Katie's heart sank as Jack spoke. How could she have forgotten about Natasha? "If anyone is being selfish it would be me, not you Jack," she mumbled sadly. "I got so caught up in the fact that I wouldn't have to walk everywhere, I completely forgot what you had gone through back in Haven."
"It's all right. Don't beat yourself up over it," he told her. "I suppose, if nothing else, it will keep her from fading over time from my heart. I had temporarily forgotten this when we were on the other side and I had begun to care for Melissa." He looked down at his feet as the tears began to flow. "The Gods must think I should be alone. Why else would every woman I've ever cared for be taken in such a cruel manner?"
Chapter 4
Confusion swirled through his consciousness. The last thing he remembered was being lashed to a tree as the main course for an army of bugs. Had they detoured around him and gone after an alternate food source? He didn't think so, but why else would he still be here?
Just thinking about it made him itch, like the massive column of insects were crawling over his skin at that very moment. Realizing he could move now, George reached with one hand for his other arm to dig his fingernails into his flesh and peel it from his bones if he had to in order to quell the maddening sensation.
"No!" he screamed into the still dusk air as he watched his fingertips pass right through his arm. "This can't be!" Spinning around, he came face to face with what was left of his body. Most of his flesh was gone, but there were still tiny fragments of tissue clinging to the skeletal frame which was bound tightly to the enormous oak. Tilting his head toward the sky, George bellowed out in rage, vowing to pay the Black Knight back for what he had done to him. It was now just a matter of how and when he would exact his revenge upon his former master.
Chapter 5
It was nearly dark when the group finally crested the hill overlooking the small town of Loknar. Dismounting the mechanical beast at the edge of the tree line, Katie joined the others as they trekked down the incline and prepared to be questioned by the roaming guards stationed near the outskirts of the city.
"Maybe tomorrow I can take a turn riding the metallic monstrosity?" Brian inquired, shuffling his feet through the tall grass, so tired he could hardly lift them from the ground. "At least until my body gets more used to the shoe leather express."
Katie tried real hard to suppress her laughter, but couldn't help herself. She hadn't heard anyone use that expression in a really long time. "By all means, Brian. I'd be happy to take turns with you." She laughed, nudging him playfully as they stepped onto the dirt road leading into Loknar.
"My feet would be forever grateful." He flashed her a quick, appreciative smile. "Hey, didn't you say there would be guards greeting us, Edward?"
Stopping briefly, he turned to face Brian. "There should have been. I hope nothing terrible happened to the town in our absence." Glancing back toward the sprawling village, he could see a few lights twinkling in some of the windows. If something had happened while we were gone the city would likely be dark, he thought, trying to convince himself that everything was fine.
Dust swirled lazily around their feet as they approached the first cluster of buildings on their right. "Halt!" a familiar voice commanded from the shadows as a figure they hadn't seen pushed himself up from the bench he had been sitting on and came toward them. "What business do you ..." His voice trailed off as he got close enough to recognize Edward's towering frame. "Hey! Good to see you again, my friend!" The guard extended his hand to Edward.
Grasping it firmly, he pulled the man against his body and patted him on the back as he briefly hugged him. "It's good to see you as well."
Stepping back slightly, the guard looked up at him. "What brings you back here? Do you have any news of our missing townsfolk?"
"Sadly, I have no news to share. We haven't encountered any of the people you described to us before we left here a while back." Edward's shoulders sagged a bit as he spoke, wishing he had better news for the man. "To answer your question of what brings us back to your humble town, it was the closest place we knew of where we could get a decent night's rest and pick up some supplies before we go on our way again."
The guard nodded. "Well, you know where the inn is. Come find me in the morning and I will make sure you get whatever supplies you need for your journey. Perhaps our townsfolk wandered in a different direction from the one you searched and you'll run across them elsewhere," he said, doing all he could to remain hopeful.
