Legends of the Lurker Box Set

by Richard H. Stephens

  Thankful to be free of the pressing weight, the difference in temperature shocked him—his sweat-soaked undergarments cold against his skin. He absently noted the injuries he had sustained at the Dragon Temple no longer bothered him. Grunting, he wrapped himself in his long cape and huddled across the fire from his companions to stare into the flames.

  He had wanted to express his feelings to Reecah that first night on the shores of the Lake of the Lost, but in the end, he had ironically, lost his nerve. He felt foolish now. Although he knew she was grateful for what he had gone through on her behalf, expecting her to forgive him his family’s atrocities toward her family was an unreal expectation.

  Watching her laugh with Flavian left a bitter taste in his mouth. He bit his lips, angry. At what, he wasn’t sure. Life in general? Himself? Flavian? Reecah?

  He swallowed. Never Reecah. Who was he to tell her who to like, and who not to? Well aware of her struggles in life, if she had finally found comfort in Flavian, he should be happy for her. And, that’s what irritated him most. He wasn’t. Whether it be unfair, selfish, or self-serving, he couldn’t help the way he felt. He detested how the two of them carried on.

  He had secretly hoped that when Flavian realized she was a witch, he would back off. At first, he had, but as the day went on, the young man’s cynical view softened. By the time they made camp, he had shown an interest in discovering what being a magic user actually involved.

  Junior had debated taking her aside to pour out his aching heart, but somewhere through the course of the night’s conversation, he had lost his nerve.

  Brooding over what might have been, he considered slipping into his chainmail and returning to South Fort. If not for his fear of losing her altogether he would have done so already.

  Nodding to himself, he made up his mind. Flavian would look after her. Once Reecah was safely back in the company of Anvil, he would quietly bow out and return to…?

  He looked up, puzzled. Where would he go? Definitely not Fishmonger Bay. Swallowing the lump in his throat he chewed on his lips. He had nowhere to go.

  “I hear something,” Junior said shortly after high sun the next day.

  They had stumbled across the trainees’ campsite halfway through the morning but Anvil and his crew were long gone.

  Reecah and Flavian stopped behind him to listen. The distant sound of snapping foliage and the whacking of blades against stalks came from somewhere ahead.

  “We should go around them,” Flavian suggested. “I’d love to see the look on Catenya’s face if she found out we beat them to Headwater.”

  “Or Anvil’s.” Reecah liked his idea but worried they weren’t up to it. “Do you think you can guide us there without the aid of the trail they are laying down?”

  “Can’t be that hard. Just follow a straight line from here on in.”

  The plan seemed obvious but Reecah knew better. Nature was never straight forward. They would be forced around impassable landmarks and bodies of water. Their direction would become disjointed. Without a distinct landmark to find their bearings, they would soon become hopelessly lost.

  She had caught a glimpse of how expansive the King’s Wood was while riding Lurker. She had no desire to spend the rest of her days finding a way out of them again. “I think it’s best for us to catch up to them and go on together.”

  She waited for Junior to start moving but he remained stationary. “What’s wrong?”

  The look on Junior’s face scared her. Fearing he saw something she and Flavian hadn’t, she scanned the woods. When she returned a worried glance Junior’s way, he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  “It’s time I left.”

  Junior’s words couldn’t have hit her harder had they been delivered on the edge of Anvil’s battle-axe.

  “What are you talking about? You can’t leave. We’re almost there.”

  “You’ll be safe now. Flavian will watch out for you.”

  Reecah didn’t know what to say.

  Junior hung his head and turned to leave.

  “So that’s it? You’re just going to up and leave when we need you most?”

  Flavian joined Reecah and searched their faces. “What’s going on?”

  “None of your business,” Junior snarled. He started walking but Reecah reached out and grabbed him by the elbow.

  “Whoa. Wait a minute. You came here with…” She glanced at Flavian and swallowed—almost saying too much. “You came here to help me and now you’re leaving? Why?”

  “I was asked to help find you and I did. They thought you were in trouble. It seems you can look after yourself just fine.” Junior yanked his arm free and started down the visible swath of destruction toward the King’s Wood Road.

