Athian ran in. He pointed a sword awkwardly at the troll and said, “Back off, you vile thing!”
The troll swatted Athian’s sword arm aside and gripped his chest with the other clawed hand. With little effort, he picked Athian up.
Visor sunk an arrow into the troll’s ribs.
Athian recovered himself enough to stab the troll’s shoulder, and his sword stuck there.
More angry than hurt, the troll dropped Athian to the ground and knocked the sword out of his shoulder. The troll stomped its way toward Visor.
Visor managed to work himself free of the stirrup. He stood to run, but realized his ankle was badly sprained or strained, if not fractured. It matted little anyway, as two more trolls approached from behind. He fell back to one knee.
The troll towered over him.
Visor held up Ninette to deflect an incoming blow.
A horse ran down the troll from behind.
The troll flopped to the ground.
Mystique trampled the troll and continued running.
Sorana launched herself from the saddle, landing on the troll’s back. She made some efficient cuts into the troll’s shoulder blades and neck. She pranced off to meet the other two trolls.
Visor drug himself toward Rapture and Athian, clenching his jaw against the pain. He held his sprained ankle off the ground, using the bow in concert with his good leg to lift and push himself.
Rapture was moving, thankfully. Her clothing was ripped in streaks across her shoulder and ribs. There was some blood—not a lot. The harmonic armor prevented worse injury. She was pinned under her horse.
“Rap!”
“Don!” She reached toward him. “I’m stuck!”
“I’ll get there!” Visor clawed his way past Athian to Rapture. Athian wasn’t moving.
Rapture closed her eyes and infused Visor with her healing energy. The warmth of her touch flowed into his body, relieving the pain in his ankle. He was soon able to stand again. “Rap, this is amazing—how?”
“I don’t know, Don.” She studied her hands. “Ever since the AciesMagus, it just gets stronger. The bracers do it too, I think.”
Visor gave Rapture’s dead horse a half-hearted shove. “I’m going to need help for this. Athian!”
Athian was still alive but wheezing, and bleeding heavily from his chest.
Visor gripped Athian’s shoulders and dragged him over to Rapture.
Rapture showed significant fatigue as she healed Athian.
“That’s enough for now.” Visor addressed Athian. “I don’t mean that—”
Athian held up a hand, “I know, Visor. Let her rest. I’ll survive.”
“Risse der Mond!” Rapture’s horrified gaze was focused past Visor.
Visor looked behind him.
The felled troll was struggling to stand. Its reduced use of its arms was apparent as it rolled back onto its side. The troll was regaining strength with the passing seconds.
Visor straddled Rapture’s legs and lifted the horse with all his strength. “Get her out.”
Athian knelt behind Rapture and wrapped his arms around her. He clasped his wrist over her chest and pulled until she wheezed.
Visor grunted and let go. He needed leverage. He looked around for a pry bar and fulcrum. There weren’t good stones around, but perhaps a pile of thicker branches would work.
Athian said, “Banshee Mortel!”
The troll was now standing. It was unsuccessfully trying to flex its right hand. Its left arm dangled uselessly. Visor pointed at a spot between Rapture and the troll. “Athian!”
“Got it!” Athian picked up his sword and moved to protect Rapture.
Visor scrambled to gather thick sticks to use as the fulcrum. What would really matter was finding the right pry bar. A sword would snap on the broad side and be unstable on the thin side. Ninette might be strong enough, though he really needed something longer for more leverage. Maybe they could just cut through the horse. There was a lot of meat to cut, though, and it would have to be done with some care to avoid injury to Rapture. That would take time. It was obvious the troll was regenerating, but he might be able to damage it with arrows faster than it could regenerate. He could keep it weakened while Athian worked Rapture free. But one of Ninette’s cams was caked in mud from having been used as a crutch—he’d have to clean that out. Visor returned to the horse and arranged the branches next to Rapture.
“Don!” said Rapture.
The troll closed on Athian.
