The Deepcombers

Chapter Forty Two

Both wildkin sentries spun about to search-out the reason for the cries downstream. The closest brute bent at the knees and raised his forearm to shade his eyes. He held a crayfish in his hand which squirmed in his fingers as he tried to understand what'd happened. He poured all his attention into the distant confusion which left him quite unaware of the danger that lurked close by.

Jarl sprang from the reeds and grasped the guard's back. He dexterously cut the wildkin's throat with his freshly sharpened saber. The enemy's companion saw everything however, and he drew his sword and exhaled. "Balooooga!" He did his job and shouted a loud cry to alert the camp. Then he splashed forward and raised his weapon to deliver a powerful strike. "Balooga!" He wailed a second time.

Saeya raised a fist in his direction. She closed her eyes and spoke the command. "Geibor," and the word snapped and blue midges hissed from her wrist to smash into the guard's chest and bowl him over backwards in the brook. His furry body bubbled and smoked as the air rod continued to burn his corpse.

Lon glanced about the opposite riverbank. Despite the sentry's shout and fiery death, nobody appeared to challenge them. Jarl and Saeya flanked him and they moved as group downstream where they crouched behind the last wagon. The cargo bed was empty. On shore were crude boxes and crates under an oil tarp. 

"Fei picta-bor" Saeya said and Lon felt the pulse.  She aimed her wrist down to scorch the greasy cloth and the canvas took the flame. It blazed right away, and the bonfire emitted plenty of smoke. So far so good, now to rescue the children.

Two wildkin infantryfeigor appeared from the tents and were stunned by the sight of Saeya and Lon. Their bright hair meant they didn't belong there and they drew their blades to challenge. The distraction was all Jarl needed to slay them. He materialized from nowhere and kicked, grabbed, sliced and stabbed until the threat was neutralized. It took about four seconds. 

The trio dragged the corpses into tents and hid between the canvas huts when more enemy soldiers passed. Then the young lad and Saeya searched for the fur-covered box while the lion brought-up the rear. Up ahead Lon spotted the cage. He knew there was a guard out front of the pen, but he was startled to find a walrus faced them. The Northerm had drooling jowls and six-inch tusks on his jaw.  He stepped from under the sunshade and opened his ghastly maw.

The fighter was just as Jarl had predicted, a Northerm from an arctic realm with a heavy axe and metal helm. How had the lionfeigor guessed so well? Lon watched the mutant heft his weapon and advance. He twirled his axe and fixed his baggy eyes on him. Then he did something really disgusting. 

Northerm fighters are specialists known for deceptive attacks. This one surprised Lon when he hoked a goober at him and blinded his eyes with snot. It was nauseating and effective. Now the lad was nearly blind and terrified. From under the scum he saw the walrus heft his axe. The mutant flourished the blade and raised its weight and then stepped forth to decapitate him.

Lon could do it blind. He closed his eyes and summoned the air-rod sigil. It formed crisp and took-up the smilk. "Gei Bor," he shouted and blue fuzz appeared on his arm. For the second time that day he pushed away a cloud of buzzing midges. Same as before, his slop had no shape. It drifted lazily toward the tusked warrior who easily sidestepped the blast. Phoom the sunshade exploded in flames.

"Oh no," Lon saw his opponent outmaneuver the ordinance and twirl for a weighty counterattack. Jarl stepped forward to parry the blow. He held his saber horizontal, but the guard's skull splitting axe-strike never came.

"Nargor," Saeya intoned. The word popped and Lon's smilk rippled. The walrusfeigor's eyes went white and his huge body slumped down in the weeds.

Both Lon and Jarl looked at the blond in gratitude but Saeya didn't slow for platitudes. She stepped over the tusked-terror and scraped away at the furs that covered the cage door. She wanted to make sure the kids were indeed safe inside. Lon cleaned the snot from his face and found an iron key on the tent pole where the Northerm had reclined. It had a leather cord and sat looped over a hook in the door jamb.