"Today, we begin our march to Fa'oir. Lay waste to anything that stands in our way!" Battibahla screamed as she reached back and raised her Daemon sword above her head. The soldiers roared back, eager to begin the slaughter.
* * * * * *
Their march across Eleanthra took many months, leaving a wake of destroyed cities behind them. Bloody Bark and Battibahla fought side by side in their brutal battles. She was impressed with the viciousness of his fighting; his preferred method of killing was ripping people in half. He viciously defended her on the battlefield; no one could get past his defenses. She cast her Blood Magic without fear of a sneak attack from behind.
At last, they stood before the giant twisted, thorny vines protecting the sacred garden of Fa'oir. She threw wave after wave of Blood Magic at the Green Folks fortifications. Fire, lightning, even death magic; nothing got through. The Green Magic still held firm at their sacred stronghold. The land itself fought with all the power it had to protect the garden. The thorny vines parted slightly. Ivy, the Green Lady, appeared, wagging her finger slowly at them.
Teek picked up on Ivy's thoughts through the Green Ways. ‘Kill her. It is the only way to end this.’
'No, I cannot move against her yet. She is the only one who can open and close the Gateway Between Worlds and purge the Daemons back to the dark realm. Once it is done, I will end her.'
Ivy nodded. The thorny vines closed up again
Battibahla turned in frustration to Bloody Bark. "Lower the defenses," she demanded.
Teek kept his body immobile. The Daemon inside raged at him, but he refused to budge. Nothing would make him destroy the sacred garden. The Daemon attack would fail.
Without his Daemon's knowledge, Teek slowly worked tiny viney tendrils into the crystalline structure of the metal around his neck, creating small microfractures that steadily weakened the control collar.
12
U'ka felt movement on the bed, raising her head she saw R.K. was awake. His unfocused eyes slowly scanned the unfamiliar room, skin still pale from the blood loss he suffered last night. Those recovering from the plague, lay in cots all around them. Healers moved among the sick, providing supportive care where needed.
"Where am I?" he croaked.
"We're in Myas," she said, reaching out to brush a few strands of sweaty hair out of his face.
"We made it? Why do I feel so awful? he asked, rubbing his head.
"You suffered a deep slash to your arm. You lost a lot of blood."
He closed his eyes. "Did I lose control?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to say. Your Daemon fought hard against being pushed back down. He did not want to give up control."
"Wonderful," he said, struggling to lift his head.
"Let me help you sit up. You need to eat so your body can rebuild all the blood you lost."
Helping him into a sitting position, she put a tray of food on his lap. He greedily gulped down the orange juice, then dove his fork into the food, shoveling it in his mouth as fast as he could.
"My arm is really sore. Can I get something for the pain?" he said between bites.
U’ka went to the medicine cabinet to pull out a jar of Willoh bark and a tincture of Goldenseal. She wanted to invoke a pain amulet for him, but her caravan was a long way away.
"Suck on this until the bitter taste disappears. Then spit it out. You also need to take this tincture. Put a few drops under your tongue. It will kill any infection in your wound."
Finishing his last few bites of food, he put the bark in his mouth, laying back to let the medicine take effect. An old hunchbacked Wise Woman named Sella, with deep wrinkles on her face, stepped forward to check on his wound. She lifted the sleeve of his tunic and unwrapped the linen bandages, revealing his spelled tattoo. She touched the image moving on his arm.
The old woman pushed thin, gray bangs out of her face, pursing her thin lips, deep in thought. "I know this place," Sella said, withdrawing her hand. "Are you from the Shifting Lands?"
"No. Where is this place? How do we get there?" R.K. asked, leaning forward excitedly. He immediately regretted the quick movement. Grabbing his forehead, he laid back with a groan.
"You must pass through the Dragon's Tooth to the coast then head inland," said Sella. "At least I think that's right. I was a small child when my family left those ancient lands."
Satisfied his wound was healing properly, Sella shuffled away to continue attending to those recovering from the plague.
