Warrior of the Void (Fantastica Book 4)

by M. R. Mathias

  So intent was he on his charge across the trampled camp that he didn't notice the shadow that swept over him. Seeing the creature close on his friends, he leapt into the air in a wild dive, his short sword held out before him.

  The creature to his right leapt from the ground to pounce on Braxton, but Braxton disregarded it. He blocked it from his mind totally because he'd seen Chureal's thorn bush just barely miss catching the one who was coming for her. Chureal was half-stunned, the physical cost of using magical energy to create her thorny traps. At the last moment, Braxton pushed her away and took the full brunt of the creature's foreclaws across his chest. The last thing he saw as he went over backwards were bloody pink fangs coming straight at his face. The air was pounded out of him, and he was engulfed in a star filled blackness. The only thing he knew was that he was racking and convulsing trying to draw air back into his lungs.

  Several things happened in that instant, one being Cryelos's short sword went straight through the ribs and out the other side of the third creature coming up from behind. Cryelos's momentum caused him to crash into the beast and take the pommel of his sword right in the mouth, shredding his lips and breaking a few of his teeth. When he landed, he was right behind where Braxton had been before he shoved Chureal out of the way, which was under the creature that had been pouncing on Braxton.

  Hunter's first arrow should have killed Chureal. Braxton had shoved her right into its path, but to the young plainsmen's amazement, it exploded into a shower of splinters only a finger's breadth before its tip touched her skin. His next arrow, which had already been loosed, sank deep into the sea wolf that was about to bite Braxton's face. Hunter had to dive out of the way of Cobalt then, as the dragon shot over them only inches above the top of the grass.

  When Hunter spun and looked up, he saw not one of the sea wolves in the dragon's claws, but two. Cobalt had one in each, and as he banked to return, the dragon let the squirming, yelping predators loose to sail easily a hundred paces across the sky before they slammed into the ground somewhere in the distance.

  Cryelos had looked up just in time to see the creature coming down on him snatched by Cobalt. The creature that was about to tear into Braxton's face was yanked away, as well. When he sat up, he saw the thief, Sneak, standing in a trance-like state, pointing at them at the edge of the clearing. He was surrounded by a bright, but quickly fading powder blue glow. The strange little man, then slumped over to the ground.

  Chureal got to her feet slowly, and then ran to Braxton, whose front was clawed open from sternum to belly in three bright uniform gashes. She burst into tears and fell to her knees hugging him. A flashing surge of yellow energy caused Cryelos and Hunter to have to shield their eyes for a moment, and when it passed, the whole world seemed dimmer.

  It wasn't until Sir Jory called out that Cryelos shook the cobwebs from his head and spit out a thick spew of blood and got to his feet.

  "I'll go, elf," said Hunter respectfully when Cryelos stumbled and nearly fell back down. "You're hurt."

  Chureal looked at Cryelos worriedly, and he couldn't help but notice that where only moments ago deep gashes had run down Braxton's chest, now only long pink scars remained. Before he could react, she ran to him and grabbed him in a waist high hug. He was not only blinded by a second flare of yellow light, but a tingling surge filled his blood and left his knees wobbly.

  She was off then, with glazed, tired-looking eyes in place of her usually sparkling ones. She stopped and knelt by Sneak, Cryelos saw. She touched his cheek with her fingertip, but there was no flash of magic. Cryelos thought he heard her whisper thank you to the still unconscious little man before stalking purposefully into the grass after Hunter.

  Cryelos fell more than sat, and then put his hands to his busted lips. It was only a small surprise to find that they were healed. It was curious, though, that his broken teeth, one of which was the very front top tooth, was still broken. He decided not to think about how he looked and just to be glad that he and his friends had survived.

  A commotion of shouting that turned into something akin to laughter erupted from the distance, and his eyes were momentarily blinded one more time when the brightness of the morning sun was eclipsed by Chureal's healing magic.

  More shouting followed, this time more worried and insistent. It alarmed him, and he tried to get up, but Cobalt's huge wings sent a powerful wash of air over him, sending Cryelos back down to his rump. Then he saw what the fuss was over.

