Balloch agreed, seeing as their lives were in imminent danger. Before he could tell his son to let him do it though, and take the subsequent consequences, Noah took the lead.
“Emissio,” he yelled, sending the beast flying backwards into the air. The two Svoda he had helped up raced away to safety. As Noah followed, he realized that his father was not at his side. He turned and saw Balloch racing toward an unprotected child that had fallen and gotten separated from his parents. Noah saw the child’s own father running too, but he’d never get there in time. Balloch was closer.
Irving stopped at the entrance of a dwelling and pushed Mireya and his wife inside. Just as he was about to do the same with Jae and the twins, a panicked cry stopped them cold. The horror in the cry was unnerving, and yet they had to look. They couldn’t stop themselves.
It all happened too fast.
There was no time to help, only watch the inevitable.
Noah Flummer called out, warning his father.
The Scratcher, which he’d blown away from his father only moments before hovered over Balloch, its wings outstretched, its body descending, its wolf-like snout pushing out an eerie howl over its imminent victory.
Noah planted his feet on the ground, palm at the ready to shoot off a spell. His hands shook; if he blasted the creature, he might hit his father too. But his father was dead if he did not.
Balloch, fearing for the life of the child in his arms, with all his aged strength, tossed the child to safety. The boy’s father caught him and fell to the ground covering his son with his body as the Scratcher landed and enclosed its wings around Balloch. A painful cry rang out for a fleeting moment, then ended.
Noah’s spell hit the Scratcher straight on, but too late. The beast toppled over onto the ground with a hideous screech. It opened its wings leaving Balloch’s lifeless body behind, bounding off the dusty ground poised to attack again.
Time seemed to halt. Breath stolen out of lungs. All sound drowned out by blood rushing to ears. Shocked and saddened gazes frozen on the dead body of a man they all loved and admired.
Juliska Blackwell spun around, her eyes wide with a mix of anger and the need for revenge for the death of one of her own.
Sound and chaos came hurtling back.
The beast hovered just over their heads, screeching and howling in victory.
Noah ran over to his father and fell to his knees.
The twins’ minds came together, the blocks they held in place breaking apart. This very same thing may have happened to their Uncle Arnon. Their minds raced back to the fallen pine tree in the woods behind the campground, and to the moment that had changed their lives forever.
The Mochries tried to drag the twins inside and Colin permitted it, no strength to fight it. However, Meghan refused, taking steps closer to danger, unable to take her eyes off the dead body of Balloch Flummer. But she didn’t see his face, only her uncle Arnon’s.
Someone stepped up to her side taking a protective stance that forced her to step back to the canyon wall. Meghan sank down the side of the wall, to the ground. She looked up to see Ivan shielding her from potential danger. Her thoughts wound tighter and tighter.
Spells were cast, both Jelen and Jenner breaking the no magic rule as they fought two of the beasts. Juliska stormed toward the one who’d killed Balloch.
“How dare you?” she roared. With each stride, flames burst forth from her body, starting with her hands, spreading to her head and feet.
Meghan’s eyes popped wide, watching. She’d seen Juliska use her power as Firemancer, but never like this.
With each step, the color of the flames changed. Starting out orange and yellow, shifting to a deep gold, to a light red, and finally to a red so dark it was almost black. Juliska’s appearance transformed, her face taking on a feral, aged look. Her arm lifted, pointing at the beast.
Its wings flapped madly as it tried to escape higher in the air, but it could not. It snarled furiously at its unseen cage, and thrashed viciously, attempting to get away, but Juliska had it caught.
“What gives you the right?” she demanded of the creature. The beast writhed in agony. The two fighting Jelen and Jenner saw this and fled to higher air space out of harm’s way.
Juliska’s body rose off the ground to the level of the captured beast. A circle of fiery light started to encircle them both, forming a barrier around them. She whispered something and the creature went silent. Its body suspended in some sort of temporary frozen animation.
