Wild Wastes 5 -CH 15- (Patreon)

Peeking out from where the trees thinned out and up to the Nullifier’s flying above, Vince knew he didn’t have a lot of time. If Atis and Zathira were going to catch up to the others he needed to give them a window.

A big one.

One that they could use to completely break free and get into an area that wouldn’t be watched.

That meant making sure all eyes were completely focused in on him.

“There’s only two right now,” Vince murmured to himself while pressed up to a tree trunk. “I can handle two. Especially without having to worry about defending Zathira. If it gets hairy… I’ll just duck out. Cut contact dodge into the forest to the west if I’m out in the field, otherwise go back into this forest we’re in, lay low, become part of it.

“Just like I used to when I was just a normal every day Ranger. Just like that. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem. More an inconvenience than anything.”

Grimacing, Vince pulled his pistol free and then began aiming it up toward the Nullifier’s. They were moving slowly through the sky and not too high up.

From his experience a pistol was certainly reliable when up close with a problem. At the distance he was considering right now, he couldn’t even be sure the round would be within ten-feet of the target.

The simple reality was that pistols weren’t that accurate in the best of times, the chances of him scoring a hit were pretty low.

Putting the sights out ahead of the slower moving Nullifier, Vince was taking a risk. He’d previously thought of aiming for the mount, but realized that it’d be more likely that they’d have a shield around both of them, if they had one at all.

Which meant striking the rider was a better answer considering humans were pretty frail when it came to their skin.

Delicate as glass in some ways, durable as a tank in others.

Now let’s just give this a try and—

Vince squeezed the trigger and felt the buck of the firearm in his hand. He gave it a split-second to return to position then pulled in close behind the tree. Anymore than one shot would give them the possibility of figuring out his position.

Watching the target Vince didn’t see any change in them whatsoever.

He’d missed his shot and that wasn’t much of a surprise. Wasn’t even outside of his own expectation for the situation.

Hitting them would’ve been a bonus. A secondary objective, really.

The biggest point of firing on them was to get them to focus on Vince. Firing off several rounds would guarantee that they’d be far more interested in this area, than elsewhere.

Both Nullifier’s began looking around, unaware that they’d been shot at. Almost as if they weren’t sure what’d happened.

I… huh… are they trying to figure out if they heard someone hunting, or if it’s their target?

They have no idea what’s going on. In fact, I bet they’re working with such limited information, I could probably wait a bit and fire off another shot when they’re not expecting it.

Though… it’s kinda working. They’re not looking anymore. They’re flying real close to one another and not moving much.

Watching the Nullifier’s Vince contemplated what to do next. The longer they hung there, the better. Every second he kept them not looking, was another second for Zathira and Atis.

Vince waited there, contemplating when to take another shot.

A couple minutes ticked by as the two hung there, giving Vince quite a while to simply look at the creatures they were flying. They were oddly built with wings that weren’t big enough to support their own weight, let alone a rider’s weight.

He’d long suspected that Dragons had some magic built into their flight so that they could actually remain aloft. These monsters, covered in fur, long claws, short wings, and a head more like a dogs, were most certainly not able to fly without magic.

In fact, he’d bet on them being problematic for Nullifier’s to fly given their attacks wipe out magic. Though if that was the only way they coudl achieve flight similar to a Dragon’s, he could imagine them not having much in the way of choice.

One of the Nullifier’s began to move off from their partner, their head starting to move back and forth as they scanned below. Whatever conversation they’d had was now over and they were looking to re-engage the search.

“Can’t have that now… so let’s see if we can’t take another potshot,” Vince mumbled to himself as he lifted the pistol up. He braced his arm against the tree again and sighted it on the unmoving Nullifier.

Pushing the sight higher to account for the drop he hesitated, then squeezed the trigger. He only put out one shot again so as to try and limit their ability to run him down.

Both Nullifier’s flinched, the one that was moving coming to a complete stop.