  "Is she alright?" he called to Sir Jory and the limping Sir Monster, who were both fussing over Chureal's limp body while Hunter carried her into the clearing.

  Cobalt curled his tail into a protective cradle in front of Hunter and moved his big head into the plainsmen's path.

  "Lay her theresss," hissed the dragon.

  "She's exhausted from using her magic," Cryelos said to the others. He could see that Cobalt was in no mood to fool with them. "Lay her in the dragon's tail and tend to the knights and the thief."

  "Yes-I uh—," Hunter stammered, but did as he was told, being extra gentle with the girl so as not to anger the dragon further.

  "Go find the horses that ran off," Sir Jory suggested to the plainsmen. "I'll see to Sneak and the others."

  Braxton woke to find that it was almost midday. Hunter, with Cryelos's help, had retrieved the horses and was busy covering the carcass of the horse in the camp with grass so as to distract from the gore. Already, they had hacked down Chureal's first thorn bush and removed it and its dying captive from sight. It took Braxton a moment of observing all of this to gather his wits and remember what had happened, and when he did, his first thought was of Chureal. He saw Cobalt, and then saw her curled up in his tail and was overcome with relief. His swirling thoughts then went to Nixy. He ran his hand across his chest, and then put his chin to his sternum awkwardly to try and see the faint pink scars.

  He remembered feeling something strange, a presence, just before the creature had clawed him. Something from the void had shown itself to him, but the memory wasn't complete, so he put it aside and struggled to his feet. After finding a water skin and quenching his thirst, he found Cryelos, who was intently watching the knights.

  "One is up, two to go," Sir Jory said, then grunted something to Sir Monster who looked at his healed thigh as if they mysteries of life were held there.

  "Are you alright?" Cryelos asked him.

  Braxton couldn't help but laugh. The elf looked like a little boy with one front tooth missing and the other nearly chipped in half.

  "I feel better than you look," Braxton replied. He immediately sensed when Cryelos grew uncomfortable over his appearance, so he trimmed back his smile a bit. "Where's the wine?"

  Cryelos pulled a skin from a pack and tossed it to him. The first long, cool sip tasted like liquid magic, and he savored it before taking another. When he was done, he tossed the skin back to the elf and turned to the plainsmen, who were still busy.

  "What were those things?" he asked Hunter.

  "Sea wolves," the young man said a little sharply. "I guess I should have warned you all about them. It didn't occur to me that none of you were aware of that danger. They will grow thicker between here and the lake. We are traveling through their hunting grounds."

  Braxton sensed Hunter's nervousness, or anger, or whatever it was. "It isn't like you caused them to attack us," said Braxton.

  "Tell that to the dragon," Hunter said before stomping off.

  Braxton turned to Cryelos, "What was that all about?"

  "I'm not sure, but after Chureal healed the monster, she passed out." Cryelos gestured absently towards the two knights. "Hunter carried her back into the camp, and Cobalt unnerved him with his overprotectiveness."

  "What's with Sneak?" Braxton asked after pondering Cobalt and Hunter for a moment.

  "I saw, no, I don't know what I saw, but he seemed to glow with magic just before he collapsed," the elf explained. "He was pointing at you and Chureal."

  "When was
this?"

  "Just before you were knocked down, or just after maybe."

  Braxton's memory of the void showing him something odd returned. What magic had Sneak done, he wondered? How could a little squirrely thief use magic in the first place? He became a little worried for Chureal, taking the time to pass by Cobalt's barely open eye so that he didn't startle the dragon on his approach.

  When he stroked her hair, her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled broadly. "You shouldn't have pushed me out of the way, Braxton," she sat up and scolded him. "I was just about to make that mean wolf-thing wish it had never tried to bite us. You should have seen the way you were cut up." She giggled then, and pointed at Sir Monster. "He was afraid of my magic like Brody Wells was afraid of snakes. Brody was a boy I knew when I was little, and he once cried like a baby when his brother threw a grass snake at him. That's just how big ol' Sir Monster cried, like a little baby, when I went to heal him."

