“Yes, chi-cken.” She smirked. “We are fine.” Moyra smiled, nodded once, and swam fast enough to make his ears flap.
Angst crawled toward shore, shock from the cold water making him dig into the sand with stiff fingers and drag himself along more dramatically than he’d wanted. Moyra had rushed him to waist-deep water behind a small reef. She’d been reluctant to let him go so far from shore, but he’d promised he could make it, fearful that the pirates would attack her on sight. The trek was farther than he’d thought, though, and he was now sick with exhaustion. Hector and Tarness ran into the water, gripping him under his arms and pulling him to shore.
He rested on all fours to catch his breath. Tori was kissing his cheeks, crying desperately. Hector was yelling something while Dallow asked a hundred questions.
“Are we all okay?” he spluttered. “Are we all here?”
“All of us are here, Angst,” Hector said softly. “But not all of the pirates. Several men are missing.”
“I saw her,” Tori said after composing herself. “I think your mermaid saved me.”
“Me too,” Dallow agreed. “I couldn’t see, but no human can move in water like that.”
“And me,” Tarness said, his voice heavy. “She was something.”
“I don’t understand,” Jarblech said. He hadn’t seen her approach. “Two men are still missing, but most were saved by mermaids.”
“Just one,” Angst said, feeling hopeful that they would see her in a better light. “Maybe they aren’t all as bad as you thought.”
“Tell that to the ones still missing,” she replied gruffly.
“Moyra saved everyone who could be saved,” Angst snapped.
“Moyra?” Jarblech said, placing both hands on her hips. She eyed Hector, who shook his head, and then returned her dark gaze to Angst. “So, she’s yours?”
“Mine?” Angst struggled to stand on his own. “It’s not like she’s a pet.”
“You’re right.” She got in his face. “You can’t tame a shark.”
“Is that why nobody tamed you?” Angst shouted.
Hector grabbed her wrist and squeezed, and a long curved dagger dropped to the sand. “Save that for me,” he said with a wink.
“Funny.” Her thin eyes opened a little, and she yanked her arm free of his grip. “Look at what that attack did to my ships! Falcon’s the only one left!”
“Because of Angst,” Hector said, crossing his arms, his bushy eyebrows raised high.
“Yeah,” she said reluctantly, staring intently at a pebble in the sand.
“Angst?” Hector asked with a nudge.
His friend was right. They needed her, and her ship. Angst sighed deeply and looked around. The shipyard was flotsam and kindling save for one steel ship. The town, however, was in much better shape.
“Well,” Angst said half-heartedly. He wasn’t in the mood to be nice. “I guess it could’ve been worse.”
It was too much, and Jarblech’s hands shot out, reaching for Angst’s neck. She stopped when they heard screaming and both turned to see pirates sprinting toward them. There was a gentle tremor as the geode leaned forward. It swayed like a drunken sailor unsure of which direction to fall. Jarblech screamed something incomprehensible. As if in slow motion, the enormous, hollow stone collapsed over the town, covering it in a dome. The entire pirate city was gone, hidden beneath the monstrous rock like a turtle.
“Worse?” Jarblech screamed. She spat, pointing at the missing town. “You come here and bring nothing but destruction and death! It’s not safe around you lot! There’s no way I’m taking you to Angoria! I won’t do it!” She wrapped her hands around his throat, squeezing tight.
“That’s enough.” Angst pulled them off. He stomped toward the dome, pushing his way through the pirates until he reached Dulgirgraut. Those nearest moved away, giving Angst several feet of space. “It’s not safe around me? It’s not safe anywhere. There are dragons to the East, monsters swimming in the ocean, and giant creatures who claim to be living elements!”
He was pacing now, his pathway growing with his anger as pirates stepped away. Victoria raised her hand to point at him, but Hector held it down, and nodded to shush her.
“We can either sit idly by, waiting to die, or we can take the battle to them!” He swung Dulgirgraut like it was an extension of his arm, pointing at the geode. Pirates leaped out of the way. “I’m taking your boat, whether you come with or not!”