The one he’d fired at looked rather nervous. They seemed unharmed but were looking down to their crotch. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening, however.

Moving close to one another they were now having a very animated conversation. One was looking around at the ground below in a manic sort of way, while the other was still looking at their crotch.

Vince only noticed then, that the flying creature was flapping it’s wings harder. That it had the look of struggling with keeping in the air, in fact. It was tossing their head about even as they continued to remain in the air.

“Did I hit it?” Vince asked.

The creature dipped suddenly and then came back up in altitude. Reaching the same height as their companion the Nullifier had a frantice appearance.

Then the creature practically dropped out of the sky. There was a brief moment where both Nullifier’s realized what was happening before one grabbed the other. Pulling the Nullifier that was about to take a free trip down out of their saddle. They were pulled onto the front of the seat of the other Nullifier as their mount was now obviously struggling.

Not waiting around, the two Nullifier’s and their signal mount started flying off to the north. The creature doing it’s best to carry their riders off.

Vince spotted the falling creature a second before it slammed into the ground and was turned into a flattened hunk of meat. Being turned into a cutlet mixed with dirt.

Let’s… go get it’s heart, have a meal, then see if we can’t catch back up with Zathira and Atis. No reason to not turn around and see if we can’t meet up with them.

It’s only been an hour or so, they couldn’t have made that much ground, could they? I mean, it would certainly help if I went and caused problems but I’m sure Petra would have other things for me to do.

Things she’d already planned for.

Standing there, Vince realized his thoughts were actually betraying what he wanted.

What he actually wished for, wasn’t to head back down south, but to remain in the field here. To cause a great deal of problems for his enemies and really dig into the work available here.

Because if he went back home, he’d have to deal with the frozen grief that lurked in his heart while also helping others through their own. All while trying to be the Lord of Dryads, Dragons, and Elves and live to their expectations.

The expectations put on him as a Lord of deities and an entire nation.

He’d already heard from a few people that Legion was propagating rumours that Felix and Vince were both gods in their own rights.

That Leila, Sam, and Red were missing at the moment. That there was a distinct possibility they were already dead and killed by the portal as it ejected them out.

If he was alone, he could start chipping away at those feelings without feeling like he had to put on a mask. To pretend he was fine for everyone else.

Shaking his head, Vince went to go get the heart he’d already promised himself. After that, he’d see about running down some information about the area.

In the end, he was going to be selfish this time.

He was going to go cause a great many problems for Francia, deal with his own grief, and try to stabilize his emotions.

Heart… run down information… set up a camp.

***

Tilting his head to the side, Vince watched as the soldiers went about what he could only describe as camp tasks. Gathering wood from stockpiles, working on equipment, sleeping, or training.

After enjoying his pre-dawn gloom meal Vince had traveled west and north. It hadn’t been long till he found a road that he’d traveled along with it to the north. Only to find what he wanted, a military camp.

Yawning, he reached up and rubbed a hand across his eyes and then mouth. Feeling like he wanted to go lay down and see if he couldn’t get some rest.

Except he didn’t want to do that until the middle of the day. If he was going to become a terror for them, he needed to start his work at night. To really make them wary of going to sleep.

Which meant he had to be up a bit longer.

And here I am, looking to run down some information.

Or more accurately… beat it the fuck out of an officer.

If they’re real helpful, I’ll even let them live. Though… probably after I do something to make sure they can’t hold a weapon against my people again.

Take a thumb? That’d be simple enough and allow them to live their lives mostly the same.

A small group of soldiers with someone who was very clearly not of the rank-and-file started out from the center of the camp. Moving with purpose and speed and a set goal in mind.

Them, then.

Standing up with a sniffle, Vince moved away from the camp-follower tents. He’d stashed his armor, sword, and pack in a spot he could return to easily. Right now he was dressed in what could be described as peasant clothing.

Picking up the axe he’d borrowed from somewhere else in the camp he began swaggering out toward the forest. Looking a lot like a lumberjack that was on his way to go get some firewood.

