The Path of Giants

by B. T. Narro

  In the dining hall at the castle, the boys sat far enough from the girls that we never overheard any conversation. Here was different. There didn’t seem to be any order or arrangement to the seating. There was only one large table that could fit all of us. I took my place next to Michael.

  “Hear anything interesting last night, Jon?” he asked as we ate our porridge.

  It took some willpower not to look at Kataleya. “Nothing to hear, nothing to see.” I was a little groggy at having missed a good portion of my sleep, but I didn’t feel as bad as Remi looked. She seemed to be falling asleep as she was trying to eat, her head drooping.

  “That’s how the thieves are,” Michael said. “Nothing for the longest time, then—”

  “Can we have one quiet morning, Michael?” Leon snapped.

  Jennava gave him a scolding look from the seat next to him. He sighed when he noticed.

  “All right, that’s my mistake.” Leon seemed to be talking to everyone now. “I might as well tell all of you this now, so listen. The king has deferred to our judgment.” He gestured at Jennava. “So this morning we made a decision. It could be weeks more before we figure out where the bastard Thieves’ Guild is hiding and how they’re organizing. Instead of trying to catch them or drive them out of the city, we have to change our approach. We are going to take his majesty’s advice and attempt to work with the Thieves’ Guild from now on.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Reuben complained.

  “Keep your mouth shut so I can explain.”

  “Maybe it’s best if I do it?” Jennava asked.

  Leon’s strong jaw snapped shut, and he gave a nod.

  “I was against the idea at first as well,” Jennava said. “I still have my reservations. I believe the people of Koluk will rise up against the thieves if we give them any power.”

  “Power?” Reuben interrupted. “Why would we give them power?”

  “Reuben…” Leon warned.

  He had a sullen look as he folded his arms. “I’m listening.”

  “It’s the only way they will cooperate with us,” Jennava explained. “We have a common enemy. We believe the thieves can be recruited as soldiers. They hate the dark mages as much as we do.”

  “How can you know that?” Reuben asked somewhat politely compared to his usual tone.

  “Because I have dealt with them over the years when I was pretending to be allegiant to Cason. They know the city better than any of us, and they know much of Curdith Forest nearby. They have archers and trap makers. Some of them might even have skill with sorcery. We just can’t deal with them any longer. It’s not working.”

  “We failed,” Leon said bluntly. “Do you want to keep wasting time chasing ghosts, or do you want to try to use these ghosts to our advantage?”

  I asked, “How are we supposed to recruit them if we can’t find them?”

  “That’s why we were hoping some of you might find a way to make contact with them last night, but none of you came back with anything,” Leon said. “Now we have no choice but to spread the word and let them come to us.”

  “And if they don’t?” I asked.

  “Then we send word back to the king and wait for orders. I presume he will tell us to remain in the city until reinforcements arrive. They are on the way here. Then we can surround our enemies in the forest and wait until we have a better idea what they’re planning. Eventually, we will strike.”

  “I still don’t understand the benefit,” Reuben said. “A bunch of murderers and rapists aren’t welcome fighting alongside us. Who knows what they will try to do as soon as we win the battle.”

  “They have more honor than you give them credit for,” Jennava said. “They have never been known to rape or murder.”

  “I don’t care what you and Aliana say,” Reuben argued. “One of them tried to kill us.”

  “One of them,” Jennava emphasized. “Only when he was going to be captured. I don’t believe he received any orders to use lethal force.”

  “He was a goddamn idiot,” Leon added. “You remember, Reuben. You were there. You saw how he handled the situation. Only an idiot would throw his life away like that by openly attacking us once we had him surrounded.”

  “I suppose he was, but still—”

  “The biggest concern,” Jennava interrupted, “is what we can give them in return for their cooperation.” She glanced at Leon.

  “Even the king knows we can’t just leave them alone in the city. Their thieving causes damage. But they know how the city works better than anyone. They know how to catch criminals…better than anyone.” There sounded to be some reluctance to his voice. “We’re not going to like it, but we have to put them in charge of stopping crime.”

