“Good, they can help haul the heavier gear and possibly some of the wounded, too. Good job, Corporal,” Rosa purred. “How about horses?”
“No, Ma’am, with the exception of Mistress Maya’s and Sir Alex’s warhorses. But no real surprise there, those two are just uncanny. All the other animals went uncontrollably wild, crazy really, at the sight of the undead. We were lucky the donkeys were too stupid to notice.”
“Alright, Corporal; now the difficult question. How…many made it?”
His face fell. “We got most of the healers out so we have fifty-two of them as well as most of the earth wizards and druids counting at forty-five. There are a few of the others; I counted four wind wizards and six water wizards. But they are all just students; none of the teachers or graduates made it out of Central. I also counted 106 support staff, including maids, cooks and even a few stable boys. The guard was hit the hardest, there are only fifty-three of us, and four of them will never be able to lift a sword again.”
Both the corporal and the captain cringed at that last part, and I could read Maya’s sorrow in her posture; she had personally trained many of those troops. Rosa moved on quickly, doing her best to keep their minds busy with details. “So about two hundred fifty six of us, then.”
The captain spoke up, “How are we going to feed that many people with only six boxes of food? And you wizards eat a ton of food in the first place.”
“Each of those boxes contains enough food to feed two hundred wizards for a day and we have six of them. Not only that, but every night they refill themselves and they will do so one hundred times. So even if we eat full meals, we still have enough food for over a year. That’s the good news. The bad news is they are basic iron ration packs; crackers, salt pork, bacon, cornmeal, and flour. We won’t starve but it’s going to get monotonous.
A small amount of stress faded from his face, but not nearly all of it. “Well, that’s a relief, but we still have no idea where in the world we are.”
Nia surprised me by jumping off my shoulder and landing on the map. “I know where we are!” We all stared at her in surprise. She sailed straight up into the air and pointed at the lake down the mountain. “We pixies call that Dragonfly Lake because of all the dragonflies, but humans call it Dashern Lake.” She zipped back and pointed to a spot deep in the black area of the map. “We’re about here.”
The black area means undead or goblin-controlled territory. Great, just what we needed. The captain said what we were all thinking. “We’re in the middle of the damn undead homeland! Could our lives get any worse?”
Nia smiled, showing her pointy teeth. “It's not so bad here; I lived in that forest for a time. We pixies travel a lot; in fact, it’s the time of year that we would normally be here.”
Maya was still wearing her full armor but, unlike me, she hadn’t taken her helmet off yet. “Why? What’s so important about this time of year?” Nia blushed and flew up and whispered in her helmet. “Oh…um, never mind. But why there? Don’t you have to deal with the undead?”
Nia flew back down to the map and shook her head. “Nope, something keeps them away; there are even humans who live downstream on the river that flows out of the lake because the undead won’t come within a mile of it, normally anyways.”
The captain snorted. “Are we really going to listen to what a pixie is saying…” He stopped talking when he noticed that every single one of us was glaring at him, even the corporal. “What?”
Higs spoke up first, “Sir, I would like to give you a solid piece of advice; don’t make fun of Nia, or any of them for that matter. I’ve seen Alex punch massive holes in the undead with only his hands; Maya’s armor seems to be alive sometimes, on top of her unmatched skill, and Nia is probably the strongest wizard we have ever had. And if they don’t take you down, I guarantee you that Mistress Dawn and Mistress Dusk will. All in all, sir, even at full strength, I don’t think the full city guard would last fifteen minutes against the enchanters.”
He didn’t seem to like the thought of that, but it shut him up. So I changed the subject. “So, we hide in the forest?”
“No, the pixies won’t like that. They might let us pass through though, “Nia said thoughtfully.
I sighed, “So we still don’t have a place to go?”
There was silence for a few seconds, then Rosa flinched like she had been stung by a bee. She reached into her pocket and handed me one of the letters from my parents. “I’ve held on to this for you. This has been very hot for a while now so you best take care of it before it bursts into flame…and tell them I’m sorry.”
I nodded and took the letter from her. Maya followed me over to another rock nearby as I put my foot up on it. Maya opened her faceplate, facing away from the camp, and wrapped her armored form around mine as we read the letter together.
With very little pause, words started streaming angrily across the page. “ABOUT TIME! I was about to unleash the wrath of the heavens on you two!” There was a brief pause and the writing style changed. “What your mother was calmly trying to say is we’re glad you’re both alright. We were getting worried that we would have to break the tenets and come down there ourselves. But we were wrong, and with the way your armor performed and your fighting abilities, we really didn’t have to worry.”
“But why did the undead attack the academy?”
Nothing showed up on the page for a long time, long enough that Maya and I exchanged several concerned looks. Then more writing slowly appeared. “‘In a time of darkness, when the undead outnumber the living, a Child of Light and a Child of Darkness will unite and fight against the great evil, driving it away. These heroes form the basis for the return of magic.’ Just so you know, I summed that up. The real prophecy script is over twenty feet tall, 3,456 hieroglyphs long and carved in basalt…boring as hell!”
