7. Slavers
The Metric are mercenaries who in not employ in war would be in trading of slaves. The mercenaries are also a mix-match of kinds including elves and man, but they do not employed Orcs as the last is unreliable and would not take orders at times. Their leader is an Elf named Metric hence the name of his army which is actually called Metric Marauders; as every time they win a battle, they ended up looting the place before leaving. Since the collapse of the Nation, the elves have been hunted like animals to be traded as slaves.
The Metrics hideout in the Blue Mountains but they trade in the numerous towns and cities of Man.
"Medi, your score with the Metric does not end with your people. According to mine, the Metrics was in the invasion of my Tower. They may have the Oracle. We would find them together."
To find the slavers is not difficult; all they need was a market place. The nearest one was five days by horse riding. Its one of the hundreds but this one is known for trading slaves. Its also in a city; the nearest among the twenty five cities of Man.
The city is named Landan.
"A fine specimen this one; the finest of the elves." Cedi heard the trader and followed the voice to the corner where the platform for trader can display his ware. The trader is a small Man dressed in fine silks pants and a matching vest. He also sports a long stick which he used to poke at the slaves he is selling. His kind is a common sight in this market and his voice is far beyond the size of his frame; its rings loud despite the daily noise of other traders and clients on this small square. Today he is selling some elves which he has recently acquired from the Metrics. The one he is poking at is a young elf of just nearing maturity.
Cedi know that elf as he has seen him in the Tower before. He used to play with the others there. Cedi approached the trader and made an offer.
"Two silver pieces is a steep price for a young elfling. Can we agreed to one piece and I would take him off immediately."
The trader looked at the potential buyer trying to find the face beneath the cloak. He soon began his selling oratory speech to justify his price, but there was no other buyer except this hooded one. He finally agreed on the price and Cedi had the young one with him. Cedi took him for a meal and some clothing before he begin the questioning. It did not take for him long to know where to find the Metric. Cedi send the young one back to the Dark Valley.
There was ten of them on horses and in tow with them was a hundred more elves of mixed Houses. Among the ten slavers are three elves; one dark and two white. The guards are armed with swords and shields whilst the elves carries the bow and arrows . Cedi can see their leader is a Man and that makes me more angrier to know that elves would followed Man into service. He stepped out of his hiding place at the road side and faced the Metrics. He had nocked an arrow into the string of the bow and am now raising it to the eye level.
"Who goes there?" The leading slaver addressed the bowman. He soon recognised the one as an Elf.
Are you out of your mind or you wished to sold like them?" The leader shouted back from the head of the column. He is dressed in some light armor and now has taken out his sword. He rode towards Cedi and the bowman had the arrow leveled to the approaching rider's eye.
The rider rode in knowing he would be shot at so he lowered his body at the time the arrow was released. But little does he know that Cedi knew that too which is why he aimed at the horse lower neck. The arrow pierced the horse into its thick neck below the head. It went down on its knees and toppled the rider over its head. The leader landed with a bad break to his neck on the ground and laid there not moving.
"Stupid" Cedi muttered to himself.
By then, the other compatriots are riding forward to him. There are two of them, and this time Cedi have nocked in two arrows. Its a technique learned by the Guardians to hit what they called a dual target. He raised the bow horizontally and released the arrow at the riders. The arrows hit them both at their thighs causing them to dropped off their mount. When they have landed at the ground, Cedi released another two more arrows at their throat.
"Who else dares to asked me of my intention?"
The other remaining seven riders took for the rear on seeing my skills but I needed one of them to question. Cedi fired his next arrow at the target chosen; an Elf. The rider was hit in the lower back and fell off the mount. By the time Cedi reached him, he was half dead from the beatings given by the so called slaves he was leading. Cedi stopped them from killing him so he can be questioned.
His name is Jared of Karen.
"Jared of Karen, you got me to protect you from them. Tell me how to find the Metrics and you may be spared from them." The injured Elf told him everything that was needed to know; their hideout and their strength. Cedi pulled him up and removed the remaining weapons from him.
"You may leave now."
He took up to his legs and ran for a short distance before Cedi shot him dead.
'
"Master Cedi, you told him he would be spared. Why did you kill him now?"
Cedi looked at the young elf and smiled.
"I did not lie. He is spared from all of you. But I did not promised I would not kill him."
The ride to the Blue Mountain where the Metrics hideout took them about a day's ride on the wolf and half a day flight with the Gryphon.
By nightfall the next day, Both Cedi and Medi were overlooking their hideout in a small valley covered on three sides by high hills except for the entrance which is a flat plain and a river that flows into the canyon. Its well hidden by the natural terrain and also the elves magic protects it from others who may intrude on it. But they are not like any others but elves ourselves, so the magic is easily removed or countered. This is no more of it when challenged by the Challenge Shield and almost all magic failed against it.
The entrance to the valley is guarded by an outpost which also acts as their forward camp in the case of any attack. In the outpost, there are about a dozen warriors. The slaves are in rear of the valley in a wooden pen structure at the base of the steep mountain side. There is also the barracks are on the left side if you are coming in from the entrance which can housed about three hundred warriors.
In the center to the right is the leader's home and arena. Metric the Leader likes to have deadly close combat tourney among his men so that they can improve their fighting skills or die trying to do it. Its a small arena which can seat in about a hundred people with an area in the center for the fighting to be done.
The duo are now above on the mountain side looking down at the slaves holding pens and we estimated about five hundred or so are there. Cedi' plan was simple; Medi freed the slaves while he takes on the warriors at the barracks. She asked me of the ones at outside the camp. He told her she can take them after she had freed the slaves. But he needed some time to check the house for any artifacts that Metric could had taken from the Houses.
