Deals and Dangers

by Kay L. Ling

  Parcune nodded with a heavy heart. “Somewhere in our experiences we must have learned something we can use against The Emanicus—a gem power or some clever angle they haven’t thought of and can’t defend against. We just have to find it.”

  Chapter 2

  Two days after The Emanicus raid, Tyla left Aberell Fortress in an erum-drawn cart, weary in mind and body and discouraged beyond words. She and Ertz had believed Finnack’s team could remove S from The Emanicus and arrest the gem masters. No one had expected to find The Emanicus deserted and S gone. Tyla would never forget the looks on the officers’ faces when they saw the empty rooms. Finnack was still blaming himself that they hadn’t acted sooner, but the team hadn’t been ready, and who would think a few days would matter?

  Tyla’s mood was as dark as the overcast sky. She pulled her cloak tighter about herself and tried not to think about the increased burdens she’d face at Elantoth. She wished Ertz could return with her and stay awhile. Through all of this, he had been a steadying force, offering words of encouragement and sage advice. He was a highly experienced gem master and knew more about dark powers than most, so she could really use him. Unfortunately, Finnack needed him, too. Despite the mist ward, Aberell Fortress wasn’t immune to danger. Ertz had agreed to help Finnack devise additional defenses and personal wards. Tyla would have to make do with Gem Master Olissa Neban and the two officers Finnack was sending to Elantoth. Olissa was brash and abrasive at times, but she had been one of Mierek’s top gem masters, so Tyla was grateful to have her despite being worried about how they would get along. As for Higgart and Othir, they wouldn’t be staying long. After establishing Elantoth’s peacekeeping force, a job Raenihel had neglected to do, they would return to Aberell.

  It wouldn’t be easy to find gnomes to serve, she thought worriedly, and she’d told Higgart and Othir that. The world had become a more dangerous place, and Amulet residents, more reclusive than gnomes elsewhere, would want to stay home.

  Last night, she had come up with a controversial solution. Breghlin were savage by nature, which had been a problem in the past, but under the circumstances, it was a benefit. Why couldn’t they be officers? Many had adopted gnome values and would be honored to serve. In these troubled times, she couldn’t afford to be fussy, a lesson Finnack needed to learn. Yesterday, Marrid and Zeetha had come to Aberell Fortress, and he had refused to see them. Finnack had never liked woodspirits, and he distrusted The Eight, but what could it hurt to hear what they had to say? He’d sent Kitana away, too, but Tyla couldn’t blame him for that. Kitana seldom missed an opportunity to make gnomes look incompetent. In a recent issue of Woodspirit News and Views, she had berated gnome officials for failing to realize Emanicus gnomes were Outcasts. According to her, Emanicus gnomes had published articles that had shaped government policies, including the practice of recording gnomes with gem powers and giving them an identifying mark. It was probably true, Tyla realized, and in light of recent events, that had been clever. They had used the government to compile a list of gnomes with gem powers, and now they knew who might be a threat. Soon, they would abolish the witness tax and annual inspections. Tyla considered witness inspections a barbaric practice, but still, it was disturbing to think Emanicus gnomes could eliminate any law that wasn’t to their advantage.

  The ride home would be slower by cart than by carriage, but Tyla saw the wisdom of Finnack’s advice to travel as discreetly as possible. They were returning home with the rare gems she and Ertz had taken to Aberell, and someone might be hoping to ambush them.

  Fortunately, she worried in vain. After a couple days of uneventful travel, she and her traveling party began to relax. Most of the carts they had passed had been carrying corrustone from local mines, and the drivers had paid no attention to them.

  On the third morning, the group ate a quick breakfast and set out in a cheerful mood. If they met no delays they should reach Elantoth before nightfall. To pass the time, Higgart and Othir told stories about their experiences at Aberell Fortress, and after a while, Tyla brought up the idea of having breghlin officers at Elantoth. As expected, Higgart and Othir were shocked that she’d consider it, but to Tyla’s surprise, Olissa thought it made sense. Elantoth’s two greatest threats were Outcasts moving into the area and lawless breghlin refusing to join gnome society, and Olissa thought breghlin officers would intimidate both groups.

