by Eric Vall
“Good call,” I agreed. I probably wouldn’t have been as lenient with the centaur as I’d been with my best friend, especially when it came to interrupting one of my favorite activities.
Nike, Alyona, Aaliyah, and I headed down the hallway to the sitting area where the queen sat with River. The two centaurs hunched over the map of the forest we’d used to find the basilisk, and it seemed like so much time had passed since we slayed the giant snake.
“Good morning!” Mona greeted us, and she sounded chipper. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”
The queen looked regal in a long, scarlet dress with her signature gold jewelry adorning her ears and neck. Her russet hair was tied into some sort of knot on top of her head, and small ringlets dangled next to her smiling face.
“I don’t know, it’s barely here,” Aaliyah grumbled and squinted in the bright sunlight.
“Well, we don’t want to waste the day!” The queen’s smile widened. “The earlier we rise, the sooner we can begin.”
“What are we beginning so early, Your Highness?” I asked as I stifled a yawn. Not only was it really early, but we hadn’t exactly slept much last night either.
“The hunt, of course,” River answered with a devilish grin, and his long black tail twitched in anticipation.
“Ooh, why didn’t you say so?” Aaliyah perked up at the mention of a hunt.
“I’ve decided to offer the services of the Sagittarius Order to help you find your enemies in the forest,” Mona explained. “Obviously, it still benefits us to rid our hunting grounds of the Sect, but I’m sure you’d like to get rid of more of them as well.”
“Yes,” I hissed. “The more we kill, the better for everyone.”
My inner dragon chomped at the bit at the mention of slaying more members of the Sect. I pictured lining up their stuffed heads on a mantle back at our Lunar Palace or carrying around their scalps as trophies. They would make an interesting addition to my mounting treasure stash.
“Then we shall do it,” the queen finished with a regal sweep of her arm. “I’ve also spoken to Penelope, and she assures me that the Solas will help you find the traitors as well.”
“Yeah, she seemed pretty upset about Cesar,” I mused. “I’m not surprised they want to help set things right.”
“I’m just glad they’re back,” Mona replied with a smile. “I’ve missed my morning updates.”
“Morning updates?” Alyona questioned and raised a brow.
“Oh, yes!” The queen’s smile stretched further across her face. “One of the Solas always greets me in the morning with an update on the events around Rahma. It seems the Green Glass Sect is making quite a name for themselves in other places, too.”
“You mean besides Hatra?” I asked. I hadn’t thought about the Sect causing trouble everywhere else.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “They are causing quite a stir.”
“Shit,” I murmured. “So, we really need to cut the head off the snake.”
“What snake?” Mona furrowed her brow. “You killed the basilisk already.”
“I, ah, it’s just a phrase,” I replied as I shook my head. “It means we need to kill the leader, so the rest of the Sect quits popping up and causing trouble. If we leave the head, it could just grow another body, if that makes sense.”
“I can agree with that.” Mona nodded and turned back to the map. “Now, River and I were thinking, we might as well search in the same way as before. What do you think?”
“If I may, Your Highness,” Nike said as he stepped closer to the map and pointed. “If half of our group starts here, and the other half starts here, we can avoid sending any of the Sect members back out into the open and sort of funnel them where we want them to go.”
“Ahh,” River exhaled and crossed his arms over his tattooed, muscular chest. “That’s brilliant.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” the queen decided. “River, get the warriors ready.”
The centaur commander dipped his head and trotted out the front doors as his tail swished behind him.
“I’ll go get the others,” Aaliyah offered, and she turned on her heels to go back down the hallway. The dryads, Laika, and Ravi were probably still asleep since they hadn’t gotten one of the queen’s wakeup calls.
“Your Highness?” a quiet voice suddenly asked, and a Sola fairy seemed to appear out of thin air. “How many of our hunters do you need?”
The fairy stood with her hands clasped in front of her. She wore the leather outfit of a hunter, and her attire was decorated with green leaves and plants stitched into the seams. Her short brown hair was cut into a pixie style, and a crown of baby’s breath was perched atop her head.
“I’d say a dozen will do,” Mona replied with a wave of her hand. “We’ll split everyone into groups, right, Lord Nikolaus?”
“Yes,” Nike confirmed with a nod. “We can do groups of four or five. Do the Solas have a way of communicating over long distances?”
“Oh, yes, my lord,” the Sola answered and smiled. “We just use our magic to send messages.”
“Then we can make sure the other groups respond when one group finds a Sect member,” I cut in. “I can fly over to keep an eye on everyone, too.”
I looked forward to flying again. It seemed like ages since I’d been able to fly without being in the middle of a battle, and I was excited about stretching my wings again.
“We’ve never worked hand in hand with a dragon before.” The Sola’s blue eyes were wide with astonishment, and I wondered for a moment if all the fairies had blue eyes before I responded.
“You’ve never seen a dragon with terra magic before either.” I smirked. “I’m a new experience for everyone.”
“I’d say so,” the queen murmured just loud enough for me to hear, and a small smile skipped across her tanned features.
I grinned back and prepared a smartass remark, but the Sola spoke first.
