I feel like I'm sorta building some momentum on this story, so I'll add this one too. I'll admit, much faster than I expected to be writing it, but plans change, yeah? That's why you should always leave wiggle room in your plans. After all, it doesn't take a master strategist to make the perfect plan. The problem tends to come in the execution. Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders, it is the property of whoever actually created it. I'm simply a fan who enjoys daydreaming, reading and writing. All I own is the plot elements and any OCs, including myself. Also, special note at the end of the chapter, please take a look at it!
It was tense the next few days. We had no idea whether or not there was going to be a bandit attack. Several of us hoped that the ones we'd seen were either the entirety of a group or scouts of one too small to risk attacking us. But the alternative left looming, ravenous shadows in everyone's minds.
Two days after I'd checked on them, I sat at a fire with one of the other guards, Garret. He was a mercenary like myself, and was only with the caravan for a few trips and then his contract was up. At the moment, our conversation was about why we'd picked being mercs rather than soldiers.
"Mainly," he started off, "it's cause the pay is a bit better than an average soldier or town guard." I looked at him, taken aback.
"So it's entirely a financial pick? Nothing more?" He chuckled and muttered something about the naivety of youth.
"Well obviously. Why? What's your reason, if not the better cash?" I had to think for a second. Why had this work appealed to me so?
My answer came. "All my life, I've enjoyed the idea of being a fighter for one. When I was a kid, I was a huge klutz. Somehow, I decided I could remedy that by teaching myself to use the sword. I already knew footwork and balance were a necessity, and to be honest it seemed like fun. But for specifically being a mercenary, well... If I were in an army, I'd get dragged into whatever fight my superiors wanted, never mind what I think. If I'm a mercenary, I can choose what I take part in."
He looked intrigued, but I wasn't done yet. "After all, I've always hated when people told me to do something just for the heck of it. If there's a reason for an order or a rule, I'll usually follow it to the letter, even if I don't always like it, though with some complaints if I'm honest. This way, I am what every man is meant to be."
"And just what might that be?" I realized a few other people had started listening and fought the urge to scream and run. Stupid stage fright!
"The master of his own fate. Destiny has a path laid out for us, and the other people around you often have their own ideas as well, but in the end only you can choose what path you take. Be it one that's laid out, one you chose for yourself, it doesn't matter, so long as you choose it. That is what I believe to be the point of every man having free will, and I'm a firm believer in it."
I heard a scoff and turned around, seeing one of the people from the caravan, also my boss's niece, glaring at me. "So do women have a say too, or is it just men? Are we to be given whatever fate is decided for us?"
I shook my head. I guessed I had used the term men in the context of people in general too many times during my little ovation. "Not in the least. Girls are just as tough as we are, after all, and no different. Heck, I have a sister who's probably three times as tough as I am, if not more." She looked somewhat appeased and went away. Phew!
Realizing there were still several people scrutinizing me and likely wondering if I would say anything else, I barely kept myself from jumping up, and instead made a point of grabbing my bow before walking away. Once I was beyond our sentries, I began hyperventilating and shaking. I have had stage fright like that since I was in first grade, and it still persists! Ugh...
"Come on, get a hold of yourself! Courage is of the heart, and fear is of the mind. I am ruled by and follow my heart, not my mind. Thusly, I shouldn't let fear control me. Come on!" It was something I had thought up to help with my constant paranoia, and it had helped slightly, but I still have a long way to go before I've mastered my fears.
"Ugh... Why so early?!" Selethen glared at me. Well it wasn't my fault I'm no morning person, it runs in the family! Same as snoring, being bad singers, a love of reading, and stubbornness.
"We have drills, now move it!" Still grumbling, I picked up a practice blade and took my place among the other guards. "Ready? And, lunge! Retreat! Diagonal slash! Block! Duck! Parry! Vertical slash!" Slowly the sleepiness faded away as we went through the moves he called out. It was a couple hours before we were allowed to stop, and I gratefully did so. When it comes to training, the man is a nightmare! And since Igneous seemed to have a similar attitude in the show, it was no wonder Hunter always tried to take naps rather than train.
After a few minutes rest, the caravan was back on the move. The monotonous marching began getting to me, and I found myself caught in a daydream. But I was in for a rude awakening when a quick flash hit my right eye. What in the name of-?
