Wardens of Archos

by Sarina Langer

  The creature grinned at Rachael. Then it flew toward her, and her world went dark.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The whispers wouldn’t stop. Rachael couldn’t understand what they were trying to tell her, but they persisted and filled every corner of her sleeping mind. They gripped her tight, and held her there where she couldn’t move and couldn’t be recovered. Everything was black, the blue-and-green dance long since dead to leave her in her own darkness.

  The dragon had devoured her. The dragon had done this, and now that his feast was over it had left her to rot.

  She wanted to call for help, but her voice wouldn’t obey and so she was left alone. Wasn’t this what she had wanted? To be on her own? To be an ignored child, left to her own devices?

  A hand took hold of hers, but she was too weak to pull away. All around her were the murmurs; finally, she understood what they were saying. The spells of the old sorcerers had torn the world apart, and now the blood of the dragon sought to do the same.

  “Rachael?”

  She blinked, and the darkness was gone. Kiana, Cale, and Kaida stood over her. Cale sighed in relief when she opened her eyes.

  “You’re awake!” said Kiana, a wide smile on her lips.

  “Hush,” said Kaida. “Tell me what you saw.”

  Rachael found she could do nothing but obey. “Darkness. Whispers in the dark.”

  “Anything clear?”

  “The dragon wants to destroy the world.”

  It sounded silly now, but Kaida didn’t seem to think so. All three of them looked concerned, but neither Sparrow looked more taken aback than the Mist Woman who stared at Rachael. Her face was its usual controlled calm, but behind her eyes she was trembling.

  “What did you say?”

  Rachael's throat was dry. She coughed. Cale offered a glass of water, and she emptied it in three big gulps.

  “The whispers said the old sorcerers used a spell to destroy the old kingdom, and now the dragon wants to destroy what’s left.”

  “I see.” A shadow hung over Kaida's eyes. “I have not heard of this prophecy.”

  “You found me.” Rachael had been so sure she would die inside the cave.

  Kiana grimaced. “I hung back, just in case. I saw you disappear behind a house and got worried when you didn’t come back. You were well hidden, but the witch used a spell to locate you.”

  “The boy led me there.”

  Cale frowned. “A boy?”

  “There was a small child. He took my hand and led me into the cave. He lit a brazier, and when I turned around he was gone.”

  “A cave, and a boy?” Kaida placed her hand on her forehead like the whole concept was giving her a terrible migraine. “Are you certain? I cannot think of a boy living in the village who would be old enough. There is a girl who turned five last winter, and a young boy who was born the spring before. He never leaves his parents’ side.”

  Kiana looked worried. “I didn’t see anyone else, Rachael.”

  “But I know what I—”

  “I believe you, but I cannot explain how—” Kaida's features froze in understanding. “Did you drink from the well?”

  “I did, but only a small sip.”

  “The well is of old and powerful magic, Rachael. The people here sometimes drink from it to better their intuition for a short while. No one knows the effects it might have on a seer.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us before we went into the village?” Kiana's voice was the threatening, low grumble of an approaching thunderstorm. Her hands hovered by her daggers again.

  “I apologise,” said Kaida. “I was caught up in my research, and I forgot how little you know.”

  “She could have died in the cave if we hadn’t found her!” said Cale. “How could you not remember to mention the well? She’s a seer, for Maker’s sake!”

  If Kaida was offended by his outburst, she didn’t show it; her face was the same serene calm it always was. “She was in no danger of that, I assure you. The important thing is that she has learned something from the experience. Something we can use.”

  Kiana snorted. “Don’t trust anything?”

  “I mean the vision Rachael had. We now know of the dragon’s plans.”

  Rachael's blood turned to ice. “You mean the dragon is real?” Her skin was crawling, and her stomach flipped.

  “I thought dragons were extinct?” Cale frowned. Kiana had gone ashen.

