Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (31 page)

Suddenly Boxy cleared the other end of the flank and Runner found himself staring at the position he’d set off from. There were no enemies before him and the path lay open. His mind went blank, and he had to blink several times to get a coherent thought through.

Shifting down to the first gear, he threw an “Attack” ping at Nadine for her to reengage the cannon barrage. He lined up the front of his good little death machine with where she’d started and let her roll on.

Coming to a full stop, he pulled the shifter into the neutral position and engaged the stationary brakes. Runner rolled his shoulders as the tension left him.

Though he wasn’t sure how deep into the madness he had sunk, it had felt truly cathartic. In his mind it was as if he had shrugged off burdens and baggage that he’d grown so used to that they’d been forgotten.

Blowing out a shaky breath, he stood up and turned to face his crew.

All looked at him in awe and fear. Runner couldn’t really disagree. In only a week or two he’d irrevocably changed warfare and acted like the criminally insane. Undeniably for the worse on both counts.

“So. Anyone hungry? It’ll take probably thirty minutes for Boxy to recharge,” Runner said a bit lamely.

Many of the beautiful Sunless women who had sought his favor earlier in the campaign turned their faces from him. One or two tried but couldn’t hold his gaze for longer than a few seconds. They wouldn’t or couldn’t do it.

Destroyer of worlds indeed.

One person had eyes for him though. Thana watched him and gave him a beautiful smile when he looked to her. His sagging heart burst to life, fluttering in his throat.

“I’d be delighted to, dear heart. Come, I imagine you’ll have a few messengers coming to report on the situation, so our time is short,” Thana said, gesturing to the rear door as she unlocked it. She then held out her hand to him.

Runner couldn’t dream of ever harming this lovely creature. This woman who saw him for what he was turning himself into as well as who he had been at the same time.

And accepted him.

“I’d be lost without you,” he finally choked out.

“I know.”

10:23 am Sovereign Earth time

11/16/43

Runner had been surprised at how little time had passed. While it felt like hours in the death machine, in reality no more than twenty minutes had elapsed. Twenty minutes of screaming, bloody, body flinging carnage.

Taking a moment to watch the field, he felt an ache in the pit of his stomach. He had destroyed the command tent and everyone he could in his attack on their leadership. Apparently quite a few of the line officers had noticed that fact and were pulling back.

Retreat and rout were two very different terms. Unfortunately one led to the other very quickly if the troops being told to pull back had already lost their nerve.

Between Boxy and the constant cannon attacks, Runner assessed that this would indeed quickly turn into a rout.

And I have no cavalry to run them down with.

Blinking as Hannah slammed into the forefront of his mind, he opened up his raid window. Bracing himself, he called up the mounted groups.

There were casualties. One in eight had a grayed out box for a name. Fortunately Hannah’s box remained bright and active. No one was in combat.

Feeling his stomach unknot in relief, he called up the map. Hannah’s icon was moving. Moving straight to him by the looks of it. It’d take her five minutes to make it to him he guessed.

Sitting on the blanket Thana had unrolled on the grass, he pulled out handfuls of fruits and spring water he’d foraged. For Thana he unloaded several different types of seasoned and dried meat. Setting down an open topped box, he dropped a handful of beetles in to round it all out.

“Right then. I’m betting Boxy won’t be up for another go before our partners quit the field. Hannah is on her way in and she’s got casualties. Whatever happened out there was violent. I say a quick meal, feed her when she gets here, and debrief her. Best guess? Flanked or flanked flankers.”

“Boxy is the vehicle? That’s a truly awful name. Please stop naming things—leave it to me,” Thana said from behind a hand as she began to eat.

“Yeah, I suck like that. Shut up and eat your food. I already see a messenger heading this way,” Runner grumped aloud.

Like a predator zooming in on its prey, the messenger sped towards Runner.

“Lord Runner, battle is progressing smoothly. Casualties are light and we have gained the upper hand,” blurted out the messenger, his hand slamming into his chest plate.

“Good. Please advise the SO teams that they’ll have to adjust aim to hit fleeing targets as the enemy begins to break. Keep firing until they’re completely out of range. Also, get ahold of the scouts and have them loot the field. We’ll be heading out from here as soon as the enemy clears the field.”

“Sir, yes sir,” said the man, saluting again. He turned and sprinted back the way he came.

“My beloved chancellor, please put together your delegation to see the king. We’ll need to get him on board before the next fight,” Runner said, then put a handful of strawberries into his mouth.

Scurrying in from the grass came a squirrel. Level ten and the size of a full-grown house cat if not a small dog.

It promptly sat down at his side and looked up at him.

“Better manners than the last time. Here,” Runner teased, holding out a strawberry to the furry guy.

“How? Why is that here?” Thana asked, sounding very confused.

“I dunno. I keep finding them. I started feeding them back at the castle,” Runner said with a shrug of his shoulders. Another strawberry disappeared from Runner’s hand as the squirrel devoured it.

“Runner, they’re not common to this area. They’re not common anywhere but the castle at Shade’s Rest. If you keep seeing them…is it the same one?”

“Huh? Err—” Runner stopped and thought about it. Frowning, he had to admit it looked similar but that was no real guarantee. They could all share the same model.

“I don’t know? It’s certainly possible, I suppose. Maybe? Does it matter? He comes around, I feed him, he eventually leaves.”

Satisfied with his fill of strawberries, the squirrel jumped into his lap and clambered up his arm. Seating itself on his shoulder, it cleaned its face and then stared at Thana.

“You’re a cute little thing. I’ll name it personally, if you don’t mind, dear heart. You’d give it a horrible name I’m sure. Along the lines of ‘furryface’ or some god-awful thing.” Thana nodded her head as she spoke. Agreeing with herself.

