Heart of Dorkness

Scourge Fourteen - Lions

Scourge Fourteen - Lions

Well join, I say as I walk up to Teo and his crew. The Big Hill Lions, as far as I can tell, have five more members other than Teo.

Only one of them has the sort of gear and equipment Id expect from a leader-sort. A hat with a big feather sticking out of the top of it, and armour thats a bit fancier than the more serviceable greaves and vambraces and mail skirts the others are wearing.

He steps up next to Teo and looks the four of us up and down. This is what were getting for four silver? he asks Teo.

This is whats available, Teo says. Come on, Esteban, you saw them fighting.

I saw one of them fighting, I was too busy to stop and watch the spectacle, Esteban says. He reaches up and rubs at his big bushy mustache. You girls really worth as much as Teo here says?

Were worth a lot more, I say. But you cant afford that. Fortunately, were heading the same way.

Esteban chuckles. Fine. We need manpower of one sort or another, and I dont particularly care if that manpower comes from a man or not. I dont imagine you know how to operate as a group?

Felix, Esme and I know small squad tactics, I say. Mom insisted that we learn some. Bianca here doesnt, but I think she can hold her own from afar. Anger and Fear cultivation both have ranged options, right?

I can manage, Bianca says.

Esteban squints at Bianca. Can you do healing? he asks.

She shakes her head. No. Im a fear and anger mage, not grief.

Good enough, Esteban says. Teo, you recruited them, you give them the rules. Were leaving as soon as the next cart arrives.

Yes, sir, Teo says before snapping off a quick salute. He turns to us a moment later. The Lions have three squads, usually. A fore, middle, and rear guard. Well probably be mid guards. Its the safest place for new members.

Alright, I say.

Teo gestures to the side, then walks over to the carts. There are six of them, with drivers setting up on them and donkeys shifting about at the front. Were short. Usually we have something like five-four-five, but as it is, we only have ten members including you four. Its not optimal.

We walked over to one cart in particular. Unlike all the others, where everything was neatly packed and squared away, this one had heaps of packs on the back, and a few spears on racks hanging off of the sides. Is this the Lions cart? I ask.

That it is, Teo says. Hey Ram, say hi to our newest recruits.

A guy sitting at the front of the cart turns around and stares first at Teo, then at us. Hes a bit younger than Esteban, but older than Teo, with a leather eye patch. His armour is all rough. Leather pieces over a scratched up and patched gambeson, with a few metal plates here and there. Whats this lot? Ram asks.

A few really talented girls, Teo says. Got some room for their bags?

Yeah, yeah, Ram says. Toss them up, girls. Wherever you please. No one gives half a damn about staying organized here, and I cant be bothered to do anything about it.

Uh, I say. But Felix beats me to it and tosses her pack up onto the cart behind Ram.

What? she says when I look at her. Im not carrying that stuff all day if I can avoid it. Itll make fighting harder, besides.

Fine, I say as I toss up my own bags.

Right, Teo says. He raises a closed fist before him at shoulder height. The rules.

What rules? Esme asks.

Two grins. The ones thatll keep you alive. First, no noise that doesnt need to be made. If you see a monster, I expect you to call it out, but no talking too loud, no screaming, and no whining. His first finger rises, followed by another. Second rule. No bleeding. There are some monsters that are a lot more attracted to the scent of blood than they are to any noise.

I glance to my friends then back. Hes not entirely wrong, I guess, at least from what I know of the monsters that should be common around the area.

Third rule. No straying from the carts. We pause every two hours or so. Esteban has an hourglass that marks when we stop. You can do your business then, otherwise hold it in.

I notice Esmes face reddening at the thought, and I try not to giggle.

Four. When the monsters come. And they will. You follow my orders. No running ahead and placing yourself in the path of an arrow, no heroics. We usually try to focus on taking out as many of the weaker monsters as we can first, then whatevers bigger. The carts might not even stop sometimes.

Alright, I say.

Fifth... uh, Teos brows scrunch up.

Keep your eyes open, Ram says. Or at least one of them. Hah!

Right, Teo agrees. Keep your eyes peeled. On the road and on the sky.

Got it, I say.

Teo takes a deep breath. Yeah, I hope you all do. He glances back, and I follow his gaze over to a cart rumbling our way, one that looks like its only half-way loaded with boxes and is covered in a thick tarp. Thats the last one, he says.

The rest of the Big Hill Lions rush around, and Teo leaves with some final instructions to stay behind Rams cart and keep up.

The drivers whip their donkeys, and soon the seven carts start to rattle off towards the gates. Esteban jogs ahead and speaks to a guard, and soon the gates start to clunk open under the careful watch of a whole squad of guards.

Just like that, were outside of Vizeda.

Stinks, Felix mutters.

I glance back at the city as we start down the road towards the forests. The walls are rough on this side, with heaps of monster bodies stacked up to head-height a dozen metres away from the biggest holes in the walls.

Normal looking folk are dragging the monster bodies back, then they work together to toss them onto the heaps while guards keep an eye out on the forest were heading into. I imagine they are watching out for a new swarm that might come out of nowhere.

A few of the piles are already lit up, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky.

No ceremony for the monsters, I guess.

Felix walks at the front of our little group, hands folded behind her head, and Im a step behind her. Esme and Bianca walk a little ways behind us, but still close to the cart that has all of our stuff.

You think were going to be attacked? Felix asks.

By monsters? I ask. I dont think so. At least, not if we can get a little ways ahead. I have a couple of little friends that are quite good at preventing monster attacks and such.

Felix nods along. Well, when you see your little friends, tell them to hurry up. The more we get attacked, the slower this trip will be.

I roll my eyes, both at Felixs attempt to be all subtle, and at her need to speed things up. Well get there when we get there, I say.

The road feels like it could use a bit more maintenance.

So, Ram says, his voice more than loud enough to break rule one. You kids runaways from some sect?

A sect? I ask. You mean like one of those smaller churches?

Yeah, thats what I mean, he says.

No, I say. Were not really affiliated with anything like that. Well, Esme might be. Shes a big Semper fan.

Im not a Semper fan. Im one of her loyal followers, Esme says.

Felix and I both giggle, the laughter only growing louder when Esme sniffs angrily at us.

So, not sect kids, Ram says. Wherere you from then? Youre not from Caselfella, thats for sure.

Do we have accents or something? I ask.

That you do, he says. Nothing too strong, but Ive got the ears to make up for my poor sight, you know. But its not just that. You lot are all cultivators. Girl cultivators. Never seen the like in the Republic. But Ive travelled my share. I know that its not too uncommon elsewhere.

Oh? And what do you think?

Ram rubs a hand under his chin. I think a womans place is back home, tending to the house and kids. But I wont begrudge a woman her right to defend herself. Knowing how to pick up a sword and skewer some pest in defense of house and childs a noble thing in my book.

Uh-huh, I say.

So hes just casually a jerk then. I sigh. Hopefully, the people around here will change one day, but I have the feeling it wont be an overnight thing.

***