“It’s not safe,” Jarblech muttered. “We’ll all die.”
“You aren’t safer with anyone else!” he shouted.
Angst spun about, both hands meeting on the hilt of Dulgirgraut. A burgundy glow surrounded the blade, and he took a deep breath. The ground shook as the geode tilted upward. It was heavy, but he let his fury flow through the blade and used that power like a lever. His arms shook from the strain, and he focused, ignoring the gasps and cries around him. The geode reared back with a noisy crunch, slowly returning to its place. It settled to once again half-hide the town, which was mostly undamaged. Angst anchored the rock, melding it into the ground, letting it sink deeper into the earth so it wouldn’t fall again. The tip of Dulgirgraut fell to the ground, the red glow surrounding it faded. His heart was racing and he felt the chill of cold sweat in the gentle breeze. He faced Jarblech, whose mouth was wide open.
She closed it, sucking in her lips. “She’s my boat,” she said quietly. “I’ll be steering her to Angoria.”
25
Unsel
Rook should’ve been tired, having departed at the break of dawn, but was instead anxious to the point of jittery. Their plan was a mix of bad, rushed ideas tossed into a bucket with hope and happenstance. They faced so many unknowns, from Unsel behind to Scar ahead, that patience did not come naturally and the half-day ride to Angst and Heather’s felt like an obstacle. He’d spent most of his time contemplating what-ifs until Janda nudged him into courtesy, reminding him to converse with their eight wards. An older family with a teen boy and girl, an even older man, and Janda’s niece, nephew, and brother-in-law. Her sister, Nikkola, and the other ten wielders who’d defended Unsel from the cavastil bird attack had split up to guard each group. It probably wasn’t necessary, but he believed a mass exodus of people would bring unwanted attention.
Rook hadn’t taken into consideration how slow it would be to ride with families. Not everyone could summon swifen, like Janda’s red glass lioness. That was something he felt all wielders should know. The efficiency and speed of twenty wielders on swifen was exciting and could be an asset to his militia, or even Unsel, if things ever got straightened out. He hoped Angst would see Victoria back safely, and soon. Not just to save the day, but to repair the mess of laws Alloria and Vars seemed to toss at Unsel like darts.
They reached the narrow, multi-colored stone pathway, which meant they were only fifteen miles away. The ground rumbled, making the old man look around, and the younger children whine nervously.
“I’m surprised we can feel the sinkholes all the way out here,” Janda said, frowning in concern.
There was a loud crash followed by a string of creative profanity. The mom covered her daughter’s ears while her son giggled. She glared at Rook as though he were the one cursing. He frowned and pulled ahead.
“I don’t think it’s the sinkholes. Wait here with them,” Rook commanded. “I’ll ride ahead to check.”
Rook went only a hundred yards before he stopped and dismounted. To the side of the path, he could make out what looked like a big mushroom. A single gray stone dome peeked over the hill. Squeezing through the tree line, Rook wielded his sword and approached the mushroom cautiously. It was massive, taller than a mounted man and wider than a cabin. He slowed as he crested the hill, staring in awe at a dozen giant mushroom caps scattered around the hillside, each spread roughly a hundred yards apart. They looked like enormous bubbles resting on water’s surface. All of them had two holes large enough to enter, both in the front and on top. He could hear
Jaden cursing nearby and hurried.
The young man was sitting, wiping blood from his nose and lip. He looked gaunt, with disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes. Facial hair made a patchy shadow beneath his chin, and Rook winced at the smell.
“You okay?” Rook asked, sheathing his sword.
“Rook?” Jaden said, attempting to push himself up. He plopped back down and reached out a hand. “Yeah, just exhausted.”
“What is all this?” Rook asked, looking around in awe.
“Chatlen,” Jaden explained. “Temporary housing for all the refugee wielders.”
“Temporary?” Rook said in astonishment.
“Yeah, I figured that stone would be easy for Angst to get rid of,” he said, “and sturdy enough to keep everyone safe.”
“Safe? From what?” Rook asked.
