Relics and Runes Anthology

by Heather Marie Adkins

  “It’s poisoned.”

  “Emily, you can’t bring poisoned arrows to a training ground,” the male trainer says.

  “Well done,” Linus says.

  She gets off him. Sheaths her daggers. He does the same. She takes the arrow from between her legs.

  “How did you keep that arrow there?”

  “Strong legs.”

  “I bet.” He stares lustfully at her.

  She walks over towards the trainers. “Oh, and by the way, it’s not poisoned. But only I would know that.”

  Linus is swarmed by women. He keeps his eyes on Emily. The men laugh at him that he got bested by a woman. He punches one of them in the chest. The trainers observe Linus’s facial expressions. He went from being cocky to instantly being attracted to Emily.

  Emily washes up. She puts on her dress.

  “An assassin that wears a dress. A deadly weapon indeed.”

  “I understand that I embarrassed you. I am sorry.”

  “No you’re not.”

  “What do you want, Linus? This is the women’s bathroom.”

  “I’ve been here many times before.”

  “I know.”

  “They talk about me?”

  “What do you want?”

  He looks her up and down. “You want to be as good as me, I will let you in on a secret. I only got to be popular because I took on missions no other assassin was crazy enough to do.”

  “And you got good how?”

  He laughs. She finds his laugh irresistible. “I studied Uril. He is the one who came up with assassins’ guild. I studied every single move. I would mimic the moves in the mirror. Then one day he caught me using some of his moves against a new recruit. He challenged me. I failed. But he said the key to being top assassin is winning the favor of all those around you. He said you must be willing to truly risk your life. I love the fame. I am not afraid to take on anything or anyone.”

  “Why are you giving me such advice? It sounds like you want me to dethrone you.”

  “I have never seen my equal. And I find it erotic to have my equal be a woman.”

  “You want me to study your every move?”

  “Oh, yes. Every move.” He presses against her.

  “Be careful, master assassin. I may be hiding something up my dress that could make it impossible for you to perform.”

  She walks out of the bathroom smiling.

  “I look forward to it.”

  Emily comes around the corner and there is the female trainer.

  “Come with me, little one.”

  Emily follows her outside the city.

  They reach a door made from a tree sitting on its own. She opens it. “Go on in.”

  Emily goes inside. Steep stairs. She takes her time.

  “Make haste. An assassin must be ready for whatever is under her feet.”

  The female trainer clears at least part of the staircase with one or two large steps. For what Emily can see the staircase goes down far. She takes her time conquering it. When she reaches the bottom, the male and female trainers cast disapproving looks. There are five others dressed in black hooded clothes.

  “I expect improvement there,” the female trainer says.

  “I will improve.”

  “We have a mission for you,” the male trainer says.

  One of the hooded men hands Emily two daggers. “If you complete your mission, you may keep these. They will be yours.”

  Emily likes these daggers. The handles are silver and the blade is made from grover steel. They remind her of Linus’s daggers. She takes out the daggers she has and replaces them with the new ones. “What is the mission?”

  Cornelius stands on the hill overlooking the goblin city. He lets loose his cloak. It falls to the ground. His wings pop out. He grabs one and rips it off. The pain is excruciating. He rips off the other one.

  He is followed by goblins every step of the way. He is stopped before reaching the king’s court. “I’ve come to see your king.”

  “There is no fairy business to be had today,” the general says.

  “I did not say that it was fairy business.”

  The goblins snicker as they poke their spears at Cornelius’s ankles. The spears tower over the goblins by two feet. Their husky bodies can carry heavy loads. The spears are some of the heaviest steel in the land. It’s not a difficult feat for them.

  “Wait here, fairy prince.” The general goes into the court.

  The goblin king sits on his throne deep in mediation.

  “My king.”

  “It’s a trap. Wesley sent Cornelius here. But let him in. I’m curious as to what Wesley has planned.”

  “Sire, I must protest. We let him in here and who knows what he might do.”

  “Ooh, you think he’ll do something nefarious? I am prepared. Let him in.”

  The general walks away. “You’ve let that princess cloud your mind.”

  “What was that?”

  The general brings Cornelius in.

  “Did something unexpected happen and you had to come back to tell me in person? I have animals that will hear your message. You fairies love talking to animals.”

  Cornelius bows. “Goblin king, I have returned with an offer.”

  Jegorgon sits legs crossed on his throne.

  “I know of your shadow that you let roam freely. Call him back. He is killing people. Andrea will not come to this city if she finds out you killed her handmaidens.”

  “Hmm… you may be right. But what is your offer?”

  “Take my essence instead and release Andrea from the agreement.”

  “No, that’s not it. You’re hiding something.”

  “You are mistaken.”

  “You were never a good liar. He is hiding something. We must find out what it is. To the dungeon with him. Put him into the dancing needles.”

  The general smacks his mace along Cornelius’s back. Enough to hurt him but not cripple him. Goblins take Cornelius out of the room.

  Jegorgon sits back on his throne deep in thought. “What do you have planned?” He whistles and a flock of ravens enter from an opened window. “Find Wesley.”

