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The Waystation - Ch.117
🕑 Added 2024-01-10 09:05:00 +0000 UTCChapter 117
Splitting the Party, V
Bell sniffled as the Waystation drove away from the new Fae town. Bert felt it as well, his eyes fixed on the small screen showing the receding forms that stood on top of the Express and waived. Every now and again, Bell would reach out and clutch his hand for a moment before starting to sniffle again.
“Well, this sucks,” Bert said after a few minutes. “Who’s stupid idea was this again?”
Bud cracked up first, and suddenly, they were all laughing, albeit sadly. It had been a while since all three of them were up in the control room together without anyone else. It would almost be nice if it weren’t for the worry for those they left behind.
When Bell recovered, it was sudden, as was the way with Pixies.
“Why are we going so slow?” She complained suddenly. “We got places to go, people to murder!”
The other two just looked at her.
“What?” She asked hotly, “Should we just weep all the way there?”
“Good point,” Bert said with a smile. “We got a war to fight here; we need to at least try and turn up with a bounce in our step.”
“Way Way, full speed ahead!” Bell cheered, and the Waystation started to move faster, accelerating until the world blurred by. “That’s more like it!”
“The Fae are going to war!” Bud cheered.
“Let’s go show them what happens when you attack one of ours!” Bert chuckled darkly.
“Sorry, is this a bad time?” A voice called from the door.
All three of them spun to see a dirt-covered Gardener in the doorway. He was yawning and stretching as he scratched at his beard. A dirt trail led back down the corridor behind him, and three of the robed forms were industriously sweeping it up. He blinked sleepily at them and smiled sheepishly.
“Bernhardt?” Bert frowned. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you stay behind at the village?”
“We passed through a village?” The old man frowned. “I’m sure I would have noticed.”
“Bernhardt, how long have you been asleep for?” Bert asked gently.
“Oh, just a nap,” The man smiled happily. “A week or so.”
Silence reigned as the assembled stared open-mouthed at the man. Eventually, Bert forced himself to blink and gently explain what was happening to the Gardener. Mentally, he was already figuring out the easiest way to get the old timer back to their new village and out of trouble.
“What?” Bernhardt laughed. “I’m fine here, thank you.”
“It’s going to be dangerous,” Bell said, in a tone that suggested it should be obvious. “Plus, you’re really old.”
“Young Lady!” Bernhardt insisted. “I will be quite fine, thank you.”
“If you are sure,” Bert shrugged.
“What?” Bell protested.
“His choice,” Bert said defensively.
“Fine,” Bell said with a massive roll of the eyes. “When he is torn to pieces, don’t blame me!”
“I don’t think you understand what a man of my years brings to the table, my dear.” Bernhardt beamed at her. “But you will! Now, I must prepare! Yes!”
He bustled off down the corridor, all energy all of a sudden.
“He might surprise us?” Bert tried.
“He’s a corpse,” Bud agreed with Bell.
They watched the landscape blurring past for a while, chatting and trying to stay relaxed. It was tense, no matter what they pretended. But it helped to pretend this was just a chore they had to get out of the way before they could return to having fun.
As the time passed, the chatter started to die off. It officially ended when Bud stood and nodded to them. He was off to get armored and supplied. Then Bud would go and convince Slothy to get her own armor on.
Things were getting real very quickly as they approached enemy territory. It would take another few hours, but they were rapidly approaching areas where they might come under attack.
Bert Felt Bell’s fingers intertwining with his.
“Bert, if you die, I will be so pissed at you,” She said quietly. “And I promise to turn Wendy into a complete bitch before I bring you back.”
“I love you too, Bell,” Bert smiled at her. “If you die, I’m gonna make Wendy into a Fairy.”
“NOT EVEN AS A JOKE!” Bell slapped him.
Bert just grinned at her as she scowled furiously at him. It didn’t take long for the rage to turn to something else, and they prepared for war in their own unique way.
=============
Wendy marched up and down the assembled ranks of demons with a serious look on her face that was slightly spoiled by the occasional massive smile.
“Listen up!” She roared and felt a tingle as a hundred pairs of eyes focused on her. “We are going to hold this place come what may! In the meantime, I expect you to train, spar, and compete!” She grinned as the questioning looks came over their faces. “Since we have no one to fight right now, I intend to hold a contest! Who’s the best fighter here?”
Everyone looked at each other, a few hands raised, their owners glaring at each other.
“Precisely!” Wendy grinned. “So, we shall hold fights. The last one standing at the end wins!” She clapped her hands. “Separate into your specialties. Archers with archers, warriors with warriors, and so on. Those are your brackets. One-on-one fights until one winner is left in each bracket! Those winners will be my elite team.” She was pleased to get a few cheers for that one. “There is also an open bracket where anyone can enter to fight all challengers.” Another cheer. “Dismissed!” She roared, and they hurried off to prepare.
