3

Ash looked back and forth between the two groups waiting for an explanation. As soon as it looked like the large muscular man was about to say something the lady clad in black armor spoke up.

“I suppose first we should introduce ourselves. I am Sheeve Altrea, knight commander of the fifth order of the Soland Empire. It’s a pleasure.” She says this to Ash with a pleased look on her face. Ash could feel that her role was an important one and that she thought so too. Her soldiers just looked ahead stoically, unmoving and silent.

The muscular man spoke up with anger clearly in his voice, “The Soland Empire is hardly an empire anymore! Now you’re just trespassers in kingdoms where you don’t belong!”

Sheeve responded quickly and even though she was still smiling, Ash could feel venom in her words. “We have every right to be here. King Dowler, your king I might add, has given us permission to pass through. We are not trespassers we are visitors. Not that it’s any of your business anyway. You are merely mercenaries of a small lowly guild. You’d do well to know your place before you bring shame to your king, old man.”

“As if I care about that dying fool, and who are you calling old? I’ve heard tales of you Sheeve of Soland and for those to be true you must be pushing at least three hundred!”

“Three hundred and twenty-six to be exact but that is still rather young for my race.” She replied sharply.

Ash took another look at Sheeve and noticed that her ears were especially long and stuck out sideways probably explaining why she didn’t wear a helmet. She must be an elf or something, he thought to himself. He wasn’t sure how he missed that up till now.

She’s a drow. A dark elf, but I wouldn’t call her that.

“A drow?” Ash says more or less to himself.

Sheeve smiles at Ash pleased that he noticed. “Yes I am. I am the only drow serving under Emperor Soland. I have served under five generations of emperors in fact.”

“That’s what you call old.” The muscular man says while crossing his arms. “Anyway mage, I’ll introduce myself now. My name is Waldo.”

“Waldo?” Ash says while stifling a chuckle. He couldn’t help but wonder if people had trouble finding him.

“That’s right. Waldo of the Red Piper’s Guild!” Several of his men and women let out a cheer and hoist there weapons in the air as Sheeve rolls her eyes. “But you can call me Titan. It’s a nickname I have grown accustomed to.”

“Ok, then.”

Careful. My knowledge of the Red Piper’s Guild is limited but what I do know is that you don’t want to make them your enemy.

“I’ll try not to.” Ash replies to Sam.

“Try not to what?” Titan asks with confusion.

Remember, only you can hear me.

“That’s dumb.” Ash says with a sigh.

“Who’s dumb?!” Titan asks angrily.

“That’s easy answer.” Sheeve says with a smirk.

“You test me witch.” Waldo says with frown and a growl.

“You know it’s easier to smile than it is to frown.”

“What can I say? I’m an overachiever.”

The argument seems to continue for a bit but Ash wasn’t really paying attention. He was too busy watching a snake with a scorpion tail drag a small rabbit into the woods. He decided he didn’t care too much for the snakes of this world.

“Mr. Mage?” Sheeve says politely then, when she realized he wasn’t paying attention she spoke with a much sterner but still polite voice. “Mr. Mage!”

Startled, Ash looks towards her. “It’s Ash. My name is Ash Sage.”

Titan chuckles, “What kind of name is that? Is sage your last name or class?”

Another member of Titan’s group, a young man in red mage garb, shakes his head. “Impossible, sage class hasn’t been achieved by anyone younger than fifty-five. This guy looks like he’s in his mid to late twenties.”

“How old are you boy?” Titan says with a smile, his anger replaced with amusement.

Ash was starting to get just a little bit annoyed. “Old enough to know when someone is talking sh-“

Before he could finish Sheeve cut him off. “Well, I think it’s a very unique name. Now that we are all acquainted let’s resolve our situation so we can be on our way.” A murmur of agreement echoes all around them.

Ash nods in agreement. “So what’s all the hubbub?” He asks.

“I don’t know what a hubbub is but our problem is a simple matter of miscommunication. My group and I were traveling along this road when we encountered these hooligans and, much to my surprise they did not move.” Sheeve says while giving a cold stare directed at Titan. “They just stood there. Refusing to let us by and even now they still stand in our way.” She says dramatically.

“You are a liar!” Titan says pointing an accusing finger at Sheeve. “It is our way that she hinders! How dare you manipulate the truth you horseback riding wench!”

“Close your mouth. Your breath reeks of cheap mead.” Sheeve replies with disgust.

Ash’s annoyance level was rising. “So, let me get this straight. Your problem is that neither of you will get out of the other’s way? What’s so hard about moving off to the side of the road?”

