by Kay L. Ling
“Keep an eye on the woods,” Tyla warned. The Outcasts would have heard the cart approach, and they’d be in position by now. They’d think Bentiz was alone, an easy target. Maybe the team shouldn’t have turned invisible.
Tyla saw movement among the trees as the trio started dragging the far end of the tree in an arc toward the opposite side of the road.
Two Outcasts in cloaks with the hoods pulled forward to hide their faces, stepped out of the woods.
“Need a hand?” asked the one in a black cloak.
“We have strong backs,” said the one in the brown cloak.
Bentiz shook his head. “Thanks, but I can manage.”
Black Cloak’s voice was familiar. It sounded like Maniz.
“You’re gonna move the tree by yourself? You must be a lot stronger than you look,” Black Cloak said with an unpleasant chuckle.
“That or he’s using a strength gem,” Brown Cloak said.
“That’s it,” Bentiz said, latching onto the excuse they had so conveniently provided.
Gem powers or not, the Outcasts would find it hard to believe he could single-handedly move a tree. They looked at one another uncertainly, and Tyla was sure they were wary of attacking someone with gem powers, but if they thought Bentiz had gems in addition to IGs and useful supplies, they wouldn’t be able to resist.
Bentiz and his invisible helpers continued to drag the tree, making slow but steady progress. The Outcasts watched, and if they had any sense, they’d know that in addition to abnormal strength he probably had other gem powers. They couldn’t simply demand he hand over his valuables.
Just as Bentiz and the others reached the side of the road and set down the tree, an Outcast crept stealthily from the woods with something in his hand that looked like a knife. Before Tyla could shout a warning, a voice overhead called, “Behind you!”
Loud Mouth dove toward the Outcast who froze, startled by the voice. Riven and Serrom, still invisible, tackled him. He went down under their combined weight, landing on his back and dropping the knife.
Loud Mouth landed seconds later. “Try to get up and I’ll peck your eyes out,” he warned, flapping his wings in a menacing manner.
“That’s telling him,” Bounder said from beside Tyla, quivering with pent-up energy. “Can I get out of the cart now?”
Tyla didn’t get a chance to answer. Olissa said, “No. Stay here. Tyla and Arenia, come with me.” She turned visible and jumped out of the cart. Following her lead, the rest of the team turned visible, too. Black Cloak and Brown Cloak fled, leaving their companion to fend for himself.
“Your friends just abandoned you,” Serrom told the remaining Outcast. “You won’t get any help from them.”
The Outcast scratched the tip of his nose, which had an ugly lump sprouting hairs. “I wouldn’t have hurt you. I was coming to help move the tree.”
“Sure you were—with a knife in your hand,” Serrom said. He took the knife from his pocket and waved it accusingly.
“Get up,” Olissa said. “We ought to use the knife on you.”
The Outcast stood, and Olissa grabbed his arm and checked for the gem symbol. “Don’t think of using gem powers on us,” she warned when she saw the mark.
“Couldn’t if I wanted to. My gems are gone, and so are my infused powers.”
“If I were you, I’d use the knife on him,” Loud Mouth advised.
Tyla gave the bird a sidelong glance, surprised at his bloodthirsty nature. Bounder must be rubbing off on him. Good thing the zek was still in the cart.
“Skip the knife. I’ll take a bite out of him,” said a voice behind her.
Tyla sighed. So much for waiting in the cart. “I thought we told you to stay put,” she told the zek.
“You can’t expect me to stay behind when everyone else is here,” he protested.
“Yes we can,” Olissa said. “You need to follow orders.”
The Outcast looked from Loud Mouth to Bounder, clearly amazed at their ability to speak.
“When I suggested you Outcasts live off the land, robbing passersby wasn’t what I had in mind,” Tyla said sternly. “No more ambushes, or I promise you’ll be sorry.”
“We’re living in a hut, foraging for food. This is a tough life, and we won’t live long if the Watcher tells The Emanicus we’re not at the mine.”
“The pythanium is the least of your worries,” Olissa said.