“Scar.” Jaden shook his head. “I rode straight to the house last night and found him sitting there. A cute puppy, and then bam!” he shouted, making Rook jump. “Big as a house. Bigger! Three tails, six eyes, covered in steel daggers, and angry! But, fortunately, preoccupied with bubbles that come from the ground. And those bubbles...I barely escaped. They grabbed up bugs and squirrels, and all of it floated toward him.”
“I’ve heard the story.” Rook frowned. “That’s how Angst found him. They thought it was caused by the Vex’kvette.”
“It was close. That beast is a danger,” Jaden said, his eyes wide. “He runs free, but I think these are sturdy enough to fend him off. Or hopefully he’ll ignore them.”
“Hopefully?” Rook asked.
Jaden merely shrugged, and Rook nodded in agreement. What else could they do?
“I didn’t know you could wield stone,” Rook said. He was amazed at everything Jaden had accomplished.
“Not well. Not nearly as well as Angst,” he said. “I’m better with spells, which are a combination of elements.”
Rook nodded politely, pretending to understand. “You made a small town. I think that counts as doing well. But the name, chatlen?”
“That’s what the buildings are called,” Jaden said. “I was thinking we could call this place Jadenville.”
“Or Rookshire,” Rook said with a broad smile.
Jaden winced, leaning back until Rook heard a pop. “Want to see inside?”
Rook was impressed. In spite of the young man’s exhaustion, Jaden was obviously proud of his creations. He helped Jaden up and followed him through the arched doorway. It was like entering a round cave with perfectly smooth walls and floor. Along the base of the walls were four rectangles, each of them six feet long with an ankle-high stone frame. The hole he’d seen in the roof formed a convex cylinder, like a hollow birdbath that hung upside down. Below the cylinder was a waist-tall stone bucket roughly three feet across. The bucket had a two-foot lip all around it.
“Is that a fire pit?” Rook pointed at the bucket. “And a chimney?”
“For cooking, and warmth,” Jaden said, nodding proudly. He patted the lip. “And a table to eat on.”
“And those?” Rook asked in bewilderment, pointing at the rectangles.
“For bedding,” Jaden explained. “They can be filled with a mattress, or straw or—”
Rook grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in for an unexpected hug. “You, my friend, have just made this whole thing possible. We may even survive. How did you know to do all of this?”
“The chatlen?” he asked, his eyes oddly distant. “I’m really not sure. I’ve seen them before, but I can’t remember where.”
“Not just the buildings,” Rook said. “How did you know we were coming?”
“Maarja and Jintorich told Heather what happened at the Wizard’s Revenge.” His face became dark. “Then Heather encouraged me to do all of this. I feel a little used.”
“Remind me not to make her angry,” Rook stated. “But we may need to use you some more.”
“I assumed.” Jaden looked tired. “How many?”
Rook counted on his fingers. “Maybe five?”
“That’s it?”
“Alloria sent out a proclamation late last night stating that nobody would be arrested,” Rook explained.
“And people believed her?” Jaden asked.
Rook shrugged.
“I can handle five, I’m sure,” Jaden said with a sigh. He looked at Rook for a long moment. “And?”
“And a big one. A really big one,” Rook said then explained to Jaden’s weary expression. “We can’t all meet out in the snow.”
Jadenville...or Rookshire
Twenty wielders had made it safely, alone or with their families. Each had chosen their temporary housing, and settled in quickly with more compliments than complaints. For some, their new living quarters were nicer than what they had in Unsel. In the center of the stone town, Jaden had erected a building sizeable enough for everyone to meet in. It was almost identical to the smaller mushrooms, except for stone chairs scattered around the larger fire pit. The lip around the pit was only inches off the ground, and wide enough for Rook to stand on—allowing him to pace in a circle and address everyone. The wielders had met there after tucking in their children, wives, or husbands. They were tired and anxious and waited with the patience of a child sitting in front of unopened presents.
“Is this all of us?” Rook asked.
“There may be more coming tomorrow,” Nikkola answered. “But no firm commitments.”