"We will certainly keep our eyes out for them." Edward smiled.
Shaking hands once more, the guard made his way back to the bench he had occupied before the group came strolling up the road. "Don't forget. Come find me in the morning," he said, raising his voice so they would hear him as they walked away.
Upon entering the inn they were greeted by the same petite, red-haired woman who had been working behind the counter on their last visit. Her eyes seemed to shimmer as she recognized them. "Hey, skinny!" She grinned at Edward. "Back again so soon?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, smiling at the nickname the woman had given him.
"Got any money this time or are ya freeloadin' again?"
His cheeks flushed bright crimson. "One of the guards will take care of the bill this time," he told her, hoping he wasn't lying. The guard's tone had implied he would help them, but he hadn't actually said he would pay for everything.
"Which guard told you this? Was it ol' Jasper?"
"I'm not sure. I don't recall ever getting the man's name."
"Just one room again like before?" She seemed to pause for a moment when she realized the group looked different than the last time she'd seen them. "Wait. Wasn't there another woman with you before? Skinny white girl with dark hair like yours," she said, pointing at Katie, "only shorter."
Stirring his emotions again as Melissa was mentioned, Jack sat down on a chair at the nearest table and put his head in his hands, trying to hide the tears already beginning to flow.
"She, um ..." Katie started.
"Died in battle," Edward finished, his own eyes growing moist. Melissa had been a pain in the butt most of the time she had traveled with them, but toward the end she was coming around and he'd begun to like her. It was unfortunate to have lost her to the ranks of the undead, as had been the case with Mike as well. With the loss of vital members of his group weighing heavily on his mind, he was forced to consider the possibility of his mission failing miserably.
"Sorry to hear about that," she said, her lips pressed tightly together in a half frown. "Follow me, please." She led them through the curtain near the end of the bar and up the stairs, stopping in front of a door at the far end of the hallway. "Same room as last time?"
"That will be fine, thank you." Edward smiled weakly as the woman spun on her heel and returned to her business downstairs.
Chapter 6
After a night of nearly no sleep, Edward shifted in the chair by the window because he heard movement behind him and saw that Katie was waking up.
Stretching her arms high above her head, she opened her mouth in a cavernous yawn. "Good morning," she muttered incoherently as she noticed Edward looking her way. "How long have you been up?"
He sighed. "I'm not sure that I really slept, though likely I drifted off for short periods."
"Maybe when we leave town later you can ride behind Brian," Katie suggested, clearly concerned.
Edward looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind. "On the back of that mechanical contraption? Not a chance!" he replied, shaking his head.
"What? Why not? You will be too exhausted to walk all night," she admonished, shocked by his vehement refusal.
"No good can come of it," he retorted. "That creature is the product of its evil master. Using it to carry our gear is one thing, but I will never climb on to that vile machine to ride it."
Jack and Brian began to stir, aroused from slumber by the disagreement. "What's all the fuss about?" Brian yawned, sitting up in the bed and r
ubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Just our fearless leader being his usual stubborn self," Katie replied in agitation, shooting a glance of disapproval at Edward.
Turning away from her glare, he looked out the window and noticed the town coming to life. I wish she could understand my viewpoint, he thought in frustration.
At the same time, Katie's eyes narrowed and burned into the back of his skull thinking, Why does he have to be so pig-headed? It's only a machine, not some diabolical creature bent on his destruction! They don't have minds of their own. Machines do what you tell them to, nothing more! "I'm going to go outside and get some air," she announced, standing up and storming out of the room as Jack scurried to get out of her path, slamming the door behind her.
Walking over to where he sat, Brian placed a hand on Edward's shoulder. "What's got her so fired up this early?" he asked gently, hoping to get a calmer response.
"She's upset because I didn't sleep well and refused to ride behind you on that horse-like monstrosity when we leave. I just don't trust it. Have you seen the way its eyes glow? It reeks of the same evil that brought the foul thing into existence in the first place. I would take a broken down nag as my steed over it any day," he ranted.