Visor reached up Rapture’s skirt and grabbed the melodic dagger. He took up position beside Athian, dagger in one hand and Ninette in the other.
There was a growl and flash of white fur. Using Rapture’s dead horse for a launching pad, Burke pounced at the troll. The snow leopard had grown. At nearly a hundred pounds, it almost knocked the troll down. As it was, Burke sunk his claws into the troll’s chest and left shoulder, trying to clamp his jaws on the troll’s neck.
Adrenaline was masking the pain of Visor’s still-tender ankle. He maneuvered behind the troll. Maybe he could find a more vulnerable area. Perhaps they could find a way to trip it. If they could get it on the ground again, they could hack it to bits.
The troll caught Burke under the belly with a tusk. Burke yelped but continued his ferocious attack. The troll grabbed Burke with his now-recovered right hand and squeezed. He pealed the cat off and threw it.
Burke landed with a pathetic cry.
With Burke’s distraction, Athian was able to sink the sword deep into the troll’s gut. That did hurt it. It wailed and doubled over.
Visor took the opportunity to plunge the dagger into the troll’s spine. Any other creature would have been paralyzed.
The troll wasn’t paralyzed, but it did fall—onto Athian. And it still fought.
Athian cried out. He fended off the troll’s tusks with his forearms.
Visor jumped on the monster. He pulled his dagger out of its spine and sank it into its already-wounded right shoulder. He could see where some goo had filled in and begun to solidify. Visor hacked at the shoulder until it hung loose. He and Athian were then able to remove the near-helpless troll’s head.
It was dead.
Athian was bloody. He’d been gouged in the ear and had some other wounds. Visor helped him up and over to Rapture.
There was a growl behind him. Visor turned and saw another troll. This one was larger, wielded a spiked club, and had two heads. Visor prodded Athian backward. “Go to Rap. Get her free.”
Visor looked around. This larger troll might have trouble running through trees. Maybe it could be lured away from Rapture long enough for her to escape. Maybe he could find a pit or tight trees to trap it in.
The troll closed in.
Visor was about to bolt when the troll howled and fell to a knee. Its foot had been nearly sheared off at the ankle. It turned and swung its club blindly.
Sorana easily ducked under the club.
The troll tried to rake her with its off hand.
She met his attack with a punch of her left. Her serrated dagger protruded through the troll’s wrist. She twisted and pulled her dagger.
The troll smashed the club down at her. She sidestepped the attack and stomped on the club, smashing the troll’s hand.
The troll wasn’t hurt, and lifted the club—with Sorana still on it.
She smacked the troll in one of its heads with her rod’s end bulb, then flipped off backwards to land just out of the troll’s reach. She held a bloody tusk that ended with a chunk of bloody meat. She tossed it aside.
The troll wailed and stumbled after her.
She methodically backed away from it and surveyed her surroundings. She signed, tend to and said, “Rapture!” She said, “Twenty” and signed, seconds to finish this.
Visor went to tend to Rapture.
***************
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“I thought trolls were extinct.” Rapture was so pretty riding her rhinoceros.
Visor couldn’t help but smile. “They were, at least as far as we knew.”
Athian rode behind Rapture, resting his hands gently on her hips. “Maybe the fires flushed them out. They could have been living deep in the forest where no one would see them.”
Visor said, “I thought they were subterranean. Who knows—maybe they were hibernating. With that regenerating biology, who knows how they live or reproduce?”
Athian asked, “However they reproduce, it’s amazing they haven’t overrun the world.”
Visor asked, “You mean because they are so tough?”
Athian said, “Well, yeah. What would be able to kill them? I mean, Sorana is a fr—” He looked ahead at Sorana, riding point. He spoke quietly. “She’s exceptional. But your arrows hardly hurt it. Even the alfanar would have trouble.”
Visor said, “Unless their arrows were poisoned with something that would stop the regeneration.”
Cespenar rode on Athian’s back pack. “Maybe a Banshee.”
