Hardcore: Qi Worlds Chapter 27: Vaugend Trial 9

Ulfgrim POV 

 Ulfgrim couldn't help himself, he fell off his rock laughing. That was the most unexpected angle Gwaflathri could take, he would never have guessed it in a thousand years. Although allies, although small, there was still inter-clan politics and power struggles. It was in their nature. Ulfgrim expected Gwaflathri to try some power play with Benzhi, they all knew they would support him, one way or another. 'But to, not offer, to almost demand, to marry Benzhi, and then to cloak it as a solution to the issue of his status amongst the Clans?' Ulfgrim couldn't help but laugh, although it was serious, he was looking forward to seeing how Benzhi would get out of this.

 To Ulfgrim's surprise, both Reyas and the Fae girl Gisael leapt into the centre of the gathering. He could understand the Fae Guardian being protective of Benzhi, Ulfgrim was unsure of their status or relationship, they seemed close at least. But what the feck was Reyas doing? She was one of his warband, the most talented warrior in the Staggan Clan if not all the Clans. Why was she acting like this offended her?

 To Ulfgrim's dismay, Reyas stood toe to toe with Gwaflathri and she was challenging her! He could not stand aside any longer and do nothing, although the Gwaflathri move was unexpected it was now becoming dangerous and too close to home for comfort. Reyas, his daughter, was challenging another Clan leader to Holmgang.

The Fae Guardian looked on in confusion and before Ulfgrim could intercede she announced. "There will be no claiming of Benzhi by the Gaels," Gisael pointed at Gwaflathri, "you are not worthy to be his mate, let alone his master."

 The cool words delivered so callously the crowd hushed, Benzhi, the centre of all the commotion was just swinging his feet watching avidly like it was a play from a skald. Ulfgrim even forgot about the Holmgang Reyas had issued a few moments earlier.

 Gwaflathri went bright red, she had never been so insulted in her life. Ulfgrim had no idea what she would do and, by the looks of her, neither did Gwaflathri. He decided to intercede.

 "Enough," he roared. "Sit all of ye." Ulfgrim pointed to the three dangerous women. "This has gone too far, there will be no marriages, not because anyone is not worthy, but because Benzhi is like the Seer. He be not part of a Clan.  He be part of us the Gaels." Ulgrim swept his hand around in a large circle signifying he encompassed them all. He had not waited for the women to sit and just launched into his speech. Now that he had finished they all sat. He breathed a sigh of relief, he had calmed the situation, at least for now. Ulfgrim continued to speak before any possible interruptions. 

 "We, the Staggan Clan, will follow Benzhi, he be blessed by the Seer and has shown great courage avenging our brothers, your Clansmen," Ulfgrim stated while pointing at Gwaflathri, she had no knowledge of the events in Vaugend. Benzhi had described what happened in Vaugend on the trip here. Two of the four heads belonged to members of the Trovas Clan.

 Ulfgrim went quiet for a minute and hung his head. He was joined by Vaunruld who stood by his side, "Now is nay the time for squabbles. The Bravarak Clan pledges support to Benzhi, we recognize that he be blessed by the Seer."

 With that, two out of three Clans had pledged support and Gwaflathri stood. Showing no sign of looking defeated she announced, "Good, ye have sense and I nay 'ave to sacrifice myself for the good of all." Ulfgrim coughed up a fur ball.

Gwaflathri ignored him. "The Trovas Clan pledges support to Benzhi, we thank 'im for avenging our folk and recognise he be blessed by the Seer." There was general cheering, backslapping, ribaldry and rehashing of the events amongst small groups of the attendees. The meeting seemed generally adjourned with no announcement.

 Benzhi POV

 Benzhi leant over to Gisael and whispered in her ear, "I never knew you cared so much."

 Gisael was sitting upright and motionless. With her magnificent senses, her incredible hearing that could discern a leaf falling at twenty paces, she acted like she heard nothing.

 "Oh, that's how it is," he continued, "perhaps I will go and ask Reyas how much she cares then?" 'Ah success.' Benzhi celebrated when he got a reaction from Gisael.

 She turned to face him and whispered way too loudly, "I not be caring." Her nostrils flared, a dead giveaway. Benzhi chuckled patronisingly.

 Benzhi finished his fun with Gisael and stood, announcing, "We are going to find the Guardians, who is coming?"