  Reecah stared after him. After everything he claimed to have undergone for her, he had suddenly decided it was time to leave? It made no sense. If Flavian hadn’t been there, she might have opened her heart to him, but the trainee’s presence silenced her.

  An odd sense of rage gripped her. One that had no place being there and yet, it was all she could do not to lash out at Junior’s receding back.

  Flavian put a hand on her shoulder. “Let him go. He’s not right in the head if you ask me.”

  Reecah shot Flavian a look of contempt, shrugged free of his grasp, and stomped through the desecrated undergrowth, following Anvil’s trail. She had been right about Junior all along. He was just another self-serving Waverunner. When would she ever learn?

  If not for the fact that Junior had his head down, he would have seen Jaxon navigating the swath of hacked and mangled underbrush.

  Jaxon ducked behind a clump of evergreen bushes, his hand on the hilt of his dagger. He no longer feared his brother. Junior might be taller and stronger, but Jaxon had learned a lot in his short time with Prince J’kwaad’s men.

  Junior stumbled by, oblivious to everything around him.

  Searching the forest, Jaxon wondered where Reecah and the other guy had gotten to.

  Junior mumbled incoherently on his way toward the King’s Wood road. Were those tears on his face?

  Jaxon resisted the urge to rush out and confront him. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a confrontation with his brother—one that might prevent him from keeping up with the hill witch.

  He shuffled around the bush, keeping out of sight. The prince asked him to keep an eye on Reecah and his brother. If they were parting ways, he was left with little choice. As much as he wanted to keep tabs on his wayward brother, the prince had made it clear that Reecah was his priority.

  For some reason, Reecah’s group had left the main road and cut through the wilderness. Relieved they weren’t headed to Arcanium, he grew concerned as to where their final destination lay. If he lost them out here, they would be hard to find again.

  He waited long after the sound of Junior’s passing had left the deep woods before stepping clear of his hiding spot. Taking one last look after his brother, Jaxon hurried up the trail in pursuit of Reecah.

  Tears fell freely from Junior’s cheeks. He didn’t care. Who was going to see him in the middle of nowhere?

  What an oaf he had become. He had had a great future set in front of him less than four years ago. Now, his family had disowned him, the dragons weren’t keen on him, the elf beast had professed her desire to kill him, and Reecah didn’t know he existed. He had half a mind to fall on his sword. He might have if he thought his death would bring grief to someone, but no one cared. He was just another soul who had lost his way. If anyone discovered his lifeless body, they would strip him of anything useful and kick his corpse off the path.

  Feeling sorry for himself made him angry. He detested the trait in others—it drove him crazy. He firmly believed if your life wasn’t going the way you wanted, it was no one else’s fault but your own. Until you faced that sobering thought, you were powerless to change. But, tough as things might become, he had learned that a positive thought was all someone needed to build upon—provided they kept it ali
ve.

  He wiped his cheeks—his chain and fingerless, leather gloves rough on his skin. It was time he took control.

  The King’s Wood road loomed in the distance ahead. Heaving a heavy breath, still more than a little frightened at the prospect of facing his inner demons, he spun around and stared at the roughly hewn pathway with renewed purpose.

  Vigour powering his determined steps, he was damned if he would let her go that easily.

  Headwater

  Anvil’s face was priceless when Edo cried out, “GG!”

  Catenya’s evil-eyed glare was worth all the hardship they had gone through.

  Reecah cast the vile woman a smug look and purposely shouldered her way past her nemesis.

  “Ow! Watch it, bitch!”

  Ignoring her, Reecah walked up to Anvil. “GG and Flavian reporting for duty, Anvil.”

  Before Anvil had a chance to inquire about Flavian’s miraculous recovery, she pulled her sword free.

  A collective gasp escaped everyone present, but she turned to the uncut undergrowth; speaking loud enough for Catenya to hear as she hacked at the vines and dead scrub with reckless abandon, “If it’s all the same to you, allow me to get us back on track.”