  They were still discussing the subject when something large and dark flew overhead, barely visible through the canopy of leaves. Having only glimpsed it for a moment, Tyla couldn’t tell what it was, but it was far too large for a bird. A shiver of dread ran through her. She might be overreacting, but she had an instinctive desire to hide, just as she had in the old days when there had been a genuine threat from the skies.

  The road bent to the left, and as they started up a hill, Tyla looked at the sky, but she couldn’t see much through the leaves. Olissa, sitting beside her asked, “Did you see it, too? Something huge flew by.”

  Before Tyla could answer, Othir said, “I saw it, but I thought I was imagining things. What could it be?”

  Wyven had brought large birds of prey to the region, but the dark form Tyla had seen definitely hadn’t been one of those.

  “There it is again,” Othir said.

  Even Higgart, who was driving, looked up.

  Something briefly filled a patch of open sky, and then it was gone. It was flying lower now, making the treetops rustle. No bird could do that. The sound of its powerful wings made Tyla’s mouth go dry. She drew her knife, clinging to the hope that the creature wasn’t what she thought it was. The blade began to glow, and then the light shifted to flickering flames, indicating something evil or dangerous. Her heart sank.

  “So, it’s definitely not a bird,” Olissa said, looking at the knife.

  Othir looked over his shoulder and his expression hardened when he saw Tyla’s blade. Like Olissa, he knew what the flames meant.

  “I’m nearly certain it’s a pythanium,” Tyla said, “and if I’m right, S has to be involved. No one else knows how to create one.”

  As long as they stayed on the narrow forest road, they’d be safe. The canopy of leaves would hamper its ability to land. But when they came to open land, they’d be an easy target. Maybe it would be gone by then, Tyla told herself as she sheathed her knife, but if not, they would have to fight it. They couldn’t stay in the forest forever. They had to get back to Elantoth.

  They drove in tense silence for the next half hour, periodically looking skyward, but the creature seemed to be gone.

  Dark clouds were moving in, threatening rain. The forest took on an ominous look in the gloom, and the road, already dark due to the canopy of leaves, became even darker.

  “Looks like we’re in for bad weather,” Higgart said, echoing Tyla’s thoughts. “We’ve made pretty good time till now, so I hope it blows over.”

  Something ran across the road, startling Tyla. It was just a holedigger, she realized, and she reprimanded herself for being so skittish, but her nerves were on edge.

  A few minutes later they left the forest, and Tyla sucked in a horrified breath when she saw what lay in the road up ahead. It was unmistakably a pythanium, but much larger than any she had ever seen.

  “Look at the size of that thing,” Othir breathed as Higgart slowed the cart.

  “Gems preserve us,” Olissa said in a low voice.

  It lay coiled with its wings folded, as if napping, but Tyla felt certain it had seen their cart and was waiting for them. Why else would it chose that particular spot, blocking the road?

  “Now what do we do?” Higgart asked. “Off-road driving isn’t an option over this rocky terrain.”

  “We couldn’t slip by it unnoticed in any case,” Othir said.

  Tyla unsheathed her knife. “If the erum aren’t afraid to go closer, keep going and see if the creature moves. If it won’t let us pass, we’ll have to fight.”

  “If it comes to that, there are four of us,”
Olissa said.

  “We ought to be able to take it on,” Othir said, but he sounded nervous, and Tyla couldn’t blame him.

  As they drew closer, the pythanium lifted its head and spread its wings, looking even larger and more intimidating than before. It made no move to leave, and Tyla felt sure it had no intention of doing so.

  The erum began to bray.

  “Stop the cart,” Tyla said. “They won’t go much further. This is close enough.”

  Everyone got out, looking nervous but resolved. As they climbed the hill to confront the pythanium, Tyla drew gem powers to calm herself, but it didn’t help much. Olissa walked at her side, the officers a few steps behind. The creature watched the group with intelligent yellow eyes. It seemed to be assessing them.

  When they were still a distance off, it spoke, and Olissa jumped, unaware pythanium could speak.