“You will return to where you came from,” stated Juliska. “And you will deliver this message: we will never stop fighting! We may not be able to kill you yet, but we will find a way. And when that day comes you’ll be the ones running for your lives.”
The spell broke with an elastic-like pulse that shot fiery strands of light in all directions. Juliska sank down to the ground with a soft thud. With the barrier broken, the Scratcher regained the use of its limbs and vocal chords; it fled upwards into the darkening sky, joining the other two and their haunting silhouettes disappeared into the horizon.
Juliska’s Balaton came to her side at once. She insisted she was fine and straightened her clothes and hair. The feral look she’d taken on was gone, replaced by her normal alabaster skin and penetrating gaze.
Meghan closed her mouth, realizing she’d let it fall open while watching Juliska. There was so much more to being a Firemancer than just seeing things…
A hand reached down offering silent help off the ground. Her gaze made a trail up the hand, arm and neck to see Ivan Crane staring down at her. She accepted his help, neither looking pleased about it. He let go as soon as she was up and steady on her feet.
“You’re… okay?” It sounded painful for him to ask.
“F-fine,” she stammered. Not the truth, but like she was going to share with Ivan.
He turned away from her, satisfied enough. Meghan wondered why he even cared.
Just inside the cave dwelling, Colin sat on the floor and stared into nothing. Even as a few people exited the dwelling, emerging back outside cautiously, he just stared, his breaths shallow and his thoughts, heavy. He’d just had a terrifying realization. One he affixed firmly, so deep in his mind that Meghan would never be able to read the thought. Ever. He could not believe it. He could not prove it. And no one would believe him, but he was certain of it.
There was a tug at his arm. His head flicked upward.
“You okay?” Jae asked him.
“Um. Yeah…” Colin got to his feet. “You?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
Colin pushed the terrifying realization out of his thoughts for now. He had no idea how to process the information, or what to do with it. Sharing with anyone was out of the question until he had solid proof.
Realizing the Scratchers had retreated, the Svoda hesitantly emerged from their hiding places, witnessing the lifeless body of Balloch Flummer. Colin followed the others outside, looking on as Noah Flummer tried to comfort his mother, Sidra, but could barely comfort himself. Tears streamed down many faces. Svoda young and old alike knew Balloch well.
After a few moments, Juliska walked to the center of the gathered circle and stood next to the grieving family.
Colin pinched his eyes together; if only he had proof. Maybe he was wrong about her. Almost as if she knew he was thinking about her, Juliska’s gaze fell on him. Hers was a mixture of determination, fulfillment, and a hint of sadness, which hardened the longer she looked at him. He shuddered, looking away. This woman did not like him and he had no idea why.
“This is a sad reminder of what we all must strive for,” Juliska’s voice rang out a second later. “Yes, Initiations are a vital part of our livelihood and a tradition long standing. Nevertheless, whether you are chosen this month, or next year, you must each do your part. Our rules and traditions must always keep us moving forward, toward our goal of living in safety and someday returning home. We must find a way to fight this evil!”
She pa
used, listening to the somber and sniveling responses of the crowd.
“Balloch Flummer was a good man,” she sighed. “A devoted member to his final breath. He gave his life so that the young could live. So our future could survive.”
Sidra Flummer looked up from her husband’s dead body.
“It is what he always wanted,” she mustered the strength to say. “To protect both our history and our future.”
Nothing more was said.
Juliska Blackwell nodded to her personal guards, Jelen and Jenner, who stayed by her side as she left the scene.
Meghan thought she looked unusually defeated.
Colin scowled, hearing her. His sister hadn’t put the block up against her thoughts yet. If Juliska looked defeated in any manner, it was forced. He was sure of it. He set his own mind-block firmly in place, keeping his suspicions to himself. If what he thought was true turned out to be so, and he found irrefutable evidence, imagining the backlash was impossible.
