by Tyler Earp
* * *
Nina cracked open her crusty eyes to blazing sunlight. She heard a shuffling as someone came to her side. “Well, you're awake.”
She attempted to sit up, but a pulsing headache forced her to stay still. “Where am I? What's going on?”
A scaly, brown face appeared over hers, the elongated snout inches from her face. A gray tongue darted out and tickled her nose. The male Salan snorted. “You don't taste good at all. Too much fear and confusion– oh yes, Nathan knows. Yes he does,” he said, hissing every s.
Nina attempted to sit up again and was able to fight through the headache. She took in her surroundings, seeing that she was still surrounded by trees, but she herself was on top of a small rocky hill.
The Salan had backed up and was sitting beside a slimmer and more beautiful Salan. The female turned her way. “What's your name, girl?”
“Where am I?”
The Salan woman laughed. “First the pleasantries, then the information. Here– I’ll start. My name is Maxima. What's yours?”
“Nina. Why am I here?”
“I kidnapped you.” “Why?”
“Because you're my insurance that your precious prophecy boy will come exactly were I want him to.”
A jolt fear passed through Nina, overriding the headache she had. “What do you want with Charley?”
A small smile crept over Maxima's face, making it look more like a snarl with all the teeth shown. “I have orders to dispose of him.”
The jolt came again and took up residence in her belly. “You want to– kill Charley?”
“No, I have to kill Charley Ashe. And you're helping me do it.”
“I would never,” Nina spluttered out.
Maxima grinned. “Just by being my captive you already are.”
Seventeen
A Trade
“Nathan knows– oh yes. Nathan sees it. Oh yes, Nathan does.”
- Nathan the Outcast
“Wake up!”
Charley opened his eyes to see Rafe standing inside the entrance to the tent. “Get up now.”
“What's going on?”
Rafe growled. “Nina was kidnapped.”
Charley shot to his feet, awake in a matter of seconds. “What do you mean kidnapped? We have to go after her!”
Rafe held him back from charging through the tent flaps.
“Hold on, Charley. Rushing and getting ahead of ourselves isn't the answer. We need to have a calm head about this.”
“How can you tell me to be calm when one of my best friends has been taken? I thought you said you would protect us!” Charley hurled at him.
Rafe grimaced. “I know I said that. And I'm doing my best to protect the rest of you.”
“Protect the rest of us? Sounds really good coming from you.”
Charley felt a hand on his shoulder. “Charley, chill out man. He's doing the best he can,” Abe said, trying to calm him down.
Charley pushed him his hand away. “That's bull! If he was doing the best he could, we would all be here right now!”
Riley walked over to him and stared him dead in the eye. “Charley, shut up.”
Charley looked at his serious face and felt his mouth opening and closing.
He found his voice. “But how can you not be angry?”
“We are mad. We are scared, just like you. But the difference is that we are mad at the right person. And that person is whoever took Nina.”
Charley felt his surging emotions settle some. “You're right.” He turned to Rafe. “I'm sorry for what I said.”
Rafe shook his head. “No, you were right. I didn't protect everyone. I told you the day might come when I couldn't protect you. I didn't think that day would come so soon. If we're going to follow the trail, we need to set out soon. Who ever did it has an advantage of time and distance.”
With that, he left the three of them standing there. Charley could feel the gaping hole that Nina had left. “We should probably pack,” Abe said.
The trail took them off the road. Rafe and several of the mercenaries scouted ahead to make sure there were no false trails. Rafe, or one of the mercenaries, would appear out of the trees and tell them to continue going straight. Charley noticed they had a strange look on their faces as they said it.
Jaelyn explained it after he asked. “It's weird because someone trying to get away does not tend to leave an easy path. I've done a little tracking myself and they usually pull tricks like walking backward or looping around through their path several times to confuse the direction they are headed.”
Rafe appeared out of the trees beside them. “In my experience there are two reasons someone does not lay false trails.”
“And why's that?” Abe asked.
“One: they were in a hurry or did not have time. Or two: they want us to follow them.”
“Meaning it's a trap,” Riley finished, shooting a look at Charley.
