Greywolf

  Ogg slithered to its feet with the vial in hand and hurried away as Balthazar and several more guards came running up. "Get ready," Balthazar said, "but do not attack until we know who it is." The drumming sound of hoof beats grew louder as swords were drawn. The guards spread out in a semi-circle as Balthazar motioned for Greywolf to remain where he was.

  Then from the darkness, a female voice called out, "Greywolf?"

  He leapt to his feet. "Wysper, run," Greywolf yelled as Balthazar clamped a hand on his shoulder. "Turn around before they catch you."

  Instead of stopping, the pounding hoofs got louder, and a moment later his Daemo mount, Rocky, stopped at the edge of the firelight with Wysper on its back. She was dressed in the harem girl style of Bukhara, the gauzy cloth clinging to her slender body as she slid off Rocky's back and ran towards him. "I had to find you."

  Shaking off Balthazar's hand, Greywolf raced towards her as the guards chuckled and slid their swords back into their sheathes. He caught Wysper and kissed her hard for a brief moment before pulling back. "You're crazy."

  She smiled. "Crazy in love, maybe. Where's Paulus?"

  With a grimace, Greywolf said, "Next to the fire. He's been poisoned with the same stuff the Nomads were poisoned with."

  Wysper gasped, but then her face became resolute. "Take me to him."

  Greywolf nodded and grasped her hand, leading her over to the fire as Balthazar put his hands on his hips. "Mistress Wysper, how did you find us?"

  "Greywolf's cat showed up in my room and led me here," she said as they reached Little Paulus. "And before you ask, I came alone."

  Balthazar's eyes widened as Greywolf and Wysper knelt down. "So the legends about Shadow creatures becoming ghosts in our world are true," he breathed as Paulus struggled to sit up. Balthazar frowned. "This was a noble act, yet I fear you shall live to regret it," Wysper putting her arms around both Greywolf and Paulus as he added, "I cannot let you go now, which means you shall accompany us to Eurax's estate—"

  A flaming arrow swooped down out of the darkness and hit Balthazar squarely in the chest. It exploded, showering the three of them with gobbets of bloody flesh as more arrows flew towards the guardsmen. Several arrows pierced more guards and exploded, men screaming as warriors with weapons in their hands charged them.

  Swords rang as desperate guardsmen ripped them from their sheathes, Avitohol leading the attack with his Artifact battle-axe of two half-moon blades and a spear point between them. Wysper let go of Paulus and wrapped her arms around Greywolf as Avitohol blocked a guard's wild swing with his axe haft. Then he stabbed the man in the face. The guard screamed, dropping his sword to clutch at his eye while Avitohol pulled his weapon back and swung it, shearing through the man's knee. The guard dropped like a stone onto the dry grass.

  Every guard around them was being mobbed by at least four or five warriors, Troll running towards the wagon with his Artifact sword in his hand. He reached underneath and pulled out the Daemo by his leg. "Looks like I've found me a rat."

  "No!" Greywolf pulled out of Wysper's grasp and jumped to his feet. "Leave the Daemo alone."

  "Spare me," Ogg gasped as Troll lifted his sword. "I know the recipe for the antidote."

  "I don't give a rat's arse what you know," Troll snarled back.

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  "Don't kill the Daemo," Greywolf yelled, sprinting towards the wagon as fast as he could. "We need him alive."

  "Bugger off." Troll slammed the point of his blade into the Daemo's chest. Ogg gasped... then dissolved into yellow slime, the ground drinking it in like rainwater soaking parched earth. As Greywolf got close, Troll laughed. "Other than Fox, the only good Daemo is a dead—"

  Greywolf slammed his hands into Troll's chest, knocking the Wardog backwards as he stumbled and almost fell. "You stupid piece of Warg shite," Greywolf screamed at him, "you just killed Paulus."

  Troll raised his sword as he hunched his shoulders. "Looks like I've got another rat to kill, one I should've taken out the first time he touched Fox." Greywolf clenched his fists, ready to dodge as Troll took a step forward.