We exchanged glances again as Maya asked, “So you believe that the Lifebane thinks that we are the ones in this prophecy? All those people died yesterday because of us?”
“No, we know you two are the ones; I recited and paraphrased the few lines that apply to the two of you. I am sorry that you have been labeled a Child of Darkness, Maya. We know that your heart is just as bright as Alex’s.”
She smiled a little, still confused. “Thank you…sir.”
“Someday, I hope you will call me Dad. The Lifebane would have attacked the school anyway, Maya. It has two of the things he hates most, magic users and people with the determination to stand in his way. If anything, you two coming together when you did probably made him rush his attack planning. Without that, he would have sprung a trap so deadly no one would have survived. But we need to get you guys off this mountain. Now we aren’t allowed to order the living so Winya, if you please?”
Maya yelped as her visor slammed down and her hand shot out to cover my face. But before I could even respond, or just use my mage sight to look around it, she dropped her hand.
“Winya, what was with that?” Maya almost shouted.
“I’m sorry, but I swear that wasn’t me! I’m guessing your father made me do that so I was the only one who could read the letter.”
“I guess we should be used to it by now,” Maya grumbled.
“Winya, do you at least know where we need to go?” I asked.
“Yes, and I feel like a fool for not noticing. We’re only two days hard march from Sky Raven Fortress!”
Maya and I looked at each other and she gave me a quick hug.
“The fortress from your story? That Sky Raven?” I said still trying to wrap my head around the whole situation. I mean, would it even be still standing?
“Alex, of course I haven’t seen it in four hundred years, but I’m pretty sure it will still be there. You both have to see the place; it’s almost impossible to describe ” Winya beamed warmly across our link. A real fortress would be a major advantage to us. We proudly marched over to the others who were still arguing with Nia about the forest and the pixies in it. They must have not
iced our approach and the smile on my face; Maya had her visor down again.
“We know where we need to go! Sky Raven Fortress!”
Rosa’s eyes lit up like we had just given her a present. The others, on the other hand, were scratching their heads in confusion.
“I thought that place was a myth,” Higs whispered, looking inquisitively at the twins who just shook their heads confidently.
I could tell Maya was smiling as she explained for me, “It’s no myth; Alex’s parents told Winya where we are and how to get there.”
“There used to be a road, but that’s probably long gone from 400 years of overgrowth. But there is a river that flows into that lake, so if we follow it, it should lead us right to it.”
Maya nodded and then relayed to everyone what only she and I could hear. Everyone was on board with the plan; well almost everyone.
“Hold on,” Captain Jarsin complained. “Not only do you want me to listen to a pixie, but now a talking sword? Are you people insane?” Again there was an ominous silence; the corporal placed a hand on his shoulder, gravely shaking his head. The captain sighed and looked up at the heavens. “Fine! We follow the river to a fortress that hasn’t been used for 400 years, great plan. Good luck getting the wizards to go with it!”
Rosa grinned, “Leave that to us.” The captain reluctantly nodded and then he and the corporal walked off toward the rest of the guards. Rosa turned to us with a smile still on her face. “I’m sorry about this, but you two are now my seconds until we get things figured out.” We both already knew that and we were ready to support her in any way. “I have an urgent job for you two. But first, I would like for you to get some rest; neither of you have slept since we got here.”
Maya just shrugged. “We don’t seem to be able to get tired in this armor; in fact, we both feel rather rested. It seemed we only need an hour or so of low activity and we’re good to go.”
I continued for her, “The odd thing is that I never placed an enchantment to do anything even close to this. It just seems to be a natural quality of the metal, like the whole weight thing.”
She nodded. “Fine, then I would like for you to take Nia and go speak with the pixies and get permission to pass through.” She thought for a moment. “You should take Dawn and Dusk, too.”
Before I could protest, Maya beat me to it. “No way! If all five of us leave, you won’t have the firepower to fend off an attack.”
“Are you two forgetting that I have over a hundred other wizards with me?”
Maya wasn’t letting it slide so easily. “They don’t trust us yet, so you’re keeping Dawn and Dusk.” Maya stalked over to the twins. “I want you two to keep a close watch on Rosa for us.”
They both bowed slightly. “Yes, Mistress, of course. We will keep her safe.”
We gave Rosa a hug before setting out to find Nia and our horses.
Chapter 2
Finding the horses was an easy job. All we had to do was whistle and they came right to us, completely armored. Nia on the other hand, was a bit harder to find. We finally found her over by one of the food crates. All we could really see of her was her legs kicking in the air frantically as she was rummaging through a bag.
“Nia, what are you doing?”
She pulled herself free of the sack but still had most of a biscuit in her mouth. Maya and I chuckled as the pixie dusted her dress off and finished the rest of the cracker in one bite. “Stupid bag wouldn’t open up and let me have my food,” she pouted, and kicked the sack in frustration. Maya smiled and reached over to undo the knot that was holding the bag shut . With the bag fully open, she handed two more biscuits to Nia, who devoured them practically whole.
“Now, come on, girl; we’re going to go say hello to the pixies,” said Maya.