“By stopping their heart?” Visor said, “I don’t think they can really do that. And I don’t think trolls have vital organs as we think of them. You saw how they kind of oozed rather than bleeding. The lack of pain receptors would make me think they don’t have vital areas.”
Athian said, “They have to have brains.”
Visor said, “But even that could be distributed throughout his body. ”
Rapture said, “It seemed pretty dumb to me.”
Visor said, “The metabolism it would take for that kind of regeneration might preclude developed brains. They must eat constantly just to support that crazy metabolism. They probably have limited systems for reasoning and reproduction.”
Cespenar said, “Ewww.”
Visor said, “There are some sea creatures that reproduce by breaking off pieces. The pieces grow into adults. Maybe the trolls are like that.”
Athian said, “An ogre? He’d have the strength to knock it down.”
Visor said, “And an ogre is faster—and would have further reach. Of course, that’s assuming it was armed.”
Rapture leaned down to speak in her rhino’s ear. “Don’t listen to them, Gebuhrman. The boys are busy talking about blood and guts.”
Athian chuckled.
Cespenar screamed. “The weasel is going to eat me!”
Athian plucked Cespenar out of his backpack and held him out at arm’s length. He pulled a furry creature off Rapture’s shoulder and held him out in the other direction. “Do I have to keep you and the ferret separated?”
Rapture said, “Mongoose. Though I might name him ‘Little Weasel’.”
Visor said, “You do know we’re just getting a boat to get to Eurydice, right? We don’t necessarily need two of each animal.”
Rapture said, “They have an animal reserve attached to the Siren Sanctuary. I’m sure they’ll keep them.”
Athian said, “If you collect any more animals, they’re going to give you the druid title.”
Rapture rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I need another title.”
Athian said, “Would that make you Druid Godiva?”
Rapture said, “It’s just ‘Druid Rapture’. The strain name is just for council druids. Unless you don’t know me personally, of course.”
Athian said, “Ah, of course.”
Visor said, “Your Grace, the Duchess of Augusta, Engel, Druid Natalia-a Rapture Godiva, Red Flame, daughter of Frigg?”
Rapture laughed. “I don’t think it works that way.”
Athian said, “I can’t believe there’s not a ‘Lady’ or ‘Princess’ in there somewhere.”
Visor said, “Well, since we’ll be in the Raykez anyway, she could stop by a knighthood and pick up ‘Lady Protector’. Then we’d—”
Sorana made a short, high pitch call. She signed back to them.
Visor translated for the others. “There’s a farmstead … maybe four structures … no visible movement from this distance. It sounds like suburban Raykez.”
Chapter 38
Sanctuary
Rapture looked over the Siren Sanctuary’s zoo. “My rhinoceros will be fed and cared for?”
“Yes, Engel. The Sanctuary retains a full animal handling staff.” The Knight of the Moon walked beside Rapture. He wore full plate armor and a great helm, covering all of his body. You wouldn’t know just by looking whether or not there was actually a man inside the armor. It was well-kept, making surprisingly little noise as he walked. The base plate was painted white. There was some intricate silver etching and calligraphy. He stopped at the base of some steps and held out his arm for her. “They would be able to watch your cat as well.”
Rapture took his arm. “Oh, Burke goes with me everywhere. He’ll be good.” Burke prowled behind the knight, sniffing the air and baring his teeth. There were lots of interesting smells on the breeze.
“As you wish, Engel.”
They reached the Sanctuary’s ante-chamber. Rapture’s escort spoke to another knight. “The Engel is Rapture of WaterCrescent. She’s wanting a consultation. Is Sister Vivian available?”
“I can go see.” The second knight was a woman. Her armor was similar to the man’s in style, though the detailing was unique. She left and returned moments later with a Violate strain siren.
Violates were perhaps half an inch taller than Xandrians, on average. Their hair was a slightly lighter brown than a marigold’s. Their defining attributes were their full, soft faces and large, dark irises. Their bodies were curvier than Xandrians, but they were not as endowed as Godivas.
The sirens sampled each other’s scent.