  “Have you ever known your visions to deceive you?” Rachael shook her head. “Then we must assume at least one still lives. We cannot be sure what happened to them. We assume the fall of the old kingdom caused their demise, but it is possible they simply hid.”

  “You look a little too happy about that,” said Kiana. Rachael hadn't missed the smile in Kaida's eyes, either.

  “The dragons were a proud, ancient race. Their presumed extinction left the world as something lesser. It would be a marvellous thing if just one survived.”

  “How would we stop it?” Rachael asked. She didn’t think they’d have a chance of winning that battle.

  “First, we would need to find it,” said Kaida. “Since no one has sighted a dragon in such a long time, it is safe to assume it does not wish to be found. We should focus on the things we can do. My research has confirmed my suspicions. I have what I came here to find.”

  “Then we should leave soon,” said Cale. “How long will it take us to get there?”

  “Not long. We have ways of travelling between the two countries without need for carriages. If we travel through our magic, we will arrive instantly.”

  “Why didn’t we do that right away?” asked Kiana. “We could have saved ourselves the journey across the Far Sea.”

  “Because we could not have taken the necessary precautions in Rifarne. Travelling by magic is an old art. It consumes vast amounts of energy. I could have got you from Rifarne to Midoka, but it would have left me weak and vulnerable for a while. Since we do not know when the Mothers might attack again, I thought it best not to take that risk.”

  Rachael was frustrated that Kaida had withheld yet another important piece of information from her, but it was too late for objections. They were here now, and she hoped she’d made herself clear the day before.

  “But you can do it now?” asked Rachael. “You can get us to Paranossa?” The prospect of travelling through a spell was exciting, adventurous, and terrifying in equal measures. She didn’t feel comfortable putting her life into the Mist Woman’s hands to that extent, but if Kaida wanted her dead she would have acted by now. Rachael’s gut still urged her to trust Kaida. No matter how she looked at it, it was the best option.

  Kaida nodded. “I can, with the help of my sisters. We do not know for certain what expects us in the hidden ruins. I would prefer to save my strength so I can protect us if necessary.”

  Cale scowled. “We can protect Rachael perfectly well.”

  “The scrolls I read mentioned wardens left to watch over the ruins. They will not attack unless provoked, but do you want to take that risk with Rachael’s life?”

  Cale paled.

  “What kind of wardens?” asked Kiana. Her hands rested on the hilts of her daggers, her stance defensive.

  “I believe they are the warriors who originally sealed the relics now hidden inside the ruins. We will likely need their cooperation if we want to get inside.”

  “How is that possible?” asked Kiana. “Wouldn’t they have died a long time ago?”

  Kaida smiled in a way that made Rachael think she knew all the world’s secrets. “Magic.”

  “How does this spell work?” asked Cale.

  “There is a focus point in Paranossa. We can get there from here without a problem.”

  “Focus point?” Rachael had never heard the term before, but most aspects of magic were a mystery to her. Here in the South she was surrounded by secrets she’d never even dreamed of.

  “It is easier to travel between focus points, where the magic is c
oncentrated. They used to exist all over the Northern Reaches, but like so much else they were destroyed. There are many here in Midoka and Krymistis. Midoka is mountainous, as you have no doubt noticed, and Krymistis is a large country with a vast desert spanning most of it. Travel via focus points makes life easier for many people.”

  “And there isn’t one of those points in the ruins?” Odd, that the old wizards hadn’t left an easier way to get to the relics they had hidden.

  Kaida shook her head. “No. I believe they used to have one, but they destroyed it once their work was done and the relic was hidden below the sands.”

  “Think about it, Rachael,” said Cale. “A focus point so close to the objects they tried to hide would be counterproductive. There’s no point in hiding something if you mark the way for your enemy afterward. Destroying it made sense.”

  Rachael nodded. “Will Lady Nerine know the way?”

  “I expect so. Nothing happens in Krymistis without her knowledge.”

  “Then we should leave. Are you and your sisters ready?”