Without a moment’s thought Sheeve replies, “It’s a matter of principle.”

“Well, what if you both go in single files?” Ash asks with a smile thinking he had solved the problem. “That way both groups can pass by each other while staying on the road. Everyone wins.”

“Roads too small.” Titan says with his arms crossed.

“The road isn’t that small.” Ash counters.

“IT’S TOO SMALL!” Titan roars.

“Yeah, okay, fine. It’s too small.”

Sheeve nods. “For once I agree with him. I’d sooner move aside than share a road with him.”

“Then move.” Titan says what Ash was thinking.

“No.” She replies definitely. “We have a much higher status so you and your little group should move.”

“You have no status in this country.” Titan says coldly, “You are outsiders and should move for us as a way to thank our king. Does that make sense dark elf?”

For the first time Sheeve’s smile faded away and was replaced by a menacing glare so intense Titan instinctively took a step back. Ash realized that things were going south so he cleared his throat and gathered their attention before speaking. “I think I know exactly whose right I just need to step away for a moment and talk quietly to my ring.” Everyone looks at him with a bit of confusion. “It’s a special decision making ring.” Everyone looks at each other and nods as if it was obvious. Ash starts to walk a little bit away from the group as he hears Sheeve call out to him.

“I’m sure you’ll make a sound decision Mr. Mage,” She says with a smile

“You better,” Titan mumbles.

Ash kneels down and lifts the ring close to his mouth and whispers, “I have no idea what to do. This is a ridiculous argument.”

Well first of all you don’t need to bring the ring that close, as long as you can hear yourself talk so can I. Lastly just pick the lesser of two evils.

“Which is?”

That’s a good question. On one side you have the Red Piper’s guild, which is an extremely violent guild that takes on any job no matter how vile. On the other side you have knights who serve the war hungry Soland Empire who are also known for violence and a love for torturing people in gruesome ways.

“Damned either way I go huh?”

Pretty Much.

Ash played enough games to know what was going on. He would have to make a choice that would decide his path, allies, and foes. A plot mechanic he kind of hated, especially at this moment. He really wished he didn’t have to bother with being the judge of what was basically a traffic dispute. He also knew not helping them would antagonize both of them and make him two enemies instead of one. He nods to himself and looks back at the groups. “I know what must be done.” With a new found resolve Ash stands back up and approaches the group.

“Well?” Says the muscle bound Titan.

“I have made a decision, but I need to ask a couple questions first.” Ash says as he looks at everyone. “First where is the nearest village or town?”

Titan points past his group down the dirt road. “About twenty minutes that way you’ll reach a village called Barrel. Why do you want to know?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ash replies. “Second question, does everyone realize how petty this is?” Everyone nods. “Good. Lastly, whomsoever I side with I want a promise from both groups that I won’t be harmed.”

“We wouldn’t taint our swords with your blood, so worry not Mage, your life is hardly worth taking.” Says Sheeve a little harshly.

Titan nods in agreement, “I wouldn’t harm you over a little dispute like this.” He and his group start laughing and it lasts a little bit longer than Ash felt comfortable with.

“Wait,” says a fairly short, young, and blonde headed woman from the Red Pipers side.

“What is it Botan? It had better be important.” Says Titan obviously annoyed.

“He just walked out from the woods. How do we know he’s not with them?”

Titan thinks about what she said but then shakes his head. “No, that way leads to Traveler’s Rest. That’s likely where he came from. He was probably just resting there.” Ash nods agreeing with him.

“That’s just what they want us to think. We should just kill him and stop wasting our time.”

Sheeve laughs, “You thought he was with us? Just look at how he’s dressed.” Ash, along with a few of the mages of the Red Piper’s Guild, look at their robes with shame. “He would never be accepted into my order. No offense mage.” She says to the very offended Ash.

Ash then notices the blonde girl named Botan looking at him suspiciously. She seemed to be pretty young compared to her teammates, perhaps nineteen or maybe twenty. She was dressed in mostly red clothes but she wore a dark black hooded cloak and a leather chest guard, with a bow and a quiver full of arrows tied to a belt on her back. Her hood was down revealing her mid-length blonde hair, which she had tied into a ponytail, and dark piecing green eyes that she had fixated on Ash. She reminded Ash of a snooty rich girl he went to school with when he was younger.

“Why don’t you make a sculpture? It’ll last longer.” She says sharply to Ash. She then turns her gaze away from him.

