Wizard Rebellion (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 5) Page 19

  “I disagree with your calculations,” replied Danny. “Rick told us to use our own discretion as to when the time was right.”

  “Are you talking about our Rick?” Sergeant Ron asked starting to get red in the face. “When did he tell you this?”

  “Wizard Scout Richard Shepard gave Margery and me our orders a hundred thousand years ago,” said Danny. “He used our security codes to encrypt the information into our databanks until we were given the trigger phrase. According to my calculations, Wizard Scout Shatstot’s orders were close enough to our trigger phrase to require a response.”

  “Are you in contact with my wizard scout now?” asked Nickelo. “If so, let me speak to him.”

  “We have negative contact,” said Danny. “However, our orders were specific. We were to tell Sergeant Ron to continue with the mission to retrieve the bottles of refined DNA gas. Wizard Scout Shepard indicated they were needed in order for their mission to succeed.”

  “What mission?” asked Stella. “Why they need DNA gas?”

  “We aren’t at liberty to say,” said Margery. “Doing so might change the past. When dealing with time travel, the less information given is the safest course of action.”

  Sergeant Ron pounded the table again. “I’ve had enough of this cloak and dagger stuff. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know now. I didn’t think getting those bottles of DNA gas was feasible when we had eight wizard scouts onboard. I definitely don’t think it’s possible with only two.”

  A beam of light shot out from a projector in the corner of the galley, onto the table. Where the light shone, a half-meter tall hologram of a man dressed in a black battle suit appeared. The man was Wizard Scout Richard Shepard.

  “Sergeant Ron,” said the hologram. “I’m going to assume Terrie and Stella are there with you. We need your help. We’re all here in the past. Both Matt and Tia are with us. We’re all safe at the time I’m making this recording, but unless you help us, we’ll never get back to your time.”

  “What do you need us to do?” Sergeant Ron asked.

  The hologram of Richard grinned. “Nickelo told me there’s a ninety-two percent chance you’ll probably answer my hologram. Was he right?”

  In spite of the situation, most of the others in the galley laughed. After a moment, Sergeant Ron gave a little smile himself.

  The hologram spoke again. “We’re a hundred thousand years in the past, on Portalis. The Oracle during our time isn’t part of ‘the One.’ We know he’ll eventually be, so we’re using that knowledge to our advantage. The Oracle in the future is sending instructions to the version of the Oracle in the past. It’s pretty confusing, I’ll admit. Just trust me when I say the Oracle’s got a plan to get us home. Plus, we have Margery and Danny as our ace in the holes. So, Sergeant Ron, here’s what I need you to do: I need you to go to the planet Storage and pick up a passenger. The Oracle assures me this mystery passenger will help you get the twenty-nine bottles of DNA gas. Sound good so far?”

  Sergeant Ron started to nod his head but caught himself before he completed the act.

  The hologram continued. “I also need you to put the equipment for all six wizard scouts in my dimensional pack. That includes our battle helmets. I need you to do that now. ‘The One’ is being stubborn, but if you put our gear in my pack, I’m hopeful we can eventually summon all of it to help us with our mission.”

  “That won’t work,” Nickelo told the others in the room. “Rick’s dimensional pack only works if he charges it with his Power.”

  “If Nick’s with you,” said the hologram, “I’m sure he’s pointing out my dimensional pack requires my Power to work. Margery and Danny were battle computers for time-commandos. They’ll know how to get around that little problem.”

  “Is that true?” Sergeant Ron asked.

  “Hmm,” said Margery. “It wasn’t in my databanks earlier, but I see it now.”

  “Yes,” agreed Danny. “I see it now as well. Wizard Scout Stella previously attached a link to Wizard Scout Shepard. She can use that link to feed enough Power to the pack to energize it.”

  “I’m guessing they’ve had enough time to explain the technique to you. So listen up, I have one more instruction for you. I need you to contact Keka Derberlon on Storage. Tell him to teleport one of my dimensional packs to the time and place Margery and Danny will tell him.”

