Red Glow - Chapter 25 (COMPLETED: 04.04.2008)

[KiwiNZ]

Hey peepz

Sorry for the long wait. I had a pretty busy life lately and as a consequence found little time (and inspiration) to do anything else. But now, having bought a new PC for playing games, I launched X3 for the first time since last November again and also found myself writing again. So hopefully it will continue like this for a bit. Please find part 1 of chapter 25 below. I hope you enjoy it.

UPDATE 04.04.2008
final part of the chapter below ========

--------------


Constantly monitoring the line of hills close to the city, Tagor finally reached the North gate of the settlement when the sun began to set. It had taken him significantly longer to circumvent the city than anticipated, as its reaches were more extensive than he had thought.

“Welcome to Uruluma, stranger.” A merchant called out to him. His features looked somewhat familiar but Tagor could not tell why. He bowed respectfully, which brought a smile to the man’s face. It did not happen too often in this area that people would display politeness to a trader, in particular to the ones outside the city walls. Being unable to pay the high stall fees inside the city walls, they had to setup shop outside and were often regarded as second-class or lower. Even beggars treated them with disrespect.

“I have not seen you here before. Are you planning on staying or just passing through?”

The curiosity of the man had Tagor hesitate a moment, thinking of what to respond. Lucky that this happens here, he thought. At least now he had time to think of an appropriate answer when in other circumstances his hesitation could have raised suspicion.

“Passing through really but always looking for bargains along the way.”

“Bargains? Then you should look through the stalls outside the city, as the prices are significantly lower.”

Tagor looked around. “I shall do but can’t quite see the goods on offer that I am after.”

The eyes of the merchant narrowed. He looked closely at Tagor and stepped up to the horse. “You do not look like a man dealing with slaves.” He whispered with a smirk. “If you are not looking to buy slaves then you better watch your back.” The merchant emphasised on the word buy, implying he had a pretty good idea why Tagor was in the area.

Tagor tried to put a superior grin on his face. “You could be right but also wrong. Not every man trading slaves needs to carry a whip.”

Now it was the merchant’s turn to laugh. “You are right but please accept my warning. There are many guards in the city and they tend to shoot first and ask then.” After a brief pause he continued. “I have seen many men come and go. While I don’t think my perception is without fail, I have learnt to tell honest people from those shady characters. You certainly do not deal with slaves. If you are looking for somebody you’ll need help.”

“And you would be a person to help?”

“I cannot guide you through town but I can give you advise that you may find essential for your survival.”

“… for a price, of course.”

“Everything has a price. Mine, however, is not payable in material goods. I have enough money to lead a good life. My price is information.”

“Information? But I have only just arrived, how could I tell you anything you don’t already know?”

The merchant pulled out a photograph and passed it to Tagor. “My daughter is missing. I have found out that her caravan had been raided one or two tazuras ago. So there is a good chance that she is in the hands of slave traders trying to fetch a good price for her in town.”

Tagor looked at the image and looked up in surprise, a motion that did not go unnoticed.

“Have you seen her?”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Tagor responded. “You are right, her caravan had indeed been raided. In an attempt to scout the slave traders a friend of mine got captured. However, your daughter is no longer in the hands of these people. Even more so, these people are no longer alive, as another group of warriors came and killed them.”

The man’s posture collapsed slightly. “So she is dead?”

“No, or better, I don’t think so. I freed her from her capturers but she did not want to help me free my friend, so our ways parted. Hence I don’t know where she is or what happened.”

“She did not want to help you? Why not? I can’t believe she would abandon you after what you did.” The news of her survival almost moved to the background of her father’s mind in the light of this.

“It appeared she knew the men that killed the other slave traders and did not fancy a quarrel with them.”

“Hmmm that does not sound good. There is only one tribe in the area that everybody fears. If your friend is in their hands then you will find it very difficult to see him again.”

“Her actually. This is about what your daughter said; only she used fewer words. However, I’d rather die trying than give up.”