Okay, so she was a lot like the snooty rich girl he went to school with when he was younger. Ash sighs, thinking that girls might be the same in every world. He decides to ignore her and get this over with. He raises his hand and extends a finger. Everyone looks at him expectantly. “Okay,” Ash says as he points his finger at Sheeve and mumbles something than points it at Titan than back at Sheeve all while mumble something quietly. Everyone watches him with the utmost anticipation. “Mo.” Ash says quietly while resting his finger pointing at Sheeve.

“As if there was any doubt.” Sheeve says with a not-so humble smile.

The members of the Red piper’s guild loudly and angrily voice their protests but are silenced by Titan when he holds up his hand. He turns an angry glare at Ash. “Just what is your reasoning mage?!” Titan cries out in anger.

Ash thinks for a moment before coming up with an excuse. “Horses,” Ash says pointing at Sheeve’s horse. “Their group has horses. Horses shouldn’t be expected to walk off road if they don’t have to.”

“The horses, that’s your only reason?!” Titan asks in disbelief.

“Yep, the horses.” Ash replies.

“It’s an excellent reason. After all, even our horses are more important than some barbarians from a backwoods guild.” Sheeve says taking the utmost delight in Titan’s upset expression.

“I didn’t say that.” Ash says to Sheeve, and then turns to Titan. “I did not say that.”

The blonde archer, Botan, points an accusing finger at Ash. “See? I told you he was with her. We should kill him. Dad, let me do it, just a quick arrow to the chest, thunk!” She says while mimicking shooting an arrow at Ash who just looks at her with a bored expression.

Dad? So she is his daughter. Kind of explains a lot.

“No.” Titan says with a frown. “If that is his decision we should honor it no matter how wrong it may be.” With a look of defeat he turns to his group. “Everyone! Get off the road!” The group starts voicing their complaints loudly especially his daughter. “This is an order! Do not shame us further.” With some grumbling the Red Piper’s Guild members step off onto the side of the road except for Botan who just crosses her arms and glares at Sheeve. Ash lets out another long sigh wishing that this could just end.

Sheeve looks at the defiant archer and laughs. She wouldn’t voice it but she sort of liked the fire in her. Then again she also liked snuffing out those kinds of fires. Before the situation could escalate further Titan grabs Botan by the shoulder and pulls her off the road. She was about to say something to him but she noticed a stern look in his eyes and decided not to push her luck.

“At long last we can go depart. Was that so hard?” Sheeve says to Titan smugly. However, Titan doesn’t so much as look at her and just stands on the side of the road waiting for her to depart. A little dejected Sheeve motions for her group to move. As she passes Ash she looks down at him from atop her horse. “Come, Mage, you can walk with us for a bit. No telling what they might try to do to you after you shamed them like this.”

“I didn’t mean to shame anyone.” Ash says with a glance at the Red Piper’s group.

“But you did and it was the highlight of my day. Come along now.”

Ash decided to take up Sheeve’s offer and follow her. As he begins to walk alongside Sheeve’s slow trotting horse he hears Titan shout towards him, “Goodbye mage. Pray we never meet again.”

“I’ll do that,” Ash says without looking back.

Titan watches as Ash, Sheeve, and her soldiers disappear out of sight. “Okay, so who volunteers to kill that mage?” Titan says enthusiastically to his group.

‘‘I thought we weren’t going to harm him?” Asks one of the mages.

Titan scoffs at him, “I said I wouldn’t harm him. I never said anything about the rest of you harming him.’’

Botan approaches him with a determined look on her face. “Then let me. I’ll do it.”

“No.” Titan replies without hesitation.

“What? C’mon Dad! No one else is volunteering.”

“I said no. You’re still too green. Your mother would kill me.”

“I’m already one of the best archers in the guild and every request I’ve taken on has been completed without any mistakes.”

“Yes, all two of them.”

“Just let me do it. How can I get experience if you won’t let me practice shooting arrows at actual people?”

“Well, he does look like a rather low level mage and he looks young so I doubt he has developed any kind of resistance skills and if he has they are probably low level.”

“Worst case scenario, Dad, if he does have a resistance or something I can just use the trump card Mom gave me.” Botan pulls an arrow covered in red cloth out of her quiver.

“Oh, yeah, that thing.” After he thinks for a moment he nods. “All right. He’s yours.”

“Yes!” Botan says with excitement.

“But keep your distance and wait till he is separated from that witch’s group.”

“Okay.”

“Also be careful. If something happens to you your mother will kill me.”