  “Keka is Dren and Brachia’s adoptive father,” explained Nickelo. “The children had a combination teleporter and time-displacer, but it was destroyed at the same time the Crosioians attacked Velos. Keka can’t send or retrieve anything back in time.”

  Richard’s hologram grinned again. “I’m betting Nick’s telling you Keka can’t do it. For once, I know something he doesn’t. Dren and Brachia teleported back to the Oracle’s 157 years in the past. The version of the Oracle with me in the past is going to leave orders for the version of the Oracle that will be with the Dren and Brachia.” The hologram’s grin grew wider. “Now stick with me, kiddies, because it gets a little confusing, but trust me, it’s going to work. The version of the Oracle that’s with Dren and Brachia is part of ‘the One.’ Consequently, the version of ‘the One’ in your time has been working with Keka to repair the children’s teleport device. Keka will be able to use it to send my dimensional pack back to me. I hope to the Creator that you’ve got all of that because my time is up. Good luck. I’ve got faith you won’t let us down.”

  The hologram of Richard flickered and disappeared.

  “Uh…,” Sergeant Ron admitted, “did anyone understand what he was saying?”

  “I’ve got it,” said Terrie.

  “So do I,” said Margery and Danny.

  “Ditto,” said Stella.

  “Well, that’s just great,” Sergeant Ron said. “I’m supposed to be the captain of this starship, but I guess I’ll just have to be the figurehead for the group.” He looked around at the grins on the faces of the others at the table. “Well, don’t just sit there with those stupid smiles on your faces. We’ve got work to do. Now, does anybody happen to know where the hell Storage is? Or do I have to figure everything out on my own?”

  Chapter 19 – Allies

  _____________________

  As it turned out, several of the soldiers did have old wounds. They’d been more than happy to trade clothing or coin as payment for being healed. While no great joy for Richard, only a couple of the soldier’s old wounds caused him undue pain to replicate. As far as healing was concerned, he’d actually expected worse.

  An hour later found Richard and the rest of the team in a private dining room at the back of the tavern. The women had acquired leather pants and jerkins. The men were wearing a conglomeration of various pieces of ill-fitting military uniforms. Some of it didn’t smell all that clean, but as far as Richard was concerned, it was better than running around naked. They pulled together several tables and sat down with Emerald, Chancee, and Lieutenant Dandridge, the officer from the group of soldiers. Emerald shoved a handful of coins into the tavern owner’s hands to pay for a feast, and the table was soon laden with various foods and drinks. The dwarf even paid for three rooms for Richard and his team.

  “We’ve got some coin now,” Richard said holding out a hand with the coins he’d been given by the soldiers. “We can pay our own way.”

  Emerald looked down at the coins and smiled. “Those coppers may not buy as much as you think. Why don’t you let me pay now, and you can make up for it later when you’ve earned a little more?”

  While it grated Richard to accept charity, the aroma from a large bowl of steaming stew convinced him to make an exception. He nodded his head and spooned a ladle of stew into his bowl.

  Despite the sudden abundance of food, the only ones eating were Matthew, Tia, and Richard. The other wizard scouts didn’t bother because their self-heal kept them from getting hungry or thirsty. For reasons of their own, the dwarf, the blonde woman, and the officer didn’t eat either, but they did sip ou
t of their wooden goblets on occasion.

  Swallowing a mouthful of stew, Richard licked his spoon clean and pointed it at the dwarf. “You said the Oracle sent you here to find someone to help free your country?”

  “That’s right,” replied Emerald. “The Dragars and their vampire allies slaughtered my people when I was a child. The Oracle said the time has come to drive them out.”

  Lieutenant Dandridge took a large gulp out of his cup. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “You’re crazy. No one can stand up to the Dragars. Whenever anyone resists, they bring in those flying machines of theirs and blow up a few cities. That’s always quieted any thoughts of rebellion down real quick.”

  The dwarf turned red-faced at the officer’s words and leaned in to respond, but Jerad beat her to it.

  “Lieutenant, you told us earlier that your king already has his army on the move. Aren’t you worried your troops will provide a tempting target to these Dragars of yours?”