“I’ll go let the hunters know to be ready,” the fairy said, and she flew out the open window before anyone could respond.
“Then we hunt,” I declared.
I was ready to take out more of the bastards who had wreaked havoc across Rahma.
“The Sagittarius Order should be ready in a few minutes,” Mona said as she glanced toward the palace doors. “How long until the rest of your people are ready?”
“Not long!” Polina answered as she skipped through the door from the hallway, and Trina and Marina followed close behind.
“We’re all here,” Ravi added, and she, Aaliyah, and Laika strolled into the room behind the dryads.
I relished the sight of my lovers in their battle gear.
Laika wore a short brown and blue leather skirt and tunic that tightened across her lean body and boots that ended just above her knees to reveal her muscular, olive-tan thighs.
Ravi had taken to wearing a similar outfit, though hers was brown and red like the fire she loved. Her smoky hair was pulled back into a braid, and the smell of a campfire followed wherever she went.
Aaliyah was in her crimson and gold hunting attire, and it fit her muscular frame perfectly. The neckline dipped into a deep V that revealed the inner curves of her cleavage and the top part of her six-pack.
The dryads wore their signature purple robes that exposed various parts of their curvy bodies, and their green hair was braided with flowers woven through the intricate knots here and there.
Alyona was dressed in her white robes, but I wasn’t planning on letting her join the battle. She had to stay far away, though I knew she wasn’t going to like it.
I wondered what the queen would wear into battle, though. I imagined her in a crimson bodysuit that hugged her curvy hips and ample bosom with her long hair in a braid over her shoulder. I’d like to use her braid to pull her closer to me so I could run my hands over that tight body …
“So, are we ready then, Lord Evan?” Mona interrupted my thoughts of her and cocked her head to the side.
“Yeah.
” I coughed as I ran a hand through my hair. “Let’s go.”
I led the women out to the courtyard in front of the castle where River waited with his men in rows. The centaurs stood tall with stoic expressions, while the commander paced back and forth in front of them.
“Any assassin found in the woods is to be captured if possible,” River instructed the warriors. “If not possible, make sure they do not escape.”
The men responded with nods and stomping hooves.
Then I had a sudden idea and turned to the queen.
“Mona, has anyone questioned Cesar yet?” I asked her.
“No,” she replied, and a severe frown marred her beautiful face. “I wanted to let him rot for a while. Why do you ask?”
“I was just thinking he might know where the other Sect members are hiding,” I suggested. “Maybe we should go talk to him before we head out.”
“I agree,” River chimed in as he clopped over to us. “It might save us some time to question him now.”
“Okay,” the queen agreed. “Let’s go to the prison first.”
“Ah, we should tell Penelope we’re interrogating him,” I advised. “She wanted to help with that part.”
“The Solas should be back any moment,” Mona replied. “We can have one of them let her know to meet us there.”
As if on cue, several Solas flew into the courtyard and landed near the rows of warriors. The centaurs watched the fairies land near them, but none of them reacted. The horse-men just stood still as they awaited their next orders from River.
“Excuse me,” Mona called out. “Could one of you please send a message to Penelope to meet us at the prison?”
“I will, Your Highness!” one of the fairies responded before she summoned a tiny ball of light in her hands and whispered to it. Then she tossed the ball up into the air, and it took off in the direction of the forest.
Their messenger magic seemed to be very similar to my own. Then I realized I hadn’t sent a messenger to Hatra in several days to check in with my family.
So, I summoned one of my silvery dragons into my palm.
“Go to Ruslan and Valerra. Tell them we’re doing great in Lumin and we’ve found another group of the Green Glass Sect. And tell Valerra to give Junior a hug for me.”
I chuckled to myself at the nickname I’d given to mine and Valerra’s egg. She might light my messenger on fire, but it was a risk I was willing to take.
The messenger split into two dragons, and they each buzzed their way to Hatra.
“So, where is the prison?” I asked as I turned back to the centaur queen. I realized I’d been so focused on getting Alyona to the infirmary that I hadn’t noticed where the warriors had taken the prisoners.
“Oh, it’s this way.” Mona gestured to a building next to the castle. “Follow me.”
The centauress led the way as we walked around the side of the palace to a small stone building. It looked about the size of a horse barn, though the heavy, thick bars on the windows made its purpose clear. As we got closer, I noticed a guard who stood just inside the entrance and stared out a gap in the door, and he swung it open as we approached the building.
“Your Highness,” the guard greeted Mona with a deep bow.
“Have either of the prisoners said anything?” the queen asked.
“Nothing, ma’am,” he responded with a shake of his head. “They don’t even talk to each other.”
“Thank you.” The queen breezed past the guard, and we followed her down a short hallway to a set of cells.
On our right, Gavin sat on the floor of his cell and leaned against the wall. He tossed a rock up and down, and he pursed his lips when we came into his view.
“I’ve said all I’m going to say,” the Sect member muttered as he tossed the rock to the ground.
“We aren’t here for you, Gavin,” I replied with a raised brow. “But anytime you want to talk, I’ll be around.”
Gavin snorted and looked up at the ceiling.
I ignored his response and turned my attention to the cell on our left, where Cesar had returned to his centaur form. The traitor grasped the bars of the cell door and cried out to the queen.
