Chapter 35 - Prisoners (Part 1)

“Sometimes the path of virtue requires acts of sheer idiocy.”

Taliesin the Stormlord, Archmage

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“You canna’ be serious,” exploded Runolf in a shout of disbelief, a rare display of temper from the normally silent guardian.

The various voices of protest and argument that had exploded around Taliesin just moments after the raiding party had retreated back through the portal before the archmage could hold it open no more. The rescued teenager was seated on the floor, Jarl Gunther’s Forging healing him of a myriad of injuries from the abuses suffered at the hands of the gnolls.

Taliesin turned to Runolf. “I am indeed serious. I will not set off the tornado artifact in the gnoll camp. I must rescue the human captives first, and so I will. But this must be a much smaller group. I cannot be hampered by holding open a portal for a short window of time.”

“So your plan is to launch a suicidally risky rescue attempt into the enemy camp and risk everything to save strangers you haven’t met in the middle of an invasion? I’m sorry, milord, but you shouldna be takin’ such a risk,” said Runolf.

The teenage boy shot up from the ground and staggered in front of Runolf with fire in his eyes. “The… the man… he said… you’d save us! He said… the Stormlord! The Stormlord would save us! That’s why I came! To get help! To save my sister! And my kin wot survive! If’n you… you… you… I have to go fight for… you coward!”

The boy reeled back, and Jarl Gunther caught him.

“Boy, you broke away from a healing half-way. You’re lucky you’re only dazed.”

“Arnulf,” said the boy. “M’name’s Arnulf.”

Taliesin stepped over to the boy and looked him dead in the eye. “Arnulf, you weren’t told wrong. I am the Stormlord, and I will rescue your people.” He turned to look at Runolf. “Runolf, a few weeks ago, the men, women and children of your village were strangers. Not long ago, the people in this town were strangers. What makes you think that suddenly now it matters to me how well I know someone before I am willing to try and save their lives?”

Runolf hung his head. “I reckon it don’t, milord.”

Taliesin walked over to his hulking varingjar and put his hand behind his head to pull their foreheads together. In a fierce, low voice he said, “Runolf, you have demonstrated time and again your trustworthiness and loyalty. You have been a dogged protector and my first true friend in this world. But this must go both ways. My mission is bigger than you and I, and I need you to trust in me. I need you to trust my judgment and keep the faith, if not in the mission, than in me. Can you do that for me?”

“I.. I can, milord. I’m sorry,” said Runolf.

“You’re a good man, Runolf, and prove that to me every day. Keep that faith, and I will lead us out of this Twilight of the Gods,” said Taliesin as he straightened up. He patted Runolf on the shoulder and turned to the crowd that suddenly tried to look like it hadn’t been attempting to eavesdrop mere seconds earlier.

“You are going then?” asked Arbiter Katla. To Taliesin’s nod, she gave him an approving look. “Excellent. Your instincts for a small squad are wise. I would recommend that you take your sworn man there, myself, and of course the boy, Arnulf, as a guide. Perhaps your shadow could make an appearance as well, but no more. You have short range portals that you can do quickly, correct?”

“That is correct,” said Taliesin, surprised at this ‘mastermind’ aspect of Katla, but then recalled her first Forging. The gift of Flame was one of the mind, of fast thoughts paired with the burning need to act. Arbiter Katla had received a Holy Forging for her Second Forging, and Holy Forgings always refined and improved upon the other gifts, on top of their own benefits. If anything, she was incapable of not speaking her mind, of planning the attack, of going on the offensive when she perceived an enemy of her goddess before her.

The boy, Arnulf, looked up from where his healing had resumed with a look of vindication when Taliesin confirmed he would attempt the rescue, his leap of faith rewarded. Taliesin didn’t fail to notice when the boy’s eyes turned to Runolf and the expression turned to a scowl.

“Then let’s plan our new raid, and how we can rescue those prisoners,” Arbiter Katla said as the smaller group moved together. “We must move within the hour if we are to have time.”

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Once more, a Greater Portal opened outside the walls of Buverik. This time, the portal blinked open just below the crest of the hill where Taliesin and Jarl Gunther had watched as the gnoll army had set up their camp. The ache in Taliesin’s mind was a familiar one, yet it left him uneasy. It would only be a few minutes, but he would be almost useless and in enemy territory. It left a bitter feeling in his stomach - for all his skill, experience, and knowledge, he could not overcome the limitations of his mind. With quick movements, Katla, Aina, Runolf and the boy, Arnulf all ran through the portal. Taliesin stepped through and let the portal collapse.

Katla led the way down the hill as Aina, in full huntress kit, pulled an arrow from a quiver and put it to her bow before she used her Forging to vanish. Taliesin could still see the aether surrounding her, hiding her from view, and a careful observer could spot the small footprints she left on the ground. But it wasn’t long before Aina was at the tree line and gracefully using stones, fallen logs, and using low branches as a blend between acrobatics and stealth to move through the woods without even leaving a mark in the snow.

