System Break

Of all the things the Shaman was or could have been this surprised me the most. I sat in a shock while it sank in. This was the man who travelled and tethered our world to this one.

"How did you do it?" I asked.

"I followed the path set out by the ancients. I was not the first to come here, I was just the first to come here this century. You see all the men - city and mountainfolk? Why are they here? How did they get here? They are the descendants of the first of the enlightened."

"Why did you use a lump and not your own body? Is it impossible to bring your own body?"

He cackled and spat. "Of course it is but I am not powerful like the ancients. This lump is an aberration made by the gatekeepers."

I frowned. The founder, the man who made this all possible should be someone I should admire but he was a broken pitiful wreck hiding in the mountains and scamming the mountainfolk to feed him both with food and qi.

So many questions swirled in my mind. Failure or founder, he still possessed a wealth of knowledge. I drew a sharp intake of breath when I saw them. When Demon Bird saw them.

"They are coming," I said. "The beastmen could be here today."

"How can you be sure?" 

"I am connected to a demon bird. I can see what he sees."

He coughed and spluttered for a minute. "You possess many gifts. They'll be jealous and cut you down if you let them."

"Who is they?"

He spat. "The directors. Cut them off before they cut you. They are devious, one hides in the shadows and another craves power over others. Even if you think they are cornered it is because you're naïve. The real power is here, not in the old world."

Reyas put her hand on my knee and gently squeezed. "The beastmen."

"There are two of them just like the Staggan warrior described. They are moving fast but they are miles away and are carrying captives. I'd guess the captives are for directions. Demon bird watches them."

Reyas tensed. "Demon bird should be careful."

"Unless they can shoot lighting a mile into the air he is safe, and he flies above the purple clouds to hide himself."

Reyas directed her question to the shaman. "What do you know about beastmen? What should we do?"

He cackled. "You should take the land core and run away from here. Even if there are three of you, you are outnumbered."

"Four," I said. "Will you fight to protect the land core?"

"I cannot fight. I am blind and crawl about my cave. What do you think I can do?"

"I don't know, you should tell us."

"I can spit in their general direction."

"Please," Reyas said, "Advise us."

"He can't," I said. "He's a fraud Reyas. He's not your shaman, it's an act to get food and qi from the clans."

"No," she said, and the shaman cackled. "He is wise. He has not steered us wrong."

"And his advice now is to steal the land core and run away."

He cackled again. "It is good advice."

"And then what? What would happen to the domain here? The beastmen would eventually find us and we'd just be delaying the inevitable fight. No. They do not expect us here. We'll ambush them and kill the bastards."

The shaman's head swivelled from Reyas to me. "There is another way. Let them take the core. Go now, save yourselves."

Reyas cried out.

"Are you shitting me? Do you think we're the type to roll over and give in?"

"You may come back. But what about the women. Reyas will be dead. Your Svartalfar woman will be dead. All because you're too proud to know when you're out of your depth."

"Good point. I will stay and fight alone," I said.

"No," they both said in harmony.

"I'm in charge and he has a point. It doesn't matter if I die. I'm risking nothing and you're risking everything."

The shaman cackled and the women fumed.

"I refuse," Reyas said. "This is my home and I'll defend it." She'd given it up to live with me, but I wasn't going to show her the disrespect to mention it.

"I will not leave your side," Gisael said and her tone was emphatic.

"I guess that's it," I said in surrender. I would not force them to run because it would waste time, energy and in the end they would still refuse. "We will stay and fight."

The shaman turned and crawled back towards his jars. "Then we'll need to prepare. Maybe a good toxin will even the odds a little."

"Poison? You're one evil son of a bitch."

He cackled. "So you refuse?"

"Hell no. Whatever it takes. They decided to attack so they'll get what's coming to them."

He scrummaged around in the jars cackling like a mad man. He probably was mad because he went from being lucid to a raving lunatic at the drop of a hat.

"The arrows will not get past them. No, no, maybe a dagger at close range. Can you make daggers fly?"

"Assume we're talented beginners," I said. 

"So that is a no. Pity."

"It is a contact poison? Or does it need to enter their bloodstream?"

He cackled. "You call me evil and you know too much." He sniffed. "We have both … the touch poison is too slow. So it is the blood poison we will choose."

I turned and met Gisael's gaze. "You okay with this?"

She bared her teeth. "It is better than dying."

I smiled. "Good point. What other tricks do you have old man?"

"Powder. If they breathe it in they will become paralysed."

Reyas shook her head. "Who are these for?" She sounded disappointed.

The shaman snickered. "Now young girl - they are for now."

I stood and stretched. "I'm going to look around outside."

"Good," the shaman said. "It is noxious to mix and will take a little time to prepare. Go set your trap and I will make a large batch."

I grabbed Reyas' hand and pulled her to her feet. Her eyes met mine and they were full of steel.

"Thank you," she said softly.

I shrugged and flicked my head towards Gisael. I wasn't the one risking my life. The pair hugged as I squeezed through the passage. 

Demon bird watched them make amazing progress through the mountains despite their burden. They each carried a woman over a shoulder, and I wondered the purpose. Surely they wouldn't rape them. I shook my head to dispel the image.

While more adventurers entered what they thought was a game - things just got more complicated for me. My two worlds collided, but my allegiance was clear. The forest, Gisael and Reyas was where my heart belonged. And while some of the mountainfolk were a bunch of dicks they could thank Reyas for what we were about to do.

Reyas stood beside me and slipped her hand into mine. Her head tilted up as she looked up at the sky. It was turning dark with purple clouds.

"I know," I said. "Just what we need."