  Sir Jory burst out laughing and the bigger knight turned bright red with embarrassment after Jory told him what she'd said. The whole while, Chureal was still talking as fast as she could. "And I don't know if I've ever been that scared, but at least I didn't cry like he did."

  Just then, Sneak stood and asked for water, and after a short confusion of sorting out horses and rearranging packs, they finally got back underway.

  Braxton ordered Cobalt and Chureal to stay close overhead so that they could watch for more of the sea wolves. This, of course, after they flew high enough for Chureal to see the edge of the lake and what an easy day's ride looked like from the sky. After that, it was a long, hot afternoon of riding through the never-ending grass until, just as the sun began to set, they saw signs of a village ahead.

  Cobalt landed and left Chureal with the others while he went to hunt. He would find them again in the morning once they left the village. Chureal rode the rest of the way in the saddle in front of Braxton, and as they went, Braxton told her a story about a horse named Prism.

  Chapter Eighteen

  "Was he really the fastest horse in all of Narvoza?" Chureal asked over her shoulder.

  "He might be the fastest horse in all of the kingdoms," Braxton said.

  "Without a doubt," said Cryelos, "he was the meanest horse in all of Narvoza. He nearly killed Digger Dirtybeard with only a kick."

  "Who is Digger Dirtybeard?" Chureal asked curiously.

  "One of the dwarves who sailed to Jolin with Nixy and me," said Braxton.

  "Why did your horse kill him?" she asked. Braxton noticed that both the knights and Hunter were listening intently as they trotted along. Sneak was up ahead, scouting the village for any sign of danger.

  "He didn't kill him," Braxton protested, giving Cryelos a scowl that went unseen due to the ever-darkening sky. “The dwarf drank too much ale and passed out in Prism's stall, and when he woke and startled Prism, the horse kicked the dwarf across the boat."

  "Oh," she said. When she pictured a dwarf getting kicked across a boat, it was Big H she pictured, and it made her sad.

  "Bah," Sir Monster grunted to Sir Jory for interpretation. They had an exchange of words, and then Sir Jory spoke. "He says that the dwarves died out here in Perdun a thousand years ago."

  "You're stupid," Chureal blurted out to Sir Monster, then started crying.

  The big knight looked dismayed under his half-helm, at least what Braxton could see of him, and he looked even worse when Sir Jory translated what she'd said. The big knight looked at Cryelos for an explanation. The confusion showed on his face and the faces of the others, as well, even in the dark.

  "That wasn't very nice, Chureal," Braxton said gently, giving her and understanding squeeze. "They don't know about Prince Darblin and Big H."

  "I'm sorry," she sobbed, "but I miss him." Braxton pulled back on the reins a little so that Chureal could have her cry without all their eyes on her. Up ahead, Cryelos told the knights and the plainsmen about how Prince Darblin Rockheart and Big H had died, and how Chureal felt responsible for Big H's death because he had to finish springing a trap when it was her job to do so.

  By the time all the explaining was done, they were at the crude wooden wall that encircled the village. Sneak had already arranged entry and was waiting patiently for them to catch up.

  The place smelled of shit and rotting fish, and the sounds of a dozen kinds of herd animals could be heard in the dark off to the side of the main thoroughfare. Shadows moved behind wooden fences, making all sorts of snorts and grunts. Not far ahead, a few, but not many, windows could be seen glowing orange and yellow from the firelight inside them. Sneak led them to a crossroads of sorts, which was lit by a hanging lantern and stopped them there.

  "There is a small inn on the main strip," Sneak said. "Six gold for the lot of us and our horses. The bar wench, uh," he winced looking at the sniffling girl before Braxton, "the bar maid said. Three rooms, hot baths, and a hot meal are included."

  Sir Jory looked at Braxton and patted his saddlebag to show that he could cover the expense. "The young lady could use the comfort, m’lord," he said.

  M’Lord, Braxton scratched his head, wondering what Cryelos had told them.

  "Aye, and we can use the rest of the evening to find a ferryman to take us to the island," Sneak said with a look at Hunter that seemed to be asking for support.