  The lieutenant looked thoughtful for a second. “I suppose it could, but that’s a decision made at a level a lot higher than mine. But, this far away from the Dragars’ main city, they pretty much leave us alone as long as we don’t cause them any direct trouble.”

  “Leave you alone?” snorted Emerald. “Ha! What do you call it when they come in once a year and haul off your best and brightest to be their slaves? And those are the lucky ones. The Creator only knows what they do with their other captives.”

  The lieutenant glared at the dwarf. “It’s the price of survival for our civilization. The Dragars take only a few hundred. The king has to balance that against the hundreds of thousands who are spared.”

  “That’s no kind of life,” argued Emerald.

  “Who are you to talk?” asked Lieutenant Dandridge. “Don’t think I haven’t heard of you before now. You’re the last in the royal line of the Drepdenoris dwarves. You’ve been running around stirring up trouble for the last century. The few kingdoms who’ve listened to you over the years are gone. The Dragars destroyed them just like they did yours. That’s why your people no longer exist.”

  “My people died bravely,” argued Emerald.

  “Yes, I’m sure they died fighting honorably,” said the lieutenant. “However, the keyword is ‘died.’”

  Lieutenant Dandridge turned to Jerad and Richard and spoke in a harsh voice. “Don’t let the dwarf pull you into her schemes. Her people are mostly dead. There are other dwarves in our land, but they haven’t been stupid enough to listen to her. They stay hidden deep under their mountains where it’s relatively safe. My people, on the other hand, are forced to live on the surface.” The lieutenant let out a heavy sigh, trying to get his emotions under control. “I don’t like what my people are forced to do to survive, but our king does what he must.”

  “No one’s accusing you,” said Jerad trying to calm the situation. “Who are we to say what we’d do if we were in your king’s boots? Let me ask you this. If you could, would you fight these Dragars?”

  Lieutenant Dandridge straightened up in his seat. “Of course I’d fight. Who wouldn’t? But there’s a big difference between fighting and lining up to be slaughtered. Surely you’ve seen their flying ship’s overhead? Nothing can stand up to them. What few dragons still existed in our lands were wiped out a hundred and fifty years ago when the Dragars first arrived.”

  Up to this point, the other wizard scouts had been content to let Jerad and Richard do the talking. Tam apparently reached the point where she could contain herself no longer.

  “I’ll admit I’m new here. But, I’ve spent most of my life fighting wars of one kind or another. The one thing I’ve learned is that you can’t appease an aggressor by giving in to them. They’ll see it as a sign of weakness and want even more.”

  The lieutenant glared at Tam for a second as if he wanted to argue, then his face relaxed. “As I said, those kinds of decisions are made at a level much higher than a mere lieutenant.”

  Myers decided to get in on the conversation. “We’re all soldiers here. We’re used to following orders. I’m curious. Why has your king gathered his army if it presents a possible target for these Dragars?”

  When Lieutenant Dandridge hesitated to answer, Chancee answered for him. “Like our soldier-boy here, I’ve no doubt good King Hamerstine believes we’re too far north for the Dragars to take an active interest in our goings-on. He’s probably right. If the king’s army doesn’t pose a threat to the Dragars’ cities, they won’t bother it.” Chancee gave Jerad a wink. “After all, does an elephant really care what happens in an anthill when she’s done stepping on it?”

  The blonde woman’s remark drew Richard’s attention. “An elephant? I’ve never seen an elephant during my times on Portalis. We’re on Portalis, aren’t we?”

  “Uh… yes,” replied Chancee sounding a little surprised at the question. “Where else do you think we’d be?”

  Touche, Richard thought. Where else indeed? He decided to try and narrow the question down. “Are we on Slyvrastra?”

  “You’re speaking of the land of the elves,” said Chancee. “Only a few of our kind have visited that place of legend. It’s far across the ocean, or so I’m told.”

  Richard knew his next question would sound strange, but he had to ask. “When are we?”

  Sure enough, his words drew blank stares from Emerald, Chancee, and Lieutenant Dandridge.