Oh. Charley now felt like a jerk for what he'd said to Rafe earlier.
Rafe nodded his head. “And if I had to bet all the gold I have, I would put it on the second option nine out of ten times.”
“So whoever took her expects us to follow them?” Abe asked.
Rafe nodded his head again. “And by the direction we are traveling I have a fair idea on where that would be.”
Jaelyn gasped. “The only thing in this direction are the Catacombs and --”
“That's right– the supposed lair of The Council of Bone. 'To cut away the ancient sickness, Ash will battle Bone.'”
Hans looked disturbed by the entire conversation. “I have heard whispers about this supposed phantom council. Some say they are demons from another plane. Others say they are men and women who gain their powers from eating children.”
Vard, who had been listening, laughed and waved his hand at Hans. “Hardly, friend.”
Hans looked at him affronted. “And how would you know that, greenhorn?”
“Because I’ve worked for one of them before. They are normal mages and arcane users who serve Hiberon.”
Rafe growled. “And you would work for someone like that?”
Vard shrugged. “I worked for the gold, not for the person. I won't lie, I’ve done things that I'm not proud of. But they kept me fed and alive.”
Rafe nodded. “You're no worse than I am.”
“Who's Hiberon?” Abe asked.
For a moment no one responded, and the only thing Charley heard was the chirping of birds. Finally, Rafe replied. “He's a Lesser Ancient. Some say he is the embodiment of greed. His need to win any bet is known throughout all of Undermire.”
Charley put up his a hand. Rafe looked at him, eyebrows raised. “Yes, Charley?”
“I see one of those lizard men. What was it you called them?”
They all looked around until they saw what Charley had been talking about. Nathan the Salan sat on his hill, staring down at their approach.
Rafe decided that a small group of them would go up to meet the Salan so that they didn't spook him. “We should go and see if the Salan has any information. I think four or five ought to do it. Myself and Charley, definitely. Who else wants to go?”
Most of the mercenaries backed up or shuffled their feet. Vard looked back at them and scowled. He turned back to Rafe. “Sorry, this bunch is a bit skittish around Salans. We've had too many bad encounters with them. I guess I can make up one of the party.”
Jaelyn nodded. “I guess that means I’ll stay here, then.” Rafe gave her a look that she very pointedly ignored.
Rafe then looked at Hans. He shook his head. “Afraid I'm going to sit out on this one as well.”
Riley stepped forward. “I'll go if that's okay with you.”
Rafe frowned. “I would rather not have both you and
Charley go, but– It should be okay.”
With that, they separated from the group and climbed the hill. The entire time, Nathan sat on top of his hill without moving a twitch. He turned his head to look at
them after they had reached the top, using the path he had pounded into the ground after decades of solitude.
“Greetings travelers. Your path is far from the beaten one. Oh yes, Nathan knows.”
He's nuttier than a squirrel.
“You know why we are here, hermit?”
“Of course. Oh yes, Nathan knows. You search for that which has gone poof,” he said, making a popping noise after he finished.
Rafe drew one of his swords and in an instant had it against his throat. “Tell me where Nina is, or else.”
The crazy Salan hardly seemed to care the sword was there. “Oh yes, Nathan knows. Nathan knows what 'else' is. Oh yes. Your little pretty that has gone poof. Oh yes, Nathan knows. Nathan knows where she is, too! Ha!”
“Then tell me,” Rafe growled.
“Nathan knows. Oh yes, Nathan knows.” He started to whisper. “Nathan also knows what is around the little dog's throat. Oh yes, Nathan does indeedie.” Rafe growled.
Around his throat?
Vard laughed. “Come on, Rafe. Whatever sense this Salan had fled years ago. We'll get no information from him.”
Rafe nodded. “You're right. We have nothing to learn here.” He turned to walk away, sheathing his sword in the process.
“Wait, don't leave. Nathan kids. Nathan will tell you. Oh yes, Nathan will.” Charley watched as the Salan stood and charged Rafe. He caught a blur of Rafe stepping to the side and tripping up Nathan.