  “Brave gnomes. You dare approach me?”

  “Stay here. Let me go alone,” Tyla said. She looked down at her knife. The blade was showing flickering flames. Olissa started to protest, but Tyla gave her a silencing glance and started toward the pythanium, showing no fear—or so she hoped.

  The creature watched her warily, its tongue darting in and out. “What does this one hold? A knife? You will not harm me. If you do, you will pay. Come no closer.”

  Refusing to be intimidated, Tyla took a few more steps and then stopped. As much as she’d like to kill the pythanium, she’d settle for driving it away. She looked over her shoulder and was relieved to see that the others had remained behind as ordered, but they didn’t look happy about it, especially Olissa.

  “I am the Watcher for this region. Who are you?”

  Tyla didn’t think it was wise to identify herself as Elantoth’s commander or give her name, so she didn’t answer.

  “It has no name,” the winged serpent mocked. “Where is it going?”

  “None of your concern. Move out of the road and let us pass.”

  The creature hissed and lifted its upper body, looming over Tyla. “What if I refuse to move? Your erum are afraid of me. They will come no closer.”

  “Let us pass,” she repeated.

  The pythanium was doing its best to frighten her, so she took another step forward, showing it she wasn’t afraid. It looked at her knife. While the knife might not be large, the blade showed flames and cast off light. Surely the creature had never seen a weapon do that. It was afraid of her knife, she told herself, meeting its gaze. And there were three gnomes standing by, ready to defend her. It would not be foolish enough to attack.

  She was wrong.

  The creature lunged, its mouth opening impossibly wide. Tyla froze at the sight of its forked tongue and giant fangs. Her companions shouted, too far away to save her. In that moment, she knew she was going to die.

  Then, something sprang up between her and the creature—a glowing form, six feet tall, with the semblance of arms, legs, and head. It rippled and shifted as if having trouble maintaining this form.

  Tyla gasped, but if she was startled by the luminous being’s sudden appearance, the pythanium was more so. It hissed and flapped its wings frantically, going airborne in seconds. The thunderous sound of its beating wings broke the still afternoon air as it retreated toward the forest.

  The glowing form disappeared.

  Tyla looked down at her knife. The blade was glowing softly now, without flames. She sheathed it. What had just happened?

  “Are you all right?” Olissa asked breathlessly, running up to Tyla. The others were right behind her.

  Tyla nodded, but her hands were shaking.

  “I knew we’d never get to you in time,” Higgart said. “I cursed myself for hanging back. Thank goodness that thing appeared and protected you.”

  “What was that?” Olissa asked, brushing strands of dark brown hair from her face. “Did your knife produce it or did you do it with a rare gem?”

  “It had to be my knife,” Tyla said. “I’ve never heard of a gem that could do that.”

  “Neither have I. And I consider myself an expert on rare gems,” Olissa said. She took Tyla’s arm to steady her, and they started back to the cart.

  “Gem combining can produce rare powers,” Tyla said. “So that must be how the knife did it.”

  “Very impressive,” Othir said. “That’s a fine weapon.”

  Yes, it certainly was. She was fortunate to have it. But how could it create and control the glowing being without a complex spell?

  Higgart walked up to the erum, which seemed calmer now, and murmured soothing words while rubbed their heads affectionately. “After that scare, I don’t think the pythanium will be back,” he said, climbing up on the driver’s box.

  Probably not, Tyla thought, but it was disheartening to think the creature existed. And if there was one, there were probably more. It had said, “I am the Watcher for this region.” That implied there were others.

  While Tyla had been in Aberell City, no one had mentioned pythanium, so this had to be a recent development. She hadn’t been in touch with anyone at Elantoth. Were her family and friends safe? She’d been on the road for three days, and anything could have happened in that amount of time. Things were changing at an alarming rate now that The Emanicus was gaining control.

  “I don’t care if we have to ride through a rainstorm. I want to get home tonight,” Tyla said.

