The Serpent Cult (Heroes of Ravenford Book 2)

by F. P. Spirit

  Glo found himself smiling in response. “I look forward to it.”

  “For now, though, we will help you with your mission as we promised.”

  “That would be most appreciated.”

  “Now if you will excuse me.”

  She flashed him a bright smile, then hurried off back down the dock past Aksel. Maya had wandered off toward the burning lighthouse, and Lloyd was having a hard time catching her. Glo walked back down the pier, rejoining Aksel and relaying his conversation with Ves. They both watched as the older girl chased her little sister around the base of the lighthouse. Lloyd came back to join them, and Glo repeated what had been said.

  When Glo finished, Aksel appeared pensive. “Well that told us a whole lot of nothing.”

  “At least they’re on our side.” Lloyd pointed out.

  Aksel’s response was somber. “Hopefully it’ll stay that way. If Seth were here, I don’t think he would be very trusting of them.”

  Glo snorted. “Seth isn’t trusting of anyone. Speaking of Seth, shouldn’t he be back by now?”

  The trio peered over toward the mainland. There was no sign of their halfling companion nor the archer, Martan.

  Aksel’s expression grew even more concerned. “Yes, he has been gone for a long time.”

  “I’ll send Raven up the coast to see if she can find them,” Glo offered.

  Aksel nodded. “Good idea.”

  Angel of Mercy

  The brilliant blue light lit up her face, revealing her intense concentration

  Martan lay at the foot of the cliff in a heap. Seth knelt over the archer and examined him. He was still alive, but just barely. Luckily, the cliff here was not a sheer drop or the outcome would have been decidedly different. When the two of them had jumped off, they had slid down the steep slope. They would probably have been fine if that wolf hadn’t caught up with them.

  Seth had been focused on the cliff face below them. They were moving quite fast—there were outcroppings, cracks, and small bushes to navigate around. Thankfully, he and Martan were agile enough to circumvent those obstacles. In between sliding, twisting, and turning, Seth had managed to keep track of the archer’s progress. They had made it halfway down the cliff side when a grey blur slammed into Martan. The archer was thrown completely off balance.

  Seth watched in horror as Martan and the grey form went tumbling out of control the rest of the way down the cliff. When Seth finally arrived at the bottom, he found the archer in a heap on top of the wolf’s body. The wolf was dead. It had inadvertently saved the man it just tried to kill.

  Seth smiled briefly at the irony of the situation, but his mirth quickly faded. Martan was seriously hurt. Seth did not know how bad the archer was injured, but he had enough medical background to know it was not good. A rudimentary knowledge of medicine was a necessity when you grew up in a family of thieves and cutthroats. It would be a bit too obvious if you ran to the healers after every robbery or murder in the area. Not that it happened often, but hazards came with that kind of job. Since it was assumed he would one day join the family business, Seth had been taught the basics of healing. Still it was not something he readily shared, and it didn’t seem to matter with Aksel around. Now, however, it might mean the difference between life and death for poor Martan.

  Seth did not want to move the man, for fear of internal injuries. He took a blanket from his backpack and covered the hapless archer. He then put his hands over the man’s body and began to scan for injuries. He had been taught to run his hands a few inches over the body and feel for changes in temperature or energy.

  This probably comes as second nature to Aksel.

  Seth, on the other hand, was having trouble finding anything. He finished one pass over Martan’s body with no success. The archer appeared worse now, his skin paler and his breathing weaker. Seth took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. He started the process all over again, passing his hands slowly over Martan’s body. As he reached his upper torso, he felt something. There was a drop in temperature around the archer’s lungs.

  I found it!

  Now, of course, he had to heal it. Seth hoped to the gods that it was merely cracked ribs. He calmed his mind and called forth the energy to heal. Seth felt the warmth build in his abdomen and slowly spread up to his heart. Finally, it expanded into his hands. His palms glowed with a white-blue light, not nearly as intense as Aksel’s, but bright nonetheless. The light filtered down from his hands and over Martan’s chest. Seth held his hands as still as possible, letting the healing energy flow into the archer for a long while. Martan’s breathing finally steadied and slowly became stronger.

