Tom enjoyed the second batch of log carrying. It was almost luxurious compared to the first, and he barely needed to struggle. Yes, the weight tugged on his shoulders and neck, but as a whole they marched in unison.
It was easy.
“Get away from me!”
The scream shook him out of his inner thoughts. His brain responded. There had been primal emotion in that cry and it was from the centre of the fortifications whose wall was twenty metres from him. Fight instincts flared within him, and his mind immediately focused on the restriction around his shoulders. The harness had been designed for this moment and without hesitation he collapsed to his knees to release the pressure and allow him to dislodge it. He was not the only one as the logs crashed next to him. If one person left, the remaining nineteen would support it, but if ten ducked out at the same time the load of logs was being dropped and that was what happened. The early movers got out with no damage, while those who had reacted late would probably have received some bruises as they were torn down.
With a pull of the strap and a twist of his hips, he rolled free of the yoke and sprang to his feet. His hand clenched and his spear appeared ready to use in case there was a threat out here besides within the walls.
Should he defend here? Or see what was happening inside?
Even as he had the thought, Tom realised he had already decided and was already running straight at the wall.
His mind calculated which way to go. He could go via the official exit a winding passage that was so thin that his shoulders would scrape across the stone as he went through. Forge through the gap and hope the murder holes that stood vigil over the entrance were not armed and then after running that gauntlet pray the gate was not shut or defended because when you exited the tunnel three or four people could attack you simultaneously. Against determined defence, the tunnel was nigh on impenetrable. If he was fast enough?
Nope.
Tom was going over the wall.
Whoever was yelling had not stopped, but now the cries were unintelligible. All they could hear were scraps of frustration. ‘No!’ or ‘let me go!’
Tom forced himself to focus on getting to the top of the wall so he could verify what was happening. With the anti-beast measures, at least for a human, it was climbable.
Visually, to Tom it looked ridiculously easy. He needed to jump up on top of the four metre horizontal anti lizard spike that went out at chest height then he had a further three metres to leap to grab the lip of the wall and possibly the supports used to keep the ferret stakes in position and then he could flip himself over the obstruction or push the spike aside to get access.
Tom hesitated as he remembered exactly what his current body was capable of. Two months ago in the trial this would have been trivial. Today, in his new body he could not effortlessly jump three metres up and then easily evade the spikes. He had far less power and agility.
The stretch of wall in front of him was smooth, which meant his best option would be a version of pole vaulting, and while his spear was not quite long enough, it could help his leap. It wasn’t as if the attempt could kill him.
“Help!”
Tom shivered at the cry. It was as desperate as ever, raw. If he stuffed up at worse, he would be skewered by one or more of the ferret spikes. Tom had a healthy understanding of his own healing capabilities, and he could easily patch himself through that.
There was nothing life threatening in what he was attempting just a promise of pain to motivate him to get this right. His launch point had to be one of the tree trunks that jutted out as an anti lizard setup. He pushed his way up then to the very tip and then sprinted towards the wall getting ready to use his spear.
Some bark slipped under his foot. With a curse, he aborted the leap and smacked hard into the wall.
Then Everlyn was next to him.
“I’ll boost you.” She told.
He nodded. That could work. They repositioned. One foot on her cupped and joined hands and the other on the ground. He leapt off his grounded foot and then Everlyn grunted as she helped him leap by pushing him up. He soared through the air far higher than he could have achieved naturally and got two hands on the supports of the ferret spikes. The wood creaked, but the construction was solid and they held. Then it was easy enough to wiggle through the pieces of wood.
“Yell if you need me.” She called out behind him.
Up here, sounds were clear, and he could hear a struggle.
Tom peeked over the edge.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The legless man was tossed backwards, and he immediately curled up and covered his head with his arms. He was surrounded by a ring of people.
“No, no. I refuse to be crippled. Kill me.”
The adrenaline that had been building in Tom drained out. This was not some form of mutiny it was one man having a psychotic break.
Clare stepped forward abruptly, pushing through the dense crowd. She did not hesitate and immediately reached down and touched the legless man on the head. He slumped over unconscious. There was an awkward silence. Pena patted Clare on the shoulder.
Tom shifted back to look down upon Everlyn. “It’s okay just a mental breakdown.” He called out to Everlyn. “It’s under control.”
She smiled. “Good. I’ll go through the proper entrance.”
She headed off and Tom returned his attention back to the drama in the courtyard.
“He’s traumatised.” Clare said. “We’ll take it in shifts and start regrowing him overnight.”
Joline nodded agreement. “That’s fine, but I don’t want anyone’s magic dropping below ninety percent.”
Tom sighed at the interaction and watched as Clare and Legen shifted the unconscious man back into the tent. The legless man had to know there was a solution to his injuries, but everyone was so off kilter that depression could easily take hold. And it was not like it was a bad sentiment. Tom didn’t want to be a burden either.
“Boo!”
He jumped and almost fell off the wall. A hand gripped him, and Everlyn laughed in amusement.