Others in the crowd assisted the Flummer family back to their home, and carried Balloch’s body to a private location where they could say goodbye and plan a funeral. His body would be cremated so his ashes could be brought with his family when they left this place.
Irving Mochrie turned to his family and the twins.
“Night is upon us. We had better get home. It’s bad enough that Banon Blackwell had to use magic. We must not break any other rules of this place, or we will face permanent expulsion.” He swallowed hard and led the way.
Once inside, no one spoke. The silence was deafening. Then, Ivan Crane sauntered in. He did not live with the Mochries now, but did come by to check in. He did not speak, only sat down. After a while, Irving broke the silence. Somewhat halfheartedly.
“I believe that even though this night was fatally marked, there is a lesson here for us all. We were not prepared. True, we were not aware that Scratchers were here, hiding in wait for us. But we must always be prepared.”
“You are right, of course,” answered Ivan. “If we do not find a way to defeat this enemy, we may never be able to go home.” With that, he stood up to leave. Sheila grabbed his hand.
“We realize it’s crowded, Ivan, but you’re welcome to stay.”
“No. Thank you,” he replied gently. “There’s something I need to do.” He nodded to Irving and Sheila and took his leave.
His departure triggered a mass movement in the Mochrie house. It was not late, but no one could muster the strength to put into words what they had witnessed.
As everyone dispersed to their rooms, the door on Corny Tibbit’s room opened, just enough for his dingy sleeved arm to reach out; it held a piece of paper.
Colin’s heart raced. Was it for him? Some new message he needed. He grabbed the paper and Corny’s door instantly slammed shut.
The Mochrie parents just nodded their heads in tired confusion, and went into their room, but not until after Sheila had thoroughly hugged her children.
Colin took a sweeping glance at the paper. It seemed as though he would have to wait for more pages. He only hoped there were more, especially since it spelled nothing coherent, even when read backwards, sideways, or really, it didn’t look like words at all.
Once Meghan, Colin, Jae and Mireya were alone in their room, no one knew what to say about the evening’s events. Jae comforted Mireya. She cried softly while lying on her bed. Balloch often spent hours reading and reciting stories to the young children.
Once Jae had calmed her down, he closed her curtain to let her sleep. The three slipped into Jae’s cubby and sat on his bed. It was a tight fit. But even Nona joined them, curling up on Meghan’s lap.
“Messed up,” he whispered.
The twins did not know how to respond. They had hardly known Balloch.
Sadly, this was the first time in a long time the three had been alone, and none of them were feeling overly conversational.
“I expect my father will keep me busier than ever now,” said Jae.
“Is that possible?” asked Colin.
“Somehow, my father will find a way.” He mocked his father’s voice in hushed tones, saying, “C’mon Jae, lots to be done. It’s my responsibility to make sure you stay on the right path.”
The twins chuckled, and the mood lightened ever so little. Mostly, they just felt sad, overwhelmed and tired. This new life was taking over. Their goal of getting home and back to Uncle Arnon seemed farther away than ever. This new magical existence was consuming them.
“How do you think the Scratchers got here?” Colin asked.
“My guess is they got stuck here after following a previous group of Svoda, and then waited to attack until we were all together.” Jae shrugged. “It’s the only explanation that makes sense.”
“They would’ve had to have followed a group of Svoda here,” assumed Meghan. “I mean, they have to use the same doorways we do, right?”
“Yeah. They do.”
“They must’ve been unable to leave with the last group, then,” guessed Meghan. “Or, maybe the last group didn’t know they’d been followed.”
“I’m thinking the latter, because the Banon or the Viancourt would have made an announcement if any messages had been left behind from the previous group about being followed.” Jae shook his head in dismay. “They stayed hidden just long enough for us to think we were safe here. Just sat back and waited for the right moment to attack.”
“But how would the previous group have not known they were followed?” questioned Colin. “Those things are kind of big.”