As they weren’t part of the main military camp there wasn’t much in the way of security. Vince was able to come and go as he pleased so long as he wasn’t being an obvious concern or security risk.

Moving like a man plagued by a hangover and exhausted, Vince drug himself along toward the trees. Channeling his inner disdain for working and wanting no more of the world.

As soon as he was in the trees and out of sight he set the axe to the side where he could find it later, grabbed his pistol that he’d left there, then ghosted off. Moving quickly into the thicker brushes and moving through them. He could move through them forcefully without too much of an issue.

It took more than branches and the like to break pierce his skin. Any damage to his clothes would, if anything, help him blend in. The people of Francia didn’t look anything like those in Yosemite, Legion, or even before Yosemite.

These people looked a lot more like people he’d seen in history books from the medieval period. Having forgotten or lost all the technology that’d been part of their world not so long ago.

As if it never existed.

Though… hm… I wonder if it’s that the Nullifier’s and the Tribunal took everything for themselves. Maybe that’s why we don’t see much of it in the populace.

That’d make more sense.

Back home, the Wastes made it so that governments couldn’t really keep up with their own people.

Ducking, dodge, and weaving through the trees, Vince put him in a line with where he believed the patrol would exit from. Once he got behind them, he’d just ghost along behind them.

Waiting for an opportunity to kill them all but the officer, then get information. With any luck, information about where the current forces are deployed, if resources are coming in from the north as he predicted, and where the best place to push is.

Actually… I can’t let the officer live, even if he tells me everything.

My questions would give them an idea of my goals.

Well, that’s a pity.

Vince racked his pistol and waited.

He didn’t have long to wait thankfuly as the patrol came past him and moved with determination. Marching up the road and to the south.

They didn’t have the appearance of people who were engrossed in what they were doing. Their eyes were roaming about, almost closed, weapons head loosely, helmets bouncing around on their heads.

These were people running a patrol that weren’t expecting anything at all.

Moving in behind them, Vince kept along their trail.

None of them looked backward and they hadn’t posted anyone to watch their rear.

Vince waited, moving quietly and out of sight, despite their lack of awareness. This felt like it could easily be a trap as much as it coudl be a complete lack of discipline.

Getting a ways out from the camp the patrol turned off the road and along a footpath. One that was traveled often and looked to be utilized frequently.

With what Vince could see it looked like it would head off to the east and further into the woods. Most of this area was fairly wooded as far as he’d seen so far.

His information was quite limited, though, and his knowledge of the area was severely lacking.

Deciding this was the best moment to act, Vince walked right up to the back of the patrol of soldiers. He did it without making much noise, nor without projecting any type of killing intent.

He’d always felt like some people had instincts like he did. A bit more animalistic than other humans and able to sense danger or predators. There’d be no harm to try and present himself as if he were a peasant traveling from one location to another.

Just in case someone looked back and saw him.

Reaching the back of the group, Vince identified the officer easily enough. His helmet was a bit differntly decorated and he also had a different shoulder-guard that had some fancy engravings on it.

He stood out fairly well.

Lifting the pistol, Vince shot everyone in the back of the head one by one and ignored the officer. In less than three seconds he’d dropped all of them to the ground and was left with only his prey.

“Let’s have a chat,” Vince said as the officer turned to face him with an extended sword. “Or I can just kill you and wait for another patrol to ask them questions, instead of you.”

The officer trembled where he stood, his sword still between Vince and himself.

“A chat,” repeated the man slowly.

“Indeed. A chat,” agreed Vince with a cold smile. He knew that shooting the man would be in poor taste after he’d answered all his questions, but there just weren’t any other options that wouldn’t put Vince at risk.

If the man died here, it’d look like an ambush on a patrol, rather than clandestine forces getting information. There simply wasn’t the possibility.

“First… where’re you getting all your supplies?” asked Vince with the first of the questions he wanted answered. When the time came, he promised himself to make sure the officer didn’t even see it coming.

