El-Vador's Travels (54 page)

'Do
you have a specific plan or shall we simply strike?'

'Follow
my lead.' Anacletus replied, giving him no further words.

El-Vador
nodded and slipped through the shadows that swirled about his
companion alongside him as they made their way down the hill.

He
unstrapped the bow from his back and readied the string, bending the
arms quietly into place before nocking an arrow. He sighted the arrow
upon the Champion.

Anacletus
nodded.

The
arrow shot out, flying through the air and down the hill before
finding its mark.

Even
before the arrow had struck home, the Elf had joined Anacletus's
shadow in charging down the slope. Before him, Anacletus let out a
strange shriek that seemed to paralyse those below into inaction.

El-Vador
abandoned his bow and drew his blade, slicing through the second
Orc's jaw, then whipped his sword around to send another one to the
earth in a spray of blood. Anacletus cut past, his daggers drawn and
striking multiple targets with venomous speed. A blade snaked out as
the Orcs finally came into motion, the assassin parried it with an
outstretched blade and then stabbed the offender in the throat.

Chaos
erupted over the caravan as the Orcs surged into motion. They faced
an uphill assault against two competent attackers, but they had the
numbers. No two could stand against an entire troop of their
warriors, and they readied arrows to pepper them full of bloody
holes.

Anacletus stood still, a billowing black smoke covering him and his
companion. The arrows soared out toward them and vanished into the
haze. Slowly the cloud cleared, revealing the two figures unharmed by
the barrage.

El-Vador
stepped forth from the darkness that still swathed them and spread
his palms out to the Orcs that surrounded them.

The
assassin watched on placidly as the dark power streaked out from the
Elf's arms, coating the Orcs beneath them and silencing their
screams.

It
was then that the Elf heard the other shouts in the midst of the
ecstasy of his power, they came from throats that were not Orcish
alone.

'Anacletus.'
he called over. 'There are more than Orcs in the caravan beyond.'

'Not
for much longer, Elf.'

'You
plan to kill them?'

The
assassin smiled. 'It is what I do best.'

El-Vador
shook his head. 'We came here to kill Orcs, not your own kindred.'

'They
are but slaves, of no use to us alive.'

'They
are not Orcs. I shall not kill them.' the Elf replied, sheathing his
sword and eyeing Anacletus with distaste.

'Very
well then, Elf. Have it your way. They are your responsibility upon
their liberation. Let us proceed into their midst and slay the
green-skins.'

El-Vador
nodded. That at least was a sentiment he could get behind.

A
corpulent Orc crouched in the remnants of a wagon, his face bloodied
and streaked with dust. He held the top of a wooden barrel at them as
if it were a shield, brandishing a small knife that his pudgy fingers
could not grasp properly. 'Stay back intruders. I am warning you.'

Anacletus
looked at El-Vador. 'Dispose of the body.'

The
Elf grunted in acknowledgement.

The
Orc looked up at the two men as El-Vador approached, his blade
readied and prepared to strike, then began to sob. 'Please, I am but
a humble merchant. Spare me! What may I offer you in exchange for my
life? You can take anything you want!'

Anacletus
smiled. 'Your life shall suffice, slave trader.'

El-Vador
struck, loping the head off the frightened merchant, who accounted
for the last of the Orcs left to dispatch.

The
slaves stared up at him now, wide-eyed and full of fear. None of them
dared to hope for anything but death.

'An
effective beginning, Elf.' Anacletus smiled, joining him in observing
the slaves in their cage. 'Your powers are substantial, but your
softness has left you with these slaves to deal with. What have you
planned for their life to come?'

El-Vador
grunted.

Anacletus
laughed. 'You do not know what to do with them, do you?'

'I
will not kill these slaves, Anacletus.' El-Vador did not turn to look
at the assassin, but instead focused on the cages before him.

One
of the male slaves knelt and grovelled before him. 'Master, we know
not what to do.'

Anacletus
shook his head, a derisive chuckle escaping from his lips.