 Every warrior stood and approached. Including the Clan Chiefs.

 "Well, why did we have to do all the talking?" Benzhi asked exasperatedly. "It looks like all of you want to join in with no hesitation. Let's go." Benzhi looked around, not knowing which way to head, to find Talila and the guardians, and added belatedly. "Gisael, you lead the way."

 The group attempted to keep pace with Gisael and Benzhi. It was quite embarrassing for the Gaels, who lived in the Mountains, who were the indisputable mountain masters, to be left behind by the Guardians from the Forest. 'The qi ability tree-running was certainly OP,' Benzhi contemplated. If only he could teach it to the Gaels, perhaps he would try with Reyas, she was the most talented and not hard on the eyes.

 It did not take long for Gisael to track down Talila. The four Guardians looked towards the approaching group of twenty-two and waved their hands down, signalling for absolute quiet. 

 Benzhi crept over the ridge to spy what Talila and her group were tracking. Laying low, Benzhi slid on his stomach peeking his head over. Ailen carefully placed a cloak over Benzhi's head, it made him appear to be a rock from below. At the bottom of the crevasse, there were the remains of the troop. All seventy of them, they were heading east taking the easiest pass, Talila was probably waiting for them to pass to attack their rear. Benzhi whispered to Ailen, "do they not have scouts?"

 Ailen nodded and pointed to his right, the scout had been dealt with earlier.

 Benzhi checked the troop with qi sight. There was not an adept amongst them. Benzhi decided his troop of twenty-six, most of which were at least adept level was overkill for the troop. 

 "I have a plan," Benzhi whispered. He walked across to the dead scout and picked it up. Walked back to the highest point of the ridge and threw the carcass down towards the troop.

 "What are you doing?" whispered Talila coarsely. 

 "I'm pulling," replied Benzhi.

 The Guardians just stared at him like he was mad. No, they were pretty sure he was mad.

 Benzhi called, "oops," over the edge of the ridge and stood up in plain sight.

 Seventy pairs of eyes spied him, after losing thirty soldiers yesterday they were keen to kill some barbarians or to go home. Since they could not go home, they charged up the incline, trying to get into crossbow range.

 The Guardians made ready to fire. Benzhi stopped them with a wave of his hand. "I want you to retreat over to that ledge," Benzhi indicated a ledge forty meters away, "the Gaels and I will wait here for the soldiers to cross the ridgeline and fight them here." Benzhi waved at the area they were all waiting at the moment. "You, the Guardians, can pick off anyone flanking us."

 Benzhi rotated a couple of Gaels to pop their heads over and pretend to run away. The entire group was out of sight from the white, red and blue cloaks. They had the height advantage. The only reason Benzhi did not ask to launch arrows at the group rushing up the incline is they would run out of arrows before killing them all. The soldiers were well protected with armour. But if they crossed the ridgeline, the picks carried by the Gaels would make short work of the soldiers and they would not be able to bring their crossbows to bear.

 Benzhi waited patiently for the soldiers. He wondered if he could just sit back and watch the carnage that was about to take place. The soldiers had good armour, yes, but against so many qi users they did not stand a chance. The Gaels were strong and quick. The Guardians were deadly shots. This was going to be a massacre. 

 Benzhi approached the three Clan Chiefs, "take care of anyone who crosses the ridgeline, the Guardians will protect your flanks. I am going to head down and take out their leader." He informed them.

 Benzhi started running off to the south, he would skirt around the ridges and approach the soldiers from the other side. Gisael quickly caught up to him as he scanned for a place to cross out of the line of sight of the soldiers. 

 "You are not going without me." She informed Benzhi. He just nodded, no point in arguing and she could use qi blade and tree-run, there would be no hindrance to his plan. Reyas then turned up, she had followed as well. 

 "I am coming tew," she announced.

 "Hang on," said Benzhi.

 "No time for arguments," Reyas countered, "let's go."

 "Ok," Benzhi smirked, "keep up then." With that he launched across the ridgeline he calculated would keep them out of the line of sight of the soldiers. Benzhi even threw in a shunpo to teach her a lesson.

 He lay down on the other side watching the soldiers, over fifty were climbing the ridge and the first would cross the line in a matter of minutes. The Gaels had stopped popping over the ridge, which was good.