“Oh no. Nathan did not see that coming. Maybe Nathan shouldn't give nasty man-wolf his scroll. Oh yes, Nathan knows. He will keep it to himself.”
Rafe gave them a surprised look before a smile crossed his face. He removed the hold he had on Nathan and helped him up. He gave Nathan a dazzling smile. “Perhaps I was too hasty. Can Nathan find it in his heart to forgive me?”
Nathan looked taken back by the sudden gesture. “Oh
yes. Perhaps Nathan can forgive this once.” He started whispering to himself. “Maybe Nathan was quick to judge man-wolf. Maybe Nathan should give man-wolf the scroll.”
Poor guy is starved for attention.
Nathan ran off to a small hole that Charley had missed. The Salan slid into the hole headfirst, pulling himself along with his sharp claws. He soon returned and had somehow turned himself around for the exit. Probably has a small den in there somewhere, Charley reasoned.
He ran back to Rafe and held out a dusty scroll. “Nathan thought he might keep this. Ugly Salan woman forcing Nathan to do her bidding. If it weren't for Nathan's dark god, he wouldn't have even taken it in the first place. Oh no, Nathan wouldn't have.”
Rafe unfurled and scanned the scroll. He sighed and rolled it back up. “We have to go.”
A look of horror crossed Nathan's face. “Please, don't leave poor Nathan. He served his penance. Other Salans say they will come to rescue Nathan if he stays on hill for ten years. Oh yes, Nathan remembers. Nathan must live in solitude for one decade.”
He looked at Rafe with sorrow in his eyes. “That was thirty years ago. Nathan swears he never even stepped one claw off of the hill. Please, take Nathan home.”
Rafe shook his head. “I am sorry, Nathan. We are going somewhere dangerous. I do not want to put your life on the line as well.”
Rafe hurried the pace so that they could outdistance Nathan's horrible crying. Rafe would cringe every time the sound they heard the sound, and Charley could have sworn that he saw a wetness around Rafe's eyes more than once.
After they left the hill, Rafe shared the contents of the scroll. “This Salan woman, Maxima, demands that we meet her for a trade of sorts.”
Charley had a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach. “What is she willing to trade Nina for?” he asked, though he was sure he already knew what Rafe was going to say.
Rafe looked at him pointedly. “She wants you to willingly trade places with Nina.”
Eighteen
A Biting Flame
“A flame can give provide you the warmth of life, but can also consume you a moment later.”
- Gwyn Fairlight
Since Paddrick had saved Castor, he had quickly risen to a position of personal guard. Castor stared at those glowing yellow eyes. He shuddered slightly. He still wasn't quite used to them even though Paddrick had been his constant companion for weeks. He sat forward.
“Paddrick.”
The eyes flickered toward him. “Yes, Lord Castor?”
“My advisers find the Creep– distasteful. What are your thoughts?”
Paddrick stepped into the light of one of the torches. He quickly pushed his flattened hand through the flames, cutting through it like a blade. “The Creep is like this,” he said, motioning to what he was doing. “The flames burn, but only if they can catch you. The more you evade the flames, the better you get at it, but the blacker your had becomes.”
Castor put his head in his hand. He's like my father all over again. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean– the more you use the Creep, the better your chances of success become. But the down side, is that he will blacken you. Turn you into his puppet, change who you are.”
“His puppet? But I'm the one using him.”
Paddrick shrugged. “In your own way, that is probably true. But I think it is both ways. You can control the flame, but it only takes one time moving your hand too slowly and then the flame wins.”
Paddrick turned to the large doors as they opened once more. The Creep slowly shuffled in. He walked down the long carpet draped over the stone floor, flickering torches illuminating him.
He turned his head to stare at Paddrick for a moment, and bowed his head briefly. He continued toward Castor. “You called, Lord Castor?”
Castor nodded. “Yes. Some of the castle guards tell me there was a– problem a few days ago. Why did you not come to me as soon as it was finished?”
The Creep lowered his head. “It was nearly midnight. I did not wish to wake you for something so– insignificant.” Castor scowled. “Any threat to my plans is not insignificant. From now on you will bring me any plots you uncover. Are we clear?”