El-Vador
sheathed his sword to indicate that he was no threat before opening
the cage door. 'Go. You are free to return from whence you came.'

'But
you raided the supply wagon, will you not take them for yourselves?

El-Vador
surveyed the desolate lands before him in the sun's dying light. 'We
did not come for the supplies. You may take them and leave, now get
out of my sight.'

'You
are most merciful this day.' Anacletus said, walking up to him.

He
did not point out the irony of saying as much whilst surrounded by
the bodies of their foes, he suspected that the assassin knew
already.

'We
must make a detour at this point, Elf. There is a matter that
requires your attention should you truly wish to be successful in
your own desires.'

El-Vador
gave him a black look. 'These are not desires, assassin. It is
through necessity that I commit this act of vengeance, nothing more.'

Anacletus
chuckled, unwilling to belabour his point. 'Whatever twisted
motivations have convinced you to do this, we still need to depart
with all haste.'

The
smoke thickened about them, and El-Vador felt a tugging against his
entire core. He vaguely wondered where Aliana was before disappearing
entirely.

Ever
since that fateful day in the cave when I first met the voice, I have
been subjected to an eternal war waged between forces I neither
comprehend nor empathise with. To have to trust the very man who
inferred that we would be enemies upon our next meeting rankled me
greatly.

T
he
smoke partially receded to reveal a dimly lit corner of a tavern,
Anacletus swept his arm before him and offered that same infuriating
smile. 'Observe, Elf. You will be required here. I shall remain
seated to ensure that your Pixie friend comes to no harm.'

El-Vador
stared briefly at Aliana as she lay asleep upon a seat, neck tilted
back at an awkward angle exposing her throat. It was in the
assassin's best interests to keep her alive, he would honour that
commitment. For now.

The
tavern assaulted his senses, the dim light mixing with stale sweat
and narcotics, the sharp tang of alcohol and the thick air that was
nothing like his native homeland. It all conspired to blind his
senses from attack, a dangerous place to have to observe anything,
especially something mandated to be of importance for some unknown
reason by Anacletus.

For
a time he remained cloaked in shadow near the assassin, who made no
comment about the Elf's lack of action.

El-Vador
instead took his time in looking around the room, and was rewarded
for his observations when seven armed figures entered in an
unfamiliar leather armour. They carried themselves as if they had
much authority, which left El-Vador naturally suspicious at the best
of times. Out of place in the alehouse, they became objects of
interest, but when their stares swept through the crowd with some
intent the local inhabitants kept their glances to a minimum.

It
was then that the Elf realised they were Orcish. What would Orcs be
doing in a human establishment?

The
leader of the group pointed toward the crowd and waved his men in to
search while he himself retreated back into the night. As the
soldiers began to cut through the crowd, El-Vador sighted a figure
trying to make an escape. The Elf stealthily crossed the room and
pressed the jumpy man back down into the seat. The man started to
panic, then paused upon realising that he was not staring at an Orc.
'Please stranger, let me go. I ain't done nothing to you and the Orcs
will skin me for sure!'

'Why
are they in a human inn? Why are they after you?'

The
widening expression on the man's face indicated that he now knew he
wasn't dealing with a fellow member of mankind. 'We're near the
Orcish border here, they don't come here often but it ain't unheard
of.'

'Why
do they want you?' El-Vador hissed quietly.

'Alright,
alright!' The man yelped. 'I may have upset their leader, stolen into
a few burrows when I was down on my luck.'

El-Vador
raised an eyebrow, he knew that entering a burrow was no small feat.
'I may have use for you, thief. Your life for your service.'

'Certainly,
I will aid you in any way possible!' The diminutive man quaked. 'Just
don't let the Orcs get me, please!'

El-Vador
did not release him. 'This had better be the matter that requires my
attention.' he muttered to himself.

The
Orcs had fanned out through the crowd and approached the table where
El-Vador sat with the thief. As they begun to close in, El-Vador
shook his head, leaving many of them puzzled.

A
guard laid the flat of a small axe on the man's shoulder as if in
claim. 'This one has committed crimes against the Orcish nation.
Release him into our custody.'