  “We are, Queen Rachael,” said Natalia, her accent full of Vistria’s warm charm. The two Mist Women had slipped into the room unnoticed. It unnerved Rachael how easily they could glide between rooms without making a sound. But she was more surprised to hear them address her by her title. Neither of the two Mist Women had spoken much to her since they had arrived. Rachael hadn’t expected them to accept her rule, least of all so far away from her throne. Or perhaps it was a tactic to lure her into feeling safe. Rachael couldn't tell.

  “Thank you.” She turned to Cale and Kiana and added, “Are you ready to go?”

  “We are,” said Cale. “I will inform Reeve and Ludo that we’ll leave as soon as possible.”

  “Meet us downstairs when you are ready to leave.”

  Rachael nodded. She didn’t want to know what happened to people who stepped outside halfway through a spell that transported people across countries with ease, but in her mind people were being split open across the desert, limb by limb, sand turning red beneath them.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Rachael had expected the room beneath the house to be large and empty, assuming travelling to another country required a lot of space. The room was big, and a considerable amount of space had been left clear in the centre, but it was filled with all kinds of odd curiosities, too. The light scent of lavender stroked the air. Strange ingredients and animal eyes filled jars on shelves on the walls. At the back of the room—complete with a heavy tome, a dagger, and smaller bowls Rachael couldn’t see into from their distance—was an altar. The air around it crackled with magic and teased her mind to step closer even from a distance.

  The room was alive. Rachael should have been alarmed or scared, but instead she felt calm. Kiana had removed her hands from her weapons, and Cale looked around in awe. Ludo's eyes were wide and shining like a little child's. Even Reeve looked more at ease than usual underneath his frown.

  “Welcome to our true sanctuary,” said Kaida. “My sisters and I do not allow many visitors down here. It is a private place for meditation, study, and contemplation.”

  “And travel,” added Natalia. Standing in the centre of the room, the three Mist Women looked as imposing as any dragon Rachael could imagine. She was in a house far away from home, in a room that radiated magic, opposite three dangerous sorceresses—and she’d given them permission to move her across countries in an instant.

  “How does this work?” she asked.

  “You’re going to trust them not to kill us?” Reeve said from his place in the shadows.

  “If we wanted to kill you,” said Yoko, “we’d have done so when you arrived.”

  Reeve snorted. “You underestimate me, witch. I’m not so easy to kill.”

  “Oh?”

  The lights in the room flickered, the smell of incense gone. Rachael blinked, and between two flickers of the candles Yoko moved right before Reeve, her body encased in blue flames and a dagger at his throat. It drew the smallest sliver of blood.

  “You are on your guard, Sparrow, and yet I have managed to draw blood from your neck. All I had to do was blink.” Yoko stepped away from him and turned around. Reeve caught himself the moment her back was turned, and threw a dagger at Yoko’s head. It stopped in mid-air, halfway between them, and fell to the ground. “If I wanted you dead, Sparrow, you would have died.” Her smile was as beautiful as it was lethal. “Just think what I could have done had you closed your eyes for one more second.”

  “That’s enough!” Rachael hoped her voice didn’t betray how small she felt. “Reeve, we’re guests here. Your behaviour toward our hosts is inappropriate.” She turned toward Yoko, and the last bit of her courage died under the Mist Woman’s amused gaze. “Heal him.”

  “No. He has made a mistake, and I have taught him. The cut is not deep enough to leave a scar, but it will sting for a couple of days. Perhaps it will remind him that his arrogance is misplaced, before it costs him his life.”

  Rachael had no counterargument. She had no authority over Yoko or Natalia; she couldn’t order them to heal Reeve. Reeve had been difficult to work with and talk to since they had been introduced. Sooner or later she would need to address whether his issues lay with her or with all gifted, but now wasn’t the time.

  For the moment, it was enough that Cale was glaring at him. Between Yoko's attack and Cale’s obvious disapproval, Reeve looked like a chastised child. She hoped his hurt pride wouldn't inspire more incidents.

