Meta Gods War 3 Read online

  But as they approached the largest cavern, a voice rang out through the still air.

  “Stop where you are,” it called out.

  Cam recognized the voice.

  “Lagon,” Cam called back. “I know it’s you.”

  “Don’t come further,” Lagon said. His voice carried across the rocky cliff.

  “Slow,” Cam said to the men, keeping his voice low enough that it wouldn’t carry. “But don’t stop.”

  They continued their march forward at a half-step rate.

  “We have bows,” Lagon said. “We’ll unleash.”

  “On a squad of shield and armor?” Cam said. “I think you’re wasting your time, Lagon. I know your men are injured; I saw the bodies further back. Throw down your weapons, come out of that cave, and we’ll treat any injures you may have.”

  “No,” Lagon said. “I’m not so stupid as to think you’ll just forgive what happened.”

  “He’s not lying,” Brice called out. “Drop your weapons. Your men don’t need to suffer for this.”

  “You’ll punish them all,” Lagon said. “Kill those that won’t kneel for you. And I promise, none of mine will kneel, not for a godling fucker like you.”

  Cam’s jaw tensed. He thought he saw some of the armored men glance in his direction.

  “Your men won’t be punished,” Cam said. “Throw down your weapons. Throw them down and—”

  He heard something further down the slope.

  “Halt,” Cam said. “Hold fast.”

  The men stopped marching. Cam turned, his back to the cavern.

  He heard barking, snarling, and falling rock.

  “Wolves,” Brice said. “Wolves coming on our rear.”

  “Reform,” Cam said. “They’re coming.”

  “But Lagon and his men—”

  “They won’t attack,” Cam said. “Reform!”

  The armored men shifted, turning their formation around to face the opposite direction. Cam moved toward the caverns, stepping clear of the assembled men. The growling was louder and echoed off the stone slope.

  “Wolves are coming,” Cam shouted at the caves. “Any of you that join and fight with me will be spared. Any of you too injured to fight will be spared. Any of you that refuse to harm your fellow Humans will be spared. Stand and fight or watch us do your killing. Our real enemy is coming.”

  Cam turned his back on the caves and pulled his sword free of its scabbard. The bronze blade glittered in the setting sun.

  Wolves crested the rise in a wave and came barreling toward them.

  27

  “Hold!” Cam shouted.

  The wolves slammed against the front line. Cam heard metal and teeth gnashing. The line flexed but didn’t break as men from the back pushed forward to fill any gaps. Spears thrust and swords flashed out. Cam saw Brice toward the back, shouting orders, encouragement. She wasn’t in her armor, which meant she was relegated to a support role.

  Cam didn’t need armor. He strode forward and let his flames flow down his arm and circle around his sword. He wasn’t sure Lagon wouldn’t attack him from behind, but he couldn’t worry about that.

  There were too many wolves. Cam guessed a hundred, at least, all shoving and scrambling for purchase and throwing themselves at his armored division. Cam sliced into the wolves from the side, his sword slashing out and killing two or three at a time in wide arcs. His super-heated blade cut through flesh like it was nothing, and with each arc of the blade he released more fire. It rolled forward and burned any wolves that were near.

  He carved forward but stopped himself. If he went too deep into their lines, the wolves would be able to overwhelm him. He cut a path for the armored division and let them fill the gaps. They pushed forward, thrusting their spears, shoving with their shields.

  Cam was forced back as a trio of wolves threw themselves at him. Claws bit into his thigh before he could whip his sword around. He killed the first wolf, used his off hand to release a burst off fire at the second, and brought the blade down in a glittering arc to decapitate the third.

  But more beasts came. Cam killed as fast as he could, but he felt himself losing ground.

  “Fall back!” Brice shouted. “Fall back! Defend the cavern!”

  The division began a backwards fighting retreat. Cam growled in frustration. He wanted to push forward, to fight to the edge of the slope and hold the high ground. But Brice pulled the men back toward the caverns instead, which were closer and could serve as a bottleneck.