  Chapter 3

  Tyla drew her cloak tighter about herself, but even so, she was none too warm. The air had grown chilly with the approach of nightfall, and the sun looked like a huge orange eye as it approached the horizon. Gusts of wind sent dust and twigs skittering across the ground, and for no reason she could explain, Tyla felt a sense of foreboding. It was probably due to their encounter with the pythanium, she told herself. She’d been on edge ever since. Her companions seemed equally pensive. It was hard to believe they had started the day in a lighthearted mood. The creature hadn’t returned, and there had been no other threats, but its arrival was a reminder that no one was safe, nor would they ever be, until The Emanicus was defeated and S was back in a warded cell.

  When the cart finally pulled into Elantoth’s driveway, Higgart said heavily, “Here we are at last, and knowing that thing is out there, I’m not looking forward to the return trip, I can tell you.”

  “I hope the Watcher doesn’t accost every traveler it sees,” Olissa said. “Otherwise, folks will only travel if they can Walk With the Wind.”

  “Then they won’t be coming to Elantoth,” Higgart said. “There aren’t any trees nearby.”

  “When S was in power, we Walked With the Wind whenever possible,” Tyla said. “Needless to say, we didn’t travel much, and we didn’t go far.” The reappearance of pythanium would have far-reaching effects, she realized with a heavy heart. Bad enough The Emanicus was putting an end to proposed building projects and new public services. The Amulet’s integration into civilized society had hardly begun, and now it was coming to an end.

  Hearing welcoming shouts, she looked toward the barns. Breghlin were running out to meet them. Tyla got out of the cart and stretched sore muscles.

  “Glad yer back,” Oliver said, looking relieved to see her.

  Xenon nodded. “Things be aw—” he began, but Oliver jabbed him in the ribs, silencing him.

  “Yer go on ahead. We unload yer baggage,” Oliver told Tyla.

  “You made good time,” Arenia said when Tyla and the others walked in. “We expected you for dinner, so I’m sure it’s ready.” Her tone smacked of forced cheerfulness, and when Tyla hugged Arenia, she couldn’t help noticing that Arenia felt tense. “Come on. While you wash up, I’ll run down to the kitchen and tell them you’re here,” Arenia said.

  Tyla gave her an “is everything all right?” look. Arenia’s half-hearted smile wasn’t reassuring.

  As they all started up the passageway, Ben and Tina Ann showed up, and Ben cried, “Thank goodness yer back!”

  “Denkurk, he fall apart at the first sig
n of trouble,” Tina Ann said, shaking her head in disgust.

  “What was wrong? Tyla asked.

  “It been awful aroun’ here,” Tina Ann said.

  Arenia was making frantic hushing motions, but Tina Ann ignored her. “There be pythanium and sneaky shadows and all kinds of weird stuff.”

  “Weren’t fer wards, we all be dead by now,” Ben said.

  Arenia was scowling, hoping they’d shut up, but it wasn’t working.

  “Franklin been stayin’ here till ya got back ‘cause pythanium be scared of Bounder.”

  “A pythanium was here?” Tyla asked.

  Tina Ann nodded. “One landed by the barn a couple days ago. Said it had a message.”

  “It be lookin’ fer you,” Ben said.

  Arenia threw up her hands in dismay. “Will you please stop! We aren’t discussing any of this until they’ve had dinner. Is it asking too much to let them relax for an hour or two?”

  Ben and Tina Ann stared at their feet like naughty youngones.

  “You can’t start something like that and not finish telling me,” Tyla protested as the group continued up the passageway.

  Arenia looked angry enough to feed Ben and Tina Ann to the pythanium. She waved a dismissive hand. “It was nothing, really. The pythanium announced itself as Elantoth’s Watcher and said there would be payback if anyone tried to kill it. Since it asked for you, and we didn’t want to say you weren’t here, I let it think I was you.”

  Tyla raised an eyebrow. “That was brave. And dangerous. What if it was here to kill me?”

  “That crossed my mind, but I’m not totally defenseless. I’ve been working on my gem powers.”

  “Ertz and I took all the best gems to Aberell,” Tyla reminded her.

  “I still have infused powers. They haven’t worn off yet. Don’t worry. It went all right, and it’s over now.”

  “More or less,” Tina Ann muttered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Tyla asked.