  Anvil’s roar made her jump. Thinking he was about to cleave her in two, she looked over her shoulder to see him doubled over, laughing hysterically.

  He shouted, “You show ‘em, bilge rat. About time someone with a spine took charge!”

  Anvil stopped laughing long enough to sneer at the others. “Well? What’re ye waiting on? Or are ye expecting GG to carry yer sorry arses all the way to Headwater?”

  Flavian stepped in beside Reecah, placing himself between her and Catenya. Through the corner of his mouth, he whispered, “Good going, GG. Better watch you don’t eat an errant sword.”

  The chatter after nightfall occurred in three distinct camps. Catenya held court with her half dozen lackeys on one side of a hastily cut clearing; separated from Reecah, Flavian and Anvil by the rest of the trainees.

  Reecah didn’t miss the fact that everyone cast glances her way—mumbling beneath their breath. Snatches of, “Anvil’s pet,” and, “Just wait, her time’s coming,” amongst other things she didn’t wish to entertain. She pushed it out of her mind, not caring what they thought. She wasn’t doing this for them.

  To her surprise, Anvil produced a heel of bread and a wedge of cheese and handed her a generous portion. “Here. Ye’ve earned it.”

  Reecah looked at Flavian, unsure what to do.

  He shrugged.

  Swallowing her misgivings, she forced a smile. “Thank you, Anvil.”

  Her eyes unconsciously searched the angry glares of those around her.

  “Bah,” Anvil said around a mouthful, spitting crumbs between them. “Don’t ye be worryin’ about them, bilge rat. They’s jealous is all. Ain’t appreciatin’ being humiliated. They ain’t worth yer time. If ya manage to get them to Headwater afore the full moon tomorrow, yer to be moving on to the king’s guard when we return to South Fort, and that’s sure.”

  Flavian frowned, exchanging glances with her.

  Reecah washed a mouthful down with a swig from her waterskin. “What of the rest of them?”

  Anvil looked pointedly at Flavian. “They’ll have to earn their own way in. Ye can’t be expected to carry the lot.”

  Reecah raised her eyebrows, nodding at Flavian.

  Anvil bit into a chunk of bread, tearing off a large piece. With half of it hanging from his mouth, he grunted, “As long as he keeps up with ye, I reckon he’s ready to join ya.” He chewed his bread and swallowed. “Be cruel to leave him with this lot. The Cat’ll tear him to shreds.”

  As much as the group grumbled and cast dirty looks Reecah’s way, they were a whirlwind of motion in the morning—striving to outdo one another.

  At one point during the day, Anvil stood atop a large boulder they had revealed and nodded. “That’s more like it. I might make knights of yer sorry hides yet.”

  Reecah smiled through the sweat dripping from her face, but cringed when Anvil added, “Of course, that’s only if ya can keep up with the bilge rat.”

  Like the comment or not, it fueled the rate at which they progressed. Thankfully, Anvil guided their direction. At one point, the distant waters of King’s Bay were visible through the trees on their right.

  They stopped briefly to eat and rest as the sun dropped into the western sky. Their progress slowed considerably after that as most of them had given up trying to reach Headwater before the moon rose.

  With the last rays of sunlight basking them in its faint warmth through a break in the forest, Edo cried out, “Look! Headwater!”

  Reecah stepped back from where she hacked and caught a glimpse of a yellow-stoned fortress nestled on the top of a natural rock formation towering above the forest.

  A brief cry of joy went up but their spirits were crushed by Anvil.

  “Hah! Ye can see it, sure, but do ya think ya can reach it afore high moon? I dare say, it’s a deceptive piece away. The way ye lot carry on, we’ll not reach it afore morn.”

  Reecah wiped the sweat from her brow. She cast a furtive glance at Catenya—the malicious woman locking eyes with her. Reecah broke contact and turned her attention to the task at hand. Raising her eyebrows at Flavian, she took a deep breath, adjusted her grip on her sword, and began hacking a path wide enough for the rest of the group to follow.