  Cam sliced, killed, made some space then retreated. He slipped through the lines until he found Brice. “We can’t fall back,” he said. “Lagon’s men—”

  “Look,” she said, pointing.

  Cam followed her gaze and found men with spear and shield, lined up at the mouth of the cavern. Lagon was nowhere in sight, but a man with a nasty wound through his right eye waved a hand toward them, beckoning them closer.

  “They’re going to help,” he said.

  “You knew they would.”

  “I wasn’t sure.” Cam flicked his sword, splattering blood droplets on the rocky ground. “But I hoped.”

  The column fell back, each step hard fought and hard won. As the armored men reached the mouth of the cave, Lagon’s light infantry swarmed to either side of the heavies. They hit fast and hard on the wolf flanks, and as the beasts filtered into the bottle neck and slammed against the bronze wall of shield and armor, the light infantry created a killing field and slaughtered the animals.

  Soon, the stench of blood and guts filled the humid cavern air. The wolves pulled back after ten minutes of grueling slaughter. One-Eye led the infantry on a chase that forced the remaining wolf stragglers back down the slope and into the valley.

  Cam walked among the men and barked orders. He sheathed his sword and made sure the wounded were tended to. The wolf corpses were pushed to one side, opening up the cave mouth again. Cam waded through the muck of blood and innards to meet One-Eye out in the last dregs of evening light.

  “You stepped up,” Cam said. “Saved our lives.”

  One-Eye gave him a hard look. “Wasn’t a choice I wanted to make.”

  “But you made it.”

  “Lagon thinks—”

  “Did Lagon lead you out on that charge?” Cam asked.

  One-Eye stared then shook his head. “No, he didn’t.”

  “You did.” Cam reached out a hand. “What’s your name?”

  One-Eye grasped Cam’s forearm. “Sicha.”

  “You saved lives today, Sicha.”

  The man just nodded and released Cam’s arm.

  “We came here to fight the godlings,” he said. “We were told you loved them too much to spill their blood. I believed it until today.”

  Cam looked at the men standing with Sicha. They were bloodied and exhausted, but they looked wary.

  “You all truly thought I didn’t want to kill the wolves?” Cam asked.

  “That, and that you wanted to give the Mansion to the Elves.” Sicha wiped a bloody glove on his leathers. “That I might still believe.”

  “The Mansion isn’t mine to give away,” Cam said. “The Mansion belongs to Galla Remorn by rights, and I have no plans to change a damned thing.”

  Sicha grunted in response. “So what now?” he asked. “We defied you.”

  “Find me Lagon,” Cam said. “Bring him to me.”

  Sicha didn’t move. Cam stared at the man and wondered if the fighting was over, or if he was going to have to draw his sword on his own people again.

  Sicha pressed his right fist to his chest then moved past Cam. The rest of the men followed. Each of them avoided Cam’s gaze as they split around him like he was a rock in a river.

  Cam watched Sicha and his men slip into the cavern and through the heavy infantry. He heard shouts from within and some of Brice’s men stood and stared at the scene unfolding deeper inside.

  But a few moments later, Sicha returned shoving Lagon ahead of him. Cam stepped forwa
rd, hand on his pommel. Lagon limped and pressed a hand to his right ribs. He looked furious and terrified as Sicha threw him forward. Lagon stumbled over the uneven rocky ground and fell to his knees in front of Cam.

  “You fucking godling fucker,” Lagon said. “I’ll make sure you—”

  Cam slid his blade from his sheath and pressed the bronze against Lagon’s throat.

  “If you speak again,” Cam said, “I’m going to finish you here and now.”

  Lagon shut his mouth.

  “You’re going to be held responsible for every single one of the men you lost,” Cam said. “You’ll be treated as though you murdered them yourself. Do you understand what that means?”

  Lagon stared fury back at him but said nothing.

