From a hastily abandoned village in the hills to the promise of survivors, John's life is growing more complicated by the moment. Not to mention the promise of adding to his band of friends with benefits.
"We found someone!" Helleen shouted down the street.
John and the others turned to see the tall woman waving at them. Jennaca came behind her with her shoulder under the arm of a young woman that was struggling to keep up. Weston was behind them with a body slung over his shoulder. Sasha walked beside Jennaca with her nose in her air to sniff out any threats.
Sadie darted forward but John caught her arm and stopped her. She jerked to a halt and went from shock to glaring at him. She jerked her arm out of his grasp.
"You're too important to risk," John tried to mollify her. "Artesia--"
"No, I'm not leaving your side."
John rolled his eyes and turned to Matthew.
Matthew smirked and turned. "Come on, let's escort these ladies back!"
"Weston's not a lady," Troy pointed out while hurrying to catch up.
"Neither's Helleen, but don't tell her I said that," Matthew responded.
Amos, Hector, and Roderick joined the rush and met them up down the road. Amos scooped up the young woman Jennaca was helping in his arms and they hurried back to the wagons. Once there Roxanne hopped out with a wince to make room for the girl to be set down in the back of a wagon. Weston's charge, an older man, was laid down beside her.
"Found them in a root cellar," Jennaca told them. "A barrel full of water was wedged over the top, we had to smash it apart after we heard Arika calling for help."
"Arika?" John asked.
"That's the girl's name," Jennaca said.
"Of course," John said and turned to see Sadie hovering over the old man. She held her holy symbol in one hand while she inspected him. John's eyes were drawn to the religious artifact and found his inner demon starting to writhe. He shook his head and pushed it back down.
"You okay?" Jennaca asked.
John nodded. "Yeah, just had a case of the chills, you know?"
"You?"
John shrugged and smiled.
She nodded at Roxanne. "So, did you..."
"That's hardly appropriate."
Jennaca ignored his gentle reproach. "I've seen that limp before. I've walked that limp before."
"It wasn't planned," John mumbled.
"I believe you," she assured him. "At least, on your part."
John coughed away a chuckled and turned back to the survivors.
Roxanne was tending to the girl and trying to keep her from guzzling the water in the skin she held. "Drink slow or you'll make yourself sick," Roxanne warned.
"She said they'd been trapped for days," Helleen said. "The old man's her grandfather. They were supposed to hide with their family but something happened after they went down. They heard the crash and then screaming. Since then it's been silent until we showed up."
"They were in a root cellar and couldn't find any food?" John asked.
"Food, yes. No water though," Helleen pointed out.
"Ah," John grunted.
The girl, Arika, sat up straighter and looked around. She focused on her grandfather and started to reach for him. Roxanne caught her and held her back.
"Not yet, sweetie. Let Sadie tend to him. She works miracles, just you wait and see," Roxanne soothed her.
Arika hesitated and then looked at Roxanne. She took the imposing warrior woman in and blinked her eyes. She looked to the others, noting Helleen and Roxanne were twins before taking in the others. Her eyes fell on Jennaca and her shoulders relaxed at last.
Jennaca slipped between the gladiators and moved close to her. She took the girl's hand and said, "You're safe now."
She stiffened and shook her head. "No... none of us are safe!"
Amidst the confused mutterings John spoke loudly enough to cut through and ask, "Safe from what?"
Arika's eyes went to John and stayed there. Her jaw worked a few times before she made sound come out of it. "The... the demons. They came for us all. They used to just kill animals or people out wandering. Traders... hunters... woodsman..."
"Demons?" John asked. He forced the darkness down and made himself relax. "What sort of demons?"
"I... I don't know," she said. "I heard them scratching above us. I heard whispers or hisses or something. Then they scream. No, not a scream... they roar."
John glanced at Sasha. "Like a plains tiger?"
"No... it's different."
"But you haven't seen one?"
She shook her head and shivered.
John frowned. "I've never heard of demons acting like this."
"Demons wouldn't act like this," Zynga confirmed as she walked up behind him. "Oh, the terror would be fun for them, but they wouldn't have the patience to carry them away. They'd rip the people apart here and now and enjoy the sport of it."
"Sport?" the girl asked.
"To them, yes," John agreed.
She finally looked away from him. Fresh tears ran down her cheeks. "My dad made sure we were safe then he must have pulled the barrel over. He said there was no time... he...he..."
"It's all right," Jennaca said and pulled the girl in for a hug. Arika broke down and sobbed into her shoulder.
John backed away and turned to find Artesia staring at him. "They're not demons," he said softly.
Artesia nodded. "What then?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "A town full of people and not a single body. Just blood here and there."