A man holding a small mirror, flashing something. "Oh, that's all." ...Yeah, sometimes my head gets a few steps behind the rest of me. 3..2.. "GYAAA!"
Ignoring the others I went to Selethen. "Sir, there's a man with a mirror over there, I think he's using it for a signal!" His eyes widened and he made a gesture with one hand. I didn't recognize it, but it seemed like everyone else who saw it did. Several took a grip on their weapons, and others began taking positions around the wagons. "Where should I go?"
"Take a position near where you saw that mirror from. It's unlikely that's where the main assault will come from and you're new after all." He went next to the main wagon before I could argue that I was better suited for the front lines. Grumbling, I went to where he'd assigned me.
We waited for a while, and I began to wonder. Maybe they'd decided we were too big a risk now that we'd formed up, now either choosing to wait or leave us, or perhaps they were repositioning themselves, or maybe-
At that point my head began pounding, the countless variables and unknowns I was trying to accommodate for causing an absolute mental overload, AKA a migraine. I smacked the flat of my blade against my shoulder and forced other thoughts to take precedence in my mind. I exhaled and shifted my stance, unintentionally making a timely dodge of an arrow that would've given me a free now piercing.
As it shook in the wood from the force of impact, I cried out. "Attack! Archers on our right flank! Attack!" As another arrow came whistling by me, I ducked and got an arrow nocked. Holding my sword with the left arm as I drew back the string, I fired at an archer taking aim at one of the other guards, driving through his elbow and coming out the other side of his arm. He dropped his bow and screamed, making the arrow go harmlessly high of its target.
Other cries of alarm began to sound around me, and I realized this was just one front of the battle. A mounted bandit with a spear charged at me, and I loosed another arrow, taking him through the eye. Realizing I wasn't doing much good letting them come to me, I slung my bow over my shoulder and charged. Taking a deep breath, I yelled out, as loud as I could, getting the attention of several bandits, who focused on me. Another arrow missed me by sheer luck, or, well, not really missed. Rather than killing me, I just got a cut on my cheek. I pulled out my knife with my left hand, and when a swordsman came at me, drove it up through the soft spot behind the chin and pierced through his mouth and skull, then pulled it out and shoved him aside. Ducking a wild swing from a flail, I kicked its owner in the knee, hearing a satisfying, meaty snap as it buckled, then split his head in two.
Swallowing my nausea, I turned to the three archers still firing. One looked at me and tried to fire, but slid on the damp grass. Seizing the chance, I lunged forward and cut his throat, then took the shot he'd meant for me and hit one of his friends. The third began scrambling away, but got hit with a crossbow quarrel from my allies. Taking a moment to look at the bow I'd picked up, I saw a couple dozen notches on it. "Too bad I killed him already."
Another sword nearly cut my head off, and I stepped back. Knocking his next blow aside with my knife, I retaliated, but only managed to slash his forearm. Another pair of blows were stopped cold and the first of them earned me a cut that bounced off a rib. I clenched my teeth and examined my opponent more closely. He was tough. Against an enemy like this, no chances should be taken. I stepped around him onto firmer ground and took a firm grip on each weapon. He picked up a discarded shield and I growled. That's just my kind of poor luck!
"You should just give up, kid. You can't win this. Just give up now, join us. We're gonna need some new blood after this mess," he gestured at the battle taking place not so far from us, where it was clear that both sides were getting a fierce hammering. Considering how I'd already killed five, and the others would be giving their own fair share of blood spilled as well, I could easily see what he meant. Then again...
"Sorry, but I'm known for being a stubborn idiot. And when I put my loyalty forward, it stays in place, as certain as the fire I was named for burns with a heat you can't handle. I have no plans for giving up now. Enjoy the bitter sensation of death as it pulls you back into whatever abyss you and your friends crawled out of!" He brought his shield to bear, but I shoulder checked it, knocking him off balance. I knocked his blade aside with my knife and elbowed him in the face, then tried to bury my sword in his gut. But his shield came back into play, knocking it out of my hands.
I stepped back. With only my knife, there was no way I could get through his defense. It was hardly my best weapon, and my bow would be useless as well. We were too close and he could use his shield to block any shot. What to do, what to do? All I could think was there's no way I can see. Come on! And then a spear seemed to erupt from his chest.
