by Nic Weissman
“This vegetation seems tropical,” Ithelas said, pointing to some of the plants around them.
Erion then looked at the environment. They were in a dense forest of tall trees. Multiple green plants surrounded the area. Lush flowers of all colors flooded the meadow with their aroma. He could hear the sounds of many birds and other animals that he didn't recognize. Erion had never been in a place so full of life.
“We must seek higher ground. Then we can try to identify where we are and what direction the cave is. But we don't all have to go. Samar, your eyes can see farther than any of us. Find some nearby hill or some high place and try to figure out where we are. Take the map with you. But it is best you don't go alone. Erion, can you go with her?” Thost said.
“Yes, of course. It's best that nobody stays alone. We are in uncharted territory,” agreed Erion, happy with the knight’s choice.
“All right. Meanwhile, we will finish checking the equipment. We'll wait here,” Thost said.
Samar and Erion walked away, leaving their backpacks to be able to walk faster. The elf led the way and Erion followed paying attention to the flanks and rear. He was responsible for protecting the girl, knowing that maybe she was protecting him more.
They walked briskly for about ten minutes. Erion breathed large amounts of air through his mouth. The intense humidity, coupled with the high temperature made it difficult to breathe. The young man knew they needed to acclimate their bodies to that atmosphere as soon as possible. Although they were not running, Samar was following a steep terrain area, always looking for the maximum slope, which was exhausting.
The elf stopped and pointed to a small cliff ahead. It was the first place where Erion could see rock. Until then, the lush terrain only allowed them to see green. With quick and agile jumps, Samar began to climb the small ridge and, a little later, reached the top. Some large trees had grown there too. Although they were, perhaps, in the highest place they could find, they were still unable to see beyond a hundred steps.
“Wait here and keep watch,” request the elf, while she placed her bow on her back.
Samar then began to climb the trunk of the biggest tree that was on top of the ridge. The agility she had was amazing. Soon after, the elf had almost reached the highest branch of the tree about thirty steps above the ground. The top of that tree had to be above those of the others. Erion was convinced that the elf would have a good view of the surroundings from there. The young man saw how Samar consulted the map and looked for a couple of different positions in the branch to be able to see in various directions.
After a while, she descended. Samar jumped from branch to branch, always looking for the bottom one. She did it in a completely upright position, leaning only with her feet. It was as if she were walking, literally, through the tree. In a few moments, she was about five steps from the floor in one of the lowest branches of the tree. She fell after holding on to the last branch with her hands. It was a considerable height, but Samar cushioned the fall with great skill, and fell on the floor in a flexed position.
The stunts and movements based on finesse were some of the skills that made Erion stand out, but the young man understood that he'd have to try hard to keep up with that girl. Samar stood and Erion approached her.
“Are you okay? What have you seen?” asked the young man.
“Yes, I'm all right. I think I could locate us on the map,” Samar said as she pulled out the scroll, unfolded it and pointed. “I estimate that we are in this area. Far to the south, I could see the sea. In all other directions there is a very dense forest as far as the eye can see. The terrain is quite hilly in this region but in the far north, there's a large plain. I have not seen any city or town, although I'm sure there will be some scattered farms and small villages between the forests. I think I've spotted the valley where we're headed to the southwest. Closer, in the westerly direction, there's the cleft in the ground where we should find the cave. It's not too far away. Under normal conditions it would be an hour or two of travel, at best. But in this area, it will take us longer.”
“And also this heat,” Erion said. “We better get back to the others as soon as possible and get going. It's going to be night time before we get to the cave. We must find a place to camp.”
The young man watched the elf again. "For Oris, she's so beautiful", he thought. Samar folded the map and handed it to him so he could put it away. When he took it, the young man slightly stroked the girl's hand unintentionally. They looked at each other. Erion felt her pulse quicken. Samar's incredible sapphire eyes looked away after a moment; Erion thought they were magical.
“I'd be best if we continue,” said the elf, almost in a whisper.
They started walking and headed back, trying return through the same path they had just traversed. When they had been going for a while, Erion grew impatient. They should have already found the others, but they couldn't recognize the field. The whole forest looked similar. The young man understood that it was extremely easy to get lost in the thicket.
“The others should be here. It's better if we stop,” proposed Samar.
“I agree. We must try to find them without advancing or we may lose the reference,” Erion said.
“I'll try to climb a tree again to see if I can locate them,” said the elf as she began to climb the nearest tree.
Erion waited impatiently as he watched her quick ascent admirably.
*******
Ithelas was taking samples of various plants and herbs and saved them with great care and attention in his bag. Mithir sat quietly against the trunk of a tree to make some notes in a small notebook while Thost grabbed timber and tried to make a fire. They didn't know how long the others would take, or whether they would have to spend the night in that place, so it was good to be prepared. Although they didn't need the heat of the fire, considering the climate of the place, it would help them scare off some animals, and it was also necessary to prepare food.