“Isn’t this a bit much?” Scruff asked from one side. The Gardener had simply watched as Wendy did her thing from a perch of vines.
“The lady with the giant plant monster said what?” Wendy grinned smugly.
“What?” Scruff frowned.
“I rest my case!” Wendy glowed.
“What case?” Scruff shook her head, “Never mind.”
While Wendy was thoroughly confusing Scruff, Rose was actually at work. She had claimed a smaller crafting building for her own, already feeling that was a bit presumptuous, only for everyone to demand she move into the town hall and set up there. It was something of a whirlwind, and she still felt a little light-headed and dizzy from it all. Of course, it could also be the lack of sleep. She had already been up for a day and a night; now, another day was beginning, and she was busier than ever.
It wasn’t just the crafting that she was working hard to improve at; it was the constant interruptions. Every ten minutes, someone needed her to sign, decide, or refuse something. As far as Rose was concerned, she was barely keeping her head above water here. In her own opinion, a life of crime should have prepared her for anything, yet someone always had some questions she had never even considered before.
It had started with the houses. A lot of people seemed to want to live here, and she kind of got that. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen, after all. So someone asked who was allowed to live here, and suddenly, that was her decision. Her first thoughts had been ‘everybody,’ but that had almost caused a riot. It turns out that everyone pretty much hates everyone else and doesn’t want them as neighbors. Her next idea was a lottery, but even she could see that would fill the place with the rich and no one to work the place.
In the end, she went with something that occurred to her out of a desperate desire to keep people away long enough to give her a chance to think. She had said that anyone who wanted to live there could apply; if accepted, they would have to swear loyalty to the Court of the Wandering Lands. Rose had been sure that would keep everyone away for a bit.
She was nearly buried in the damn applications.
“Hey, Rose?” Wendy stuck her head around the door. “That Fiona cow is coming over. Can you deal with her? I’m getting all the demons to fight for me!”
“Are you sure you want me to deal with it?” Rose asked, yawning hugely.
“Please, I’ll just gut the bitch if she looks at me funny.”
“Okay, I’ll see to it.” Rose nodded, almost falling asleep as she did so.
“Thanks, then get some sleep. Tell anyone that wants help to come see me; that should keep them away for a few hours.” Wendy gave her a one-armed hug and dashed out the door again.
“Good morning,” Fiona said, looking around her with well-disguised wonder as she was ushered into the office Rose had been encouraged to use. It was bigger than any house she had ever had, and it seemed wasted on her. “I thought it would be polite to come say hello.” She flashed an officious smile. “One administrator to another.”
Rose felt a glow of happiness. It was nice to be acknowledged rather than accused. Typically, people like Fiona would either sneer or scream at her. This warm reception was a new and welcome change.
Rose sat straighter in her chair and waved to one of the plush chairs facing her desk. “How can I help you?”
“I thought I might be able to help you,” Fiona said dryly. “That idiot man has run off and left you in the lurch, as it were.”
“Pardon?” Rose frowned.
“You’ve been a marvel, really,” Fiona beamed at Rose, “But let’s be honest, here. Bert has just run off and left you holding the bag. Barely more than a child, and he leaves you to run a whole town. It’s typical of the man, dickhead that he is.”
Rose felt a vein start to pulse in her forehead.
“I know he left others, but really?” Fiona laughed, “One is playing with demons, and the other is some kind of insane farmer. Clod for brains, I’m sure.” Fiona flashed another smile. “So, I thought I’d bring over this little contract.” She placed it reverentially on the desk in front of Rose. “Just a quick signature, and I will take over running things for you while you learn what you are doing.” She held out a pen to Rose. “This is just like a quill, only it doesn’t need refilling. You can write, can’t you?”
Rose rubbed her eyes a few times and was startled to see Fiona still there. She had been sure this was all a nightmare. Fiona was still waving the pen at her encouragingly.
“Do you like my arms?” Rose asked, baring the gleaming metal for Fiona to see.
“Sure, they are great, now… about that signature?”
“My arms were a gift, you know,” Rose said sleepily. “From Lord Hudson.”
“You don’t have to use that name here,” Fiona said. “He isn’t here.”
“Lord Hudson, who earned that title as far as I am concerned, gave me a new class as well. Do you know what my old class was?”
“I can guess,” Fiona sniffed. “If that man is enough to impress you.”
“I was a rogue,” Rose grinned. “A trained killer who excelled in her craft.” That was pushing it, but who was to know? “The point is, I don’t have the class, but I still have the experience.”
“What?” Fiona glowered.
“I excelled at killing stuck-up, snobby, miserable, vinegar-faced bitches like you.” Rose grinned. “Be very glad Lord Hudson convinced me to try my hand at something new. Good-bye.”