A smile found its way through the look of concern on the merchant’s face. “Your friend can be glad to have a companion such as yourself. I hope you will find her and get her back.” After a brief moment he continued. “Let me give you some advice …”

##########

It has been three tazuras that Val had been in this room with 17 other women. She could not complain about not being treated well. On the contrary, they all were treated very well. However, this did not change the fact that she was a prisoner. In fact, Val believed that none of the girls was here at her own will. All this time they had not seen anybody but the servant that brought food and clothes. While nobody had told the women what was waiting for them, Val was certain that it was nothing she envisaged for her future. She had to get out of here.

There was no time to continue that thought, as the doors opened and several men entered the boudoir. Half a stazura later the women found themselves dressed in the most exquisite clothes that the planet had to offer and lined up on a stage at the market. There was a huge crowd occupying the place, and even the narrow streets leading to this place. Framed by a number of four-storey buildings, the market was a rather secluded area. The echo of the chatter created a strange hum that reverberated in the platform the women stood on. Finally a fat man, dressed in an expensive robe entered the stage and silenced the crowd.

“Welcome, welcome. Welcome to our bi-annual fare and your opportunity to acquire some of the most beautiful women you ever laid your eyes on. We have not only found one or two, not five or ten. No, we found 18 of them; one more beautiful than the other! So open your eyes, your hearts and your pockets and let’s get started!”

The masses were cheering. Certainly not half of them could afford to bid for any of the women up for sale. However, the many men had come to at least admire their beauty for once.

Val let her eyes drift over the crowd. She secretly hoped to see Tagor among them but could not make him out in the masses. It was an optimistic thought. The place was so packed, it was next to impossible to recognise any individual at all. And how should he know where to find her? Even more so, was he still alive?

She had hoped to see a way to escape once they were led out in the open. But how should she get off this stage and through the masses without being either caught or taken prisoner by one of the not so solvent men present. It was hopeless.

A number of men that had been standing in the first row made their way up on the stage. The leader of the auction appeared to know them well. He bowed submissively and led them slowly from one girl to the next.

The first man selected three girls, all of them very shy and fragile looking. The other men made their choices. At the end there were only two left, Val and one of the girls she and Tagor had tried to rescue. All of the potential buyers remarked that they were potential troublemakers, as they had been the only ones that dared to stare into the men’s eyes. The auction leader had demanded several times that they lower their eyes, yet to no avail.

Due to the limited number of solvent buyers, the auction had ended very quickly. Yet, with two girls left, the market had not yet cleared. This had not happened before so the attendees were uncertain as to what was going to next course of action. To everybody’s disappointment the auctioneer did not call out a price and hope for somebody to take the offer. He simply took the girls off the stage and back to their quarters. At least this was what he intended to do. Just when they reached the fringes of the market place a group of men came out of a nearby house and struck them down. This came as such a surprise; the guards did not get a chance to defend themselves or those in their custody. The lifeless bodies of the men slumped to the ground and the women were quickly dragged back into the house. Soon the sound of galloping horses could be heard.

*

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Tagor had only just managed to get close to Val when the slave trader led her and the other girl off the market. He saw his chance of grabbing her and dragging her into the shadow and down a narrow street. A fraction of a sezura before he got to act a number of masked men attacked the small group.

Noticing where they had come from, Tagor quickly snuck into the house. The faint sound of horses attracted his attention. When he entered to small courtyard he saw nine horses, guarded by one man. There was no time to lose. He launched himself across the small yard and had the surprised guard by the throat before he could call for help. It was a short fight and soon the guard lay tied and gagged behind a number of large boxes. Tagor quickly readied the horses for a fast escape. No doubt that was what the group had planned. A moment later the men came back and hurried to their respective horses. The two girls jumped on two spare ones and they all headed off towards the East gate.

Nobody had had time to take a closer look at Tagor. His clothes displayed a surprising resemblance of those of the group. Should these people belong to the same tribe as the merchant Tagor had spoken to? Was Val any better off in their hands? The answer to that question was unimportant. There was no way he’d leave her with them. Tagor’s only hope was that freeing her would now be easier, a prospect he was not certain of.

They had now passed the city walls and headed straight East. No doubt this was not the correct direction but they’d continue until they were certain that either nobody followed or at least nobody could see them.