 Eventually, Reyas joined the pair, she was out of breath, panting heavily, she had sprinted the parts she didn't have to climb and probably climbed at a sprint too. 

 "Welcome to the party," Benzhi congratulated her with a smile. Reyas grinned back. Gisael ignored him pointedly.

Benzhi waited for the first of the soldiers to cross the ridgeline on the opposite side of the crevasse and began to creep down towards the soldiers that had stayed put. Fifty were scaling the steep rocks which left twenty at the base. Benzhi still considered that with Gisael and Reyas, this was still overkill. Especially considering the two were at, what he believed to be, Master talent level.

 Almost half of the fifty Soldiers had crossed the ridgeline as Benzhi, Gisael and Reyas snuck down. Normally they would be spotted easily, they stuck out like sore thumbs, but the Soldiers at the base were engrossed with the Northern ridge, their eyes never leaving it, waiting for some sign to indicate what was happening, good or ill.

 "Hi there," Benzhi announced a mere ten meters behind the leadership of the Soldier troop. It was easy to tell, who were the leaders, by the quality of their armour. All of the officers had steel cuirasses as opposed to the cuir bouilli the rank and file donned.  

  The soldiers spun, jumping out of their skin, drawing swords and spears and snarling guttural curses.

 "Hold on, hold on," Benzhi petitioned, "before we kill you all, who is the leader, we want to keep him alive."

  "Kill them," one officer announced wearing a blue cloak. 

 "Okay, we have a volunteer," Benzhi said calmly. "Kill the rest, just knock him out," he asked the ladies sweetly. Then launched with shunpo slicing through a group of soldiers. Spinning left and right Benzhi made short work of the qi bereft soldiers. He moved with grace, with moves similar to the forms, tweaking the styles, adjusting to the placement of men and armour. The steel was hard work to penetrate, so Benzhi merely adapted angles to cut visible flesh, be it a neck or ankle or a stab right in the face. 

 After downing six or seven Benzhi turned to admire the scene. Gisael and Reyas were devasting the other soldiers there was no need for Benzhi to contribute anymore. Sigh, 'this is a route,' he thought as he walked up to the nominated survivor. Benzhi qi punched the officer in the attempt to knock him out before one of the ladies killed him, being careful not to hit so hard as to snap his neck.

 Reyas was hacking the last soldier left standing. "Hurry up," Benzhi called, "we're done over here." She slammed the point of one of her picks into the side of the soldiers head piercing his brain. 'Ouch, no surviving that,' Benzhi thought.

 There was a cart nearby where some of the soldier's equipment was stowed. Benzhi grabbed a chair and sat waiting for the main group to join them. He couldn't recall the last time he had sat in a chair. There was still some time left until sunset. Benzhi called to Gisael, "I think the Guardians should head back to the haven and collect a couple of hundred arrows. We can pay a visit to the mining camp before it gets too dark."

 Gisael nodded and imitated one of Benzhi's bows, "of course master. Your will shall be done" she stated deadpan.

 'Had she learnt sarcasm as well? Boy, was she a quick learner,' Benzhi chuckled to himself.

 Reyas stood by Benzhi while he took a short nap. It had been a long day.

 Benzhi was woken by Ulfgrim, "there be none left except this un," he said satisfied.

 "That wasn't too hard, was it? I would ask if we lost anyone but I am sure we have not." Benzhi replied, rubbing his eyes.

  "One of the Bravrak strained his ankle," Ulfgrim informed him. "It twas easy cos ye guardians never miss. So it seems to me." Ulfgrim shrugged.

 Benzhi waved his hand, "I am sure you would have been fine without them, these soldiers, they are well armoured but none of them is able to use qi. All of the Gaels here can at least strengthen themselves if not much more."

 Ulfgrim nodded, "We dinnae ken these men could not fight, their numbers were so large and they so well-armoured."

 "There may be trouble with the next batch that comes from Vaugend, I will be sure to let you all know after I scan them," Benzhi informed the group now standing with Ulfgrim.

 "Grab all the cloaks, once the Guardians return we can approach the mining camp and chase the inhabitants back to Vaugend. Out of the Gael lands." Benzhi began to meditate, he wanted to replenish his qi, if the Duke arrived from Vaugend he wanted to be ready.

Chapter end