  “No way!” Reuben stood up. “The king would never allow this. It’ll give them all the power in the world to commit as much thievery as they want!”

  Leon bolted out of his chair. “The king is the one who suggested it!”

  So this was what was in the sealed envelope, which Hadley had referred to. I looked at her, wondering how she had figured it out. I was a little surprised to see she already had her gaze on me, though she away looked before our eyes met.

  Suddenly, there was a shattering sound, wood splintering as the front door to the tavern burst open.

  All of us were quick to rise.

  “Leon?” asked Jennava.

  “I have no idea,” he said in a near whisper, fear in his voice.

  The door was maybe ten yards from our table. We had been alone in the large room, but an older gentleman rushed out from the nearby kitchens. “What was that?”

  “Shut up,” Leon said. “Everyone quiet.”

  The hairs on my neck stood up. I casted Identify in the direction of the broken door. My mana didn’t alert me of anything, but I knew someone was there. I could feel it in my bones. And it wasn’t Eslenda.

  None of us had weapons here. All were in the basement.

  I was closest to the door. There was one open route through the tables. I shot dvinia down that route and waited for the inevitable body to stop my spell.

  It didn’t come. My spell struck the wall near the door.

  “Don’t, Jon,” Leon said. “I feel them.” He had his palm up and searching, his eyes following in the same direction. “No one move.”

  He made a little twirl, and a fireball appeared in front of him. The heat and wind shook the empty bowls on the table below it. Everyone cleared a path.

  Leon grunted as he casted the fireball at the ceiling just past our table. It exploded against the top of the dining room and rained down fire. One particularly large glob landed on one of the other tables. The tavern owner shrieked. Kataleya darted over.

  “Nobody move!” Leon screamed at the top of his lungs. “Shut up!”

  Kataleya froze, staring at the small glob of fire getting bigger on the table.

  I felt the air move as something whisked around us.

  Leon casted another fireball, this one parallel to the floor. It soared across the large room and struck a wall.

  “Damn you, Leon!” yelled the owner as another fire started to spread.

  “Anything yet, enchanter?” Leon yelled over the owner.

  “He keeps flying around like a gnat!” Reuben said.

  I looked back to see Reuben’s eyes darting around the room.

  Reuben seemed to assume the same thing I did. This was Valinox. But what was he doing here? It almost felt like he was toying with us.

  How the hell is he remaining invisible while flying?

  “This is impossible,” Charlie uttered with wide eyes. “Impossible.”

  Then he shrieked. The invisible Valinox seemed to snatch Charlie up and hoist him over his shoulder. I sent out my dvinia in hopes of grabbing the demigod, but there was a flash of light that startled me and caused me to lose concentration. It only took a moment for me to realize that Leon had blasted Valinox with a fireball, aiming low to avoid the screaming Charlie hanging ov
er the demigod’s shoulder.

  No, he hadn’t blasted Valinox after all. The fireball washed over Valinox’s shield of dteria, dyeing it orange as the fire disintegrated.

  When the smoke cleared, Charlie was gone.

  I was first out the door, looking to the sky. He was soaring off like a bird, screeching his head off.

  Soon the others came up behind me to watch Charlie make a wide turn and head toward the forest. The buildings blocked our view, so I lifted myself up with dvinia to see where Valinox was taking him. I could hear Charlie yelling even from here, clearly terrified, as Valinox took him down amidst the trees and disappeared completely.

  I floated down and informed the others. “He took him into Curdith Forest, less than a mile from the edge.”

  “Put out this fire right now!” screamed the owner from the doorway of the tavern.

  Kataleya ran back in as Leon stomped after her with very little urgency in his step. He didn’t bother to help Kataleya extinguish the flames with water, opting to yell at the owner instead.

  “Didn’t you just see? One of ours was taken!”

  “What do we do?” Reuben asked, tugging on Leon’s shirt to spin him around. “They have Charlie now!”