“Yeah, we took care of the snake,” Bounder said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” the Outcast asked. “You didn’t kill it, did you? You’re in big trouble if you did.”
“It’s not dead,” Tyla said. “It’s just . . . harmless now.”
“And you’ll be harmless if you make any more trouble,” Olissa said. “Got it?”
The Outcast nodded.
“Go.” Olissa shooed him away as if he were a bothersome insect, and he disappeared into the woods.
Everyone started back to the cart.
“I’ll make one more surveillance flight before we go,” Loud Mouth said.
When they were all in the cart, Tyla said thoughtfully, “You know, if the Outcasts had seen all of us to begin with, they might not have bothered us. But since they thought Bentiz was alone, they weren’t afraid to attack.”
“You’re right,” Riven said. “We shouldn’t have turned invisible. I’m sorry I suggested it.”
“On the bright side, no one got hurt,” Serrom said, “but Tyla makes a good point. We thought we were taking the safer course, and it worked against us.”
“I didn’t want to fight them,” Riven admitted, “but I shouldn’t be here if I’m afraid to face dark powers.”
“Fear is our greatest enemy,” Tyla said. “We all struggle with it. I know I do. But we have to stand up to The Emanicus or we’ll spend the rest of our lives ruled by dark powers.”
“Living under S’s rule, we know what that’s like. The rest of Ahmonell is just starting to find out,” Arenia said.
Loud Mouth returned with his report. “The fellow you freed is telling the others what you said about not ambushing travelers. I think he’s thrown a scare into them.”
“Good,” Tyla said. “Let’s get going. We need to cover a lot of ground before we stop for the night.”
Chapter 34
On the third day of their journey, Tyla and the others were eating lunch by a pond when she looked up to see Loud Mouth returning from a surveillance flight. He landed and announced excitedly, “Guess what! I found it! The stone building!”
Tyla nearly choked on a bite of bread. “You did? Where?”
“Near the stream you showed me on the map.”
“Did you see anyone?” Arenia asked.
“Yes. I didn’t fly low enough to see their faces, but there were two gnomes in black robes.”
“Black robes. Almost certainly Emanicus gnomes,” Tyla said.
“Good job, Loud Mouth,” Olissa said. “Without you, we might never have found them.”
“I’ll go back for a better look, but I wanted to tell you right away.”
“Thanks, Loud Mouth.” Adin broke off a piece of bread and held it out to him. He took it from her fingers, swallowed it whole, and looked around for more handouts.
“I’m sure they have wards,” Tyla said. “Olissa, would it be dangerous if Loud Mouth flew low or tried to land?”
“I don’t think so. When we warded Elantoth, we didn’t ward the sky over the fortress.”
No, they had seen no need to until the Watcher arrived, and even then they hadn’t altered the wards. The Watcher brought messages, and the Emanicus would retaliate if Tyla refused to let the creature in. “I suppose they have no reason to ward the sky. They wouldn’t anticipate an airborne threat.”
“Airborne threat, that’s me,” said Loud Mouth, preening.
“You can say that again,” Olissa muttered.
Loud Mouth eyed Olissa as if trying to decide whether he’d been insulted.
“
So, it should be safe for you to land,” Tyla told the bird.
Loud Mouth ruffled his feathers excitedly. “Great. I’ll listen to their conversations and try to learn something useful.”
“I want to go, too,” Bounder said. “They won’t pay any attention to me.”
“I doubt you could get past their wards. The wards probably block wildlife as well as gnomes,” Olissa said.
“I’m better off going alone, anyway,” Loud Mouth said. “I’m in a hurry, and you couldn’t keep up with me.”
“Says who?” Bounder retorted. “I can run as fast as you can fly.”
“Only for a short distance. And then you tire.”
“I’ll have you know I can—”
“Stop squabbling or I’ll send you both home,” Olissa threatened.
“Ha! I go where I please,” said Loud Mouth indignantly. “Besides, you need me.”
Olissa gave a disgusted grunt but didn’t contradict him.