"I agree with what the young idiot says. He's stubborn enough to rival mules, and it's my job to make sure that doesn't kill him until he's not in my command anymore. That's what I'll do, too," Selethen removed the spear of his halberd from my opponent's back and handed me my sword. "Now why don't you make my job a bit easier and follow orders next time?"
"Thank you. I'm not sure I could've thought up a way to beat him before he got me. But if I'd have stayed there, I get the feeling things wouldn't have gone as well as they did," The only response I got was a glare. I met it for a bit, then picked up the shield my opponent had used. "Ever heard of waste not, want not?"
He snorted and walked away, back to our caravan. I called out one last question. "How many did we lose?" He stopped.
"Nine guards, and seven of the merchants. Twelve were wounded, and speaking of get your chest bandaged when you're done picking over the carcasses. A group this size means the bandit problem is worse than anyone realizes. When we reach Arachna, we'll have to inform Prince Lumen," With that he left, back to the wagons.
I waited until he was out of earshot. "Arachna!" I spat the word out. "And Prince Lumen, too! The leader of the Spider Riders, and we're going straight to him! Why is this always my kind of luck?!" I lifted the flail I had faced earlier and began tearing at the ground with it, ripping up clump after clump of dirt.
Once I'd calmed down, I looked around, trying to see if there was anything I might want. Eventually I grabbed a couple of bracers, leather breastplate, and some money. When I got back I was immediately sent to the makeshift infirmary. I was given some leather to bite down on, then a few others held me down as my wound was stitched. I bit right through the leather, and almost threw aside some of those holding me. But the wound was sewn shut before being wrapped in bandages. I apologized to the people I'd hit.
"Aadyn, get over here!" I followed Selethen's voice and saw that the dead from our party were being buried. A bandit who was bound and short an ear was nearby, under the fierce, glaring eyes of Garret.
After packing down the earth that would cover them, I looked at our captive. "Selethen, sir, mind if I have a few words with our guest there? I'd like to ask him a few questions," I said, slowly unsheathing my knife. Sensing my intent, he grabbed my arm.
"We are not torturing him. He is going to be turned over to the authorities in Arachna. Besides, there are-" I cut him off, lowering my voice.
"Children in the group, yeah, I know. But if he thinks I'm gonna torture him, he'll spill his guts before I can, hoping to avoid trouble. Maybe a small cut here and there to make him think I'm serious, plus a few blades held over a fire in his line of sight, and he'd likely even tell me his darkest secrets. Trust me, alright?" He gave me a searching look, then nodded, relenting. "Good," I raised my voice. "Now the fun can begin, then. Bring me a few extra blades, please, and someone give that fire some more fuel. You killed sixteen of ours, and I'm the temperamental type who holds grudges. All my wages I can get him to scream before nightfall!" The others seemed disgruntled, but at a shake of the head from Selethen, backed up, albeit reluctantly, then left. Soon after, so did he.
"So, I've had a lot of excitement to die and the adrenaline is dying down. So, I could begin to be bored for now and you tell me everything I want to know and the some, or..." My voice trailing off seemed to make him more nervous. Good. "I could have all the fun I want, and make sure you suffer. I have several years of experience with running torture scenarios through my mind, and I can make you bring most of them to reality before dinner. So what's it to be?"
Suffice to say, when I returned to camp that evening, I had plenty of information that Selethen would need to hear, and the prospect of having to speak with Lumen seemed no longer worth avoiding, despite previous issues.
So, am I getting better at foreshadowing at the end of a chapter? And what's this? A possible encounter with some of the other Spider Riders? Oh, My! Who knows how this will turn out. Even I don't, yet! So, it's almost been a year since I started writing. Hard to believe. This may be part of the reason I've had so much momentum on this story, yeah? I may or may not do a special chapter just to celebrate that may even be bonus content, I'm not yet sure. If I do, some ideas you guys could help me choose from?
1. Why was Sparkle in that forest that day?
2. Some backstory for Umbra?
3. Same as 2, but for Selethen?
4. Something else altogether?
Now, my special news. I may be trying to write an original work of my own. As in, an actual book, not a story! But I'm still very early on and other attempts I've made in the past didn't do so well. So who knows? But I just thought you guys may find that interesting. Anyhow, please read and review. Later, everyone!