  “First we figure out why the hell Valinox wants Charlie,” Leon said.

  Hadley gasped so loudly that we all turned to her. “By the devil’s tail!” she yelled. “We need to get to the basement right now!”

  “Why?” Reuben asked.

  But Hadley was already running down the hall and holding open the curtain. “Because he’s coming back for more of us! Hurry!”

  “How can you possibly know that?” At least Reuben was moving with us as he asked his question, all of us filing down the hallway.

  “Because I know Valinox. He chose Charlie because he can’t put up a fight while he’s being carried away. There are others of us who are just as vulnerable.”

  “Oh shit!” Michael yelled. “Hurry! Move your ass!” he screamed as he pushed everyone from the rear of the group.

  “What about the tavern staff?” Jennava asked as she tried to turn around while Michael was shoving her.

  “Leave them! They are useless to Valinox,” Hadley answered.

  “Jenna?” yelled the owner.

  “I think she’s right!” Jennava called over her shoulder. “Just lock yourselves up until this is over.”

  Soon we all arrived in the basement with the door closed and locked behind us. I took the liberty to light a lamp with my fire spell, Leon and Kataleya helping by lighting a lamp on their own.

  “We can’t possibly rescue the metal mage by hiding like cowards,” Reuben complained.

  But then there was a slam against the door from the other side. There was a collective gasp as everyone froze. Those near the door slowly backed away.

  “Aliana and Reuben are most vulnerable,” Hadley whispered. “Along with me if he has any idea who I am. Protect us.”

  There was another slam against the door.

  “Leon?” Reuben whispered fearfully.

  “She’s right. The three of you get behind the rest of us.”

  All of our weapons were down here, but I seemed to be the only one going for my sword. But then I saw Aliana fetching her bow from one corner of the room, and Michael soon rushed to fetch his blade.

  I took my place in front of everyone. Michael came to my side.

  “I’ll blow him against the right wall,” Michael said. “Impale his ass.”

  I didn’t know Michael had become that powerful with wind, but I could tell by his tone that his statement was to be trusted.

  “You two will just get in the way,” Leon said as he stepped around us. “Let me deal with him.”

  I wanted to argue, but there was no time. The door burst open. We could see no one, but we all knew he was there.

  Leon casted a jet of fire that filled the entire doorway. It jumped up the stairs and disappeared out of view. When the spell came to an end, all was quiet save Leon’s heavy breaths. Flames licked the open doorway.

  “He’s here!” Reuben yelled, but his voice wasn’t needed. The licking flames stretched toward us then suddenly went out as a nearly invisible Valinox flew through the doorway.

  I had just noticed the demigod’s silhouette that looked like heat waves when I was hit by a gust of wind. It threatened to take me off my feet, Michael grunting as he pushed his hands to the right. I heard a thud when it happened, as Valinox hit the right wall.

  I found my bearings and dashed to where I could faintly see him trapped against the wall. I swung hard, but my attack went through where I had last seen him, and my blade struck the wall. Pain reverberated through my hands as I started to look around for Valinox.

  Something struck me from behind so hard that it flung me into the opposite wall. It was too fast for me to do much but get my hand up so that my face didn’t strike the hard wood. Pain surged through my wrist that made my earlier injury feel like a tickle.

  I dropped my sword and healed my broken wrist as absolute chaos ensued throughout the basement. All of my peers were thrown away from each other with a blast of dteria that rang through my head like an alarm bell. This was too much power. Wouldn’t Gourfist come awake again? More importantly, how the hell could we stand against it?

  Michael was lifted up by the invisible force. He thrashed and screamed and slipped out of Valinox’s hold while passing through the doorway, falling to the floor. I had my sword ready by then as I charged. I stabbed above Michael’s head as he was getting up.

  I felt my sword connect. Success! But then it was ripped out of my hands and tossed into the corner. I realized what had happened as Valinox was now escaping out of the doorway with Michael on his shoulder again. Valinox had made a shield of dteria, and my sword had stuck into it before he’d thrown the shield of energy away.