“While he’s gathering information, we should head toward the building,” Tyla said. “The map is in the cart. Loud Mouth, can you show us the approximate location?”
“Sure.”
Everyone started back to the cart with Bounder racing ahead, proving how fast he could run.
Olissa spread out the map and everyone crowded around. “All right, Loud Mouth. We’re right about here, just south of this squiggly line marked Little Rock Creek. Show us where you found the building.”
There was complete silence while he studied the map. “It was near this bend in the stream.” He pecked the map. Olissa drew a circle there.
“There aren’t any roads. It will be slow going and a rough ride,” Bentiz said.
“We expected that,” Tyla told him. “Loud Mouth needs time to spy on the gem masters, so we’re in no hurry.”
“Can I leave now? I’ll find you when I have something to report.”
“Go, and good luck,” Tyla told him.
“Be careful,” Bounder warned his feathered friend.
There was little conversation as the team drove farther north. Tyla infused gems to keep herself occupied, but her mind kept drifting to what lay ahead. They had found the hideout. She could hardly believe it. But the hard part would be carrying out the raid, and she was glad Olissa was in charge of that. As Olissa had said, things seldom went as planned.
The farther they rode the rockier the land became. It was unmistakably the Barrier Zone, but it wasn’t the utter wasteland it had been a few months ago. The climate had normalized and the area looked healthier even though the greenery was mostly weeds and prickly shrubs.
Once Little Rock Creek came into view, the team left the road, and as Bentiz predicted, it was a rough ride. Holediggers had dug hundreds of holes that were hidden by the weeds, as were many of the rocky outcroppings. Tyla resigned herself to a long bumpy ride. At this rate, it would take a couple hours to reach the first bend in the stream, and the stone building was beyond the second bend.
At least the weather was cooperating. Earlier, the skies had been overcast, and the high humidity had suggested rain, but the skies had cleared, and the humidity was less oppressive now.
The team had driven at least an hour and a half when Bounder, who was running alongside the cart, let out an excited yip and cried, “He’s back!”
Bentiz brought the cart to a halt, and Loud Mouth landed on the seat beside Tyla.
“Were you able to get through their wards?” Olissa asked.
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” Loud Mouth said stiffly. “Yes. I landed with no trouble at all.”
“Good. If we can’t get in any other way, we can drop in from the sky,” said Riven in a half-hearted attempt at humor. No one laughed.
“How many gem masters did you see?” Tyla asked.
“Four outside, and I looked through an open window and saw five more.”
“Was there a giant beetle in a cage?” Olissa asked.
“If so, I didn’t see it.”
Tyla sighed. “I bet she isn’t there. The other group probably has her.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Olissa said. “Loud Mouth couldn’t see the whole place through one window.”
“I’m just glad he didn’t see a woodspirit,” Arenia said.
“Me too. Hopefully, she’s still a beetle,” Adin said, twisting a strand of hair, a nervous habit Tyla had noticed before.
“Did you overhear anything important?” asked Olissa.
“I listened outside the window quite awhile. From what I can tell, Tabik is their leader. He was giving orders, anyway. Mostly, I heard a lot of grumbling.”
“Grumbling? About what?” Olissa asked.
“They don’t like hauling water from the stream, and they don’t like eating rotting food. The name Felith came up a few times, and whoever he is, they don’t like him.”
“Were there any animals there?” Bounder asked.
“No, and that reminds me. They mentioned the Watcher. They’re expecting him back in a day or two. I squawked with laughter when they said that, and one of them looked out the window and saw me, so I started pecking the ground like I was eating bugs.”
“Thank goodness you only squawked and didn’t make a wisecrack,” Olissa said.
“Yeah, I was careful about that. Anyway, maybe I should have stayed longer, but I wasn’t learning much, so I came back.”
“Good job,” Tyla commended him. “Now we know how many gem masters there are. I’m glad there are only nine. And I hope they have the Focal Gem because we may not find the other group during this raid, and we need to get the gem before they target anyone else.”
