The Foolhardies 198 Bonfire

"So, it really wasn't you that dealt Amon the finishing blow?" my companion asked. 

"No, Luca did that… cut his head clean off his neck with a single swing of his new claymore," I answered. "It was such a quick death that the body had dropped to the ground before the blood spurt started…"

"I imagine that was a bit un-climactic for you?" my companion asked. 

I shook my head. "Nah, there was plenty of fun to be had for everyone leading up to the moment Luca did the deed." 

My companion chuckled. "I'm sure… How exactly did Luca get from where he was to claim the enemy general's head?" 

I picked up the piece of wooden stick on the ground and used it to stoke the bonfire my guest and I were sitting by. 

Below us, the sound of merrymaking was getting louder and louder.

"Not going to tell them off for causing a ruckus?" my companion asked.

"Nah," I chuckled. "After the night we've had, well, they deserve to enjoy themselves… It's almost dawn anyway…"

I took a long sip of the drink in my hand and coughed it right out. 

"Easy there… that's a single malt blend. You don't just chug it like that," my companion scolded. 

I spent another few seconds coughing, then after I was sure my throat hadn't been burned, I took another swig of the liquid brown stuff — but slower this time. 

When I was done proving to my guest and myself that I was a man who could hold his liquor, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and said, "It is good stuff…"

My companion chuckled. "So how's about we get back to the story."

"Where was I?" I asked. 

"You were telling me how Luca managed to beat you," my companion chuckled. 

"Ah, yes, the little brother outdoes the big brother… it's a classic tale," I chuckled too. I wasn't about to feel bad that Luca had done a good job. In fact, I counted on it as I did tell him he had to slay a general in this war too. "Okay, so there we were knee-deep in enemies when Luca and Aurana had broken through the south and east lines…" 

I went on to tell my companion how Luca's and Aura's arrival had thrown the enemy in disarray as it was clear the hunters were about to become the hunted once again. I told him how Amon couldn't rally his troops as Enna and I had kept him busy, attacking him relentlessly so that he couldn't issue a single order to his men for fear of losing his life to us. 

"Aura arrived first, and that might have been the best," I explained. "She burnt a path along the enemy's back that sent everyone into a panic and gave us even more room to breathe."

"This Aura sounds extra special… I wonder what she looks like behind that mask of hers," my companion said right before he took another swig of his drink. "She must be extra pretty… maybe even prettier than your princess." 

Well, if that wasn't a fishing expedition then I don't know what was. But I wasn't about to fall for his tactics. He may guess at who she really is but I have not and will never confirm it. 

"Right after that, Luca's riders reached us, and like an arrow shot out of my own hand, he dashed right into the fray and cut down everyone between him and me and Amon," I explained. "Next thing you know, while I'm locking weapons with the dude, Luca jumps in from the back and he just cuts the guy's head off… and I don't think he noticed I was there until after the deed was done."

"Your brother's got a gift for warfare, Dean," my companion whistled. "Saw it in him the first time I laid eyes on the kid… It's in the eyes—"

"Please don't tell me you think Luca has a killer's eyes," I countered. 

"Nah," my companion wagged a finger at me. "Didn't say he had killer eyes… more like determined… single-minded… a true berserker." 

Berserker — it was a word used to describe Luca's reckless fighting style many times before by guys who'd trained with him like Edo and guys who trained him like Azuma. Hell, even I'd said that at one point.

"It's not because he's crazy or a war freak or anything like that, man… it's his gift… his stupid fairy gift makes him like that," I reasoned. 

"Yeah, I've stood beside and fought against viseres with gifts like that before," my companion admitted. "These guys tend to burn out quickly… you should make sure your brother doesn't go the same route." 

It was an ominous thought, one that made me take a longer swig of the whiskey in my cup. 

"How'd you even get this stuff into the Fayne?" I asked as I looked down at the remainder of the brown liquid in my cup. 

"There's a trick to it… as long as you've got something encased in Leprechaun gold you can bring it along with you into the Fayne," he said, as he poured himself another glass from the bottle in his other hand. "Smell that?" 

"Smells like gas actually…" I noted. "With a hint of wood and something smoked." 

"You've got a good nose," he chuckled. "Here I thought you were just good with your eyes." 

"Not as good as you, though," I tapped my nose. 

"Touché," He laughed out loud. "So what happened after your baby bro killed the general." 

"It was probably a stroke of pure genius on my part, but I yelled it out as loud as I could," I raised a fist into the air, "Luca Dapper of the Foolhardies has slain General Amon, Shield of Rah!" 

I hadn't intended for my voice to carry down into the men below our sand dune, but those who heard my voice responded with a new war cry, "Luca! Luca! Luca!" 

"Smart," my companion agreed. "That did two things I imagine. Spread Luca's name across the Fayne and get the enemy army to lose their morale really quickly…"

"They buckled once they'd heard their general was lost, but I think Redbull rallying his troops and destroying two of the magnifiers had a part to play in or victory too," I explained. 

"No doubt," my companion sent me a curious glance, "but what did you do with the other two… magnifiers, was it?"

"Redbull destroyed the one but as a prize for the success of my plan, he's allowing Zarz to inspect the last one before they break it," I answered. 

"Yeah, Redbull's smart not to give it you outright," my companion mused. "I imagine a chosen one with a magnifier weapon would be something like a nuke." 

With that interesting image in both our heads, we toasted each other's good health. 

"Okay, now will you tell me why you're out here?" I asked. "Surely, it isn't just so you could hear about our earlier victory…"

"I was on my way to the Undercroft to liberate some slaves but you were close by so I took a detour to say hi," he answered. 

"Only you would cross so casually through a warzone without a care in the world," I laughed. 

"Yeah, well, you should be happy that I dropped by," he said conspiratorially, "Because I caught the scent of a few things on my way here you might find interesting…" 

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What will this intel cost me?" 

"Don't worry, kid, you already paid it with good company and this ridiculously good barbecue here," he said just as he bit into the skewered meat he picked up from the plate between us. "Who cooked this? And how can I steal them from you?"

"That's a specialty of our unit's cook, Alfie Monroe," I said proudly. "He was Mudgardian chef who got roped into becoming a visere by a pretty face."

I recalled the face of the elf commander I slew on my very first outing with Luca, the one who'd held Alfie's contract. Looking back on it now made me realize that it's been over a year since Luca vanished into the Fayne. Man, it's been a tough year. 

"So he owes you, huh?" my companion confirmed. "Guess he'll be too loyal to get whisked away by me and mine."

"Don't even think about it," I said, pointing the tip of a barbecue stick at him. "So, what did you sniff out?" 

"What was his name? That guy whose butt I kicked along with Lord Rah?" my companion asked. 

"Ardeen Spellweaver… why?" I asked. 

"I never forget a scent once I've come across it," he said while tapping on the bridge of his nose. "It just so happens… while I went to pay my respects to your great general, I caught a whiff of that fairy's scent on grumpy old Garm… and it was a strong scent meaning it had been recent. No less than a day." 

"Seriously?" I asked, my brow furrowing. "That doesn't really prove anything…"

"I know… which is why I sent my gals to check up on a hunch… Dean," as he mentioned my name, my companion's voice turned serious for the first time that night, "I think you're about to get company, one you don't want to be in…" 

"Are you sure about this?" my brow furrowing even more. "A hundred percent sure?" 

"Trust the nose, kiddo," he said, tapping on the tip of his nose this time. "I'm the Lord of Stars, and I can sense the stench of a badly cooked plot a mile away… so watch your back."

Chapter end