  Seth sat back and wiped his brow. His hand was full of sweat. Healing’s definitely hard work. Aksel made it look easy, but it actually took a lot out of you. Seth reached into his backpack and pulled out a canteen. He took a long swig, cooling himself off. Martan was out of danger for now, but he was still not fully healed. Seth had merely stabilized him for now, but had used up all his energy doing so. All he could do now is keep the archer warm and hope that his friends would come looking for them soon.

  It was late in the day, the sun hidden behind the tall cliffs that bordered the western edge of the beach. The sands were now completely blanketed in shadow. There was a slight chill in the air, signifying the impending fall of night. Lloyd and Glo sat in front of a glowing fire as Ves prepared dinner. Aksel was down by the water, helping Maya collect seashells. A little more than an hour had passed since they returned from the lighthouse isle. Lloyd, Glo, and Aksel set up camp in the rocky area where they had first met the three sisters. In the meantime, Ves and Maya went fishing. The girls reappeared a short while later with a fish in each hand. When asked, Ves explained, “Using a pole is unfair to the fish.”

  Normally, Glo would have questioned her response, but he was somewhat distracted. Seth and Martan had been gone for too long now, and the more time passed, the more anxious he became. Abruptly, Glo’s anxiety turned into full-fledged fear. He shot up from his seat.

  Lloyd stood up next to him. “What is it?”

  Glo’s eyes were fixed on the northern sky. “It’s Raven. Something is definitely wrong.”

  He strode down to the water’s edge with Lloyd and Ves behind him, dinner all but forgotten. They met up with Aksel and Maya.

  “What’s going on?” Aksel asked his expression one of deep concern.

  “It’s Raven,” Ves responded, nodding northward.

  The eastern horizon had turned dark—the blanket of night moving quickly across the heavens. Glo strained his eyes, but saw no sign of Raven as of yet.

  Abruptly Maya cried out. “There she is!”

  Glo followed the young girl’s finger and barely made out a black speck in the darkening sky. Wow, she has good eyesight. Better than an elf’s, in fact.

  Less than a minute passed before Raven landed on Glo’s arm. She squawked in her tiny voice, “Perdaur for. No’ sii.”

  “Half a league north. On the beach,” Ves translated.

  “Martan neva gurtha.”

  Glo’s eyes went wide. Ves let out a short gasp.

  Lloyd stared at them both with clear apprehension. “What is it?”

  Glo’s eyes shifted from Lloyd to Aksel. “It’s Martan. It’s not good.”

  Ves’ face darkened her expression grave. “What can we do to help?”

  Glo’s mind raced as he thought it through. It would take a half hour at best to get to them on foot, but Martan might not last that long. However, if Ves could swim as fast as Ruka, she could be there in half that time. “Can you to go to them? You may be their only hope.”

  Ves nodded. “I can, but you’ll have to keep an eye on Maya.”

  “We will watch her,” Aksel promised.

  “Very well,” Ves agreed. Without anoth
er word, she waded into the surf. Just before diving in, she called back over her shoulder, “Oh, and Maya?”

  “Yes, Ves?” the young girl responded.

  “Behave yourself.”

  Seth felt relieved when Raven showed up. He knew it was only a matter of time until help would arrive. What he was not prepared for was the manner of its arrival. Dusk had fallen. He sat quietly next to Martan, keeping close watch over the archer’s condition. There was a chill in the air, and he wished he could make a fire. Unfortunately, that might also attract the wrong kind of attention.

  Seth and Martan had run across a small party of goblins in the forest above. What’s worse was they had wolves with them. They had taken care of the goblins, and eluded the wolves, or so Seth had thought. That one wolf, however, was Martan’s undoing. At this point, there was no telling what still lurked in the forest above. Therefore, Seth remained in the dark with Martan, vigilantly watching the surrounding area. His hands instinctively went to his knives when he saw a form emerge from the water. He watched cautiously as the figure came out of the surf and up onto the shore.

