The Fatal Conflict (GBS2G7) (Round 4: The Huntsman's Garden)

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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Zach was actually slightly disappointed when he emerged and found only Maxwell, still staring at the box.

"Where have you been?" Maxwell sighed. "I've been so bored. Nothing's happened at all!"

"That's a change," Zach replied. "I suppose all the horrible things out here are busy."

*whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh*

Zach blinked.

"What was that noise?" he asked.

"Oh, probably the spaceship that just flew over us," Maxwell replied. "Can we play Twenty Questions again?"

"In a minute," Zach said as he floated upwards. "Did you see which way the spaceship went?"

Maxwell pointed over towards a nearby forest. Zach thanked him and flew away.

He wasn't sure if he could actually float faster than a spaceship, but he decided he might as well find out.

***

"Why did you just slow down?" Will asked.

"I saw something and I want to get a better look. I suppose you can't see it too well from down there."

"Well, what is it?"

Scott held a hand over his glasses and leaned forward trying to get a better look.

"It looks like...a lot of people. More children, most likely." He squinted some more. "And... oh. I think most of them aren't moving any more. Or, ah, intact."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"I don't think Dr. Stassen will be happy to see them," Zach said. Scott turned to the co-pilot's seat in surprise.

"When did you get here?" he asked.

"Just a moment ago," Zach replied. "Thanks for slowing down, that helped quite a bit. By the way, if it's not too much trouble, could you turn around? There's another passenger I'd like you to pick up."

***

Zom wasn't sure how long he had been walking through the tunnels. An hour? Twenty minutes? It made little difference to him; time simply seemed meaningless now. Perhaps it was the similarity of the tunnels, perhaps it was the lack of new orders to at least take some of the monotony away.

It was actually somewhat eerie; the children, even the leader, had been silent since the march began. They seemed more like a millitary unit, thoroughly disciplined and with a total focus on their mission.

Suddenly, they stopped. Zom found himself unable to, however, which prompted a hastily-whispered order to "Stay!" from his new master. He stood still.

"Why have we stopped?" he asked.

"I hear footsteps. Intruders have entered our tunnels." The boy laughed, though he still kept his voice low. "But that just makes it easier for us. We'll split into two groups. I'll lead my half down another route and catch them from behind. The rest of you, including my new servant, keep going this way and attack from the front."

Zom found himself shuffling along, following behind half of the children. The leader cackled quietly again and guided the rest down another tunnel.

It wasn't long before they came across Kargrek and Bellona. Zom was horrified to see that their eyes had grown dark, just like the children and Kaja's. As the warriors saw the advancing children, they readied their weapons and screamed something about how the "monsters should die".

Zom sighed. Was this how it was to end? With all of them enslaved by Ymirhoggr, either directly or through a magic spell?

That seemed an even worse fate than being pulled into this battle in the first place. But Zom had no way to resist. He could not defy his master's orders.

Then he smiled slightly as he realized an order that his "master" had forgotten to give.

"Kargrek! Bellona! Behind you!" he shouted. The pair turned around swiftly, and saw the young boy and another few dozen children. The dark-eyed boy glared past them, staring directly at Zom.

"That isn't how you ambush someone at all!"