“I didn’t know!” he told her with desperation in his voice. “I didn’t know they wanted to sacrifice Archer!”
“Save the sob story,” the queen snarled, and her face was a cold mask. “I want to know who is hiding in the forest and where.”
“I don’t know any of that stuff,” Cesar moaned. “I’d tell you if I knew!”
“Coward!” Gavin stood and called out from his own cell.
“Silence!” Mona hissed at Gavin.
The Sect member slowly sunk down to his sitting position and pouted.
“I swear, I didn’t know their plan,” Cesar cried. “If I had, I wouldn’t have helped them. And if I don’t know that plan, there’s no way they’re going to tell me where the forest hideout is.”
“Who did you keep in contact with?” I demanded. There had to be some form of communication for them to know when to take the boy.
“Olivier,” Cesar answered without hesitation. “He would portal in and out of my room when he wanted to talk.”
“You allowed him into my home more than once?” the queen roared, and her eyes were like twin emerald flames of rage.
“I didn’t expect to care about any of you when they sent me here.” Cesar dropped his head and looked at his feet. “I figured I’d be in and out with no worries, but then I began to care for you and the boys.”
“Don’t you dare pretend like what you did is something you’d do to someone you truly care about,” I thundered as I moved closer to his cell.
He could pretend to care about the queen all he wanted, but he’d really fucked up when he got Archer involved.
“I know,” Cesar wailed, and he looked at me beseechingly. “I wanted to tell Olivier no when he told me to take the boy, but he would’ve killed me.”
“Then you would have at least died an honorable death,” River responded in a menacing voice.
Suddenly, a breeze flowed past us, and Penelope appeared. Her tiny, bare feet landed on the floor without a sound, and her white dress pooled at her feet. Her ivory hair was draped over her shoulders, but she’d pulled it into a bun at the base of her neck as she faced the cell door, and I could feel her anger as it left her small form in waves.
“You lied to me,” the leader of the Solas seethed, and her tiny fists were clenched as she glared at the centaur.
“I had to get your people out of the way,” Cesar whined. “I saved their lives!”
“Don’t patronize me!” Penelope’s eyes flashed with rage.
Then the centaur went flying across his cell, and his body slammed into the back wall. He groaned with pain from the impact and slumped down to the ground.
“I thought you said the Solas were harmless,” I murmured as I leaned over to Alyona.
“They normally are,” the princess whispered back.
“This one seems pretty pissed, though,” Trina added under her breath.
“Yes, really pissed,” Marina breathed with wide eyes.
“I like it,” Polina giggled.
“You’re wasting your magic,” Cesar moaned as he scrambled to his feet. “I don’t know anything about the Sect members in the woods.”
“Maybe so,” Penelope countered, “but I don’t like being lied to.”
She raised her hands, and Cesar was hurled into the stone ceiling. Then he crashed back down to the ground in a heap.
“I will let you live,” Penelope advised the centaur. “Only because the queen has not asked for your death.”
As Cesar cowered down in his cell, the fairy turned to face the other prisoner, and Gavin put his hands up in surrender as Penelope looked him up and down.
“You know where they hide,” the fairy leader murmured. “And you will tell the queen and her friends.”
“I already told them, I’m not saying anything else,”
Gavin answered with his chin jutted out. “You can torture me all you want. I got used to that in the Sect.”
“Oh, I know,” Penelope agreed. “You’ll require a different part of my magic.”
The fairy reached out as if to touch Gavin’s face, but then green tendrils of magic left her fingers and beelined for the prisoner. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but the ropes of magic dove between his teeth. Then one of the green coils came back out of his mouth, and Gavin spit out words.
“There is no hideout,” the Sect member confessed, and he looked shocked at his own admission.
“Go on.” Penelope smiled.
It looked like he didn’t have a choice.
Another magical rope pulled Gavin’s next response out.
“It’s just a bunch of my people in the woods,” Gavin finished and cursed under his breath.
“Well, I’m not sure if that makes our hunt easier or harder,” I muttered. “We don’t have to find one big hideout, but now we have multiple people to find.”
“The sooner we get started, the better,” River chimed in.
“Thank you for your help, Penelope,” Mona said to the fairy.
“It was my pleasure.” The leader of the Solas smiled, and her blue eyes were bright with mischief.
I liked the Solas. I was going to have to get Penelope to teach me that little truth-telling trick.
Mona led our group back out of the prison and past the guard, who gave her another bow as we left. Then we joined back up with the centaur warriors and the Solas hunters. We had about thirty people ready to help us find the Green Glass Sect traitors who were holed up somewhere in the forest.
“We have additional information that the Sect members are not hiding in one location,” River announced to the entire group. “So, we will be searching for individual members.”
“Does anyone have any questions?” I asked, but when no one answered, I signaled River to lead them out to the forest.
“I’ll show everyone where to go,” Nike offered, and he jogged to catch up with River.
“Go ahead,” I encouraged the dryads and Aaliyah. “We’ll catch up.”
Laika, Ravi, Alyona, and I stood in the courtyard as the search party headed out of the city.