  Seth quickly identified the form as a young human female. She paused a moment, her head turning from side to side. Her gaze finally focused in their direction, and then strode up the beach directly towards them. As she drew closer, Seth got a better look at her. She had long pale hair, currently wet and matted to her scalp. From shoulder to mid-calf, she wore a tight-fitting dress with a strange metallic sheen. In the dusky light, Seth was not quite sure of the color, perhaps copper or bronze.

  As the young woman approached, she called out softly, “Are you Seth?”

  “I might be,” he replied warily. “Who wants to know?”

  She stopped a few feet away from them. “I’m Ves. Glolindir sent me.”

  “Then where is he?” Seth quickly scanned the surrounding area, making sure that no one else was creeping up on them.

  “He’s back at our camp a half a league down the beach. He is waiting there with Aksel, Lloyd, and my little sister. Raven told us where you were. She also said Martan was near death. I could get here the fastest, so they sent me.”

  That sounds reasonable. Still Seth was not sure how this girl made it nearly two miles up the beach in the mere minutes. His eyes fell on Martan. The archer was still out cold. He appeared very pale. If he didn’t get more healing, he was not going to make it. Seth’s gaze shifted back to Ves. She seemed harmless enough. She stood there with her hands folded in front of her, not moving a muscle.

  Seth shrugged. “Very well. Martan took a nasty fall down the cliff. I was able to stabilize him, but he needs far more than I can do. He should not be moved. Can you go back and bring Aksel?”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Ves replied evenly. “May I?” she asked politely, nodding her head toward the wounded archer.

  Seth let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine.” He stepped back and out of the way. She was not going to find out anything different than he had already told her, but if it meant getting Aksel here quicker, then he would not argue the point.

  Ves knelt down next to the unconscious archer. Just as Seth had done earlier, she ran her hands a few inches over the top of his body. She stopped over his chest and concentrated on that area.

  At least she found the right spot. “Like I said, he needs a lot more healing,” Seth repeated impatiently.

  “Then we shall give it to him,” she responded. She lifted her right hand and pointed a finger at his rib cage. To Seth’s surprise, a brilliant blue light appeared at her fingertip. It was far brighter than anything Seth could produce. It quickly spread out, enveloping Martan’s upper torso. The light grew more intense, to the point where Seth had to shade his eyes. This strange young woman was putting out a tremendous amount of energy. In fact, she was quite possibly as strong a healer as Aksel.

  Seth watched in fascination as Ves kept the energy flowing into the unconscious archer. The brilliant blue light lit up her face, revealing her intense concentration. She knelt there the entire time, intent on healing his wounds, never complaining or faltering once. As Seth watched on, he realized this was no ordinary woman. He was quite impressed with her strength of will. After a full twenty minutes, the intense blue light began to fade. When it finally went out, Ves sat back and took a deep breath.

  “That should do for now,” she pronounced.

  It was now completely dark. Seth reached into his backpack and took out a small covered lamp. He chanced lighting it, holding it close to the archer. In the lamp light, he could clearly see that the color had returned to Martan’s face. Then, much to his surprise, Martan began to stir. The archer opened his eyes and actually began to sit up!

  “Hold on there,” Ves cried. She leaned forward and grabbed his shoulders, stopping him from rising further. “You took a nasty fall and almost died,” she continued.

  “Who are you?” Martan asked groggily. His eyes finally focused on her, and he blinked a few times. His expression was one of disbelief. “Are you an angel?” he asked in a hushed voice.

  “Hardly,” Ves responded.

  Something suddenly clicked in Seth’s mind. The long blond hair, the bronze shimmering dress, and the angel reference—it sounded too much like those sailor’s stories from the tavern. Seth spoke tentatively. “Excuse me, Ves.”

  “Yes?” She did not take her eyes off Martan.