  “Move!” Aliana yelled from behind me.

  I knew why she was yelling and dropped out of the way.

  An arrow zipped by and embedded itself in the invisible body of Valinox as he started to make it up the stairs. He let out a yelp, and still, he did not appear.

  With a visible arrow in his leg, he disappeared up the stairs quicker than we could run, no doubt flying with dteria. I was met with a gust of wind as I made it to the top of the stairs and nearly toppled back down, grabbing the railing as I teetered. Michael was no doubt casting as hard as he could.

  I found my footing and ran past the curtain and down the hallway. I saw Michael squirming on the ground of the dining hall as if he had fallen again. Then his body jumped up as he let out a grunt of pain. It looked as if he’d been kicked in the stomach.

  He gasped for breath as the invisible Valinox scooped him up and put him on his shoulder again. I chased after Michael as he struggled for breath, hearing the rest of my peers behind me. I thought I might catch up and jump onto Valinox’s body as I had before, when he had taken off with Cason. It had led to Cason’s death, when Souriff had come to help me. Why wasn’t she here now? But I had no hope of catching up to Valinox even as he carried Michael. He flew out of the tavern like a bat out of hell, but not before ripping the arrow out of his leg. It fell off of his nearly invisible silhouette in the middle of the doorway.

  He was already fifty yards into the air with Michael by the time I made it out. So I stopped and picked up the arrow with his blood on it.

  Hadley was right there behind me. “Hold it over this, Jon. Hurry.”

  She had a small vial ready. I held the arrow upside down as she wiped her fingers down across the arrowhead, collecting a few drops of blood. Then she fell to all fours and started attempting to scrape up the blood that Valinox had left behind. There were only a couple spots of it here, but soon she was darting back to where we’d come from, no doubt expecting more blood where the arrow first found a home in his leg.

  “Now what?” Reuben asked. “He’ll come back for the rest of us.”

  “The basement is better than outside,” L
eon said. “Everyone get back there.”

  We rushed back to the basement. With the door broken off its hinges, I was sure I wasn’t the only one who felt vulnerable.

  “What is he doing with the people he captures?” Reuben asked.

  “There’s no time for that,” Hadley said as she handed him her red diamond. “Here, take this.”

  “Your cursed stone?” he asked dubiously. At least he seemed to trust her as he did take it from her hand.

  “As an enchanter, you have the best ability to speak to us through mana once you are captured.”

  Reuben’s face went white. “Nox’s blade.”

  “It should be small enough for you to fit it inside your sock in case they search your pockets. Just leave more room at the top of your boot. It can sit on top of your foot.”

  “Do as she says,” Leon demanded. “He’ll be back soon.”

  Reuben frantically knelt down and unlaced the strings of his right boot.

  “Are you sure he’s coming for Reuben and me?” Aliana asked Hadley fearfully.

  “I’m not sure of anything,” Hadley answered. “I didn’t think he would take Michael. I thought the wind mage would make it too difficult for Valinox to take him.”

  “He tried,” I said.

  Once Valinox had him high in the air, Michael couldn’t cast any longer or he would drop to his death. I figured Hadley was right and that Valinox hadn’t planned to take Michael but changed his mind after the wind mage had sent him into the wall and I had nearly cut him with my sword. That’s when he’d decided Michael had to go.

  I might’ve been able to stop Valinox from taking a single one of us if he’d used dteria to snatch us up instead of physically picking us up. My grab spell of lG, G, and uG had done well to disrupt his mana in the past. But my grab spell didn’t work well against anything that wasn’t a spell. With Valinox lifting us up with his hands, our only hope of stopping him was through sheer force.

  And maybe one other thing. “Is there a curse you can use?” I asked Hadley. She was sitting on her heels as she rummaged through her bag of ingredients.

  “I’m working on it.”

  “What’s the plan, Leon?” Reuben asked with a shaky voice. He and Aliana stood behind the rest of us.