything.
A crowd was one thing, an angry mob was another. Seeing the crowd’s fear of them growing was like watching the embers of a fire slowly eat at dry twigs. There was heat, there was fuel, now all it needed was a spark and the crowd would turn into a mob.

Tao tried diplomacy again. “I can see
that we are not welcome. That’s fine. We’ll leave. We’re just lost travelers and wanted information.”

A young guard spoke up first. “Nice try Atlantean. We
’ll not fall for that line again.”

Sensing an opening, Tao focused his attention on the
spokesman. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re strangers to your land. We’re not Atlanteans.”

“
Liar, you wear the mark!” The young guard looked at the crowd and yelled, “Atlanteans cannot be trusted!”

The crowd roared their approval and many took a slight step forward.
The mood of the crowd was shifting and not in the companion’s favor.

Bjǿrn
said, “It doesn’t look like it is going well.”

Tao nodded. “I don’t think we
’re going to get out of here without a fight.”

“I agree but they
’ll be on the losing side.”

Before Tao could respond,
a high pitched horn blast echoed through the town square. The companions were unsure of what it heralded but the townsfolk obviously recognized it because they surged forward. Emboldened by the arrival of the horn blowers, the brash young guard leveled his spear at Tao’s chest and charged.

Back in the real world, Mac had been a student of the martial arts for many years
having attained Black Belts in both TaeKwonDo and Judo, not to mention his extensive combat training during his stint as an Army Ranger. One thing he had always read about and only a few times attained was the state of Zanshin.

Zanshin
had been called many things over the years; the zone, the empty mind, Zen mind and enlightenment just to name a few. It is the mindset of body and mind working in perfect harmony. Sports celebrities talk about how their game was ‘on’ and everything was just right, like when the basketball player is shooting from outside the three-point line and sinking every single shot. Marine and Army snipers talk about becoming one with the shot, where they can almost see the wind and visualize the drift the bullet will travel when making a eight hundred meter shot. Zanshin is that moment in time when conscious thought disappears and the body reacts without thought. It is a beautiful thing when it happens. However, to your opponent, it is deadly.

As the guard attacked, Tao reacted.
As a by-product of being his avatar, he entered zanshin at the outset of battle. Drawing both blades in one fluid motion, he executed two strikes in the same motion; one strike sliced the spear shaft in half, the other cut a slash across the young man’s chest. It was not enough of a wound to kill him but one that would be bloody and painful. Stepping back with both swords at the ready, Tao bellowed loudly.

In the martial arts,
the yell was known as a ki-hap or spirit-shout. It was used to startle your opponents and to help focus a practitioner’s energy. Tao used it now to startle the crowd and it worked. The surging mob faltered and stopped at the sight of the bloody guard and the fierce warrior with the twin swords, one of which was coated in ice.

They were at
an impasse.

The mob was unsure of what to do and the companions feared to move or say anything that might disrupt the delicate
stalemate. Time passed and Tao dared to believe that they might make it out of this situation without having to kill anyone. Suddenly, a stray arrow came from the back of the crowd and struck Moira in the shoulder.

As she fell with a scream, pandemonium took over.

The mob surged forward and Bjǿrn went berserk. Hearing his wife scream in pain caused Bjǿrn to shape-shift into his were-bear form in a matter of seconds and attack. Anyone and anything in his way became fair game. He was so crazy with rage that his seven foot claymore fell to the ground forgotten. He was just using his massive strength and claws to smash aside anyone foolish enough to enter his range.

Cozad’s first instinct was to attack. His
Chaos mind-set wanted to crush the foolish peasants but it was his duty to guard the ladies from the onrushing mob. He struggled for a second or two before planting his feet and readying his battle-axe. Anyone who entered his reach was going to pay a bloody toll for their foolishness.

Arieal
felt her motherly instincts kick in when Moira went down. Pulling off her scarf, she held it to the wound in hopes of controlling the bleeding. The druid was already pale and seemed to be entering the early stages of shock. Annie tried her best to remember her first aid training. She knew there was something about keeping her warm and elevating her feet. She couldn’t remember why but she doubted that she would have time to do it anyway, given their current situation.