El-Vador
looked up, aware that several of the Orcs had taken up positions
behind him. 'No.'

The
man behind El-Vador stifled an oath. 'You are not human!'

El-Vador
smiled wickedly. 'Nicely observed.'

He
stood abruptly, smashing the point of his elbow into an Orc's face
behind him. Bones cracked and blood gushed from a shattered nose. The
Orc opposite the table lunged with his short sword. El-Vador twisted
to the left and drew his weapon. He lopped off the Orc's wrist and
raked the sword across the belly of another guardsman, shearing
through the armour. The Elf then stuck an arm out and jetted darkness
into the face of two others, the liquid devoured their faces and
silenced their brief shrieks.

He
turned to face the last two of the Orcs, the darkness still swirling
over his clenched fist and blood dripping from his sword and hissing
as it struck the floor beneath. 'This criminal is under my custody, I
expect a reward for my efforts at apprehending him. Do you plan to
defy me, Orc?'

The
remaining guard in charge of the attempted seizing cleared his
throat. 'If you will come peacefully you shall be rewarded.'

El-Vador
looked over briefly into the shadows at Anacletus's robed form. The
briefest of nods.

'Very
well then.' the Elf replied, 'but if you plan to cross me further
then you can expect your blood upon this sword.'

The
Orc held up open hands, clearly intimidated. 'There will be no need
of further conflict. So long as we have the miscreant you shall have
your reward.'

El-Vador
nodded, giving the Orc time to think before he acted.

'Well
then, with a sign of trust, I would take you to our superior.'

The
Elf laughed. 'You wish me to trust you after you attempt to slay me?'

The
Orc nodded, pointing toward what was left of his company on the
floor. 'What is to stop you from doing that to my superiors should I
bring you to them?'

El-Vador
smiled slowly, then sheathed his sword and passed the scabbard over,
unhooking the bow from his back and passing it to the other Orc. 'I
am disarmed, will you take me to your superiors now?'

The
Orc pointed at the Elf's hands. 'I know not what trick you played on
my soldiers, but your arms will need to be bound too.'

The
Elf narrowed his eyes. 'Am I your hostage now as well? I don't think
that would end well for you.'

'Merely
a precaution.' the Orc stated, palms up once more after handing the
scabbard to his remaining soldier.

El-Vador
looked again to the side, Anacletus gave him one more nod. Apparently
he was supposed to be captured by these Orcs for reasons known only
to the assassin. He didn't much care for it but if it resulted in
their inevitable downfall he would play along. For now.

He
offered his wrists together and the Orc quickly bound them and those
of the small man the Elf had been protecting.

'I
better be well rewarded for the capture of this slave.'

The
Orc smiled. 'You will be, you will be indeed.'

Strange
times can create strange alliances, I had been sent by an assassin
who once looked to kill me into the custody of a group of Orcs who
would kill me for defending a thief who would likely rob me blind
given the opportunity.

'
Y
ou
protected me this much only to give me up for a reward?' The thief
spat in the dust. 'They'll kill you as soon as they have enough
numbers to do it without fault. You realise that you've doomed us
both, don't you?'

El-Vador
looked down at his companion. 'I am doing this for a purpose, there
are larger things at stake than the life of a common thief.'

'What?'

'There
is a reason we have been brought together.' The Elf smiled grimly. 'I
just haven't figured it out yet. The assassin did not inform me and
the voice is more silent than not of late.'

The
little man blinked in apparent amazement. 'You have no idea who I am,
do you?'

El-Vador
shrugged.

The
small man waved his bound hands in accusation. 'I am Judicael the
crafty, the greatest thorn in the side of the Orcs that has ever
lived. There is no green-skin that does not know my name.'

'I
am no Orc.'

'That
much is apparent, foreigner.' Judicael sniffed. 'I am unsurprised
that a savage the likes of yourself would not have heard of my
exploits.'

The
Elf raised an eyebrow, the man sounded much more confident than
before.