"Did you hear that?" R.K. said. "It's the first solid lead we've gotten."
"Yes. We'll head back to Mial as soon as you're well enough to travel. We'll get the caravan and figure out where the Dragon Tooth is," said U'ka, patting his arm. "Rest up for now. You need to regain your strength for our next journey."
13
The Daemon War
Purge at the Gateway Between Worlds
Battibahla knelt in shame before Queen
Baht' ma. She was gaunt and dirty, her clothing in tatters. They had nearly drained their magic reserves during the many months trying to breach Fa'oir's impenetrable defenses, barely sleeping or eating. Driven by the fear of failure that brought the Queen's wrath down upon them. Bloody Bark stood stoically behind her. He refused to bow before her anymore, his Daemon was weak and gave up trying to control Teek on such minor things.
"You have failed me," hissed Queen Baht' ma. "This is unacceptable."
Bahlmet seethed with rage at being humiliated by his sister. It was not their fault they failed. Once again, she overestimated the power they wielded. The Blood Daemons failed once more in their attempt to take over this land and destroy Fa'oir. The other Daemon clans fighting in the Blood War would soon abandon them. He needed to find a way to be rid of her once and for all.
With a loud snap of metal, Bloody Bark ripped his control collar away. The Daemon spirit controlling him expelled and immediately pulled back through the Gateway. Finally free, Teek roared, rushing forward to attack Queen Baht' ma and exact revenge for his enslavement.
His chance now at hand, Bahlmet pushed U'ka into the darkness of her cell, blinding her to what was about to happen. Battibahla pulled out an athame and slid it across her arm, calling upon the Blood Magic to form the symbol to create a reverse flow of the Gateway to pull all the Daemons back through to the dark realm. The power flared and the purge began. Queen Baht' ma screamed when she realized what was happening, but it was too late. The artificial flesh shell the Queen created for herself to have physical form in this world, burst. Blood sprayed everywhere; her spirit pulled back through the Gateway.
Battibahla screamed out in pain. Bahlmet wrapped himself more tightly around her soul, fighting to keep himself from being pulled into the Gateway. It took all their power to resist being drawn in, more power than U'ka ever felt before and it was draining them dry. Thousands upon thousands of Daemons flew by, pulled in by the force of the Gateway. When the last one was pulled through, Bahlmet used what little magic they had left to break the symbol and close the Gateway. It snapped shut with a thunderous crack. Vision fading, Battibahla fell to her knees. Completely drained of power, they slipped into unconsciousness.
14
U'ka helped R.K. to his bed while Aluna brought in a tray of food and sat next to him. It took three days before he was well enough to tolerate traveling the Green Ways. It felt good to be back in Mial finally.
"I'll attend to his needs. Thank you for getting him back safely."
U'ka nodded and went to her room where she found Runt waiting for her. R.K. 's bo lay on the floor before him. She picked it up to examine it, seeing that the blood was soaked deep into the grain. She'd have to have Teek shave the wood down to get rid of the staining. She gave Runt a scratch behind the ears. He looked up at her, panting happily.
"Thank you for bringing the bo here."
'Know he want back. Runt good boy and bring here.'
"Yes, you are a very good boy. Our mission is not over yet. Are you coming with us or are stayi
ng with your pack?"
'You still need Runt. Stay till end.'
She smiled. "Yes. We still need you. You have been invaluable. Thank you for continuing with us on our mission."
She patted his side and went down to see Regent Ferra. The atmosphere in the safe hall was changed dramatically now that they had a handle on the plague. The whole place felt alive again, a new feeling of hope filled the people who hurried back and forth, attending to their chores and getting on with their daily lives. U'ka knocked on the door frame before entering.
Regent Ferra smiled, looking up from his papers. "The great hero has returned. Thank you for getting the Myas blood to us. I take it the Warlord is dead?"
"The Warlord's been vanquished and the Sleeping Forest has awakened. It won't allow anything like that to happen again. The roads between Mial and Myas will remain open from now on."