"Hold on a second," Brian said. "Remember I can sense evil? Do you really think I would climb on to its back if I thought for a moment it might harm me? Or any of us for that matter?"
"Great! You're on her side, too!" Pushing himself up from the chair, Edward stalked angrily to the door and left in the same dramatic fashion Katie had just minutes ago.
Glancing at Brian as he scurried out of Edward's way, Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I hope whatever has gotten into them this morning isn't contagious," he stated warily, hoping Brian wouldn't fall prey to the gruff behavior of the others.
"Maybe we should go after them and make sure they don't stir up the rest of the town," Brian suggested.
"Good plan, but let's give them a few minutes to blow off steam first."
Katie turned her head as she heard the batwing doors fly open and watched Edward stomp by on the roughly hewn boards of the deck to the edge of the awning above, oblivious to the fact she was sitting on the bench a few feet from him. Shielding his eyes, he squinted down the street before locating Jasper and heading over to meet with him.
Instead of continuing their earlier argument, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Why does he have to be so damn difficult? Katie's mind drifted back to when things had been simpler. What would her life have been like if she'd never come to Desolace? Boring most likely. The life of a farm girl was far from exciting by anyone's standards, but even so she still found herself missing her family at times. She would never admit that to Edward, though, because he might consider her weak minded and unsuitable for the daunting task before them. Suck it up and play nice! He'll come around and things will be back to normal in no time, she told herself.
The batwing doors creaked open slowly as Jack and Brian emerged cautiously, as if they were expecting to walk outside and witness a brawl. When they saw all was quiet, they stepped onto the deck more confidently. "Crap! You scared the bejesus out of me," Brian gasped, putting a hand to his chest as if he were trying to keep his heart from leaping out as he noticed Katie sitting on the bench nearby, staring at them.
His reaction to her presence lightened her mood slightly and she snickered softly. "If you're looking for our pain in the ass leader, he's over there." She pointed up the road with a grin.
"We just wanted to give you both a few minutes to sort out your differences before we came down. Is everything okay between you two now?" Jack asked.
"No idea, but I hope he'll be cooled down by the time he comes back over here. We haven't spoken yet."
"He didn't say anything to you when he came out?"
"No. He blew right past me when he came through the doors, oblivious to the fact I was sitting here, and then headed up the street to meet with the guard," she replied.
Brian and Jack walked over to where Katie was and sat down on the bench beside her. The three of them made idle chit-chat while waiting for Edward to return, which Katie was glad for. It helped to keep her mind from wandering. She was worried that their mission would end badly, but also wondered about her parents. How were they handling her sudden disappearance? Did they fear the worst? She was pretty sure they did. After all, Julie had disappeared shortly before Katie decided to follow Amber to Desolace. The Headhunter abducting their daughter was the only logical conclusion they could really draw.
Glancing up, she saw the two men walking together up the road toward the inn. "Great news," Edward announced as he stepped under the awning onto the deck. "Jasper here has generously offered to outfit us with new weapons and also agreed to loan us a horse!" He was grinning from ear to ear as he spoke, almost as if Edward had completely forgotten the earlier argument.
Jasper leaned toward Katie, his long, gray-streaked brown hair tickling her ear as he whispered to her, "Don't get too excited like your friend here. The weapons I can get for you aren't of the greatest quality and the horse ... it's a broken down ol' nag that may or may not last more than a month or two."
Looking into his friendly brown eyes Katie smiled. Jasper's eyes sparkled with a youth the man likely hadn't seen in many years. "I'm sure the weapons will serve their purpose and the horse will definitely put him in a better mood." She grinned, nodding her head in Edward's direction.
Straightening up, Jasper smoothed out his tunic. "If you would all kindly follow me, I will take you around town to get your supplies," he announced, coaxing them with a gesture.