Runolf stayed close to Taliesin while Arnulf charged after the Arbiter. The healing and a solid meal had done the boy well, and adrenaline was doing the rest. Taliesin had no doubt the boy would crash in an hour or two, completely drained of energy, but it would have to suffice for now. Soon, they reached the bottom of the hill and were completely surrounded by trees and in a small clearing.

“Stormlord, how long until you are recovered?” whispered Katla.

“Only a few more minutes,” he replied. “Probably by the time Aina has finished scouting.”

“Then we wait here. Everyone, have weapons ready. This is the most dangerous part of the mission.”

“I’ll have a short-range portal ready, so we can retreat if found,” said Taliesin. “We can lead them on a chase around the town.”

“Will that make it take longer to recover your bigger portal?” asked Katla.

Taliesin frowned, for he was being asked to quantify when he would feel better, when he would feel ready to cast once again. “Maybe? I’m unsure.”

“Then let’s save that as a last resort. Your priority is to recover so that we have a way back into town.”

He didn’t like that he couldn’t help, because if he couldn’t cast his short range portals, his other magic spells would also cause the same problem. It wasn’t a matter of raw power - he had that to spare. Casting the Greater Portal was a matter of mental and physical strain of channeling and controlling all that power, even with the help of the ritual circle and his Empyreal Staff. He simply needed a few minutes of not casting magic to recover. Taliesin had to accept that, at least for a short time window, he had to let others do the work if it came to combat.

Taliesin watched as Runolf stood guard close by, the man seeming twice as protective as before. It seemed his words had really had an effect on him. Katla was an interesting one. She stood with her weapon hefted on her shoulder, pacing back and forth with an animalistic eagerness that made Taliesin almost think she wanted to be found. The boy on the other hand had a distant stare as he tapped his feet, gazing toward where he people were held, a tremor in his hands that he didn’t seem to notice. Everyone was tense and on edge. Fortunately, Aina re-appeared after a few tense minutes.

He almost hadn’t seen her arrive, and wouldn’t have if the magic she wrapped herself in wasn’t so bright in his eyes. Her skills were improving, from the way she walked to the confidence with which she carried herself. “No gnolls anywhere nearby. They don’t seem interested in this hill or copse of trees. Getting firewood from the woods on the other side of their camp.”

“Any sentries on this side of the camp we need to worry about?” asked Katla.

“Two, on either end of camp near us. Also a patrol inside the camp that I spotted. Might be another. Didn’t have time to recon the entire camp, obviously. Don’t know what work groups they have moving around in the woods or far side of camp either.”

“How large are the tents?” asked Taliesin. “Large enough for all of us?”

“Some of them.”

Taliesin couldn’t stop the predatory grin that spread on his face. It was all falling into place. “Excellent.”

When Taliesin felt rested enough, Aina took the point position for the small squad. They did their best to walk quickly and quietly, but from the worried looks Aina kept casting back at them, Taliesin suspected they weren’t doing a very good job. But just as she had reported, there were no gnolls in the woods to hear them, and soon they were nearing the treeline and Taliesin could spot the tents in the distance. He could also see the two sentries Aina had reported.

“Ready?” asked Taliesin, now that he had a clear line of sight on his targets.

Katla and Runolf nodded, the Arbiter with her sword already in hand. Runolf pulled his axe from his belt.

“[Minor Portal]”, intoned Taliesin with a complicated motion. A portal appeared in the ground before them, and below them was the inside of a tent, as seen from the ceiling. Two gnolls were sitting on the ground, one eating a boiled chicken thigh, gnawing on the bones with its sharp teeth, while the other was cleaning its crude armor with a rough cloth. A third was laying down asleep.

Katla did not hesitate. She jumped through the portal at the gnoll polishing his armor, sword at the ready. The gnoll died before her feet even hit the ground. Runolf jumped after her, with far less grace but no less eagerness. His axe caught the chicken-eating gnoll in the skull as it gaped at Katla, before it could even process how a human had fallen from the ceiling of its poorly constructed hide tent. Katla ended the engagement by chopping through the sleeping gnoll’s throat in a smooth motion.

Taliesin dismissed and re-cast his portal so that he, Aina, and the boy Arnulf could step through rather than jump down from seven feet up. He was far more fit than he’d ever been in his previous life, but that certainly didn’t make him athletic. He stepped carefully around the growing puddles of blood to the tent flap and peeked outside. He could just see the two sentries on either side of the camp.

“Ready for the sentries?” After a quick nod, he cast a new [Minor Portal]. This time, the portal appeared behind the first sentry. Runolf reached through with his axe and hooked the gnoll under the chin with the bottom point of the axe blade and yanked the monster back through with all his strength. The gnoll made a ‘hurking’ noise in surprise as it fell flat on its back. Katla slammed her sword into the gnoll’s heart as Runolf held its muzzle shut to prevent it from making any noise. Taliesin dismissed the portal as the gnoll died.