"The scratching makes sense, we've seen proof of their claws," Artesia said.
Matthew joined John and Artesia. "What do you make of it?"
John opened his mouth to respond but Jennaca called for him first.
"John, there are others!"
John turned to face them. "Others? Other demons or... other what?"
"Tell him," Jennaca urged the old man.
"He needs rest," Sadie snapped. "He can talk later."
"No... no, it's all right," the pale man said. Arika was sitting beside him and holding his hand. The tears in her eyes were happy tears for a change now that Sadie had used her magic to pull him back from the brink of death.
"Other villages," the man began. As he spoke his voice gained strength. "In the mountains there are a few small towns set up where they began mining. We heard one found a strong gold vein but we haven't seen much come through Rock Haven before runners between the villages have been warning of people going missing. Some made it and complained that the mountains had changed. They were quieter. Darker. Soon enough the men and woman that carried news and supplies between villages started going out in pairs and then threesomes to protect each other."
"Wise," John mumbled.
"One day a man made it to town. Just one. He was winded and hurt, but I'll never forget his eyes. He was haunted by what he'd seen and no amount of hurt would slow him down. He wouldn't stop going on about demons that stole his friends-- the two men that were his companions. He barely got away. Said they were black as pitch and as long as a man... longer, since they had tails that were more dangerous than a spear."
"Saints protect us," Sadie murmured and kissed her holy symbol.
"We nursed him back to health and did what we could to keep him away from the others. He was going madder and madder each day, you see..."
"What happened to him?" Matthew asked.
The old man shook his head. "I don't know. I expect the same that happened to everyone else. Killed. Taken. It's all the same. You need to leave, all of you. Head back south and take Arika with you."
"We'll take you too," Sadie said. "Don't worry about that."
He shook his head, "I'm an old man, I'd slow you down."
"Grandpa, don't say that!" Arika hissed.
"We have wagons and horses," Sadie assured him.
"I need to know where these villages are," John interrupted them.
The old man looked at him. He lifted himself up on his arm and studied John before asking, "Rock Haven had thirty seven able bodied men. Every one of them could face down a goblin or wolf. These are hard men... men and women. They don't run from a fight and they don't make things up. Oh sure, maybe some are liars or worse, but in these lands if you can't fend for yourself and work the hard jobs, you don't last long. Whatever it was that came here isn't something you'll be able to fight off in your fancy robe."
"I've got a lot more going for me than a fancy robe," John said.
"He's a wizard," Jennaca boasted. "More importantly, he's got Artesia and me at his side."
The man looked at the three. "All right, assuming you know what your doing is one thing, but there's enough of those things to take every man, woman, and child in Rock Haven. How will three fare against dozens?"
"We've got Sasha too," Jennaca said.
"Sasha?"
Sasha roared from where she was lying in the middle of the road.
The man started and sat up so he could look around and see her. He chuckled and shook his head. "Didn't expect that... but still, to hear it these things are close to your tiger's size. You want to live, you turn back south now."
"John... these people... they were taken alive. Captured. For what?" Jennaca asked.
John pressed his lips together and then nodded. "I expect we'd best find out."
"You're going?" Matthew asked. "In spite of what you heard?"
"Don't feel challenged by us. Maybe we're the mad ones? Or maybe the people of this town and the others need help? Your crew are gladiators, not soldiers. Not warriors. Skilled, yes, but this isn't the kind of fighting you know well. Take Arika and her grandfather south. See them safe."
Matthew lifted his head when John spoke of the difference in skill his people possessed. "We can fight whatever this is, don't you doubt milord."
John nodded. "I don't doubt that at all, but I'd hate for any of your people to be hurt or killed on what might be a fool's errand."
Matthew chewed the words over and nodded. "We'll think on it. It's late, should we take up lodging in a house here or return to the wilds and circle our wagons?"
"In town," Artesia said. "Easier to defend in a single building."
"What about the horses?" Troy asked.
"The tavern has as table. We make that our camp," Matthew said. He counted off the men in his troop and John and his companions. "Five to a watch."
John nodded. "I'll agree to that."
"Blasim, take Troy, Roderick, and Amos and see what you can do to secure the stables," Matthew said. "George, Weston, and Helleen get those wagons and horses secured."
"Let's take the tavern," John said to his companions. "See what we can do in there."
"Sasha won't much care for staying inside," Jennaca warned as she followed him to the tavern.
"It's up to you," John said. "Or, since she's your friend and not your pet, it's up to her."
Jennaca beamed a smile at him. "Keep talking like that and you're going to struggle to find time to spend with girls like Roxanne."
"Why's that?"
"You'll have to kick me out of your bed to make room for her!"
John chuckled. "Could just get a bigger bed?"