Tagor’s assumption had been correct. After nearly two stazuras they reached rocky terrain and the leader of the group changed the bearing towards Southeast. After another stazura they finally headed straight South.

“Right, time to give the horses some rest and replenish our water supplies.” The command of the female leader of the group found broad approval. After those tense stazuras in the saddle, everybody yearned for a break. Tagor was probably the only person who looked forward to the rest with a hint of apprehension. It was just a matter of time till somebody noticed that he was not part of the group, hence a plan b was much needed.

And sure enough, it did not take long and the woman leading the group who the others called Farah approached him.

“It appears I have underestimated you.” She said, looking straight at him.

Tagor raised his head and stared back. He was ready to move but uncertain how much that would achieve. Trying to put up a relaxed grin, he replied. “Never judge a book by its cover.”

Farah visibly did not like that sort of a response. “Well, you may find out very quickly that this also applies to you.”

With these words she turned around and made a motion to walk away. After the first step she turned around. “What did you do to Thamal?”

“Knocked him out and hid him behind some crates. I guess he’ll wake up with a headache and then follow.”

“… or be captured and killed.”

Tagor shrugged. There was nothing he could do about it. It hadn’t been his intention but there had not been any other way to get out of town at the same time as Val. Val, where was she now? Tagor looked around.

Farah interpreted his motion as though he was looking for an escape route. “You will find it difficult to run from here.”

“Quite possibly, but I was not going to leave without my friend anyway.”

“Your friend? Oh, you mean the girl is the one you were trying to rescue when our ways parted last time?”

Tagor nodded.

Quietly whistling, Farah looked at him. “I am impressed. I did not think that you’d find her again, let alone come as close as rescuing her.”

“… book and cover and stuff …”

“Yeah, yeah, heard it before. So what did you think of doing from here? Does she actually know you are around?”

“No, she doesn’t. She is probably planning her own escape.”

=========

In that Tagor was quite correct. Ever since they had left the city, Val had been observing the terrain and the people she was with. Their discipline made it hard to work out any weaknesses she could exploit. But did she actually have to escape from them? They rescued her.

Nonetheless, neither did she know what had become of Tagor, if he was still alive, nor did she wish to spend the rest of her life on this planet. Tagor, there was no way he was here, yet, one of the men of the rescue party sat on the horse just like he used to. But he’d certainly have greeted her if it were him. Val had watched him frequently during the escape but he had only been checking on the other members of the group. This in itself was somewhat strange, though.

Finally, at the first longer stop the group dispersed a bit to take care of the horses and also fill the water containers. The leader of the group approached the man who kept his distance from the others. Somehow both take a slightly defensive position. They must have known each other, no doubt. But why did the woman treat him differently? Why was she uncertain when approaching him? Val could see her hand near the knife in her belt. They spoke briefly, then the woman turned to walk away. After one step, however, she turned back. Now she was looking in Val’s direction. What was going on?

Concluding that she had to do something to change her current position, Val decided to talk to the woman. If nothing else, she might at least find out what plans they had for her. Val checked her horse and turned around to walk towards the leader of the group. In her turn she hit a rock that had her tumble to the ground. While falling, Val caught a glimpse of a flash between some bushes in quite some distance back towards the city. The sound of something flying past her at very high velocity was followed by a thump and a bang. She looked at her horse and saw at bullet hole in its chest, as it slowly collapsed. Everybody had thrown themselves to the ground and looked around to determine here the shot had been fired from. Only the man near the leader of the group stood still upright.

Again Val could hear the buzz of a projectile, as the man suddenly vanished in a faint haze. Teleporters on this planet? Val was electrified by the thought. Wasn’t there a shield that prevented these sort of things? A moment later he appeared again and with him a man in a crouching position with a rifle in his hands. There was only one entity that Val could think of being capable of such magic - Arox. Quickly the group had disarmed the crouching person and pointed their weapons at both men. Forgetting all caution, Val got onto her feet and ran over to them.

*

“How?” Farah looked at Tagor. “How did you do it?” This was something neither she nor her men had ever seen before. She had heard stories about teleportation devices on space ships but to her knowledge, these things did not work on the planet.