“There’s a few theories going around on that subject,” noted Jae. “Most popular one is they’ve got some kind of way to cloak themselves.”
“Why wouldn’t they just stay cloaked all the time?” Colin pushed further. “Attacking while invisible seems like a good way to get the job done.”
And that was a super scary thought that gave them even deeper shudders.
“Second most popular theory, claims they can transform into a much smaller form and they fly through with us, unnoticed.”
“I suppose that’s possible,” said Colin. “But if they can transform into something else, or something smaller, why hasn’t anyone ever witnessed it?”
Jae eyed him questioningly.
Meghan too.
He was pushing too hard and needed to back off. Finding proof for his terrifying realization would not be easy or fast. But there were such obvious holes in the theories surrounding the Scratchers, he didn’t understand why others didn’t see it, or question it much harder.
Then again, maybe they did, but kept it to themselves.
Thinking for one’s self around here did not go over too well.
Although it was a bit more like they didn’t want to see the truth. Because accepting it was too hard. It meant they’d been duped into believing something that wasn’t true. Colin had read books with situations like that. People turning a blind eye. Choosing to selectively see or remember things; as long as those things didn’t mean their life was some kind of dangerous lie.
Once again though, Colin had no proof, only his own wild theories that he’d keep to himself.
“Just trying to figure it all out,” he played off. “It’s just all so…”
“Heinous. Gruesome. Sad. Terrifying, like twenty-four-seven,” Meghan responded.
“It’s how we live,” Jae responded glumly.
“Every time I think I’m starting to understand this world, it gets all messed up again,” she said quietly. “It’s like living in a world where everyone is counting down to the next attack. And you can’t argue that it will get better because it doesn’t. It’s only a matter of time before the cycle continues and it happens again.”
The true reality was sinking in.
Magic had its benefits. But was it worth all the pain and suffering it caused along the way? The three sighed deeply, knowing that in every corner of every home, similar conversations were beginning.
Colin didn’t pose any
additional questions. He’d have to find another way to research his theories about the Scratchers, as well as Juliska Blackwell.
The immediate concern being what would they do about this threat? The Scratchers were still here. Would Eidolon, the ruler of this world, allow them to use magic if their lives were in danger? Or would they be kicked out and forced to move on before they were supposed to?
A sudden fear cracked through Colin’s chest. They couldn’t get kicked out. Not yet. He had to find Catrina before they left this place. She was out there. Somewhere. Alone and in danger.
“Why does Eidolon not want us using magic, anyway?” asked Colin, hoping Jae would know.
“All I heard is that it’s part of the agreement Juliska worked out for the Svoda to be able to travel here. When he finds out that we’ve not only used magic, but also brought Scratchers here,” he cut himself off with a shrug that meant, we’re screwed.
“Has anyone ever seen this guy, Eidolon?” asked Meghan.
“Other than the Banon, I have no idea.”
“He has to be reasonable about this,” she added insistently. “I mean, we had no choice. Julis… Banon Blackwell had to defend us. The others too.”
“Maybe Eidolon could find some way of destroying the Scratchers,” suggested Colin.
“Doubt it. We’ve been trying for years,” reminded Jae. “There’s no known way to kill a Scratcher. We have injured and maimed, but never successfully killed one.”
“Even with axes?” Colin responded. “That Jelen and Jenner looked like they could do some serious damage. If Juliska captured one, like she did earlier, what’s stopping them from just chopping off their heads? They can’t live without a head.”
Jae frowned. “Huh. I never really thought about it. We’ve always used magic to fight them.” He shook his head. “It must have been tried before. Plus, if you get close to the wings… well, you saw.”
“Saw far too much for my liking,” said Meghan with a shudder. “My guess, their heads aren’t that easy to chop off.”
“Or it could be they don’t die when you do,” Jae added with a shudder of his own.
Embrace (The Shifter, The Magic Map, and The Goblin King) (A Fated Fantasy Quest Adventure Book 3) Page 4