Mathias
had slipped off to the side at the first sign of the crowd following the companions. He was completely unseen by everyone which was fine by him. Although, his Archer persona was more at home in the wilds, the Matthew mind-set was more comfortable in the crowded cities. Growing up in Denver gave him a familiarity with the abundant shadows and tight alleys of city life. Climbing onto the rooftops had been easy. Moving from rooftop to rooftop unseen by the guards wasn’t exactly easy but wasn’t too difficult either. Mathias was just about to fire on the crowd when he heard the high-pitched horn. From his vantage-point on the roof, he could tell it was coming from the skies and not the ocean. Scanning the horizon, he caught sight of the five incoming beasts that his half-elf mindset recognized as wyverns.

Wyverns were a distant relative of dragons
with large bat-like wings and extremely long tails. Although they didn’t have the deadly breath weapon of their larger cousins, wyverns have a stinger on their tails with a poison more lethal than any scorpion venom.

Mathias
was as shocked as everyone when the arrow came from the back of the crowd. Dropping all pretense of concealment, the archer began firing indiscriminately at the mob. It was simple. If they were moving toward his friends they were a target. If they were moving away, they were safe from his arrows.

Tao heard the
wyvern-riders before he saw them. The flapping of their wings and the shrill cry of the wyverns was unmistakable. He wasn’t sure how he knew that but he did. He was extremely busy with the guards to do more than register their arrival. One part of his mind stayed on the problem. Would the newcomers be friends or foes? Only time would tell. When the wyvern-riders swooped down on the crowd, most of the mob fled in panic and it was obvious to Tao that the riders were feared by the townsfolk.

On their second pass, the first two riders fired their
crossbows at Bjǿrn. Neither arrow pierced the were-bear’s fur but they did manage to get his attention. As he roared his disapproval of the wyvern-riders, the next pair made their pass. However, they didn’t shoot arrows at the lycanthrope. They each fired a net with weights on all four corners. Their aim was perfect. Both nets struck Bjǿrn and in seconds he was completely immobilized.

The fifth and final rider fired his net at Tao on his pass. However, Tao was more agile than the were-bear and dodged to
one side. Before the samurai could recover and move to free his friend, the first two wyvern-riders had swooped back down, grabbed the trussed up lycanthrope and flew off.

Tao took one step to follow before stopping.

This was his worst nightmare. A party member kidnapped, another one injured and the rest surrounded. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed movement and ducked reflexively. A lone guard had used the distraction of the wyvern-riders to get within striking distance of the samurai.

Before Tao could counterattack,
a goose-feathered arrow sprouted from the guard’s chest. He glanced at the rooftop and saw Mathias’s smug grin. Tao thanked him with a nod and pointed at the fleeing wyverns. The Archer nodded once and was gone.

Having a slight break in combat,
Tao moved back to his companions and asked, “How bad is she?”

Gamble
shrugged. “Unknown. She’s unconscious at the moment and has lost a lot of blood.”

“Can you carry her?”

Gamble nodded. “Yes. It might not be good for her but I can manage.”

“Good. We are leaving. Cozad you have point.”

“Understood,” replied the Dreadknight. His eyes had already shifted from the blue fire of contentment to the smoldering purple of controlled rage. 

Pixi popped into
view right overhead. “There’s a small gathering of townsfolk trying to block the gate.”

Tao replied, “They won’t stop us. They
’ll move or we will move them, one way or the other. Now let’s roll.”

Gamble
lifted the injured druid and followed the armored Dreadknight with Arieal and Pixi in tow. Only a few guards stepped out to meet them and they were quickly dispatched by Cozad. Once they reached the gates, the companions found a gathering of twenty townsfolk. A simple sleep spell from Pixi knocked out half their numbers. Couple that with the sight of the glowing purple eyes of the Dreadknight carrying Bjǿrn’s seven foot long claymore convinced the rest that they had somewhere better to be.

Moments later, they were out of the gates and into the wilds.
They hadn’t really gained any information for their efforts and one of their companions had been captured but they were alive…which meant they had another chance.