“Damn it.”
She giggled.
“How high are your stealth and camouflage skills? And how did you get up here?”
She giggled. “There was a climbable section a couple of metres that way.”
“I didn’t notice.”
She shrugged. “You didn’t need to because the boost technique worked.”
“My pole-vaulting effort didn’t.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I noticed and… So did the wall.”
“Shut up.”
With a laugh, she patted him on the shoulder. “I think I can hear Michael summoning the slackers back.”
With lots of pretend grumbling, he completed the chore and then settled down for a relaxing meal with the full team.
“Being away from the wasps sure is something. What a great day.” Sven declared.
“People died.” Clare hissed.
Sven ignored her. “As for you Tom, I thought you were a maniac letting your self be stung so many times but against the lizards. What the hell man, did you not get a fear receptor installed when you came out of the factory or what?”
“It was fun.”
The spell sword scoffed. “Fun he says. I say crazy.”
“It was a dumb monster. Not something to be afraid of.”
“Hit like a motherfucker.” Thor grumbled to a scattering of laughs. “You got taken out didn’t you Tom.”
Tom felt his cheeks going red. “Nope, it was a falling injury.”
Sven laughed uproariously. “You’re telling me the guy who was running up the back of lizards. Clambering over their heads got hurt because he landed badly.”
“A rock was where it shouldn’t have been.” He rotated his shoulder, remembering the pain.
“Leave him alone it was bad.”
“Colour me surprised Everlyn’s defending him.”
“Of course I’m defending him. We’re a team.”
“I loved today too.” Michael admitted. “I didn’t realise how on edge I was having nothing to fight.”
There were nervous chuckles.
“Well, if Existentia is anything like the trial we don’t have to worry about that anymore.” Clare reminded them.
“Yeah.” Sven clapped. “We should drink to our good fortune.”
“No drinking.” Michael said firmly. “We don’t know how bad the night’s going to be.”
The good cheer faded away somewhat at that reminder. The sun was setting. Everlyn nudged him and hooked his arm. “Do you want to keep me company?” She inclined her head toward the top of the wall.
“Are you on duty?”
“Yes, we’re on duty.”
“What?”
Another laugh. “You need to pay attention more, our names were down for the twilight period.”
“There’s shifts?”
“Someone… Joline,” she stage whispered. “Bought paper and there’s a roster.”
“Lucky we’re on the same shift, then.”
“Sure it’s luck.” She rolled her eyes.
“I mean I’m surprised because Joline hates me.”
“And others don’t have stick up their arse. She will not do something overt to piss you off. She needs to stay on people’s good sides. Now why don’t you summon a wisp to help us.”
“Air elemental?”
“Or shadow?” Everlyn suggested.
Tom looked at the horizon the sun was setting. “Air first, then in an hour I’ll switch. Are we expected to just stand sentry or do we need to patrol?”
“We’re on watch for monsters, not people. We don’t need to randomise our movements.”
He sat beside her and summoned his air elemental with instructions to act as a scout. Then they sat watching the sunset and the surrounding ground.
“Do you think we’ll be attacked tonight?”
“Yes.”
He pretended to tickle her in response to the abrupt answer.
“Careful.” Her face was serious and stern.
“I will be.” There was a period of silence. “You’ve got that look down pat.”
“Lots of practice.”
“Quiet.” someone on facing south hissed.
They chuckled quietly together, but acquiesced to the grumpy request. The sun went down.
Tom switched elementals.
New animals emerged. Most of them were small and solitary. None of them were brave enough to approach the fortifications that the humans had set up.
Replacements came, and they went off to sleep. Tom was awoken regularly throughout the night to the sounds of battle. Each time he would tense and get ready to fight till he worked out that it was only a skirmish and there was no panic in any of the human voices. Then he would drain his mana into his crystal to keep upgrading it and then fall asleep again.
“Shit night.” Everlyn commented in the morning.
“Yep felt like monsters tested our defences every ten minutes after midnight.”
“What I’d do for some good ear plugs?”
Tom looked at her in shock.
A smile broke out on her face. “Got you good.”
He sighed in relief. She had been joking. “I thought you were serious.”
Everlyn appeared annoyed. “I should tickle you in punishment for thinking I could be that stupid.”
He realised abruptly he was on thin ice and this was not a battlefield he was used to. Instincts warned him that if he admitted to thinking that poorly about her judgement. Things might go out of control. “Your delivery was too good.”
“I try. I wish I had a video to capture the shock on your face. It was priceless.”
“For a moment, it was like discovering the sensible chocolate ice cream you had purchased was actual asparagus.”
“I purchased?”
“Not the point.”
She laughed again. “I know. You’re way too easy.”
“Do we know what the plans are for today?”
“A consolidation day. The majority will stay safe and protected here while the scouts search out the best way to go. I’m scouting.”
“Another Joline missive?”
“Yep.”
“And me.”
“You’re on healing duty.”