  An arrow whizzed past his face. Troll leaped back as it embedded itself into the side of the wagon with a thunk, Hypam saying from behind him, "Next one blows a hole in your chest, Troll.”

  She stalked up and stopped beside Greywolf with an arrow nocked in her bow as Troll shook his fist. "Greywolf attacked me for no reason."

  "I shoved you because of your stupidity," Greywolf snapped. "Paulus has been poisoned with the same stuff as the Nomads, and that Daemo knew how to make the antidote."

  Both Troll and Hypam stared at him in shock as Avitohol ran up beside Wysper. "Greywolf, what happened?"

  Greywolf told the story as quickly as he could with Troll looking more and more unhappy, and as he finished, Troll turned and began attacking the side of the wagon with his sword. Chunks of wood flew as Hypam replaced her arrow back into its quiver. "Blood and stones, what do we do now?"

  Think, idiot! "Ogg had a vial of the antidote he put back in a travel chest. If we give Paulus enough to help him stay alive, maybe Lys can craft more antidote in case there isn't enough to fully cure him."

  Hypam yelled a few words in their harsh language. At once, several voices replied, and she grabbed Greywolf by the shoulder. "There's a wooden chest with a leather top beside several bags of travel rations. Come on." Together, they ran past the fire to where several warriors were dragging bodies away from a pile of heavy cloth bags and a chest with a leather top darkened by age. They slid to a stop and Hypam opened the lid as the others crowded around them.

  The chest was filled with strange alchemical devices, a stone mortar and pestle, tiny knives, bandages, other equipment Greywolf didn't recognize... and at least two dozen vials, all made of green glass. Wysper reached in and picked one up, examining the label. "I do not recognize this script at all."

  "It's Babylonian," Greywolf replied as despair threatened to overwhelm him. "Titan's the only one who can read this."

  "Then take the box and Paulus back to Bukhara through the Shadowlands," Troll snarled.

  "Don't you think I would if I could?" Greywolf stabbed his finger towards the dead, grey tree. "A Night Hag's been following me, and the moment I enter the Grey, I'm dead. We need to take Paulus back the normal way, but I don't think he'll live long enough to make it there."

  "Yes, he will," Wysper said in a firm voice. "I brought the Nomads back using blood magic and the technique to push it into them that Asena taught me. I can do the same for Paulus." She hesitated. "I am just not sure if my mana will last until we reach Bukhara."

  Hope rose inside Greywolf. "It will, because I'll keep pushing mana into you the same way I push it into Asena."

  "Which my mana nodes will change into blood magic." Wysper grasped his hands. "Greywolf, we can do this."

  "What about your mount?" Hypam said in a skeptical voice. "We've been chasing this raiding party for most of the day."

  "Let me drink my fill from Greywolf," Rocky said as he ambled up, "and I can get us there. Daemo can outlast any human alive."

  "Braggart," Greywolf muttered.

  Rocky gave him a snort as Hypam said in a sharp voice, "Maybe so, but the Warghorses cannot. We pushed them hard and they need to eat and rest at least a few hours before we head back."

  "We'll take Paulus back ourselves, me and Wysper."

  Hypam gave Greywolf the same look Asena did. "And what are you going to do if something attacks you? Throw rocks at it?"

  "I'll take a sword off one of the guards."

  Hypam rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like Avitohol. Your Daemo mount is large, but can it support four riders?"

  "Hello, I am standing right here," Rocky said before Greywolf could speak. "I can handle four," the Daemo looking up as thunder rumbled, louder than before, "but it will be a cold, wet ride."

  "The dead guards no longer need their cloaks," Hypam said. "Avitohol, I'm leaving you in charge of my warriors. Move out when my Lance-leaders tell you the Warghorses are ready."

  Avitohol thumped his fist to his chest. "I'll get them back safely... though I do wish we were riding with you. I keep getting the feeling that I've been away too long."

  Thunder rumbled ominously as if in agreement.