The Creep bowed, his long, lanky hair nearly sweeping across the carpet in the action. “As you wish, my lord.”
“Good. Now, tell me about this intruder.”
The Creep hesitated. “She is a young sorceress. At first, she seemed to be a rare talent. She grew ever more powerful with me tutoring her, but something seemed off. It seemed like she grew too fast.”
He paused for a breath. “I planted a false document to see if she would take it. She, of course, did and is now being held in your dungeon.”
“Has she told you who she's working for, or for what what reason she infiltrated our ranks?”
The Creep shuffled his feet. “I'm not sure who she is working for– it could be any number of people. But I do know she was working as a weapon's enchanter. It might have something to do with that.”
“Well, go find out,” Castor said, staring down at the Creep with anger in his eyes.
The Creep opened his mouth to reply, but he closed it and turned to shuffle from the room.
Paddrick waited for the doors to fully close before he once more stepped back out into the light of the torches. He once more pushed his hands through the flames. “Like I said, he is using you. Why else would he hide something so important from you?”
Castor quickly turned his gaze to him and scoffed. “For all I know, you could be a spy too.”
Paddrick laughed. “You pay too well for me to betray you. Mercenaries go to were the money is– and that is you, milord.”
Castor nodded his head. The fear that he had been keeping to himself seemed silly now that he had said it out loud and Paddrick had refuted the claim with such ease. He had been cautious to become to close to anyone since Calloway had betrayed him.
“You are a good friend, Paddrick.”
Paddrick looked at him. “How so? I do not know of many friendships built on gold.”
“Yo
u tell me the truth. Most of my other advisers are unwilling to do so, or only tell me part of what they know or think, like the Creep does.”
Later that evening he and Paddrick went to the dungeon
to see the young sorceress that the Creep had kept secret from him.
He peered through the rune inscribed bars and saw a young, composed woman. The only thing that marked her as a prisoner was her messy hair and current surroundings.
“What is your name?”
She stared back at Castor calmly before replying, “Valencia.”
Her eyes punched holes into his with a defiant look and then she stood and gave a mock bow. “What may I do for you, my lord? Unfortunately, there is very little I can do for you in my current– situation.”
Castor grimaced. “The only thing I want to know is why you are opposing me, the future king of all Undermire.”
She laughed. “I could not care less if you were the future empire of the universe. I was not here to fight you.”
This time it was Paddrick's turn to laugh. “Then what exactly were you hoping to accomplish by stealing from one of Lord Castor's advisers?”
She gave him a look-over. “And why would I answer to the hired help? I talk to him, or no one,” she replied.
Castor looked at her curiously. “So you will tell me why you are here?”
“If you will listen.”
Castor hesitated before nodding and waved for Paddrick to leave. He did, but not before shooting her a glare.
“Fine then. Let me explain. As a small girl, I grew up in a minor noble family. We were not the richest, nor the most influential, but we were happy. There was my father, Marquis Deleon, my baby brother and my mother– It's strange, I can't even remember their names anymore.”
Castor shuffled his feet. “What does this have to with anything?”
She glared at him. “I'm trying to tell you the reason I will stop the Creep, no matter the cost. Even if it means my soul.”
“Very well then.”
“It happened nearly eleven years ago, when I was seven. I only remember because my birthday had just passed. The Creep came to my father, as a guest. He ate our food. He drank our wine– and the entire time he planned to kill my family.
“At first, he made gestures to pay us to join your father. Then he begged. After that, he seemed to have given up hope. He killed my mother and father first, I was told later. Then he went to my brother's room, and killed him so that he could never seek revenge.
“The guard who told me later said that the only reason I was spared was because as a female I could never pose a threat. Those are my reasons for fighting against the Creep however I can. You just happened to be the easiest way to do that.”
Gods… Is he really that type of man? Castor kept his face composed, but his insides coiled with the power of a thousand snakes. What kind of man am I if I partner myself with him?
Nineteen
The Forgotten Ones
Perhaps the most sinister and evil of all creation, The Forgotten Ones are without peer.