Olissa looked at the lowering sun. “We’d better get going. I plan to travel the last mile or two on foot, and walking through rocky, weed-covered ground is hazardous after dark.”
“We could use lightgems,” Riven said.
“Sure, if we want to announce we’re coming,” Olissa said dryly.
“When we near their hideout, will we turn invisible?” Serrom asked.
“I hadn’t planned on it, but that might be a good idea,” Olissa said.
“Forget it,” Tyla said. “Once we get inside their wards—assuming we can—invisibility won’t help us.”
“Why not?” Olissa asked.
“According to Kaff, they can detect intruders, invisible or not.”
“He would know,” Arenia said. “He knifed a few Seekers during a rally at The Emanicus, figuring no one would know who did it since he was invisible. He found himself outside their gate a few hours later with no memory of how he’d gotten there.”
“Well, that eliminates the idea of turning invisible and sneaking up on them,” Olissa said.
“How do we know how far their wards extend?” Bentiz asked.
“I have a ward-detecting gem,” Olissa said. “Finnack used one during The Emanicus raid. It won’t detect the most sophisticated wards, but it’s better than nothing.”
“We can’t use it while driving. We couldn’t stop fast enough,” Bentiz said. “We’ll definitely have to walk once we get close.”
At Elantoth, wards wouldn’t kill an intruder, but Tyla couldn’t count on that here, and there was no telling how many wards The Emanicus had. The team might get past the perimeter ward without alerting anyone, only to run into deadly wards as they neared the building.
“I’m ready to go. Are you?” Olissa asked, looking around the group.
“Maybe we should plan more,” Riven said nervously.
“Some things can’t be planned in advance,” Olissa said.
“Let’s go,” Tyla said. “We’re as ready as we’ll ever be.”
Chapter 35
Tyla infused gems for strength and courage as they rode toward The Emanicus hideout. Once they parked the cart, they would leave their gem pouches in a warded hole. If anything went wrong during the raid, Emanicus gnomes wouldn’t get the gems. She would keep her knife, of course. There was no way she was parting with that. If they took
it away from her, it wouldn’t do them any good. In their hands it would be just an ordinary knife.
Arenia reached down and scratched Bounder behind the ears, then ran a hand over his striped body. “Maybe you should give him more feridium powder. He hasn’t had any lately, and we don’t know how long the effects last.”
“All right, but the powder makes him talkative,” Tyla warned.
“Hey,” Bounder said, sounding offended. “What’s wrong with that?”
Tyla gave him a dose of powder, and just as she’d warned, he spent the next half hour talking about his life with Franklin, but no one seemed to mind. He said Franklin treated him like a friend, reading him stories, playing games with him, and challenging him to learn something new every day. Bounder used a lot of Fair Lands slang phrases. Now Tyla knew where Loud Mouth had gotten them. When Bounder finished entertaining them, he asked if there was anything to eat, and the others decided they were hungry, too, so Olissa passed out portions of dried meat, bread, and cheese.
Loud Mouth had been making circuits, reporting how much further the team had to go. He returned again and announced that the hideout was only a few miles away.
“We’d better stop here," Olissa told Bentiz.
Bentiz parked the cart at the base of a small hill and everyone got out.
“Let’s have a little fialazza to sharpen our senses and settle our nerves,” Olissa said. She set the keg on the tailgate and they all helped themselves. Tyla was sure that even the bravest among them was nervous.
“Did you see any gem masters outside on your last pass?” Olissa asked Loud Mouth.
“Yes, they were sitting around a circle of corrustone.”
“Did you overhear anything?”
“Of course. I’m becoming a very good spy.”
“Don’t get a big head,” Bounder muttered.
“They have two leaders, Tabik and Lanimore, but Tabik seems to do most of the talking. A few days ago, someone arrived at the other hideout with a cartload of supplies, and Tabik said Team One kept all the good stuff and gave his group the rest. He wasn’t happy about that, and neither were the others.”
“Infighting could work in our favor,” Olissa said. “If we can defeat these gem masters, they might betray the other group in exchange for leniency.”