It was a moonless night when Cedi rode in on the Gryphon to the rear of the house. It left him before flying off to hide nearby. Cedi picked up his bow and nocked in the arrow on the string. He slowly make his way into the house compound and stopped when he heard a sound. He crouched down to hear the sound if it happens again. But this time it was another person who step out of the dark and confronted him instead.
"Step forth, and be seen. If you do not, I would raise the alarm."
Cedi heeded the voice and stepped out of hiding. He came to face the person who hailed him.
"A Dark Elf. I am amused as I thought all of you are dead or in my pens. Who may I asked are you?"
The Man who spoke fits the description of their leader, Metric. He is of the height and well built frame, dressed in a long tunic with a sword by his belt waist.
"I should had guessed. Only an elf could had avoided the magic traps I set around the perimeter. Your name, brave one."
"Cedi of Canaan."
Cedi had a closer look at the so called leader of the Metrics. He is older than I thought and has a scar across his left cheek and he is missing his left hand. On it now is a short blade on the stump.
"So you seek the slaves and .........perhaps you wanted the Oracle. Cedi, son of Kedi the Brave?"
Kedi the Brave was his father' name when he was serving in the last War.
The Man assumed to be Metric, laughed up loud and then glared at Cedi.
"Your father is the one responsible for my missing hand. He banished me years ago for trying to kill the leader during the war. But in the fight, he cut off was my wrist and not my life. I escaped with my life then. " Metric looked to be about my father's age. I know of the tale as my father told me what did happened.
"Its true what you said but there was a twist to the tale you did not tell. You did not say that you wanted to take over the army then. My father stopped you from doing it. That leader was removed after you left and a new one was brought in. We won as you probably heard." Cedi corrected Metric on the correct version.
"That is over now." Metric motioned and five more of his men arrived with their arrows nocked on their bow.
"I knew you were coming for me. I did not survive so long without knowing all my enemies. I am also no more an Elf, but I retain some friends of old who still are, and they tell me many things. Cedi, you killed Lord Mikina. That is a great achievement."
"But hear me out, Cedi of Canaan."Metric continued his gloating. "The cause is lost for us; our nation lies in ruin. The Age of Man is here now. Join me and prosper. Be like me. Be a Man."
Cedi did not answer him but raised up the bow and shot at the approaching warriors of Man. They were as fast as Cedi, as more arrows came at him. He jumped aside to avoid the oncoming arrows.
Cedi fled for the dark forest behind him and seek shelter behind the big tree.
"Find him. Bring me his head if he is dead." He can hear Metric called out to his men. "He must be found."
They would come for him now and more cover may be required or he would be dead soon. They are good archers and Cedi need re-think his plan.
He ran further in and remembered he need to signal Medi. She is waiting for his signal need to activate the next stage. Cedi took out the whistle and blew hard on it. That was a risk he had to take and the Metrics' men triangulate on his position. Their arrows followed his trail as he ran for deeper into the forest for more cover.
The next stage went into action when the Gryphon flew down and used its flame to ignite the barracks. The Gryphon flew up and swooped down on the Metrics as they tried to put out the fires. It was also time for Cedi to take the fight back to them. He climbed swiftly onto the tree branch and await his hunters.
There is one of them stepping by a tree on his right as Cedi pulled the bow string taut with arrow on it. He followed the warrior as the Man carefully steps on the forest ground; picking his steps on every move. The warrior move the low branch that blocked his view and then he saw Cedi.
It was also then Cedi released the arrow with precise movement and the hunter is down with it sticking out of his neck.
Cedi jumped down from the tree and crouched down on the knees before he straighten up to run for his next cover. Cedi jumped behind a rock and an arrow landed next to his face. This is so close and the person must had assumed he hit Cedi then.
Cedi rolled to the side and laid down flat while slowly pulling out the dagger on his waist. Cedi want to feigned injury so that other would be careless. The warrior came towards him with the bow nocked with another arrow. The warrior saw Cedi lying there and then noticed the lack of blood. He knows now he must had missed Cedi and he raised his bow.
The thrown dagger was more precise to hit him in the left eye into his brain. He fell on his knees when Cedi got up to walk. Cedi stopped before the kneeling dead warrior and pulled out his dagger.
Then he heard the shout from the house.
"Cedi, I have your Oracle. Come and get it now or I would throw it into the fire."
Its Metric and he is taunting Cedi to show himself again.
Cedi cannot risk the Oracle being destroyed and yet if he comes out, he would probably be dead against the odd facing him there.
He has no option so he made his way back to the House.
Metric is standing there with his remaining three men; all armed with bow and arrow. He walked out with the bow nocked with two arrows and raised to the eye level. Metric and his men did the same to him.
"So the old Elf skill of duo arrow. I never got to master that, or maybe I am not called a master for that. They are four of us and you have two arrows. So tell me what are your odds?"
Cedi did not answer as the wolf leap out at the nearest warrior and took him down.
It was all Cedi need to loose the two arrows at the Man who would be most likely to shoot him first.
He then jumped and rolled on the ground while throwing his dagger again. This time he aimed at the chest of the warrior and it struck deep into the warrior.
The wolf has bitten into its prey and now eyeing the Leader. Metric was in a shook during the initial attack but he has recovered now to face the new danger. His back was to Cedi and there is an arrow nocked in to shoot at him.
"Metric!"
Cedi shouted and when he turned to shoot at Cedi, the later released the arrow onto the upper ribs of the Metric leader during the body turn. Metric dropped the bow and fell on the ground. Cedi ran over to him and cradled the head.
"The Oracle?"
"King James has it. He is back at the Island." Those were the last words of Metric.
Cedi freed the slaves and they all retreated to the castle island. The hideout was destroyed by the fire while most of the slavers escaped to the nearby forest.
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