"Will you be leaving us soon? It's not that I don't appreciate your help, it's just we'd like to get outsiders and the Green Folk out as soon as possible so we can get our affairs in order."
U'ka felt the anger rising inside her. "Your isolationist ways almost destroyed your whole society. You allowed your arrogance to keep you from asking for help. Many more of your people could have been saved if you had just reached out to others."
Regent Ferra slammed his fist on the desk, "Do not tell me how to lead my people!"
"I've spent the past few months cleaning up a lot of messes trying to put things right, some of them my own making, but I've run into too many people with your attitude and I'm sick of it. You have to realize the rest of Eleanthra needs you. We all need to work together to rebuild."
"My duty first is to my people. The rest of Eleanthra has never cared for us, why should we be so concerned for them now?"
"Ungrateful bastard!" U'ka yelled, storming out of his study.
Out in the hallway, Master Burse pulled her aside. "I'm sorry for Ferra's obstinance, not all of us feel the way he does. If there is anything I can help you with, please name it."
"I need to know what or where the Dragon's Tooth is."
"I'm not sure what that is, but I can take you to the map room and we'll see what we can find out."
Once inside, he went to the shelf where the oldest maps were kept and pulled out a dusty rolled up map, laying it on his table. He scanned it for a moment before pointing to a specific spot.
"It looks to be an ancient pass through the mountains leading north to the coast. You should know it hasn't been used for many ages and could be very dangerous."
"We'll have to take our chances," said U'ka, studying the map, making note that the entrance was not far from where they battled the warlord. No other route took them to the Shifting Lands. She knew R.K. wouldn’t be accepting of any more delays. He wanted answers and she felt there may be answers there for her too.
"If R.K. is feeling up for it. We'll be leaving in the morning."
"Make sure you get to the Dragon's Tooth before dark. You may have a better chance of getting through safely that way."
"Thanks for the hospitality you've given us while we were here," she said, leaving the room.
Out in the city square, the canvas awnings were pulled back. It felt like a death shroud over the city was lifted away. The square was almost empty of patients, the serum having done its job. The smell of rot and infection no longer fouled the air. It felt good to breathe easy again. Nallah and Calt were packing up their things, their job here done. They came together in a hug, just holding each other for a few precious moments.
"Thank you both for coming here to save those you could."
"We could do no less," said Calt.
"I have one more favor to ask of you, Nallah'" said U'ka.
"Name it."
"Can you give R.K. another healing touch? I need him up and ready to go by tomorrow morning."
"I'll go see him now."
"Thank you," she said, touching her arm.
U'ka walked Calt to the entrance of the city where Master Shea and a Green Jack waited.
"Are you both heading back to the Sentinel tree grove?"
"Now that we've got a taste of civilization again, I think we'll be heading to Lonely Hilltop to see if we
can help out there," said Master Shea, leaning heavily on his staff.
"I think it will do us good. We've been hiding for far too long," said Calt.
"Good fortune to you both," said U'ka, watching them disappear through the Green Ways.
She was going to miss them. Before the war, she took friendships for granted. She treasured these new people who came into her life just when needed them. Now more than ever, she was determined to succeed in her mission to seal the Gateway for good and ensure their safety.
15
The Path of the Dragons Tooth
Passing through the Sleeping Forest felt very different this time. It was filled with life again and it seemed to take joy in that fact. R.K. sat in the caravan's driver seat, looking much better than he did last night, Nallah's healing touch had done its job. His bo lay behind him, cleaned of all the blood from battle. He looked lost in some deep thought. U'ka made a mental note to ask him about it later. She thought he’d be happy they were finally on their way to the Shifting Lands to find out what his map tattoo meant and hoped the answers they were looking for were there.