***
After several hours of negotiations with different proprietors, Edward's small band of adventurers were finally ready to head out, each of them now proud owners of a weapon most suited to their talents. Katie was thrilled that she would be able to hunt again with the new bow she'd acquired. Edward seemed ecstatic about the gnarled oaken staff he now carried, though Katie wasn't sure what the big deal was. She'd never witnessed him using a weapon in battle, his magic pretty much made them obsolete. Jack had opted for a short sword, but didn't seem too excited about it. "At least we'll have something to chop wood with," he chuckled softly in Katie's ear, resting the blade on his shoulder like a lumberjack. Being the humble man he was, Brian decided on a six foot long spear, citing the fact it could double as a walking stick and a potential means of getting fish.
Among their other recently acquired supplies were two saddlebags—neatly packed with a variety of dried meats, bread, vegetables and fruits—resting behind the saddle of Edward's new steed. Well, new to him at least. Jasper hadn't been kidding about the beast being run down. The poor thing looked like it had more miles on it than a ten year old airplane.
Stopping at the edge of town, Edward dismounted so he could say his good-byes to Jasper, who had walked with them as they prepared to leave. "Thank you for all you've done for us," Edward said, extending his hand to the guard. "Your generosity will not be forgotten or taken lightly, my friend."
"It was my pleasure." He smiled, clasping Edward's hand firmly in his own. "Be safe on your journey and may the Gods favor you with good fortune. Farewell." Before allowing the group to leave, he shook hands with each of the men, gave Katie a brief hug, and wished them all the best of luck.
They watched Jasper for a brief moment as he headed back toward Loknar to resume his post. Glancing over his shoulder at the setting sun, Edward climbed back into the saddle. "Let's go to the edge of the forest and wait for dark," he softly urged the others once he was sure Jasper was out of earshot. "Hopefully we'll find Amber waiting for us."
Chapter 7
The group huddled in a small circle on the ground in the darkness, waiting to see if Amber would appear, softly conversing about where to go from here.
"I really feel we should go to Elysia," Edward stated, hoping the others would agree with his logic. "I need to talk to my mother and the city elders to inform them of what has t
ranspired so far and get their advice. Maybe while we're there we can get horses for everyone as well."
"It would certainly make travel much faster," Brian agreed, absently rubbing his feet at the mere thought of all the walking he would be required to do otherwise. Although, he was thankful that Katie had offered to take turns with him upon the mechanical freak of nature, which resembled a horse.
"In what direction does the fabled city of Elysia ..." Jack's question was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Amber's glowing form.
"There's something all of you should see," she blurted out.
"Amber!" Katie smiled excitedly.
"What do we need—"
"No time to explain now. Saddle up and let's go! We don't have a moment to waste," Amber chided in an urgent tone.
Grumbling about the change to his plans, Edward sighed and stood up, preparing to argue his case with her.
"I'm sorry, but if we don't hurry we will miss our opportunity," Amber apologized, already beginning to move away from the group.
Hurriedly, Edward mounted his new steed and extended his hand to Katie. "I don't think she's going to wait for us to leisurely stroll after her."
As she climbed into position behind Edward, she glanced back to see Brian mounting the mechanical creature. Jack was nowhere in sight. "Where did Jack go?" Katie shouted in confusion to Brian.
"I don't know. He ran into the trees a minute ago," he replied, a sudden cracking sound from nearby causing him to jump. "What was that?"
Amber continued to drift further from the group as Katie put a hand on Edward's shoulder, urging him to wait. The snapping noise stopped almost as soon as it had begun and she began to think it had been a figment of her imagination, or maybe a deer bounding through the deadfall because something spooked it. A few tense seconds passed before Katie saw the shadow of what looked to be a wolf bounding past them in the direction Amber was heading. "He must have changed," Katie shouted, nearly deafening Edward. Turning their mounts, they swiftly followed after Jack and Amber.
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