Thost used the flint and tinder that he had brought, but even with that help, he was struggling to light the fire. The wood, and everything around them, was quite humid. That was when they heard a roar. There was a strange beast in the middle of the small clearing where they were. They didn't understand how the animal had been able to reach then without anybody noticing. The beast was like a panther but had six legs and was quite larger. Its skin was a curious dark purple color.
Ithelas stood up and reached for his mace as he veered toward the center of the clearing. Thost was surprised. The beast was practically at his side, although it did not look at him directly. How could have it appeared there? Thost drew his sword without a clear idea of what to do next. Mithir took the bag of reagents as he sat up and began to prepare a spell.
The beast began to move slowly toward Thost but it seemed not to approach him directly. It was as if it was going to pass him from the side. Anyways, Thost didn't trust this and was prepared to use the sword if the animal got too close. The young wizard then released his spell and the others watched surprised, they could suddenly see five Mithirs next to each other. Ithelas began moving slowly toward the center of the clearing, wielding his mace to be able to flank the animal with his father's position.
The beast was already very close to Thost and then stopped. It gave a small jump with its mouth open, as if it were ready to attack. But the jump moved it away from Thost slightly, who did not understand what was happening. Ithelas suddenly cried out in pain, something was biting his left arm, but he didn't see anything. He felt it let loose, but the pain was still unbearable. A gaping wound, which occupied his entire forearm, was bleeding profusely.
The five Mithirs ran perfectly synchronized to Ithelas' position while they all indicated to Thost to stay where he was. The young magician was preparing another spell while walking. When he reached the cleric, he stopped and completed his spell. An animal appeared before him. It was a kind of gorilla, but a bit smaller. Its eyes were lit in an unnatural red. The gorilla ran to attack and launc
hed against the beast and tried to hit it as it reached it. But the blow pierced the space occupied by the monster as if there was nothing there. The gorilla almost falls to the ground unbalanced by the momentum of the blow, that didn't hit anything.
“What I feared,” Mithir said by gestures. “Thost, join us. Defensive position!”
Thost did as they asked without understanding what was happening. In a few strides he came to where the two young men were and put his back against Ithelas', while the five Mithirs watched with them.
They saw then as the animal bit again, but this time no one screamed in pain. However, one of Mithir's images disappeared instantly. The gorilla kept striking the beast without reaching it. It was as if the monster was an illusion.
“Ithelas, Thost, look at my images. Look at the next one that disappears. When that happens, imagine that there is an invisible beast right beside the image that has vanished and attack it relentlessly. Pay attention!” Mithir mysteriously commanded.
Thost and Ithelas didn't understand much of Mithir's gestures, but that they did have to look at the disappearing images and prepare to attack. Everyone waited impatiently. Then it happened again. Another of Mithir's images disappeared and the knight and the cleric launched against the void left in its place. Ithelas punched the air with his mace, making an effort because of the pain that the injury caused him. But he got nothing. Thost threw a few punches, trying to cover the most ground as possible. The first one cut the air uselessly. The second one hit something.
Mithir then released his magic missiles spell, and four orange balls flew at high speed and crashed into whatever Thost had hit. The knight then launched another blow, trying to nail the sword, but his enemy was no longer there. They saw the beast moving through the center of the clearing, ignoring the gorilla, which was going crazy trying to fight his rival.
Another of Mithir's images disappeared, while the strange panther roared and bit. This time it was the cleric who managed to hit the enemy with the hammer. Then Thost continued searching the place where Ithelas had managed to hit, nailing the sword decisively. They saw a patch of blue blood that began to sprout around the sword. Blood was painting a sinister surface that now appeared in midair.
Mithir came and released a new spell. Fire sprang from his hands and projected forward like a flame focused where the sword had pierced. This made a much larger surface suddenly appear. It was the back of an animal. They could see what looked like burned hair. Thost saw the panther in the center of the clearing screamed and had much of its back scorched.
Thost had endeavored not to let the prey get off the sword and now everyone could see the hidden animal; at least a part of it. The knight retired the steel blade to strike again, harder this time. Ithelas did the same and hit the monster with his mace. They both got two impacts. The gorilla joined them then, blocking the way of escape that was left, and struck fiercely with both fists raised.
The beast got to lock the gorilla by an arm and watched as it began to bleed and couldn't move it. Father and son took the opportunity to launch a new series of attacks until they finally heard the monster collapse on the ground. Then the whole animal was revealed. It was identical to the panther they had seen at the center of the clearing and they couldn't see now.
“What the hell was that?” Thost asked angrily.
“A tugrim,” Mithir said.
“A what...?” said the knight, not understanding Mithir's strange gesture.
“I've read about these beasts,” Ithelas said. “They have a kind of hiding ability. They're not really invisible, but they project their image to another nearby location, so it's very difficult to know where they really are. I think they're called tugrims.”
“Exactly,” confirmed the young magician.