  "We might be forced to buy a boat," Hunter grimmaced. "I hope your coin pouch is deep, Sir Jory."

  "Buy a boat?" Braxton asked.

  "Aye," said Sneak. "Maybe so."

  "These people don't go to the Island of Skorch, Lord Braxton," Hunter explained. "It is said to be a place of great evil, and no one who has gone there has ever returned."

  "Wonderful," said Cryelos with a half-hearted laugh of despair.

  "If you would get a dragon like Emerald, we could all fly there," Chureal said, her sorrow seemingly forgotten. "It's a pretty big island, too." She turned her head as far as it could go to look at Braxton. "About a half-day's easy ride across, and in the middle is a crumbling building. It's sort of like the one the green man came out of, but not as old. When we get there, I'll show you where."

  It was hard for the knights and the plainsmen to be afraid of the island and its ancient evil legends when the little girl was already willing to get there and show them what was at its center, but they clearly were. Especially Sir Monster and Hunter, who had grown up in Perdun and knew all the tales and had heard them all their lives growing up.

  Sir Jory and Sneak were from Ormandin, which was across the Trade Sea, but even they'd heard about the island and its infamous evil.

  "Lord Amicuss was quite generous with the coins," Sir Jory said quietly, but reassuringly. "We could probably buy a boat for each of us, if need be."

  That was good to hear. In all Braxton’s preparations and worry trying to get this journey underway, money had never crossed his mind. "To the inn then, if we all agree."

  "To the inn," Sir Jory said, and the others nodded their approval.

  "A hot meal will do us all some good," Cryelos said. He added jokingly, "As long as it's not any kind of bird."

  "A hot bath is what you need," Chureal said.

  "A brush is what you need little one," the elf shot back. "That hair of yours looks like a tangle of nests."

  "It does not."

  "It does so," Cryelos stuck his tongue out at her.

  The inn was a small two-story structure, built with a wooden beam frame and a stone chimney on each end. There was a stable on the left side, and a general store on the right, but only the inn was lit up and open. There was a hanging lantern just outside the stable, under which a dirty young man hurried out to take their horses and help them unload their gear.

  Across the lane, which was packed dirt under a thick layer of dried animal refuse, and just wide enough for two wagons to pass, was another row of buildings that were too dark to make out the nature of. Braxton could tell that at least one of them was a butcher’s shop because the thick coppery smell of blood and
meat hung in the air like a cloud. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard the faint ting, ting of a blacksmith's hammer in the distance while they unpacked the horses.

  Upon entering the semi-crowded common room, Braxton felt out of place. The way Cryelos slid closer to him showed that he did, too. They couldn't understand the conversation because it was in Perdunese. It looked as if some of the village workers and shop owners were drinking while waiting on the night's supper. None of the twenty or so men seemed to look like guests, and all of them appeared to know each other. Braxton was amazed that the room didn't fall silent and all of them stare stupidly at the strangers. He wasn't disappointed, though, because a few of them did stare open-mouthed when they caught the yellow color of Cryelos's wild eyes, and one man stopped to gawk at the little girl in chainmail armor, but for the most part, they were received with little commotion.

  They were a group of travelers just passing through, and the hope of the chance to make a coin or two from them in the morning showed in the smiling nods the cleaner of the men gave.

  It was two women who suddenly appeared and began chatting with Hunter and the knights that gave them the most attention. By the way they were dressed, Braxton decided to take Chureal away from the bar to a large table. Cryelos and Sneak came and sat with them while the others spoke with the two women, and a third, older, much larger woman who seemed to be the one in charge of things.

  "I should try and find a boat for us?" Sneak said, making it clear it was a suggestion, not a statement.

  "But we are still a long way from the lake," said Chureal.

  "Not as far as you think," Sneak whispered to her with a look over each shoulder to make sure no one but the two of them could hear the conversation. "On the back of your dragon, it looks like the green grass ends and the blue water begins, does it not?" He waited for her to nod her agreement, then continued. "Well, that's not how it is. There is a very long way where the grass grows out of the shallow water, and a wide flat boat will keep your–- Well, it will keep our boots out of the mud and our knees from getting wet."