“Dad, I’ll be fine. I can pick him off while hiding in the woods”

“Botan. You don’t understand. Your mother WILL kill me. So maybe another couple of archers should follow you.”

“No! We could risk being spotted! I have to do this alone.” She says defiantly and runs into the woods disappearing from sight.

Titan shakes his head. “She’s so dramatic; she must get it from her mother.” He turns to motion to his group. “All right everyone! Let’s get the hell out of here.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Sheeve kept her steed’s pace slow enough to match Ash’s as he walked alongside her and her horse. Her face broke into a wide smile as she remembered the look on Titan’s face. If she could she would put that moment into a bottle so she could open it and see it again when she was feeling down. Alas, she didn’t have a bottle and she didn’t know how to cast the memory capturing spell.

Ash looked up at her as she rode and took notice of her pleased face. They hadn’t talked since they departed from Titan about ten minutes ago. Ash was surrounded by intimidating men and women all clad in full body armor, and they all just rode on their horses without saying a word. Ash wasn’t used to being around people this long and really wished they would just ride on without him.

The silence was the most unbearable part; they weren’t even talking to each other. He then realized that during the whole exchange with Titan, Sheeve was the only member of her group to talk; the rest of them stood by like emotionless statues. Ash decided against his better judgement to break the silence. “Sheeve?” He says. A chill went down Ash’s spine and he looked around to notice all of the members of Sheeve’s group glaring at him.

Whoa. What did you do Ash?

Sheeve chuckles and holds up her hand, “Stand down, everyone. Ignorance should be expected in this land.” Her companions turn their gaze from Ash and face ahead. Ash looks up at Sheeve curiously. “Sorry mage, where we’re from names are important and using someone’s name improperly is considered a severe insult. You must refer to me as Knight Commander Sheeve if you must refer to me at all.”

Ash, you better apologize.

“Whoops, my bad.” Ash says half heartily.

“That’s fine. Just don’t let it happen again. Now what did you want to ask me?”

He honestly didn’t have anything he wanted to ask her. “Uh… So what are you doing here? I mean in this particular area? I mean, are you here for business or pleasure?”

“A bit of both I’m hoping. Unfortunately I can’t really tell you anything.”

“Oh.” That was fine. Ash actually didn’t really care to know.

The group comes to a fork in the road and stops. Sheeve points down one of the roads. “You’ll want to head that way, it will lead you to the village. The rest of us will be going the other way so this is where we part.”

“Oh, Okay.” Ash says with a sense of relief.

“Goodbye mage and thank you.”

“It’s Ash.”

Ignoring him Sheeve makes a motion to her team. Each of them, Including Sheeve, leans over and whispers something in their horse’s ear. As if possessed the horses seem to lose their mind, stamping their feet and making sounds that Ash wasn’t aware horses could make. The horses take off down the road at amazing speed, carrying their passengers and leaving a blinding dust trail behind them. They were out of sight long before the dust could settle.

“Wow,” Says Ash. “Talk about horsepower. What did they whisper in their ears?”

Not sure.

“Also, why didn’t you warn me that they were so sensitive about names?”

I wasn’t aware of that myself. I don’t know everything.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sheeve’s horse couldn’t stop itself even if it wanted to as it sped down the road at an incredible speed, with the other horses not far behind. Sheeve had a tight grip on her horse’s reins as the wind rushed by her face. She enjoyed that little encounter but she was glad to be back on track. She couldn’t help but wonder what would become of the mage. She seriously doubted Titan would keep his word. He wouldn’t be dumb enough to attack her but the mage was a different story.

Earlier, when she was with the mage, she was well aware they were being followed. Someone was in the woods keeping pace with them, staying out of sight and hiding their presence. Sheeve wasn’t fooled however; you can’t hide from a hunter like herself. Whoever it was obviously wanted the mage to be left by himself so they could pick him off; it was most likely an archer because that’s a very archery thing to do. Sheeve thought about warning the mage before she left but decided against it. Whatever happens to the mage is not her problem. Sheeve chuckled to herself admiring the chaos of this world. Her mood was great and her energy was high, today was a good day.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Finally, thought Botan, the witch has left. She had been in the woods following Ash and Sheeve for quite some time and the fools were none the wiser. Botan thought that Sheeve was going to escort him to the village and she would have to wait till Ash was alone before she could end him but now it seems like she’ll be able to finish this much quicker. Slowly she closed the gap between herself and the mage known as Ash, all the while staying hidden. She was so close now she could hear him talking to himself.