The Violate said, “I am Sister Vivian. Welcome to the Siren Sanctuary of Raykez.” She addressed Rapture’s escort. “Thank you.”
Rapture withdrew her hand from her escort’s arm. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Yes, Engels.”
The female knight took Vivian and Rapture to a study.
The sirens sat and Rapture shared her recent experiences.
Vivian listened intently. When Rapture finished, Vivian took a slow sip of water before responding. “I understand why you are concerned. I don’t mean there’s anything wrong with it, but it’s not usual for a siren in binding to feel jealousy. The first time you felt this was in the cell?”
“When I saw Sorana. But then it was always Mercy. Well no, the Marigold, then Mercy. Now only Mercy.”
“I don’t know. That shouldn’t happen. And if your binding had expired, you would have gone your separate ways and you wouldn’t care what Don does.”
“Oh—other people call him ‘Visor’, as in ‘advisor’. That was his job. Well, you can call him whatever. I was just saying, in case it was confusing.”
“Oh, okay. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you much more than you’ve already figured out on your own. We do keep a counselor on retainer. I will send for him. He’s a human, but well-versed in sirenic psychology. There is also someone you can talk to about your experience in the AciesMagus. Sister Mary was detained there for a time. The Symphonic Knights were able to free her when the vardal tried to transport her back to Bell Font.”
The knight said, “The Knights of the Moon were part of that operation, too.”
“Well, Gwendolyn, right?”
“No, there were a few. I think Jason and another one, at least.”
“Ah, okay.” Vivian stood. “I have to get to the hospital wing. Perhaps Mary will be able to provide some insight for you.”
The knight said, “I’ll get Mary.”
“She should be at the orphanage, unless she got called back to the hospice wing.”
“I’ll find her.” The knight addressed Rapture. “It won’t be too long. The orphanage is part of the Sanctuary. She’s somewhere in the complex. Do y
ou want some fresh water or anything?”
“That would be nice.” Rapture was left alone with Burke, her companion and protector. She closed her eyes.
There was a gentle knock at the door. Rapture sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Yes.”
The guard opened the door and announced Sister Mary. Mary was a Xandrian.
And she was pregnant.
***************
Visor sighed. “Yes, and I’m the one who brought the vampire to Krafer-West.”
The clerk looked Visor up and down. His eyes grew big. “Oh! That Visor … the siren rescuer.”
“And the vampire catcher.”
The clerk’s eyes drifted to Sorana, who was wearing her stretch hood and veil.
She wore gloves that stretched up her arm under her sleeves, effectively concealing her identity.
The clerk asked, “Is she a, uh …?”
Visor said, “This is my assistant, Eulogy. She’s hired as my tracker.”
The clerk nodded slowly. “Okay … okay. Let me get the sheriff. I’ll be right back.” He exited a rear door.
Sorana slid her hand up under Visor’s leather armor. She wrote on his back in vardal-somatic. He is hiding something.
“I know.” Visor looked around the sheriff’s front office. There was one deputy digging through a foot locker. The deputy paused and studied an object, dropped it, and continued digging.
A drunk sat with his feet up on the bench and his back against the wall. He held the palm of his hand against his forehead and took in deep, measured breaths.
Visor spoke in vardal. “Are we in danger?”
Sorana wrote, Probably not.
The clerk returned. “Sherriff Kyle is out at the moment.” He patted a key ring on his belt. “I can show you the cell. I’m Oliver, by the way.”
Visor asked, “The cell? Not the vampire?”
“Yeah, that’s the thing.” Oliver opened another door in the rear of the Sherriff’s office. He gestured for them to follow. “There was a jailbreak. It was—we’ve had them before, but this was like nothing we’ve ever seen.” Oliver called to the deputy, “Could you watch the front?”
Oliver led them down a corridor and around a corner. A gate of iron bars separated the sheriff’s office from the jail section. The iron bars around the lock were partially dissolved, so that the gate would not latch properly. A roughly cut leather strap served as a temporary latch, holding it loosely shut. There was a blackened spot in the concrete floor.