“Fine. And no, not that. Though ‘Numb Nuts’ isn’t ba—” Runner stopped as Thana pressed a fingertip to his lips.

“Stop, dear heart,” she warned him with a sweet smile on her lips.

Runner instead nodded his head. At nearly the same time, the squirrel leapt from his shoulder and charged down Thana’s arm to seat itself on her shoulder instead.

Thana froze as it moved and then giggled when it sat down.

“See? Even the squirrel approves.”

“Approves of what? You fuckers are having a gods-damned picnic. Gimmie that,” Hannah said, snatching a fistful of peaches from the spread. Sitting down beside Runner and Thana, she bit into one and chewed it.

“We were waiting for you, Hanners. I promise that,” Runner explained. He gave her a quick once-over and found her exactly as she should be. Then he met her eyes and refused to look away.

“I’m glad you’re alright. I was worried,” Runner said heavily. Unable to help himself, he leaned over and hugged her tightly.

Hannah stiffened up in his embrace before relaxing after a second. He could feel her head turn slightly as if she were looking at Thana.

“Uhm, yeah. I’m fine, Runner. Promise,” she replied quietly. Her arms rested around his midsection as he held her.

“Good. Good, okay. Yes,” Runner said stupidly. He gave her a final squeeze, released her, and sat back. “What happened exactly?”

Hannah blinked a few times and looked uncomfortable. Taking a bite from her peach as if to stall for time, she nodded her head a little.

“Had a scout out looking around behind us. Found another army, believe it or not. Marching up the road from the south,” she outlined, her left hand gesturing in the air for emphasis.

“Figuring they were on their way to join in on the fight, we hit them from the side. Rode through them and killed most of their officers. Getting back out became the problem and that’s where we took our casualties. We hurt them, though, hurt them bad. I figure it at about five hundred of them left.”

Runner closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. The odds kept stacking up against him.

Even with the most rudimentary of fuzzy math-based assumptions, he could put his active fighters somewhere between eight hundred and nine hundred. The original enemy count had numbered around two thousand. Taking in losses and this newest number, they were still at about two thousand.

Which meant he’d made up no ground. Truthfully he’d lost ground. Now, more than ever, he really would have to get the Barbarians to commit to assisting him in the defense of their own lands.

“Mm. Thank you, Hanners. I’m grateful you’ve come back to me. Us. Especially that you successfully turned their flank and inflicted solid casualties. Doubly so that it was to their officers. Though I fear we really must hang this campaign on the willingness of the Barbarian king for aid.”

Runner made a soft groan and dropped his hand. Opening his eyes, he looked over to the battle once more to confirm his earlier thoughts.

Indeed, the enemy had turned and now were being pursued by ranged attacks.

“We’re moving north once the enemy clears the field. We’ll make camp east of Kastell and dig in. With any luck we can get this wrapped up quickly. Once we get the king to agree to help us save his own country,” Runner growled, and shook his head.

Heaven help us if he tries to refuse me. And him.

10:40 am Sovereign Earth time

11/16/43

“Hail the gate!” Runner shouted at the large stone gate towers. The city itself looked very different than Shade’s Rest. Where Shade’s Rest had been severe yet calculated, Kastell looked brutal and crude. Built for war and very little else.

And so the cowards hide behind their walls while the wolf is at the door.

An armored head poked out over the top of the wall and peered down at him.

“Ho there. Go away from this place, we’re currently at war.”

Runner gestured to the upset Katarina beside him as he began to talk again. “Yes, that’s why I’m here. I’m the commander of the forces who are currently out there fighting for your freedom. I request a conference with your king. I have also come with his daughter, Princess Katarina.”

“I’ll relay your message to his highness,” said the talking head. Who promptly vanished back inside.

“Your people suck, Kitten. We’re not visiting them often. If they want to see us they can come to the North Wood,” grumbled Runner.

Katarina quirked a brow as a slow smile spread over her face. Runner glanced around at the rest of his party.

Thana remained with the army as his second-in-command. Hannah took over scouting and patrols. Isabelle had taken on the third officer’s position and now worked as Thana’s second. Only Nadine had been able to accompany them. She stood at the rear with her crossbow loaded and ready, her eyes scanning about them.

She’s not made for war, but she adapts to everything through willpower.

Everyone else was a functionary sent by Vasilios to help authenticate Runner’s claims.

“You speak as if we were married with children and they were in-laws.” Katarina took a step closer to him as she spoke.

“What? Eh, ah, suppose I was. Why, problem with that?” Runner asked, trying to hide his now galloping heart rate and scratching at his cheek.

“No. Though you leave out everyone else.”

“We’ve talked about that before. I care for you all equally. That’s unchanged. Call me a harem-seeking scumbag, but there it is,” Runner replied quietly, shrugging his shoulders. Peering up at her, he wondered at her response.

Grinning more widely, Katarina placed her hand on his shoulder yet said nothing.

“You’re hiding something, Kitten.”

“I am.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Not the right time.”

Runner thought furiously on that. Then it dawned on him. She’d fled her country because they’d tried to force her into marriage. Even now she might fear he would let them do as they would with her.

As he opened his mouth to assuage her fears, the talking head appeared again.

“His majesty welcomes you to Kastell. Please step back while we open the gate. You’ll be escorted inside and brought to his majesty’s throne room.”

Smiling sadly at Katarina, he winked at her. “To be continued, Kitten. Have no fear. They’ll not take you.”

Katarina tilted her head while watching him, her grin becoming wider if that were possible.