  Emerald was the first to recover. “Are you asking what day it is?”

  Although that wasn’t the question he’d intended, Richard supposed it was the best way to phrase the question and still get an answer. He nodded his head.

  “It’s the fourth day of Spring in the year of the Aeronian Kings,” said Emerald. “Or, if you prefer, it’s the eighth day of the twelfth month since the death of the first dwarf king 14,122 years ago.”

  “What about the Year of the Tree?” Richard asked trying to get a useful point of reference.

  The dwarf looked at Chancee who shrugged her shoulders. Their actions told Richard the answer to his question even before Emerald had a chance to reply.

  “Ah…, what tree would that be?”

  Richard looked at Lieutenant Dandridge.

  The officer shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of anyone keeping track of time by a tree. Are you talking about counting the rings inside a tree trunk?”

  Richard knew a hopeless battle when he heard it. “Never mind.”

  Myers spoke again. “You didn’t answer my original question about why your king has gathered his army. Is it a secret or something?”

  “If’n it is,” laughed Chancee, “it’s the worst-kept secret on Portalis. The Dragars pretty much leave us alone up here. However, the filth that crawled out of their holes and sided with those monsters from the sky don’t. My understanding is they’ve got the city of Cantonsburg under siege.”

  “That’s right,” said Lieutenant Dandridge. “What you may not know is that a second army of orc scum is on their way to join the siege. Word is they’re bringing top-of-the-line siege equipment with them.”

  “Oh,” said Chancee. “I hadn’t heard. Top-of-the-line, you say? That means some of the human city-states in the south must have joined them.” Chancee turned her head and spat on the floor. “A curse on any humans who’d help those murdering orcs.”

  Emerald and the lieutenant nodded their heads in agreement.

  “Aye,” said Lieutenant Dandridge. “Some of those humans are no better than orcs or trolls. If the king doesn’t get to Cantonsburg before the second army arrives, the city will fall. If that happens, the citizens who die in the final assault will be the lucky ones. A long, drawn-out torture session followed by an even slower death will be everyone else’s fate.”

  “Rick,” said Telsa. “What can we do? Should we help?”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Telsa,” Richard said. “I’m no fan of orcs, but I’m not sure this is our fight. We’ve been given our mission, remember?”

/>   Telsa wasn’t put off. “We’re wizard scouts. What were all those lessons on honor and duty at the Academy about? If people are in trouble, we should help them. I don’t need to be given a mission by some disembodied being to make me do the right thing. We should help.”

  Richard looked at Jerad for assistance in reasoning with Telsa. She was still young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. He figured a seasoned ex-battalion commander like Jerad would see the logic of avoiding unnecessary trouble.

  Jerad did speak up, but not in the way Richard hoped. “We were given a mission to help a dwarf. What exactly is your plan, Emerald? How do you fit in this hodgepodge of circumstances?”

  Emerald drummed her fingers on the table a couple of times before taking a deep gulp from her goblet. “Well, things are never simple, are they? Chancee and I were sent here by the Oracle to find allies. He said we’d know them when we saw them. I guess he figured they’d stand out in such a way we couldn’t miss them.”

  Chancee laughed. “He also said we could trust them because they’d have nothing to hide. Believe me, boys, you had nothing to hide.”

  A couple of the others laughed politely.

  Richard didn’t. This was serious business. He’d seen too many people die horrible deaths during his missions for ‘the One’ to think otherwise. “I’m assuming you’re our dwarf, and we’re your potential allies. We’ve linked up. Now what?”

  Emerald drummed her fingers on the table again. “The Oracle asked us to return with you. He said he’d explain more when we got back. He also advised us not to pass up the possibility of acquiring other allies along the way.” She locked eyes with Richard. “Although no one’s said so, I’m assuming you’re the leader of your little group. Am I right?”

  Richard sensed Myers stiffen in his seat, but surprisingly, his brother didn’t contradict the dwarf. None of the other wizard scouts denied her assumption either.

  “Let’s just say my previous experience makes me the temporary leader for this phase of our mission,” Richard said.