- Hortikulture Encyclopedia
Rafe's words rang through his head even several days later. They still had yet to break through the large forest, though Rafe said it was a matter of time until they did.
He still even stopped in the evening to train. Many of the mercenaries either watched or practiced themselves, so Charley didn't feel quite so awkward dancing around while practicing movements.
Rafe stopped Charley from using his Empath abilities every time they seemed to kick in. “I told you, I don't want you to rely on them too much.”
Charley continued to feel frustrated at both the pace they were taking and the way Rafe seemed to think it was his fault that his abilities kept appearing. “I can't help it. It's like a reflex.”
“The best way to improve reflexes is by consciously using them. If it's still an unconscious reflex, you need to practice harder.”
Rafe sent him back to practicing with Abe, who seemed to have gained an even greater fire for the sword since the ransom for Nina had appeared. Charley knew Abe was now much better than him with the sword.
It doesn't help that I have to stay on the defensive– if I can't even fight Abe, how am I going to save anyone? Charley asked himself in frustration after a particularly bad defeat.
Charley reset his pose. “One more time.” Abe nodded. Once more Abe was able to disarm him. Instead of taking the sword, Charley swatted it away and walked off of the field. Abe called after him. “Charley, come back! Okay, I'm sorry. I'll go easier on you.” That just made him feel even worse.
Walking out of the camp, he stomped around for a while, his anger and insecurities washing over him. Worthless– You can't even fight. He felt himself say the words, but they didn't seem to be his.
Charley was lost in a daze as he walked about, losing himself completely. He came to a stop in the middle of a large grove of gnarly trees, with dark flower buds on the lower branches. Charley approached and hesitated before he touched the flower, and felt it throb beneath his fingertips. He drew his hand back.
He felt an intrusion on his mind, like when the voice had still visited him, but it was much darker, brooding. It felt like a dark fog descended on him. Who enters the Grove of Forgotten Ones?
Without realizing it, he answered, Charley Ashe.
It has been many ages since one so young could hear our call.
What call?
Did you not hear us? Did you not come of your own accord?
Oddly enough, he realized he had felt drawn to take the path he had. At first, all he had felt was the anger and frustration from his inability to do anything. They seemed to melt away the further he walked, almost like he had forgotten that he was even angry to begin with.
I– I think I did. Why did you bring me here?
So you could sleep beneath our boughs. To dream with us of days far gone. To give you rest from a path you would not have chosen for yourself. A dark path filled with suffering and bloodshed.
He felt his mind slipping into the fog. He barely even noticed when he sat against the tree. Feeling a small jolt, a small part of Charley's brain realized the danger that he was in. With the fog shaken from the jolt, the rest of him got the message, and he started fighting back. He could almost feel the trees laughing at his attempts to free himself from them.
Relax, young one. You can not remove yourself from this snare. Why struggle? You could enjoy the last moments of your life in our euphoria. We could make it seem an eternity if you wished– did you not want this not so long ago? We could give you that and so much more.
Not only was he now fighting a mental battle, but as creeping branches with the flowers ensnared his body. With a final push, he was able to free his mind in time to see that the flowers opening. I have people– people I need to protect.
They had gone from a dark black color to a bright red. On the inside of the flower were sharp teeth-like protrusions. Fighting against the thorny branches, Charley was able to draw the dagger Bamard had included with the sword.
What are they to you? Have they not let you down? Belittled your efforts and worth? What kind of hero would you be?
Charley cut at the branches, severing several of the smaller ones to no effect except to be drenched in a red liquid.
Charley attempted to free his arms enough to cut at the tree. He felt his abilities at the corner of his brain, but they refused to manifest, almost like they were being blocked. I'm not a hero. I'm just me.
Charley pushed against the invisible wall, even as he fought against the thrashing limbs and flowers that nipped at him. The wall seemed to buckle and then collapse completely. He felt his powers surge through him, but Charley felt a difference.
As the weightlessness fill him, his abilities didn't flee as he slashed at the branches with renewed vigor. As he cut at the indifferent bark, his blade somehow found the stem of a flower and sheered it from its branch.