  The ravens take off.

  “My king, this is a plot to take you down.”

  “I hope so. I crave excitement. Increase the production of goblins.”

  “But, sire, they won’t be trained in time for an attack.”

  Jegorgon rises from his throne. Darkness fills the room. “I said to make more goblins!”

  “Yes, sire.”

  Wesley stumbles.

  “Wes, you okay?”

  “That crazy fool.”

  Noah knows better than to interrupt Wesley while he is concentrating on someone. It’s one of Wesley’s special talents that Noah always wanted to master. Each fairy is born with one of three abilities. The higher born ones that reside in the court can transfer thoughts to each other and anyone else they feel like. It’s why Wesley can speak to Andrea from afar and she’ll hear him. The middle class of fairy society are gifted healers. They can use their magic to change any substance into a healing application. The lowest class of fairies are the guards. They have a unique connection to their weapon of choice. Where most choose battle axes, those that choose spears have the ability to send their spears flying without holding onto them. The battle axes will hit harder if the fairy can muster the will and force. Noah is part of the middle class but he hasn’t cared enough to learn how to use his magic for healing.

  Wesley focuses harder, causing him to get a severe headache. “I can’t reach Cornelius.”

  “I don’t know why you allow him to exist.”

  “Because we all take safety precautions. That’s what he is.”

  Wesley stumbles again. “Idiot has got himself into big trouble. But we need to find Andrea.”

  They pass an oak tree whose roots are growing under the road. Wesley senses it right away. “Wait.” He sees the sword. “Cornelius.”

  “He�
��s leaving toys.”

  Wesley has nothing to hold the sword in. He stares down at the sword. “You are so not worth the trouble.”

  “What?”

  “This sword. It was given to me by the Vale. When I was old enough to wield a weapon. Do you remember?”

  “I do. It was a grand day.”

  “It never left my side. Until everything changed.” Wesley clears his throat, takes in a deep breath. “One day it’ll be at my side again, the way it used to be.”

  Andrea’s hand hovers in front of the black orb.

  “Andrea, enter the core of the Vale.”

  She snaps out of the power that the shadow has over her. “Where am I?”

  The black orb dissipates and the shadow returns to its form.

  “You.”

  The shadow covers her. She tucks her head in between her legs. A whoosh above her makes her look up. A hand brings her to her feet.

  “Andrea.”

  “Wesley, you found me.” They hug.

  “He always was afraid of that sword,” Noah says.

  “That’s Cornelius’s sword,” she says.

  “I’ll explain.”

  “Yes. Do explain. Right now.”

  Noah ducks out of this.

  “We don’t have time.”

  “We have miles of road. We have plenty of time.”

  “Okay. Can we talk and walk?”

  Andrea waves him onward. Wesley goes first. Noah brings up the rear.

  They come upon a dense blue forest. The blue changes from dark to light and then back to dark. Wesley readies his sword.

  “You’re chopping through the trees?” she asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Is there another way?”

  “If you want to wait for the dwarves to come and chop away. They are faster than I am.”

  “Do you even know where we are going?”

  He ignores her as he walks on.

  Wesley stops at the foot of the forest.

  “Does it always grow over the road?”

  “Yes. A lot of people avoid this route, but it’s a direct route to where we have to go. When the dwarves come they are nice enough to chop down the ones that grow over the road. It takes a good week for the trees to grow back.”

  Noah taps on Wesley’s shoulder. He points up at the tree in front of them.

  “The smiling man,” she says.

  A man in a black hood with a blank poncho and a black bandana covering his face is swinging on the treetops.

  “He’s the smiling man?” Wesley says.

  “The tops of the trees always made a funny sound when he came through the forest.” Buzzing. “The powers that flow through him can jumpstart a corpse's heart and at the same time kill a heart with a mere blink of his eye. He maintains the balance that swims in and out of the Vale.”

  “How do you know that?” Wesley says.

  “Oh, Wes, he is the one that Andrea can’t stay away from.”

  “No, that’s Jegorgon.”

  “Wes, look at her. She has managed to stay out of the Vale for a while but this guy is the one who found the way to bring her back.”

  Jumping down from the tree is the masked man. His eyes glow a tropical blue. “I’ve been wondering when I’d bump into you. Why are you travelling this way?”

  “We are in search of great wisdom.”

  “Get to the fucking point.”

  “We have to stop the goblin king.”

  “You aren’t supposed to be in here, Wesley.”

  “I did it to save Andrea.”

  The man flips over to Andrea. “Love is powerful. You love her, don’t you?”

  “She’s my best friend.”

  “Friends. I don’t have any friends.” He licks Andrea’s ear and then slashes at her hair with a small knife. He puts the lock of hair under his poncho. “He has sent his minions. Dangerous game you are playing, fairy.” He cartwheels up to the trees. He grips them. Pulls down on them. They rattle. He applies more force. They shoot down into the ground. The road is clear.

  “How can he do that?” Wesley asks.

  “How about you don’t ask?” Noah says.

  The three of them make haste across the line of blue trees. The masked man waves to them. “Farewell, travelers.”