  “You didn’t happen to travel up here on dolphin back by any chance?” Hearing it out loud, he felt foolish for even saying it.

  Ves peered at him with curiosity. “Yes. As a matter of fact I did. How did you know that?”

  He was right! Seth did his best to remain nonchalant. “Oh, just a lucky guess.” This young woman, Ves, definitely had something to do with the rescue of those sailors. He was certain of it.

  “Angel,” Martan repeated as he lay back down and closed his eyes. “Beautiful angel.”

  “That’s good,” Ves said in a soothing voice. She adjusted the blanket around him. “Rest for now.”

  Ves stood up and motioned for Seth to follow her. She led him a few yards away from the sleeping Martan. “That is the most I can do. His ribs are healed, as is the internal bleeding. What he really needs now is to eat and sleep. That would be best done back at camp.”

  Seth raised an eyebrow. “Dolphin ride?”

  A thin smile graced Ves’ lips. “Yes. We shall ride dolphins. Gather your things and meet me down by the water.” With that, the young woman spun around and headed down toward the surf.

  The moon had risen in the east. It was low in the night sky, its silvery light tracing a long line from the horizon to the shore. It lit up the waters, clearly outlining Ves as she walked down to the edge of the water. He heard some strange clicking and squealing noises come from the young woman. A short way off shore, another form reared up out of the surf. It practically danced across the surface.

  That is most definitely a dolphin. The creature plunged back into the water and disappeared from sight. Seth smiled to himself as he went to gather his pack. This was going to be interesting. He checked briefly on Martan. The archer slept soundly, his color good and his breathing regular. Leaving him, he went down to the water’s edge.

  “How is he doing?” Ves asked.

  “Sound asleep.”

  “Good.” Ves pointed out into the water. “Our rides are here. I have talked with them, and you may ride on one’s back. I will go fetch Martan.”

  “Do you need a hand with him?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.” Ves spun on her heels and headed up the beach toward the resting archer.

  Seth watched her for a moment, then shrugged and entered the surf. Two dolphins waited out in the water, side by side. He waded out to them and easily climbed on one’s back. Once mounted, Seth saw a figure walking down toward the beach, carrying a second
figure. It was Ves, holding Martan as if he weighed no more than a child.

  Note to self. Do not piss this woman off, Seth thought wryly. A sudden smirk crossed his lips. Well, maybe not too much.

  Dark Plots Brewing

  By the way—why is the lighthouse burning?

  Aksel collected seashells with Maya while keeping an eye out for Ves. Glo stood by the fire, cooking dinner in the young woman’s absence. Lloyd busily put up tents for their overnight stay. Nearly an hour had gone by since Ves left. Darkness had fallen, but the night was lit by the silvery glow of the rising moon.

  Maya was the first to spot the returning companions. She jumped up and down, pointing out into the surf. “They’re back!”

  Aksel followed Maya’s finger and saw movement a short distance off shore. He immediately recognized the dorsal fins of two dolphins traveling side by side. A small figure sat on the back of one of the marine mammals. Another figure was crouched over the other. A third figure was in the water, hanging onto the hunched figure.

  Glo and Lloyd came down to join them. The four of them watched with fascination as the strange procession swam to within a few yards of the shore. When they finally stopped, the figure in the water stood up. The moonlight glimmered off its shiny outfit, confirming it was Ves.

  The shorter figure jumped off its dolphin and cried out with excitement. “That was cool!”

  Aksel smiled. That was most definitely Seth. Ves picked up the figure that could only be Martan off the other dolphin’s back. She held him easily in her arms. The young woman exchanged some clicking noises and squeals with the dolphins. Almost immediately, the two aquatic mammals took off back out into the deeper water. Ves and Seth waded through the surf and onto shore. She briefly explained Martan’s condition then proceeded with him up toward the camp. The others followed, Seth falling in beside Aksel.

  As they walked up the beach, Seth leaned over and whispered softly to Aksel, “Does she do that often?”