Teek strode just ahead of them, leading the way as he always did. He, too, seemed lost in his silent communication with the newly awakened forest, filling the plants and trees in on what transpired while they slept. They passed through the encampment where they fought the Warlord. The ground was still blood-soaked but cleared of all the bodies. The Black Wolves feasted well last night. U’ka wondered if any carnivorous plants, like Teek, joined in on the cleanup. Runt ran in circles around the clearing, sniffing at the ground, taking in the scents from last night. Teek took them sharply to the right, towards a cliffside covered with twisted vines and thorny bushes. He raised his hand and the plant life parted, revealing a long narrow passageway through the high cliff walls.
"No one's been through here in a long time," said U'ka.
"Is it safe?" said R.K.
U'ka sent a Seeking spell into the passageway. No living presence was detected, but she still couldn't shake her sense of uneasiness.
"As safe as any of the roads we've traveled," she said with a shrug.
Teek again led the way through the narrow passageway with Runt following closely after him. If there were any danger, they would both detect it long before it got to them. The caravan barely fit through the entrance. She feared it might get stuck, but the passageway slowly opened up as they rode along. It was eerily quiet, the only sound the animal's hoofs and caravan's wheels made as they moved across the dry floor of the passage. U’ka missed the vibrant sounds of the forest.
"Are we going to stop and eat soon?" said R.K.
"No. We need to get through the Dragon's Tooth before nightfall. Eat some of the dried meat and bread from the provisions Master Burse supplied us with."
She wanted to keep moving. The passageway continued to open up more, the rough cliff walls towered over them, walling them in from any possible escape if things should go wrong. Nothing grew here; it was completely barren of any life. Everything seemed fine, but there was a wrongness about this place she couldn't quite put her finger on. As they continued on the shadows slowly took over the passage. The creeping darkness seemed unnatural; the silence felt oppressive. Bud and Daisy made nervous groans, sensing something which could not be seen. U’ka cast out another Seeking spell but detected nothing. Teek still led the way as usual. Runt fell back and trotted next to Bud. Looking up, he let out a warning whine.
'Bad place. Smell death and rot.’
‘He's right. Something's not right here,’ echoed Bahlmet.
U'ka groaned, tired of every journey being such a challenge. Can’t we just have one pleasant ride, free from danger?
Steamy breath came from R.K. 's mouth as he ate his bre
ad. Bud and Daisy tossed their heads around in agitation, steam poured from their nostrils. The temperature dropped dramatically for it being such a warm day only a few moments ago.
U’ka spurred Bud forward, indicating to R.K. to pick up the pace. She wanted to get through the pass as quickly as possible. The place was unnerving her. The walls felt like they were closing in, trying to trap them. U’ka struggled to hold Bud back. His tension palpable, he wanted to bolt, to get away from the unseen danger out there. She held him back for Daisy's sake. The mule pulled the caravan as fast as he could but was falling behind and she did not want to leave them all alone in the passage.
The strong stench of decay hit her nose. Bud reared up, almost throwing her off. Runt growled and backed up.
"Teek! Prepare yourself. There's something wrong here."
Hissing sounds echoed all around them. U'ka reached over her shoulder, but her Daemon sword was not there. Whatever was out there wasn't alive and had no blood to take.
"What is it?" R.K. asked in a wavering voice. Fear filled his eyes as he clutched his bo.
A pale figure slowly lurched from the shadows, decayed, with empty, hollow eyes. Other gruesome figures staggered forward in various states of decay. Some tall and withered, others hunched over, arms outstretched. They raised their heads, sniffing the air to take in the scents of the living and seek out their prey. Her blood went cold at the sight of them.
"Revenants!" U’ka screamed.
Bud and Daisy let out high pitched whinnies. She felt his armor form around him as he moved to
defend Daisy, now frozen in fear. Runt growled and backed up until he stood before the caravan. He’d do his best to protect R.K. and Daisy. He jumped out of the caravan with his bo. U'ka slid down from Bud and drew her dirks.
"What do we do?" R.K. cried out.
"Fight for our lives!"
The Blood Witch Chronicles Page 24