  “He is incredibly odd,” Andrea says.

  “He seemed to like you,” Wesley says.

  Andrea looks at Wesley and knows what he is thinking. “Don't bother. I am not hearing your crap today.”

  “You hardly listen to me even when you want to. I'm used to being nothing more than a prop for you.”

  “Why do you tolerate me? Be honest.”

  “Because... I... You are my best friend.”

  “Friends come and go. You're lying.”

  “I love you, Andrea. Because you are my best friend and because I swore I'd always look after you.”

  “So it's like a brotherly love?”

  He smirks. “Why, do you want it to be more?” She blushes. “Just say the word, babe, I'm there.”

  “In your dreams, babe.”

  Noah stops to take a break. “We are heading towards the barrens? Wes, throw some light on this please.”

  “Everything is nothing before it becomes something. I am putting us out here in the middle of a forgotten land. Something will come.”

  “You’re betting on something finding us before the goblin king turns the world upside down? Where do you get your logic from?”

  Wesley walks a little ways then stops.

  “Being in that other land has really scrambled his brains. He was never this thoughtless.”

  “He’s desperate,” Andrea says.

  “Wes, what if all that finds us is a wasteland?”

  “Then pray that Cornelius is more fortunate than us.”

  Ravens fly overhead.

  The ravens come to Jegorgon. They talk their bird language and he listens. “Wesley got out of the in between realm. Fairies are always surprising me. And Andrea is free of the shadow. Where is the shadow?”

  He walks outside and smells the air. The goblins lay around like useless pieces of junk. He is sick of them. He is sick of being the goblin king. He pretends to pull a weapon. A red sword appears in his hand. The goblins scatter. He brings the sword down on one who couldn’t run fast enough. He slices the goblin’s head in two. A line of fire circles the site. It runs down and along the body, engulfing it.

  “Let this be the sign that I shall not be defeated by any magic!”

  The goblins crawl back. Unsure what to do, they cheer.

  Jegorgon goes back inside the throne room. He looks over the treasure and counts. He has to count the treasure every day to ensure it is all there. A tedious job considering the wealth that the goblins have accumulated over the years. After he is satisfied on the number, he takes a few gold coins.

  “Come to me, my loyal friend.”

  Sneaking around the throne room is a monstrous shadow.

  Jegorgon raises his hand and then pulls the red sword from thin air. “Let me fly on your wings.”

  15

  Wesley, Noah, and Andrea are within the realm of her kingdom.

  “All we did was go around in circles?”

  “She’s really pissed,” Noah says.

  “You think?”

  “Why do we have you leading us? You can’t even keep one girl out of the Vale.”

  That’s it. Wesley has had it. He tosses Andrea to the ground.

  “Wesley?” Noah goes to her side.

  “I have risked every part of my soul to keep you safe. At least you aren’t banished from returning to your home. The times I’ve snuck in was to save you. I get no appreciation for that. Stop taking her side, Noah, for she doesn’t care about any of us. All she cares about is precious Cornelius. When are you going to see that he is not real? What do I have to do to prove it to you? Die?”

  Noah gets right in Wesley’s face. “Don’t ever say that again?”

  “Yo
u think she would care if I died?” He moves Noah out of the way and gets in Andrea’s face. “Because, dear Andrea, if I die, Cornelius ceases to exist. Do you understand now?”

  She has been fighting back the tears. She isn’t going to give him the satisfaction of hurting her feelings. Wesley throws his hands up in the air and walks away.

  Noah kneels before Andrea. “I don’t want to take sides here but Wes is right.”

  “How can he be right?” She hides her face with her hands.

  Noah brings her hands down. “I know that your brain is a little confused right now. It’s one of the effects of being in the other land for too long. Also you came into the Vale and was taken out, only to be brought back in. That’s one of the reasons the kingdoms are against us being part of that land. It changes us. We’ve been looking for a way to detach ourselves permanently.”

  “What will happen if we do that?”

  “We stay where we belong, which is here.”

  “Why can’t I remember certain things?”

  Wesley comes over to Andrea. “I didn’t know that we’d be going around in circles.”

  She gets up, brushes off dirt. Hugs him. “We need to get Cornelius?”

  “No.”

  “He’s in the goblin city,” Noah says.

  Wesley shoves Noah.

  “We have to go there.”

  “We are not going to the goblin city.”

  “I will.”

  “We will discuss the next course of action with your parents and his.”

  “Wesley, I will go and get him alone.”

  “You really love him that much?”

  Before she can answer him, he walks away.

  Andrea runs after him. “I’m serious.”

  “I am just going to get some covers for these weapons.”

  She smiles.

  Noah stops her from following Wesley. “You know he’s only doing this for you because he loves you. You should appreciate that.”

  “Everything will be all right when Cornelius is rescued.”

  “Andrea?”

  She is off.

  “You really ought to jump into reality.”

  Andrea goes into the armory and grabs one sheath for the sword and another for the dagger. She hands them to Wesley. He puts the sword and dagger away. Puts the over the shoulder sheath over his back and attaches the smaller sheath to his belt.