Fiona looked ready to explode for a second but stalked away instead, throwing the pen over her shoulder in a fit of pique. Rose sighed, collected the pen thing for later study, and went to bed.
Everything would be better after a bit of sleep.
While Fiona stalked back to the city with calls of ‘Bye, Bitch!’ from Wendy ringing in her ears, the people of the new village, now nicknamed Rose Briar by the locals, got on with settling into their new home.
Rose’s policy, so hastily made in panic, had led to the most curious collection of citizens. Several bemused, formerly homeless workers now found themselves with lodging in the type of house they had never even dreamed of. Next door to them was the disowned son of a noble family who was happily moving in with the man he had given everything for. Across the street, a woman was busy setting up a practice area to study the city itself. She had studied the stories of the Fae all her life and had been first in line to swear the oath.
The same kind of scenes were playing out across the new village. The lost, forgotten, and abandoned wandered around with stunned looks as they tried to figure out how their lives had changed so much overnight. In the fields, a group of former guards, merchants, and one delighted scholar were learning to tend fields and grow the strange crops within. Scruff led them all through a series of basics and then turned them loose on a set of practice fields she had left fallow for this exact reason.
No village was perfect, of course. A few bad apples were in every batch, and several of them chanced their arm at the wrong moment. Some had snuck in with the idea of robbing the place, only to find a well-protected citizenship who all seemed to be getting along. Still, they tried, and when caught, they were dragged before who ever was currently answering questions. A couple of hours earlier, they might have been at the mercy of Rose, who had more than enough to go around these days.
Instead, they were faced with an irritated Wendy. Along with the cheering crowds, they learned that ‘throw them over the walls’ was a command demons took literally.
To be fair, several of them even survived.
==============
Bert rolled his shoulders, feeling his armor settle a little more comfortably on his frame as he walked up to join the others. Bell was to his left, swinging her Ringer in anticipation, while on his right, Bud was sitting astride the armored Slothy.
“Lily?” He called.
“Up here,” She called from above.
“Okay, everyone, let’s get this done.” He grinned, letting his knotwork flare as the others did the same. Ahead of them were the closed gates of a town flying the tattered flag of The People. This was the first town they had come to, and it was a small one. With any luck, it wouldn’t have too many inside it. “Honey, you want to knock?” He asked Bell.
“Delighted!” She snarled, whirling Ringer like a hammer thrower and sending it slamming into the gates, which exploded into shards of wood. He charged in after it, his shield glowing with mana. The first step through the gateway showed groaning figures, some laying still, green-tinted blood seeping from mortal wounds. He sprayed the area with bolts as fast as he could. Several of the survivors stopped moving just as a loud crash came from ahead of him. A collection of misshapen figures rounded the corner and charged. A mana blast from his shield knocked them off step, and his axe began a grim harvest just as Bell arrived in a storm of knives to retrieve her Ringer. They fought back to back, allowing themselves to be surrounded as they quickly cut down the lowest leveled and moved on to the real challenges. They were just starting to feel the pressure when a loud crash came from the next street over, and the wall tilted alarmingly.
“Slothy, dammit!” Bud yelled. “I meant to charge through the gate, not the bloody wall!”
Screaming started, and soon, the misshapen hulks were in full retreat. Before it was over, there were almost a hundred half human-shaped corpses scattered around the town. A careful search of the town led them to the survivors, huddled in cages next to a bloody circle scattered with discarded parts.
Bert eyed the miserable souls sadly. They would need a lot of help to get over the trauma they had suffered. Most had been rendered mute with shock and horror, merely squeezing his hand or nodding their thanks while tears ran down their faces.
“We have to go,” Bell pulled him away. “There are more towns like this; we have to get to them before no one is left.”
Bert nodded and turned away, feeling like he was abandoning these people even if he knew Bell was right.
Dagon was leaning against the Waystation when they got back, picking his teeth with a shard of the gates. He nodded to Bert and the others and gestured to the town they had just left.
“Nice work!” He laughed. “Best be on your way now. I’ve got people coming to help those who remain.”
“More people for your city?” Bert asked.
“No, just people.” Dagon grinned. “My city needs people to trade with, after all.”
That put Bert’s mind at rest, at least a little bit. It didn’t help Bell, as it turned out. She was always sharper than him.
“How long ago did they start heading this way?” She asked, eyes narrowed.
“Oh, not too long,” Dagon said with a smile. “A year or two.”
“Uh huh,” Bell said. “Almost could have prevented all this.”
“Not something I am allowed to do,” Dagon kept his grin. “Not telling why. Not to a pixie. Not to a Fae.”
“We’ll still find out,” Bud said stiffly. “If you could have done more.”
“Ha! Yes! Do that!” Dagon faded away, leaving them looking at a distant caravan heading their way.
“Come on,” Bert said to the others. “Let’s keep going.”
