…sorry, but you can’t see them
The Doclopedia #3,025
366 Days, 366 Paragraphs: #264
Chapter Thirty Eight: Free For All
Ala was beginning to get cramps in her legs from crouching when she and the men heard a high pitched whistle.
“Well now,” said the father, “That’ll be Danyl and those two Seekers from Town. Time to go collect our money, boys.”
They rode off towards the clearing then, and Ala was in a panic. They were completely outnumbered and she had no weapons other than a couple of knives. Moving on aching legs, she started to follow the riders at a safe distance. Along the way, she picked up a few good sized rocks. Maybe she’d get lucky and hit one of the bastards in the head.
Out in the clearing, Bevan and Dree had heard the high pitched whistle come from up the Road. There was a Town up there and Bevan would bet good bucks that somebody had gone to get the Seekers while the rest of the gang waited here. Clever thinking, he had to admit.
Just then the three horsemen came out of the woods and into the clearing. Bevan looked at them, noting that they looked rough and those bows looked well used. The older man looked calm and relaxed, while the big fellow next to him looked cocky. The youngest man looked like he really wanted to kill somebody. Bevan decided that, given a chance, he’d kill that guy first.
Then he caught sight of movement behind them. It was Ala, safe and unharmed and in a good position for a surprise attack. He still could not see Sunset, but was hoping she was not a trickster and was just waiting to jump.
Then he heard the hoofbeats on the Road and turned to see a young boy, maybe 12 years old, and two young Seekers ride up. The had short bows drawn. This was not looking good.
“Get ready to run, Dree. Head for that thicket there and follow that little stream. Horses won’t be able to follow you, so you just might get away.”
Dree shook his head. “No, Bevan, I’ll stay here and fight. They don’t dare kill me. If they do, they don’t get the relic.”
Bevan nodded, then looked at all of his foes.
“If you all ride away now, nobody will get hurt. You have my promise.”
The three riders and the two Seekers laughed.
“Oh, I think we’ll take our chances.” the old man said as they continued approaching. “But you go ahead and do your worst, Offy.”
Bevan shrugged and said, “Have it your way, you Townie son of a bitch.”
As soon as he said that, several things happened at once. The cocky guy’s horse whinnied and started bucking. Unprepared for that, the big man hit the ground hard.
At the same moment, Bevan threw a knife at the skinny man, sticking him right in the left shoulder.
The older man wheeled around and fired an arrow at Ala, but she had already dived behind a log.
Over by the Seekers, Sunset exploded from the brush and knocked one of them off his horse. The other horse panicked and started to run, that Seeker trying to get it under control.
The young boy who had brought the Seekers was drawing back on a his bow, intent on shooting Sunset, when the cloudless sky went dark. Everyone glanced up and most of them froze.
A huge…thing was coming down out of the sky. It looked unlike anything they had ever seen. It was long and pointed and had wings and somebody was jumping out of it!
In reality, Seyan was coming down on one of the big grappling hooks they used as anchors. The rope was running through pulleys that slowed it just enough to not kill her. She hoped.
Once he knew another friend was joining the fray, Bevan ran straight towards the big man on the ground and they began fighting. Each had a knife and the big guy outweighed and outreached Bevan, but the Offroader was moving like a cat and dodging all the other man’s blows.
The kid with the bow was still looking up at the strange machine when Dree threw a dirt clod that hit him square in the face and knocked him off his horse.
Sunset had bitten the Seeker several times, the last time in the crotch, which took him out of the fight. She then took out after the other Seeker, who had no sooner gotten his horse under control than he got hit by 130 pounds of angry dog.
When Seyan hit the ground, she barely dodged an arrow from the old man on the horse. She began running towards him, weaving back and forth to avoid being a target. Once she was close enough, she used her staff to vault into the air and plant both her feet on his chest. He fell part of the way out of the saddle, while she continued her leap and landed on the same side he now dangled from.
Ertin had drawn his sword and was riding towards Seyan when he got two very rude awakenings. First was a rock hitting him in the same shoulder he’d just pulled a knife out of and second was Seyan’s staff hitting him right in the stomach. When he hit the ground, Seyan kicked him in the face, knocking him out.
The old man was almost back in the saddle when he saw a blade come out of the staff and stop less than an inch from his throat. He gave up then.
Back at the knife fight, Bevan had three small cuts on his arms, but the bigger man was leaking blood from a dozen. He made one last lunge at Bevan, who decided to end the fight with a powerful uppercut to the man’s jaw. He hit the ground and Bevan sat down next to him, panting.
While Ala came running up to Bevan, Seyan walked over to Dree and extended her hand to him.
“Dree Brunfelder? I’m Seyan Sandrel and I’m here to help you get to that relic you’re looking for.”
He took her hand and shook it. She was very pretty and boy, could she fight.
“Pleased to meet you, Seyan. These are my friends, Bevan, Ala and Sunset.”
Handshakes and pawshakes were given, then they all set to the task of tying up the Seekers and the others. Lahn landed Gertie and used a first aid kit to tend to wounds.
When everyone who needed to be tied up was, Bevan gathered up all of their weapons and horses. Seyan took the Seekers lone comslate and gave it to Ala with quick instructions for how to use it to contact her.
Bevan looked at the men all tied up together in a sitting position and said, “Now, I’m going to put a knife in that stump right over there. If you all make a team effort, you should be able to hop on your asses over to it in about an hour. Once you manage to cut yourselves free, you can do any cursed thing you like, except come looking for us. Do that and I’ll cut you up and leave you for the bears.”
Seyan squatted down in front of the Seekers and told them how the rebellion had failed and how Porcero was going to lose.
“If I were you boys, I’d walk back to town and gather up my belongings and go find a new trade somewhere. If you’re lucky, the Museum and I might forget about you.”
Then she stood up and walked away
A short time later, Gertie was ready to hit the air again. It had been decided that Dree would go with them by air and Bevan, Ala & Sunset would go ahead on the ground. Bevan, Ala and Dree took a bow and short sword each, while Seyan and Lahn took just bows. Arrows were divided equally and all the money taken from the captives was given to Bevan and Ala.
As his friends rode away, Dree, now sitting on a chair Lahn had rigged in the center of the catwalk, looked at Seyan and asked, “Is flying scary?”
She smiled and started to pedal. “Only for the first minute or so, then it’s the most fun you’ll ever have.”
Then they were off and into the sky.
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