The entire grove shivered, a
nd Charley heard a great roaring in his ears. It sounded like cracking ice and a wounded bull all at once. Charley clapped his hands down over his ears as he felt the great sorrow of the trees.
Several of the branches that carried the flowers back away from him and he was able to fight his way free of the others. He backed away from the trees to the center of the grove, now covered in scratches.
He felt the mental intrusion once more. Charley fought back, but it broke through anyways. You are the first in many generations to free yourself from us.
Good, let me leave then. I promise to cut off all of your flowers if you don't let me.
He felt the trees contemplate his words. Their branches stopped rustling. They seemed to come to a consensus. We will let you leave. On this day you have already destroyed one of our few remaining children.
Thank you.
He felt them break contact with him. Just to be safe, Charley backed his way onto the path he had taken to enter the grove. Once he felt he was far enough away that the trees could no longer attack if they changed their minds, Charley sheathed his dagger.
Charley vaguely remembered the path and was able to retrace his steps. Around every turn, his eyes deceived him with shapes appearing in the branches, caused by the light from above.
Stepping through the last of the brush, he saw what the branches above his head had been blocking. The sun had set and the moon was nearly two-thirds of the way into the sky.
I must have been gone for hours.
He walked into the camp and saw a large group of the mercenaries along with Rafe and Abe gathering torches. They all stopped and stared at him like he was some kind of monster.
Charley almost expected Nina to run out of their tent and hug him until he remembered she was the reason he had been so anger and frustrated about not being able to anything about it. His insecurities felt pointless and silly now that his tempered had been cooled by the near-death experience.
He didn't feel any of that now. For the first time since he had come to Undermire, he felt like he was a little in control. It was like when he had been given the scratches from the branches, he had also been given a sense of control.
Abe opened his mouth, gaping at Charley. “We were– I mean– You're here. I'm sorry about earlier.”
Charley smiled. “No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I've been afraid since the moment we came here, and I took it out on all of you.”
Rafe growled and came up to them. “No time for an Oprah special right now. We've got to go find Riley.”
Charley looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean 'go after Riley?' Did he get kidnapped too?”
Rafe barked a laugh. “No, he used his Traveler abilities to locate you. He sensed you were in trouble and told the rest of us to stay.” Rafe let out another laugh.
“It seems he's been training himself. His Will was strong enough to make us forget that he was there. It faded a while ago,” Jaelyn added.
Charley stepped into the light and Abe's eyes narrowed. “Is that blood? Geez, Charley, it looks like you went through a meat grinder.”
Charley waved him off. “I got attacked by some trees.
Right now we need to be worried about Riley.”
Rafe grabbed his arm and smelled one of the cuts. “Hmm… No poison. Are you sure it was a tree that attacked you? Most varieties of carnivorous trees aren't in this forest.”
“Can any of those trees talk to your mind?”
Rafe gasped. “You found Forgotten Ones? How many were there?”
Charley shrugged. “I don't know. Fifteen or twenty of them, probably.”
Rafe looked impressed. “And you aren't dead– Did any of them have flowers?”
“All of them. But what does that have to do with anything? Shouldn't we be going to look for Riley?”
“Yes, we need to go. Grab a torch. We'll look after your wounds afterward. I don't think you're the only one who's going to need them.”
The large group made good time, covering the distance that had probably taken him thirty minutes in less than fifteen.
Though, that was due to the fact that the underbrush was summarily chopped down as they went.
Everyone stopped when they came upon the grove. Or rather, the lack of a grove. Charley turned in a circle. “I don't understand. This is were it was.” He looked around at the destruction. Not a single one of the trees still stood. Instead, what had once been large, knotted trees were now shattered stumps, shredded pieces of wood and red ichor.
“Spread out and look for him. Stay in groups of at least two or three,” Rafe barked at the mercenaries.
They dispersed and started moving some of the large pieces of wood to see if he might have been trapped. Others went to search the surroundings outside of the grove. Rafe turned to Charley and Abe. “You two are with me.”