“We should send someone back to town to check on them,” Andec said. “A non-wielder.”
“My husband would do that,” an older woman answered. “Maybe he’ll get arrested, and I’ll finally be rid of him.”
Several chuckled, and Rook nodded at her gratefully. Her humor chiseled at the edge they all felt, and he saw a few shoulders drop like his did.
“Jaden there built all of this,” he said, before noticing that the young man was sound asleep. “Be sure to thank him when he’s not passed out.”
Several more chuckles and a few smiles appeared but were soon clouded by apprehension.
“I know you’re worried. So am I. There’s a lot we need to do,” Rook said. “We need food, bedding, firewood, and soldiers.”
“Soldiers?” several shouted while others mumbled.
“If Alloria changes her mind once again and sends soldiers of Unsel, we need to be prepared,” he said, holding out his hands to calm them.
“But that requires armor, which means money,” a sharp-nosed man said.
“So does the food.” The woman sitting next to him rubbed her hands fretfully. “And, well, everything else.”
“We’re all going to have to work together,” Janda interrupted. “Each of us have abilities. We need to explain what we can do and see if it can help the rest.”
“What about him?” the sharp-nosed man asked, pointing at Rook. “What does he do?”
“He stands there and looks cute,” Nikkola shouted.
More laughter, mostly from women, painted Rook’s cheeks bright red. Janda shot her sister a warning look that was returned with a mocking tongue.
“I have more leadership experience than anyone here,” Rook explained, trying to change the subject. “But if you want the job...?”
The man kept staring but said nothing.
“Good.” Rook nodded. “Until then, shut up.”
“What about the stuff we can’t make?” a young woman from the other side of the fire asked. “Armor requires a blacksmith, and steel. We can hunt, but we need more than meat to survive. All of that costs gold.”
Rook looked around the room to see blank stares. Even Janda shrugged. “I take it none of you can make gold?”
He hadn’t expected so much laughter.
“If I could, I’d have invited you all to stay at my castle.” An old man guffawed.
“Gold,” Jaden said, waking with a start. “Heather said there’s plenty of gold in the cellar. More than plenty.”
Wood in the fireplace settled as the room shook. It didn’t
last long enough to be sinkhole tremors, or briefly enough to be Jaden’s dome building. As the rumbling became louder and more frequent, it sounded like a galloping horse. Most wielders in the room stood and many arms and hands glowed with different colors as they gathered their powers. The thumping stopped nearby. All was silent until Scar howled in anguish. An enormous snout shoved into the entrance, huffing embers and ash toward the far wall, making wielders scramble to the sides of the room or stamp out burning sticks. The snorting stopped and the young pup yelped several times.
“What in the...?” someone said.
Scar barked so loudly that some screamed. He rammed into the dome again and again.
Rook saw pale faces filled with fear, but at least everyone would be okay. “That would be Angst’s dog,” Rook said. “It’s my understanding he changes erratically, between monster and puppy.”
There was another yip from a puppy and the cooing sound of a small girl. Rook recognized Janda’s niece as she entered with the black lab pup in her arms. Everyone rushed away from the entrance, shuffling to each side of Rook. Janda and Nikkola inched forward with warning hands.
“Kala, honey,” Nikkola said in a wavering voice. She took baby steps with her hands held out. “Please put the puppy down.”
“No,” Janda whispered sharply. “Please take the puppy outside.”
The twelve-year-old girl petted the lab puppy calmly. Its fine black coat neatly matched her long black hair. As the women approached, the girl frowned and the dog’s eyes flashed red.
“Stop.” He hopped off the shelf around the fire pit.
Both women peered at him with defensive, angry eyes. He waved them back and walked to Kala, kneeling and holding out a hand to Scar.
“Scar isn’t feeling very well,” Rook said gently. “Your mum is worried he could hurt you.”
“He won’t,” Kala said confidently. She looked down at the pup, who nuzzled himself into her armpit. “Scar is just a little...off. He just needs the right kind of attention.”
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