  Cam looked at Sicha. “You and your men will be spared,” he said. “Swear loyalty to the Mansion and you will all be integrated back into the army. Any wounded will be treated. This whole nasty thing will be forgotten.”

  “We’ll swear it,” Sicha said.

  “Good.” Cam pulled his blade back and sheathed it. He kicked Lagon in the chest, sending him sprawling. “Bind his hands. If he starts talking, shove a gag in his mouth. I don’t want to hear a word from him until we reach the army tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir,” Sicha said. He stooped down, pulled Lagon to his feet, and marched him back into the cave.

  Cam took a deep breath of stinking dead wolf corpse and let it out slow. As far as he could tell, they hadn’t lost a single man, which was a miracle in itself.

  Brice joined him as darkness grew.

  “We’ll camp here for the night,” she said. “The cave will be defensible. Then we’ll march back in the morning after the men get some rest.”

  “Good.” Cam looked at her and felt tempted to pull her close against him. But he knew he couldn’t do that where her men could see. “This isn’t the last of it. There are more men like Lagon in the army. More men that think I’m some kind of race traitor.”

  “I know,” Brice said. “We’ll root them out, one by one.”

  “Felin will, at any rate.”

  Brice smiled at that. “You seem to have found a role for her.”

  “She’s good at it. So long as she doesn’t fall back into violence.”

  Brice nodded and touched Cam’s hand. It was a small gesture, but it held so much.

  Together, they walked back to the cavern and rejoined their men.

  28

  Cam returned to camp several hours into the morning with Lagon in chains. The march back was uneventful, despite the men being on high alert. He made sure the light infantry was integrated back into the army and given medical attention where necessary.

  But whispers dogged the army’s slow march north. Felin appeared in his tent one morning two days after placing Lagon under arrest and lounged back on his furs and blankets.

  “There are more rumors about you, you know,” she said.

  “I figured there would be.” Cam put his feet up on a chair. His morning beer tasted like grass and wheat.

  “The men think you’ll kill any man who criticizes the godlings,” she said. “Lots of people are angry about it.”

  “How angry?” he asked, feeling exhausted at the prospect of more rebellion.

  “Not so angry that they’re talking about resisting your command,” she said. “But really, Cam. You should let me imprison and torture the lot of them.”

  “How much of an army would I have left afterward?”

  “Well—” She started then stopped and grinned at him, wolfish and sly. “Not much of one. But it would be very loyal, at least.”

  Cam shut his eyes and rubbed at his face. “What would you do, in my position?”

  “We just need a few days,” Felin said. “We’re close to the northern pass. Once we seal it off and turn to face the wolf army, there’s going to be a fight, whether you want one or not.”

  “I know it,” he said.

  “We need the army to stay together until a larger problem presents itself.”

  Cam grunted. “That’s a good point.”

  “What do you plan on doing with Lagon?”

  “I have some thoughts.”

  “Let’s hear it.”

  “I was thinking I’d release him,” Cam said. “Banish him from the army. Send him back to the Mansion.”

  “That’s as good as killing him,” Felin said. “The men would know it. You might as well just cut off his head at that point.”

  “That’s an option too.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You’re thinking about executing him.”

  Cam spread his hands. “He defied me. He broke out of prison and marched a brigade of men into the wilderness. He got some of them killed.”

  “He’s half dead already.”

  “True enough. He’ll be lucky if those wounds heal. That’s another option.”

  “Just wait for him to die? Not a bad idea. But you wouldn’t be able to use his death.”

  “At least I wouldn’t risk him turning into some kind of martyr.” Cam drummed his fingers on the simple wooden table at his side. “I don’t know, Fel. I feel as though the men he got killed deserve some kind of justice.”

  “Killing Lagon will send a message,” Felin said. “And it won’t be ambiguous. I think it would buy you some time, at the very least.”

  Cam nodded and continued to drum his fingers. The thought of killing a Human made his stomach turn. Now, of all times, Human life was precious and couldn’t be wasted. But Lagon had broken the rules and had endangered others. That couldn’t be ignored.