Rafe was able to move several of the larger pieces of wood that not even the biggest mercenaries had been able to budge. Almost in a frenzy, he picked them up and then hurled them to the side, one after another.
“What is Rafe doing?” A voice asked.
Charley rotated on the spot. There stood Riley, a shallow cut above one eye. “Riley! You're alive? Do you know what happened here?”
Many of the mercenaries had noticed Riley's appearance and appeared disgruntled over all that work they had done for nothing. Riley gave Charley a once over. “I see the trees almost got the better of you.”
Charley laughed. “Yeah, I barely got out alive. Which is why I want to know what happened.”
This time, it was Riley's turn to laugh. “They tried to take over my mind. I'm assuming that's how they get their prey. What they didn't expect was for me to be able to fight back.”
Charley looked around at all the destruction. Abe whistled and said. “You did all this? That's some major power.”
Riley shrugged. “This is a temperate forest, so I knew there was a good chance that if I froze them they might snap.”
Abe cracked. “My bro's a boss.”
Rafe walked over to them, having noticed Riley. “Did I hear you correctly? You froze all of them?” A look of shock overtook his face.
“It wasn't that hard. I just froze the sap and then pushed on the trees a little. They broke easy enough,” Riley said with a shy smile, now that many of the mercenaries were gathered around, also listening in.
“That's high-level magic. I don't think even many true
Sorcerers could have pulled that off so young.”
Many of the mercenaries looked at him appreciatively, as they knew how much help even a mostly untrained mage could be. “I just did what I had to.”
Rafe shook his head wearily. He looked up at the moon, which had reached the center of the sky. “We need to get back to camp. I need to dress yours and Charley's wounds.
The trip back proved to be uneventful. As the adrenaline wore off, Charley started to feel the effects of the cuts and scrapes from his fight with the now destroyed trees. Toward the end of the walk back, his knees buckled. Luckily for him,
Riley caught him before he fell to the ground, and was able to support him the rest of the way back to the camp.
“You– are really heavy– Charley You know that?”
“Sorry about that, I’ll try to be lighter next time,” Charley said with a laugh, righting himself once Riley deposited him beside the fire.
Riley laughed. “How about there not be a next time. At this rate, you're going to have to start paying me to be your horse.”
“You're out of luck when it comes to money.”
Riley smiled, but it faded. “I wonder how Nina is.” “Probably fighting back, if I had to guess,” Abe said with a small smile. “She's not going to go quietly.”
“Yeah, they're not going to know what hit them. They'll wish they never took her,” Charley said, trying to comfort Riley.
He didn't look it. “Yeah– maybe,” Riley murmured.
Twenty
Rock and a Hard Place
> “I find myself stuck between two impossible situations. Only one leads to where I go.”
- Wanderer of the Sand
Nina tried to find a comfortable position. She really did. But the moss-ridden and stony cavern made it impossible to find a good seat. And it wasn't helped any by the giant hole just feet away and the putrid smell that made her want to puke.
It smells like moldy socks and gym bags– and Abe's feet with maybe a little donkey thrown in.
Unfortunately for Nina, that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the giant man who sat on a throne carved out of the side of the bluff. He sat leering at her for hours.
Even now she had the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Instead, she tried to amuse herself with the bit of chalky rock she had found on the ground by drawing random shapes.
On a whim, she decided to draw a dog, thinking about how she had always wanted one, but the landlord had always been strict about his no pet policy.
She pictured a Labrador Retriever, the kind of dog she wanted. Before she knew it, an almost exact representation appeared on the floor before her.
She stared down at it, surprised. When did I get that good? She leaned forward to look at the detail. Flinching back, Nina almost let out a scream. Did the drawing just– move?
She looked again, and sure enough, the tail was wagging. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, it turned its head to face her and barked, but no sound came out.
She reached down and touched the fur on the drawing, her eyes widening. It feels exactly like I always imagined it would! Nina looked around to make sure Maxima or the giant weren't paying attention. She saw that Maxima was gone and the giant appeared to be dozing. She began petting the dog behind the ears.