Ithelas began a short chant, and everyone saw as the horrible aspect of his arm suddenly improved. However, it was obvious that the arm would need extra care. Ithelas' face, which had been flushed with pain from the bite, relaxed, slightly relieved.
They checked up on the body of the strange beast. The skin had a curious texture and was very soft. Mithir gestured and the images that were left disappeared, leaving a unique figure in the scene. He then approached the head of the animal and, with a dagger in hand, carefully removed both eyes and kept them with great care. Ithelas asked him what he was doing, but couldn't understand Mithir's explanations.
At that moment, they heard a kind of owl hooting. Ithelas then imitated the sound reproducing it accurately. Again, they heard the owl that sounded closer and again the cleric replied. After a few iterations, they saw Samar and Erion walking into the clearing.
“Wow! What happened here?” Erion asked.
“It attacked us by surprise and we had some difficulties,” Thost explained.
“Why does the animal have no eyes?” Samar asked.
“Mithir just extracted them. He has tried to explain why, but we haven't understood,” clarified Ithelas
“Some alchemist will pay a good amount for them. It's our first booty in this adventure. The skin also has an important value, but I think we can’t afford to waste time skinning animals; especially one as big as this,” explained Mithir, this time accurately translated by his brother.
Erion and Samar updated the group on what they had been able to find. They all agreed that they should be off immediately, and try again to get closer the depression in which the cave was before dark. Moreover, none of them wanted to stay at that clearing, if there could be other animals like that.
Ithelas cured himself and left his arm placed in a sling; mostly for it to rest, as he explained to the others. He also applied some curative ointment Samar had bought in the city. They began, then, to walk in the direction that the elf indicated. Samar and Erion were leading the way, with Thost in the rear. Ithelas and Mithir were in the middle, with the latter pulling the mule that carried their gear.
They walked for a few hours when they noticed that the terrain slightly shifted and began to descend. It was already dark, and the visibility was now very low.
“We can't continue; not with so little light. We should camp here,” Thost said.
Everyone agreed that it was wise. So, they took part of the gear and set up two tents. They made a fire and organized the guards for the night.
Mithir entered his tent, carrying his backpack. As he did every night before bed, he opened it and took out his most precious possession: his spell book. In it he had recorded all the magical knowledge he had managed to accumulate over the years; and he was just beginning his career as a magician! He opened the book and began to go over the pages quickly while deciding the spells he would study for the next day. Like all magicians, he needed to perform this ritual and this study to be able to use its magical energy.
The next day the group would go through the cave and reach the valley where the castle was located. Mithir didn't know exactly how long it would take, but it was reasonable to assume that the assault would take place the next day. Therefore, he decided to concentrate on attack spells and added some defensive ones, too. He began preparing spells with maximum concentration.
Thost entered the other tent, where Ithelas was performing his daily prayers.
“How's your arm?” asked the knight.
“It still hurts, but it's much better. I just applied another dose of ointment. I hope that tomorrow it'll be practically recovered,” replied the young man.
“Good. We will need everyone in top shape.”
“I know. That's why I haven't spared in the use of our precious and expensive ointments. At least I didn't use any potion,” said the cleric.
“Don't worry about using what you need. Your healing spell repaired most of the damage in any case. Today we have been very lucky. Mithir's images enchantment avoided a catastrophe. We probably would have beaten the beast, for it was only one, but in the process we would have had more severe wounds. Or worse, some of us could have died. We will have to be vigilant in this region of the country,” Th
ost said.
“Yes, surely there are many dangers out there. Now I must return to my prayers,” Ithelas said as he knelt again.
In the same way that the magician must study his spell book each night to use its magic on the following day, the cleric must perform a series of prayers to be able to use his. In addition, like the magician, he had to choose carefully what spells that he would prepare within the limits of his magical energy, always thinking about which would be most useful during the following day.
Erion said goodnight to Samar and went into Mithir's tent. He decided not to bother him, seeing him so concentrated on his enchantments. He took off his light and flexible leather armor and lay down. It was difficult to sleep with that sticky heat. The climate approximated that of a sultry summer evening on the coast of Bor. Their bodies were accustomed to the rigors of dry and cold autumn in Bor Central and, suddenly finding themselves in that tropical forest, hadn't had a chance to get used to it. It had also been a long day; four really eternal days from his adventures in the mansion of the Commander of Andon. So, gradually, fatigue overcame him and he eventually fell asleep.
*******
Erion walked down a hallway adorned with huge paintings on both sides. They were huge expressive paintings of great quality. The frames of the paintings were built on the combination of the richest woods and showed an elaborate hand carving. The hall had a vaulted ceiling that hung at a great height, at least fifteen steps high. The vault, like the hall, was divided into sections delimited by white and stylish finest marble columns. Elegant arches connecting the columns by drawing a spider in each section of the vault. One could observe an affluent and complicated ornamentation in each of the sections in which the vault was divided by the arcs.