  Too many conflicting emotions. He hated being in this position. He wanted to fight the wolves, not his own people or himself.

  There was a noise at the tent flap and Arter pressed his head inside. “Sir, Miuri—”

  But before he could get it out, Miuri slipped past him. She patted Arter’s shoulder then stood just inside the tent with her hands clasped behind her back. Sweat shimmered on her pale skin and Cam stood with a flutter of excitement.

  “Look at this,” she said. “I find you two just lounging around when there’s work to be done.”

  Felin hopped up and ran to Miuri. The women embraced. Miuri kissed Felin gently on the lips.

  “I missed you,” Felin said.

  “I hear you’ve been scaring the hell out of the men.” Miuri beamed at her. “Good for you.”

  “It’s easy,” Felin said. “Just a few threats here, a few broken bones there.” She waved her hand like it was nothing.

  “Felin,” Cam said. “I thought we discussed this, no more—”

  “I know, I know,” Felin said, rolling her eyes and giving Miuri a look. “No more torturing. I promise.”

  Cam joined the girls and kissed Miuri’s lips. He missed Miuri too, just as much as Felin did. He missed all his girls, really. Even though Key and Felin were in the camp, Key was too busy with her duties to spend much time with him, and Felin was always off on her own missions.

  “I’m happy you came back,” Cam said.

  “It’s been a long trip,” Miuri said. “But I’d make it a few hundred times if it means spending more time with you two.”

  Cam laughed, kissed her again, then led her over to the table. Felin resumed her spot on the ground nestled in the brightly colored blankets. Cam poured a mug of fresh water for Miuri, placed it in front of her, then sat back in his chair.

  “I assume you bring news,” he said.

  “My father marched his forces out of the Mansion several days ago,” she said. “We hit the first wolf encampment and took them by surprise. Swept them from the field, killed as many as we could.”

  “And now they’re coming here?”

  She nodded. “The plan is to hold back,” she said. “Wait until you engage, then hit them from the rear.”

  “Originally, I wanted Haesar to harass them as we marched,” Cam said.

  “I’m not sure they’ll make it in time.” Miuri took a long drink from her m
ug. “They’re dealing with the wounded from their first engagement, then marching to catch up as fast as they can.”

  Cam nodded. “But we’re days away from this fight.”

  “The hope is that my father can reach us by the time you engage,” she said. “If not, you’re looking at a prolonged standoff.”

  “Dig in and pray,” Felin said. “That’s a great strategy. I’ll tell you right now that my people will get very, very angry.”

  “They think we should just run out into a field and fight them?” Cam asked.

  “That’s how my people operate,” Felin said. “Fights are honor bound. You show up to a fight and you engage with honor. Otherwise there’s no point to any of it. But if people start building forts and changing the rules, everything goes out the window.”

  “This isn’t some pack conflict,” Cam said.

  “To them, everything’s a pack conflict,” Felin said. “That’s what you don’t get. My people don’t think about the world like you do. We see packs everywhere, little cliques and packs and there’s a constant battle for the alpha role. As much as you like to pretend that’s not the case.”

  Cam looked at Miuri who just shrugged. “She has a point,” Miuri said. “You did have to fight to end up where you are.”

  “So if all the world’s a pack, we just need to become top wolf,” Cam said.

  “I think the gods have that spot,” Felin said. “But we’re fighting for second.”

  “Is there any way for you to return a message to your father?” Cam asked Miuri.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think I’d make it in time,” she said. “We just need to hope they’re coming.”

  “I’ll send scouts,” Cam said. “Just to be on the safe side. If they make contact, I’ll leave them with orders to pass along to Haesar.”

  “That works,” Miuri said.

  “Now I just need to figure out what to do with Lagon.”

  “I heard about that,” Miuri said. “The traitor General, right?”

  “Right. Things aren’t exactly stable in the army right now. I just need to buy some time, but…” Cam trailed off.