“Let’s not run into anyone who has death magic, OK?” asked Ruschmann.
“Sure, no problem,” Burchard replied, out of habit more than anything. He knew as well as Ruschmann did that they had no way to predict if they would run into a mage, let alone a death one.
“What about creatures?” Ruschmann asked, somewhat to Burchard’s annoyance.
“If that is your way of asking about centaurs…I don’t know anything. Nothing I’ve ever read has indicated they exist. It also makes me wonder, if centaurs are real, what other creatures exist that we believe are fairy tales?” Burchard said thoughtfully.
As he waited for a response, his mind drifted to a story he had read years ago about a centaur.
On a dark stormy night in the desert, Baccagio the centaur, axe in his right hand and sword in his left, faced the giant, Foom. Lightning flashed and Baccagio and Foom entered a deadly dance. Each flash of lightning illuminated the battle. Baccagio was the last centaur standing against Foom. If he died, then Moon City at the edge of the desert would be left unprotected.
Baccagio staggered backward, his front left leg crushed with a deft sweep of Foom’s club. Blood seeped from many cuts down his flanks too, but Foom was injured as well. Baccagio closed his eyes. When he opened them, he whinnied and charged straight for Foom’s stomach. The giant hesitated and Baccagio’s sword and axe struck true. The giant howled in pain and toppled backward. Baccagio knew giants did not die easily. He hobbled over on three legs to Foom’s head, wrapped both hands around his sword hilt, and chopped downward, severing Foom’s head and ensuring the giant would never be a threat to Moon City again.
Burchard sniffed the air, and his mouth watered at the tantalizing spices pulling his mind from the story and back to the present with the druids and the fire. Jade walked over with a bowl of something in each of her hands.
“A lot of things exist that you don’t believe are real,” Jade said as she handed Burchard his bowl. “Dragons, unicorns, and elementals are a couple that come to my mind. I would highly recommend, though, that you don’t refer to centaurs as ‘creatures.’ They are people, just like we are. I’m sure that you like keeping all your body parts, so it’s best to not offend a centaur.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Ruschmann uttered, taking his bowl from Jade.
Burchard accepted his bowl. The steam came off in waves. He cautiously took a bite, worried about burning his tongue. It was almost too hot, but as he chewed his first bite, he closed his eyes in appreciation. It was stew with a mix of meat and vegetables and a grain he couldn’t identify. Burchard blew gently over his bowl.
While he was waiting for the stew to cool, he pondered Jade’s words about the different types of beings that existed. She seemed so certain that dragons and unicorns are real. I wonder if she’s seen them before. “Is the story of Baccagio and Foom real?” he mused more to himself.
Damos must have heard him, “Yes, Baccagio and Foom and the battle at Moon City all happened.”
Mulling this new information over, he took a tentative bite. Burchard was relieved that his stew had cooled enough so he could enjoy it. With slow, deliberate mouthfuls, he consumed his meal. Jade and Damos might be whatever the Radvalls were warning us about, but although we are their captives, I am not sure they mean us harm. His thoughts paused. If they don’t want to harm us, what do they want? I must ask when we’re done eating.
As the last traces of the sun disappeared completely, the camp was sent into an eerie darkness. The fire cast strange-looking shadows on the rocks around the cave entrance. Jade collected their bowls and put them in a stack near where she had made dinner. She then sat down next to Burchard. The owl fluttered down and settled on her shoulder.
“We need your help,” Jade announced.
“You have a funny way of asking for help,” Ruschmann blurted out.
Jade ignored the comment and continued speaking. “There is a camp of rebels north of here, and they managed to capture our people,” Jade said, waving her arm to indicate her and Damos. “We were not here when it happened, which is why we did not get captured, but the two of us cannot free them alone.” The owl clacked its beak in disapproval. “The three of us,” Jade amended.
Burchard gave Jade an assessing look. “The three of you caught us off guard and captured us. How is it you expect Ruschmann and me to turn the tables on a group of rebels?”
“You will be the distraction,” Jade replied.
“No,” Burchard said without even thinking about it.
“You two are the perfect distraction. Stinyian rebels would love to get their hands on Etrian squires who just happen to stumble into their camp by mistake,” Jade said with a smirk.
“What you want is to trade, not our help. The rebels will capture us while you free your companions. How is that a good deal for us?” Burchard bristled.
Damos appeared out of the darkness. “I can guarantee you won’t get captured.”
“I don’t believe you,” Burchard replied, lightning quick.
“You are a gladius domini. They are no match for you,” Damos explained.
Burchard opened and shut his mouth. He had no idea what Damos was talking about.
Jade supplied the answer to his unspoken question. “A gladius domini is a sword master.”
“Etria does have that title, but I cannot earn it until after I become a full-fledged knight,” Burchard protested.
Damos sighed. “The Etrian structure for its warriors is designed to train average people at a rate that by the time you have completed eight years of training, a young man should be able to hold his own against average enemies with a sword. You are not average in skill.” Damos gave Ruschmann a sideways glance. “Neither is he, though he is not a gladius domini…not yet. There are perhaps twenty rebels in the camp. They have my five centaurs in a pen like you would keep horses in,” he growled. “I should be able to break through the spell on the pen if you are able to distract them long enough. Once the spell is broken, if you need help finishing off the rebels, then we will help you.”
Nostrils flaring, Burchard took a deep breath. Damos had just dumped a lot of information on him all at once. The most important, though, was that the centaur needed the distraction to undo a spell and felt that he and Ruschmann could distract and likely fight twenty rebels without any issues. Burchard was not as confident in his ability to go against twenty as Damos seemed to be. To him, it sounded like a death wish.
“Damos, you have said what you will be doing. What is Jade going to be doing?” Ruschmann asked.
“She will be in a tree providing cover for you if you have to fight. Liala will also help as she can,” Damos replied.
“Who is Liala?” Ruschmann asked uncertainly.
“Liala is the great horned owl,” Jade responded.
Burchard stretched his arms over his head, wincing as the freshly healed scars were pulled taut, then he lowered his arms and cleared his throat. “I don’t understand why you felt the need to capture us to ask for help. Why couldn’t you announce your presence the normal way?”
Damos closed his eyes momentarily before opening them and locking gazes with Burchard. “I was worried you would attack us.”
Burchard laughed. “Us attack you?”
Damos shrugged. “Jade has been able to learn enough about you and your reputation, aside from the fact that you are gladius domini. We must get the centaurs back. I could not afford to gamble that you would not attack us outright. I apologize.”
Burchard let out his breath, not sure how to respond. They were worried about what we would do! How odd. “We were at Radvall Mill this afternoon, and they mentioned something about staying away from the hollows. Do you know what they were talking about?”