Another casting of the portal and another ambush added one more dead sentry to the growing pile of gnoll corpses in the small tent. Taliesin noticed the boy was looking a little green in the face, but was stoically holding his own.

“Alright, Arnulf, we’ve gotten you this far. Are you ready to lead the way?”

The boy looked far stronger than he had scarcely an hour previous. Divinely granted healing magic by way of Gunther’s Forging and a quick snack of bread had done him wonders, and the dagger clenched tightly in his fist was shoring up his confidence. Arnulf gave a fierce nod, then pushed his way out of the tent.

The small group raced through the squalid tents as fast as Arnulf could lead them. They barrelled around a corner and into the first patrol of gnolls guarding this end of the camp.

“[Ice Darts]” said Taliesin without pausing a step. Icy missiles slammed into three of the gnolls, shredding their torsos into gore in a flash of magic.

Aina managed to put an arrow between the eyes of a gnoll before Katla and Runolf were in the mix of melee. Katla was a whirling dervish, her long blade spinning and slamming into gnolls even as they swung their clubs and maces desperately to hit her. She was never where they expected, always moving and always striking. Runolf was more measured, his age and experience allowing him to cut through the gnolls almost as swiftly. He had none of Katla’s recklessness, just sheer skill to see him through. Runolf was forced to block more attacks, but his own blows were always to critical places so he needed to hit each foe fewer times.

The fight ended almost as fast as it started, but now they were truly on the clock. They had no time to hide bodies without risking drawing even more attention, so they had to get to the prisoners. To his credit, Arnulf gaped at the carnage for only a moment before snapping his mouth shut and running forward again.

A gap between two tents led them into an open area that immediately enraged Taliesin. The prisoner’s area of camp was sheer squalor. Two large crude wooden pens were held together with sharpened wooden stakes and had many of the prisoners. In other places, prisoners were bound and tossed on the ground without any shelter at all, just left to lie in their own filth, to live or die as they would. There were easily over a hundred prisoners here, and he doubted half of them lived.

“Sort them out, quickly, living from dead,” commanded Taliesin, letting a little too much of his anger into his voice. “Aina, start hunting. Kill any gnoll that comes near.

Aina nodded, and vanished. The rest spread out to the bound prisoners first, quickly cutting bonds and dragging the living to their feet. The stronger ones held up the weaker, and every time they had a decent sized group, Taliesin opened a Minor Portal to the nearby woods with the same instructions. “Hunker down in the trees. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t make a sound.”

“Odin be praised,” said someone in the pens.

“Release us, quickly!” called another.

“Please, save my son!”

A clamor began to rise from the pens, but Arnulf rushed over to calm them. “They’re going to rescue everyone, be calm! Don’t alert the gnolls!”

But the warning didn’t matter a scant few minutes later when their run of good luck ended too soon. Aina came sprinting around a corner at full speed. She flashed a hand sign of “More coming! Many! Run!”

Howls came in the distance. A child started crying with such fear it rekindled unpleasant memories.

“Retreat into the pens!” shouted Taliesin.

The last few living bound humans who hadn’t escaped yet were cut free and shoved into the pens. Arnulf followed them in, and grabbed up a small, malnourished girl in a tight hug from one corner.

“Quickly!” Katla barked, glancing attentively toward the approaching gnolls.

Taliesin took up position between the two pens, turning his attention away from the humans and toward the fight that would come. He prepared his magic and his mind. He felt the gaze of people on him - Runolf’s uncertainty, the desperate eyes of people. It was here that he would make his stand. It was here he would demonstrate the power of a storm once it was angered. But first, he had to evacuate the humans that remained. Aina jumped up onto one of the pens in a move that was both acrobatic and impossible even as she drew an arrow and put it to the string just as she landed. Katla and Runolf stood in front of Taliesin to guard him.

“This is going to be tough. I’m not going to be able to cast a lot of offensive spells. Arnulf, Into the pens, get your people out!” said Taliesin. Then with a deep breath, he began chain casting spells. “[Phantom Armor]. [Soldier’s Aegis]. [Defensive Ward]. [Zone of Protection]. [Minor Portal]. [Minor Portal]. [Delayed Cast: Ice Darts]. [Delayed Cast: Ice Darts]. [Delayed Cast: Ice Darts].”

With his magic in place, Taliesin worked on the truly difficult task. Two portals would stretch him, but it was necessary. He summoned them both at once, manifesting them in each of the pens. With a grunt of effort, Taliesin held open the two Minor Portals as the prisoners raced to freedom. Hovering overhead was three dozen ice darts, all he had to work with for the fight, until the prisoners escaped. Katla and Runolf stood in front of him at the ready as he poured more and more aether into the Minor Portals to keep them open past the spellform’s natural lapsing time.

Then a crowd of angry gnolls stormed into the prison camp.