“I didn’t.” He shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the approaching Val. “Her ship did.”

“You mean she called her ship? This planet is shielded; communication to space is only possible from about four locations through relay satellites. Even then, how would the ship be able to teleport you and this guy? This is rather unlikely, even impossible.”

“Well, I doubt Val called it and ‘unlikely’ and ‘impossible’ are words that I have stopped using when it comes to her ship. I guess she no longer needs to plan her escape. But there she comes. You might as well ask her.”

Val stopped in front of Farah and tried to catch her breath. Looking at the woman, she then turned towards the tall man to her left. A quick step towards him and her hand landed with a loud noise on his cheek, tossing his head to the side.

“What the heck did you think of hanging around leaving me worried you were dead? You could at least have given me a sign. I was …” In tears of relief, Val flung her arms around him, sobbing audibly. The men in the group looked confused at their leader. Farah shrugged and motioned them to tie up the assassin. She then turned to Tagor and smirked.

“Should I also have hit you when you rescued me? If that is custom then I can still do it now. I could also wet your other shoulder, just to complete the ritual.”

Tagor grinned while gently stroking Val’s back. “No, thanks. Pain isn’t really what I am into, Val just needs more time realising that.”

“Are you two now going to disappear or do you intend to stay on the planet for a bit longer?”

“I don’t know, we need to check with the ship. Perhaps there is another reason than saving our butts why it is here.”

[biggie1447]

glad to have you back writing, great story cant wait for more

[KiwiNZ]

Thanks

Time still is in short supply and great demand but I'll try my best not to have such a long break again.

[jackhanna88]

Ah finally! Good update, although i'm awfully curious as to what the inside of the city is like!

[The Zig]

Good stuff, dude.
This story's definitely taken a turn for the different.
Look forward to the next part!

[KiwiNZ]

Hi peepz

thanks for the comments and sorry for letting you wait for such a long time. I have finally taken some time off work and away from my gaming computer. so there was suddenly a lot of time available to do other things ... like writing. I hope you like the second part.

Part 2 added below ##########

[The Zig]

Uh... I appreciate that Val needed some time to think her plan through, but ain't this getting a bit excessive!?!

You can't leave them like this! It's wrong! Would you leave a kitten in this kind of predicament?!
If you have time, fella, I'd love to see this story continue. If ya don't, could ya at least PM me the ending!?!
PLEEEEEEZE!

[KiwiNZ]

Heya mate I just ran out of time and with that of inspiration. Spent/spending way too much time playing Dofus. I will try to get back to it and think of something. There were a few idea floating around but none of them seemed just right. As for the ending, I do have an ending in mind, just no clue whatsoever how to go there without making it looked rushed.

How have you been?

[KiwiNZ]

Well, it only took me almost a year but I have just taken the time to tidy up what I had drafted to at least close this chapter. I am not certain yet how I am going to continue, if they are going to stay on the planet or it all continues in space ... or even how much time I am going to find to write more. But I'll try my best.

[collins50]

I have enjoyed your story from the start, I was glad to see you back,
I hope to see the ending, or the countinuation of the story, good job,
glad thing are working out for you.

Thanks

[KiwiNZ]

Thanks mate. When I started the story it was intended to be a 'short story' but it suddenly expanded way beyond its initial frame. I shall see that I bring it to a decent conclusion and not post one chapter per year.

[Warenwolf]

Thanks mate. When I started the story it was intended to be a 'short story' but it suddenly expanded way beyond its initial frame. I shall see that I bring it to a decent conclusion and not post one chapter per year.

Good to see you back. Beware of expanding too much beyond the inital frame - I did the same mistake and you know how that ended

[KiwiNZ]

Yeah, it become a royal pain once it starts to grow beyond your allowance of disposable time.

[The Zig]

Thank You!! RL's a pain, I know, but good to see your story back. Hope some day soon you can get some more up. It's a really good story.

Nice development. And good to see that ship's still in action. Hm... and if it's transporting, it could be pretty nearby?!
Cool!