With a sucking sound and a loud pop! the dog pulled itself off the floor and its body filled out until it had an entire chalky body.
It started sniffing at the air and ground, seeming to enjoy the horrible smell. It returned to her and started licking at her face, leaving it wet. Ew, dog slobber.
Getting impatient with the unwanted bath, she pushed it away and whispered, “Stop!” The dog seized licking her and backed away.
Surprised at the obedience, she decided to test it out again. “Sit,” she commanded. The dog sat. “Roll over?” It complied.
A smile broke out on her face. “Walk on two legs.” It stared at her for a moment before rising to its back legs and walked around. Okay, that's kinda cool. Still, I'd rather have some food right now.
The dog ran off, skirting the far wall away from the giant. Nina almost tried to call it back, but quickly realized she would be heard if she did. Well… there goes my first and only pet.
She leaned back against the wall, and once more attempted to find a comfortable position. Closing her eyes, she tried to envision that she was on one of those luxury mattresses they were always showing on t.v.
Just as she was starting to drowse, she felt something furry rub up against her. She opened her eyes and was met by the sight of the dog carrying what smelled like chicken in a tied-off napkin. Her mouth opened in awe.
Did the dog read my mind? She reached out for the food, and the dog deposited in her hand and started wagging its tail, whipping through the air at high speeds. And how did it tie the napkin?
Her stomach started growling, protesting that she wasn't already eating. She untied the napkin and two roasted drumsticks rolled out. She bit into the leg and was fast on her way to eating the roasted meat.
She finished off the first drumstick with speed and groaned at the rich taste of the fatty meat after several days of coarse, tasteless bread. The second leg she resisted the temptation of finishing off quickly, and instead savored it.
The entire time, the dog kept watch on the sleeping giant. Several times the dog wagged its tail as it sensed her happiness.
Catching the sight of the dog, Nina felt bad eating most of the meat by herself. She pulled off what remained of the second leg and held it out to the dog. It sniffed at the meat and snapped it down in a single bite.
She laughed. “Good boy.”
She heard a sound behind her and her mind jumped into overdrive. She looked down at the napkin and pile of bones. I need somewhere to hide this, she thought to herself, looking around her for a rock large enough to hide it under. Before she could find one, the dog leaned over and snapped up both the bones and napkin into its mouth and swallowed.
The sound grew louder, and she could hear talking. She looked at the dog. “You need to hide,” she whispered. Almost with a human-like understanding, it looked back at her before laying down. “No, don't lay down. Hide!” Her mouth fell open as the dog melted back into the ground, once more just drawing.
At that moment Maxima and a group of people appeared from the far tunnel. Nina glared at them as they drew closer.
A young man winked at her as he approached, his white- blond hair styled. “Well, she's a fiery one, isn't she?” He looked down at the drawing of the dog on the ground and grinned. “And quite the artist, I would say.”
Maxima laughed. “Oh, she's tame enough, Henry.”
Nina scowled. I'll show you…
Maxima smirked, her vicious fangs showing. “You'll show me what?” Nina's mouth fell open.
“What, did you think I couldn't read your mind? I can do much more than that, girl.”
The giant interceded. “That is enough, Maxima. She's your hostage, not prisoner.”
Maxima bowed to the giant. “As you wish, Lord Hiberon. I was just having a bit of fun.”
Hiberon scowled. “You're my High Priestess, not some common torturer. As long as this girl remains mine, the boy must follow my orders. I can already sense him at the edge of my domain,” he boomed, a large grin spreading across his face.
Nina decided to play her ace. “Did Maxima tell you about how she's going to kill Charley?”
Maxima glared at her out of the corner of her eye. Several of the other people, including the young man, looked at her curiously, as if mulling over her words.
Hiberon on the other hand laughed. “I doubt that Maxima would attempt anything that might undermine my plans. She is my most loyal follower,” he boomed, not a hint of doubt in his giant face. Maxima smiled victoriously at her. None caught her expression except the young man. His face turned thoughtful.
So much for my ace…
A sudden flash of lightning lit up the cavern through the large hole above.