He was standing still looking down at a yellow and blue mushroom sticking out of the ground. He must be planning to use it to make a poison, thought Botan as she readied her bow. She could hear him yell that he had no intentions of eating that mushroom. She didn’t know who he was talking to as he was obviously alone. He probably isn’t right in the head she thought as she selected her arrow from her quiver. Ash gave up on the mushroom and continued to walk along the road while talking to himself. Ash’s back was turned to her and she knew this was her chance.

She knocked her arrow and aimed at the poor mages head. As she pulled the arrow back, she decided that she would at least bury him after she takes his stuff of course. Goodbye, she thought, as she released the arrow. The arrow flew through the air at blinding speed and struck Ash in the back of the head. Much to her surprise the arrow simply fell to the ground leaving not so much as a mark. She watched as the mage scratched at the back of his head still talking to himself.

Furious and confused she quickly knocks another arrow and shoots it at Ash. To her chagrin it hits him and simply falls again and Ash continues walking as if nothing happened. Red with anger she moves closer and aims at the back of his head. She lets the arrow fly and has to resist screaming in anger as it clearly hits him and falls to the ground. She looked on with seething fury as Ash held his hand out looking at the sky thinking it might be raining. This wasn’t right, she screamed internally, there was no way his magic was high enough to grant him any kind of resistance, especially against three arrows aimed at a critical spot!

Luckily, she had the arrow her mother had given her. It’s a magic arrow enchanted with a high level spell called “smite”. Enchanted items are rare and hard to make so her mother had warned her to only use it in case of an emergency. So naturally she decided to use it against a stranger that embarrassed her father. She pulled the arrow out of the quiver. It was wrapped in a shiny red cloth that she eagerly ripped off of it. She basked in its beauty for a moment. It was thicker than most arrows and had a glowing blue arrowhead. She wondered if she should save it but decided against it. It was now a matter of pride, this mage had insulted her and had laughed at her feeble attempts to hurt him…Probably…He had to pay.

Ash had started walking again while she was admiring the enchanted arrow, so she hurriedly closed this distance. She wanted to make sure she didn’t miss so, with his back to her again, she decides to stealthily and quietly step out of the woods and onto the road without Ash noticing. She knocks the arrow and pulls it back. A blue light swirls around her and the arrow. She fills power that she has never experienced before radiating from the arrow. The air seemed to distort all around her and her bow seemed to struggle to hold the arrows power. This will hurt him, she thought to herself smiling.

She saw Ash stop in the middle of the road as if he knew something was off, and as he turned around she could see his eyes light up in surprise. “Sweet baby carrots!” He screamed. She wasn’t sure what that meant but it was too late for him. She released the arrow and watched in glee as it hurdled towards him the ground cracking beneath it as it went. Ash had quickly summoned a wall made of earth to block it, but the arrow simply shattered through it and hit him square in the chest. Ash was knocked off his feet and sent flying, shredded pieces of his cloak falling everywhere. He landed on the ground and continued rolling several feet until coming to a stop in a twisted and crumpled state.

“Yes!” Botan screamed with joy. The arrow was even more powerful than she thought it would be. She looked with pride at the mage as he lay on the ground unmoving, steam coming off his chest where the arrow hit him. The arrow was nowhere to be seen, she had heard magic arrows disintegrate after use. Botan looked at her bow to discover that it was cracked all over and now unusable. She shrugged; she could always get another after she loots this guy.

She approaches the mage and looks down at his torn body. Well, his cloak was torn anyway. Wait, she thought, he should be in a far worse state than this. As she looks him over she couldn’t see any blood from him anywhere. Then, to her horror, she hears him groan. She backs away in fear and confusion as Ash rises up and shakes his head.

“Ugh, I know I should have moved out of its way. I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think so quit nagging me.” Ash says, perhaps to himself, as he stands up. He looks at the giant hole in his cloak where the arrow hit him and sighs with disappointment as he tears off a small piece of hanging fabric. “Well, that’s ruined.”

“What are kind of monster are you?!” Botan says with a mixture of shock, confusion, and fear as she notices his chest is completely unscathed.

Ash looks to her and recognizes her immediantly as Titans unfriendly daughter. He responds to her question with apparent disdain in his voice, “Hey, Botan right? You owe me a dress.” She hears him sigh and look at his ring. “I know it’s a robe.” He seems to say to it.

Botan was frozen with fear not knowing what she should do against such a powerful foe. She had no idea that the enemy in front of her was far hungrier than he was angry. Ash let out a long sigh knowing that this was woman was just another obstacle between him and dinner.