  Anvil’s laugh from somewhere behind, drove her forward; irate the big fool didn’t realize the difficulties he caused her and Flavian. Or did he?

  The night dragged on—their progress slowed by the darkness. Someone suggested they light a few torches to assist them and had his ears boxed by an incredulous weapon master.

  “Are ye daft? The Watch’ll see ya coming for leagues.”

  Reecah feared they weren’t going to make their deadline but as the forest floor crested a ridge and fell away, the full moon glinted off a wide river emptying into King’s Bay.

  Anvil crossed his arms over his lightly clad chest. “Ah, the mouth of the Dragon. Just a wee swim to Headwater Sanctum.”

  Reecah looked questioningly at Flavian.

  “He means we’re looking at the end of the river, Dragon Rush. If you look up and to the left, you can see the flickering torchlight from Headwater Sanctum.”

  Reecah let her sword tip hit the ground—her jaw falling in disbelief.

  “You mean we have to swim across the channel?”

  Flavian shrugged.

  “That’s crazy. Look at us. We’ll drown before we reach the other side.” She pulled her cloak tight, staving off the biting wind blowing off the bay. “The water will be freezing. What about our weapons?”

  “Hey! Where’s he going?” Catenya shouted, her focus on Anvil’s receding backside as he picked his way down the steep embankment.

  Reecah stepped in line behind Flavian, following the weapon master down a faint animal trail. Carefully watching where she stepped as she reached the brink of the drop-off, she noticed a large fortress nestled at the bottom of the embankment, its parapets illuminated by torches and sconces placed at regular intervals along their heights.

  She wanted to ask Flavian about it, but it was all she could do to keep up with the group as they ran after a maniacally laughing weapon master. The man must have gone mad.

  They came to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the hill as the shoreline jutted into the bay—a massive keep blotting out the starry skyline ahead.

  Anvil faced them, holding his hands high and wide, a great smile splitting his pointed goatee. “Against everything I believed, ye’ve proven me wrong. The moon is still far from its peak and here we are.”

  “You mean we don’t have to swim the channel?” Reecah asked confused.

  Anvil frowned. “Ye can if ya like. Ain’t to be stoppin’ ya.”

  Reecah’s gaze took in the castle across the channel, its flickering lights making it appear like it hovered in midair over
the bay in the darkness. “I’m confused. You said we must reach Headwater by the full moon.”

  Anvil started walking toward the fortress walls on the near shoreline. “Aye, ya silly rodent. The castle, not the high wizard’s sanctum.”

  Devius

  The wooden portcullis creaked into the air on the end of massive, rattling chains, rousing Reecah from a restless sleep. She had dreamt of standing tongue-tied in front of the high king before a hall packed tight with red-faced nobles laughing at her. Thankful for the timely interruption, she fought to calm her rapid breathing.

  The full moon shone into the bailey separating the fortress walls from the keep proper. The celestial body didn’t appear to have moved any farther across the sky than when she had closed her eyes.

  On their approach to Headwater, they had been met by the point of two dozen halberds until someone in the Watch realized it was the Bone Breaker who led their party. The heavy gate had lifted long enough to allow them passage inside the outer wall. A meagre meal had been scrounged together for them from the servants’ stores.

  The Watch commander claimed the lord of the keep, Baron Fangbottom, wasn’t to be disturbed until morning.

  Reecah had gaped at the baron’s name and asked Flavian whether it was a nickname. Flavian shook his head, not seeing the humour in it.

  The gentle snoring of her companions informed her she might be the only one that the raising of the gate had disturbed. She propped herself on her elbows and looked around. Several men conversed with Anvil near the gatehouse. The weapon master pointed a finger her way. Noticing she was awake, he motioned for her to join them.

  Flavian lay beside her, oblivious to the world as she soft-stepped amongst the sleeping bodies and joined Anvil—the chilly night air more noticeable now that she moved around. Shivering uncontrollably, she raised her eyebrows in question.

  Anvil gave her a once over as if seeing her for the first time. “Seems ye’ve drawn the attention of the high wizard. He requests an audience with ya forthwith.”