“From the north. It’s all brought in by wagon. At first they used some antique vehicles,” answered the Officer. “Didn’t want to waste the gas. Horse and wagon now.”

“In other words, not from south of the portal-storm, but brought in from the actual north,” Vince summarized, to which the man nodded his head. “Depots. Where are they? Where are food, ammunition, and other things stored?”

Standing so close to the man, Vince could now push into the man’s head without too much effort. He could only get surface emotions and a smattering of thoughts at the moment.

There was a great deal of fear in the man. Fear from boot to helmet and nothing else.

It was surprising since the officer didn’t look like he was actually that afraid.

“S-several places. Military buildings in the nearby cities. The closest one is by Toulouse. Big city,” admitted the man. “Everything is brought in by wagon, put to storage, distributed as needed to the nearby areas. It’s all sent out from those directly rather than to somewhere else. Can reach the front in thw est, or the east, from there.”

Vince felt no lies and no dodges in that statement.

“How long could your forces survive without those depots getting resources?” asked Vince. “A month? Few weeks? Indefinitely?”

“Months, but not more than half a year,” the man murmured. “We’d end up taking everything from the citizens and strip the land but… that’s how we’d do it. Maybe two months if we didn’t.”

“Is there a central depot? A center point before it’s sent out to other depots?” pressed Vince. He didn’t care if the man inferred what Vince’s goal was since he’d be dying anyways. Right now information was paramount.

“No,” the man said with a shake of his head. Once again, Vince didn’t detect a lie in that answer. It was the truth as the man knew it.

“You want to be here? You sign up for this with a commission?” asked Vince.

“I… uh… I signed with a commission, but not to be here in the south. I bribed more than a few captains to get a job pushing paper back home,” the man mumbled, his sword tip sinking with every word. “They sent me down here with all these fresh recruits. I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

“The recruits. How fresh are they? Where are they being trained?” asked Vince.

“Most are only a couple weeks in. They’re… not being trained. Just given their gear, told where to go, and then it’s up to the commanders in the field to handle it,” the officer explained. “All the veterans are already at the front and were trying to push through the siege wall. They were just getting beat back with every push though. Now it’s a massive stand-off while we mass up.

“Their weapons, armor, and equipment match our own and go beyond it in many ways. I’ve been there. I saw the front. They have rifles that… that never seem to run out of ammo. They just fire and fire and fire unendingly. Even if you manage to knock one down, they end up popping right back up when others appear. Like medics but… they use magic.

“We’re… not at their level. We should just let them have Spain and consider the whole thing a mis-understanding. The populace was already war weary, not they’re just exhausted.”

As the man spoke, his weapon had ended up falling all the way down till the tip rested against the ground.

Vince once more felt nothing but the truth from the spoken words. The only thing the man held in him other than fear, was frustrating, anger, and a longing for home.

For family.

Regretting that he’d slaughtered all these green soldiers Vince shook his head. He knew he needed to kill the officer but he didn’t quite have the guts to do it.

“Don’t… kill me. I’ll just say we were ambushed by a recon force from Spain,” the man suggested honestly. The feeling Vince got back once again was of sincerity.

Vince lowered the pistol a bit, then put a round through the officer’s left upper arm. With the situation as it was, it was the best Vince could do to offer the man an out.

“Fine,” Vince said even as the man dropped his weapon and pushed a hand up to the wound. “Get going. I’m going to arrange this to make it look more like they tried to defend themselves, then ran in every direction. You were attack from every angle and by magic and firearms.

“No one listened to your orders and were magically compelled to flee. Including you.”

Moving up to a near by dead soldier, Vince rolled him over. He put two rounds into him. One in the chest, then one in the guts. He’d have to put a little time into this and move corpses, but he could make this work.

The officer had been honest, true, and actually helpful.

He was trusting him a bit, but Vince didn’t think he’d be dissapointed.

Oh, let’s not forget to rob the others before we shoot them. Clothes, coins, and anything else that might be useful.