All happiness and excitement vanished from her face. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t say that. I don’t think they will be very happy to see me.”
I smiled warmly at her. “Who cares what they think of you. Maya and I both care about you very much. And think about Rosa, Darroth, the twins, and all the other friends you have made as well.”
She finally nodded eagerly after gnawing the hard corner off another biscuit. “You’re right. Who cares what they think, I have friends now. Besides, if they try and be mean to me, I can just blast them!”
By this time, the camp was stirring and it wasn’t good. Many of the younger students looked like they were in shock or were weeping quietly into their blankets. The older wizards were attempting to rally their spirits, but when you wake up homeless, hungry, and lying in the cold dirt of a mountainside, it isn’t easy. Some of the guards were breaking branches and sawing firewood so that food could be cooked, while others farther down the mountainside worked on digging graves.
We mounted up, the white stallion holding steady as a ship-of-the-line as I settled my weight on him. Maya already had the reins of the mare in hand and both horses seemed to be eager to get out of camp. Nia grabbed a few more crackers and tucked them under her arms before flying up to her usual perch on my armored shoulder. I didn’t bother to tell her that I had filled some of the saddlebags with extra food, water, and spare bolts for Maya’s crossbow when I brought the warhorses around. If I had thought about it, the saddlebag on the left side bulged conspicuously, but it didn’t register at the time. I wanted to be on the trail as well; the heavy weight of Alera’s words on my shoulders.
I intentionally left my helmet clipped to my belt but carried my war hammer in its sling across my back and, of course, my tower shield was cinched to the side of the saddle. Maya was in her full set, including helmet, and for the time being, Winya must have been absorbed into her wrist armor. As we passed some of the guards and a few others at the outskirts of camp, we could hear murmurs and questions already circulating about where we were going . Some people thought we were leaving them and going out on our own, but most of the seasoned veterans took stock of how lightly packed we were and decided we were on a scouting mission. I found that a positive sign as we were going to need the good will of the guards if we were going to make to Sky Raven.
Finding a thread-thin game trail, we headed down the mountain with Maya in the lead. The trail wasn’t as bad as it looked from above, and I was pretty confident that even the donkey carts could negotiate it without problem. Weeds and tall grasses moved lazily alongside the path and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. If the situation wasn’t so grim, it would have been a perfect day for a picnic with your sweetheart! The farther away from camp we travelled, the more road-like the path became, and soon I moved up beside Maya so we could travel abreast of each other. I glanced appreciatively over at the sleek armored form riding next to me. She hadn’t said a word since we passed the graves, and I could tell the losses weighed on her mind. But finally, she seemed to mentally put her pain on a shelf, and I felt a nudge from Winya to lighten the mood.
“My Lady, it wounds me that I am not allowed to see your fair countenance this fine morning!”
She snickered softly and changed the subject. “I never did get a chance to thank you properly for this beautiful armor you made for me.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you and Winya about it; is everything fitting and working right?” Instead of giving me a verbal response, her image faded from view. I could see right through her as she was riding on her horse, but her camouflage wasn’t quite perfect. You could still easily make out her outline on a sunny day like today. But I’m sure if it was night or if we were indoors, you wouldn’t be able to see her at all.
I nodded, grinning like an idiot, I’m sure. Winya has grown so much in her new form and finally seems to be enjoying her life again, and Maya is just as wonderful. Some people would become cocky or arrogant with the power that she has with Winya and now the armor, but it seems that she has simply grown more confident and decisive.
“You have no idea how proud I am of both of you. The two of you have become greater friends than I could have ever hoped,” I said.
Maya reappeared. “As a child, I was always kind of a loner. That awkward, strange child who everyone wished lived somewhere else, even if she was the chieftain’s daughter. Waking up the entire village screaming in the middle of the night didn’t help. Most of the villagers avoided me like I was a demon child. As soon as I was old enough, it was just easier to stay in the forest and train. I remember Father would try and get me to follow along when he visited the village up the river. He said there were people my own age there and a boy that would be my friend. There was no one my age in our home village, but it was just as well; I was always afraid to make friends.” She paused and absently rubbed the spot on her armor where Winya resides.
“It seemed that every time I grew friendly with someone, the next nightmare that came along would feature their animated, twisted, sickening bodies in the first wave of attackers trying to kill me. It was just safer to convince myself that I didn’t need people at all. Winya is my first real friend.” She tilted her head and added in a lower voice that I could feel deep in my chest. “Well, second real friend, but I believe you permanently fell out of the merely friend status when you kissed me at the First Day dance. Anyway, Winya and I are for sure friends, even if we do make an odd match.”
“Odd? Really? You count our relationship as only odd? I would say that a pairing like ours is unique in all the stories of man or elf!”
We all laughed and Maya went back to talking about the armor. “I still can’t get over how perfect it all is. Nia, you’re a design genius. In the battle, I purposely took a few hits to see what would happen, and I didn’t even feel the impact. And speaking of feelings, that’s the other thing; I’ve never been able to stay comfortable in armor this long without getting hot or chaffing. The leather under-padding is just as wonderful as the main suit.”
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