  “I apologise,” said Rachael. “We are grateful for your help.”

  “Don’t apologise for the actions of another,” said Yoko. “He is not a dependent child, but a grown man responsible for his own actions. The fault does not lie with you. It is his and his alone.”

  “We should not delay any longer,” said Kaida. “We do not know how well we can proceed once we reach Paranossa.”

  Rachael agreed. “What do we need to do?”

  “Stand here, with me. Since I will accompany you, I will join you inside the circle. Yoko and Natalia will cast the spell.”

  “No ominous arrangements of candles?” asked Kiana.

  Natalia laughed. “Only children use candles to focus their magic. They’re pretty, but waste time.”

  “It is true power to be able to cast such strenuous spells without petty aids,” said Yoko.

  “This sanctuary knows our unique magical signature. We have no need for such amplifiers,” said Kaida.

  “Do not worry,” said Yoko. “We have performed this spell for many years. We will need to recover for a couple of days, but we will not be so weakened we cannot defend ourselves. Natalia and I will be fine.”

  “What will it feel like?” asked Kiana as she joined them in the middle of the room. Rachael had never seen her nervous before, but now her hands were twitching from her daggers to hanging restless by her side, and her breathing had quickened. Ludo looked like a little boy at the candy stall who had been given permission to buy anything he wanted, and Reeve stood beside him in silence. Cale looked vigilant as always, but behind his grey eyes his bravery faltered. None of them were sure about this, but it was their best option.

  “You’ll think you’re falling, but only for a moment,” said Natalia. “Many people prefer to keep their eyes shut. You won’t be able to see anything, but a blurry mixture of colours and shapes will flash by. You might get headaches or feel unwell if you keep your eyes open.” Rachael had a feeling she might feel nauseated anyway, but nodded. “Are you ready?”

  The eyes of her Sparrows were on her. Rachael took a deep breath in, and nodded. “We’re ready.”

  She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the feeling of weightlessness, but her curiosity won when Yoko and Natalia chanted. It was a low hum that raised the magic around them until it was a hazy mist in the air, like a thin curtain made of silk. Pale colours danced in and out of the air as the chanting continued. Rachael had expected their words to pick up speed, but th
ey remained calm.

  Then her stomach turned and her body lifted. She barely had time to clutch her bag to her before her feet left the ground. Rachael looked down only to see she was still standing firm. A hand grasped hers, and she held on tight. She blinked, and the floor disappeared from under her feet. Rachael opened her eyes to a chaos of wild colours and shapes so undefined she couldn’t make out any detail whirring by her eyes. Sounds and lights invaded every corner of her consciousness as she fell without moving an inch.

  And then it was over. The movement stopped so violently she fell to her knees, pulling whoever had taken her hand down with her.

  There was warm pavement under her. The hot desert sun warmed her back, and the melodic accent of Krymistis filled her ears.

  They had made it.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Are you all right?” Cale extended his hand to her, and Rachael let him pull her back to her feet.

  “I think so.” She wanted to sit back down. The world around her had come to a halt, but her head was still spinning.

  “That was…” Next to her, Kiana stood slowly and brushed sand off her clothes. “Intense. Wow. I didn't expect that.”

  “It was amazing,” said Rachael. The experience had left her mind shaken and in a whir, but it had been incredible nonetheless. That people could travel like this was astonishing, and that magic like it had been common once was even more astounding.

  “I am glad you fared better than your friends over there,” said Kaida with a smile.

  Rachael turned around and found Reeve passed out on the pavement. Next to him, Ludo was on his knees and panting.

  “The journey takes getting used to,” said Kaida. “Not everyone takes to it like you have.”

  “How are you feeling?” asked Rachael. Kaida didn't seem to have been affected at all, while Rachael and her Sparrows struggled to stand straight. How often would she need to travel in this way before she got used to it?