by D N Meinster
As Rikki aimed her staff, she was taken by surprise as an urchin rammed into the wings and loosened her grip. Another three grabbed onto the silver and pulled it away from her.
Rikki’s mouth dropped open. How were they so adept at disarming them?
More were pulling on her cloak, apparently trying to rip it off her.
Rikki tried summoning the staff back into her hand, but the urchins would not relinquish their newfound possession. More piled onto it as she tried to pull it away from them. And there were so many to pile on.
“Shift!” Rikki called out, but she realized that neither of her friends would be capable. Doren wasn’t wearing his cloak and Aros didn’t know how to use his.
The channeling crystal around Rikki’s neck lit up in a luminous white, and she held both hands out like she was aiming Bellish armor. Nearly identical beams shot out from her palms. The light slammed into the urchins around her friends and pushed them away.
She wasn’t trying to recover her staff. Instead, she carefully made her way to Doren, ceasing the beams only to help him back on his feet.
Both of them rushed over to Aros, standing him up and locking their arms with them.
The urchins seemed to be ready to assail them again, but Rikki wouldn’t give them the chance. The Cartographer and its vicious inhabitants began to fade as she shifted to someplace safer and warmer.
Chapter Seven
Disarmed
The sun was sinking below the horizon, so the beaches were already decorated with campfires on the Island of Set. The mood was more somber, for though the weather remained hospitable, there was an unmistakable chill in the air.
There were too many on the tiny island. These refugees were forced to sleep outside, as all the homes were already at capacity. There hadn’t been time to construct any new cabins, though some had attempted making huts out of palm leaves. A smattering had even been successful.
Rikki, Aros, and Doren shifted onto the occupied shores, startling the nearby refugees but otherwise going unnoticed. There were no familiar faces in the vicinity, meaning Hunner, Kula, and Clayd must have been somewhere else on the island, assuming they even made it.
The trio stood still as the newfound heat washed over them, shuddering even as their flesh thawed. None of them could quite comprehend how the frost urchins had managed to get the better of them and steal their weaponry. They had faced worse; defeated worse. Could it simply be because of their numbers? There were so many more. So many.
They couldn’t speak to each other, for they all felt like they’d let the others down. They couldn’t even meet their eyes.
“I recognize those looks.”
All three heads turned toward the fire and the man that had spoken.
He had his wooden leg pointed away from the flames, though his arm was nearly encompassed by them as he cooked his boar meat on a stick. They had never seen so much curly hair atop a man’s head nor so much jewelry hanging from a man’s ears. He had a fresh scar on his face that did not blend in well with his dark skin. And his light tunic put his brawny nature on display.
“You’ve just seen them. The urchins. And only a little blood on you. Not bad. I got this.” He tapped on his face. “And lost this.” He patted his wooden leg.
“There were so many,” Doren muttered, still wrapping his head around their loss.
“Where’d you find ‘em?” the Twilean asked.
“The Cartographer,” Rikki stated. She touched her fingers to her necklace. They’d taken an heirloom; a valuable piece of Kytheran history. She could not let them keep it.
“Their home,” the man replied. He extended an arm to an empty spot next to him. “Take a seat.”
The trio didn’t move but merely stared.
“It would be rude for you to reject my invitation.”
Rikki, Aros, and Doren moved in unison, all sitting down in the sand at the exact same time.
“You can call me M’hadder Redd,” the gentleman said, holding his hand on his chest.
“You’re not the Mayor, are you?” Aros asked, wishing that this had all been the Goddess’ intention.
“No, but I work for him. Commander of the Island Protectorate. I was supposed to rid the Islands of those pests. I failed.” For a second, it looked like he might break down in tears. But the moment passed and he resumed his conversation. “So, where are y’all from?”
They told him their names and what had originally brought them to the Islands. Then the entirety of the events of Noon and Rise spilled out from them, followed by a pronounced silence.
Aros stared at his empty hands. Though he had the skills to forge new blades, he was rather attached to the ones he already had. Not only had they served him well, but Leidess had seen him with those blades. He remembered showing them off to her shortly after he’d finished them. He couldn’t leave them in the hands of those frost urchins.
“Are you all depressed because they took your weapons?”
Doren nodded, thinking about how he’d steal the shield off of Castle Tornis’ walls and pretend to be Andrant before he actually started teaching himself with it. There may have been more enchanted shields hiding in Valiant Keep, but there was only one he’d used for most of his life.
“You should be glad they didn’t take your lives. I led a squadron of men out there when they first arrived. Thought we could be rid of them quick. Lost every single man. Every one.” M’hadder brought the boar meat up to his lips and ripped it off the stick. He went on as he chewed. “They like shiny metal. I think they make their nests out of it. That’s why they took your weapons.”
Rikki didn’t like the idea of frost urchins using her staff as part of their nest.
“Like bird nests?” Aros asked quizzically.
“Exactly like,” M’hadder answered. “They lay eggs and they grow fast. Wasn’t half as many here when they arrived.”
“They came on the ship!” Rikki exclaimed. It would’ve been helpful if Hunner had told them that earlier. They might have been more prepared for what came later.
“We didn’t know what to make of the Cartographer at first,” M’hadder said. “Only a few recognized it from history. It was eerie, I tell you. The sheer size of it. I wanted to push it back out to sea, but the more curious won out. We boarded it.” He shook his head in obvious regret. “The air was wrong as soon as we got on deck. It was colder than any weather the Islands had experienced. Should’ve turned back right then. But we went on. Searched the decks. That’s where we found them. Maybe a hundred of those urchins.”
“Is that when you saw the nests?” Aros asked, still trying to comprehend their bird-like habits.
“Nah, I saw them on my next trip. It was a rescue mission. They captured some of us and we went back to save them. That’s when this happened.” He rapped his knuckles on the wooden leg.
Doren stared at the leg, but his thoughts wandered back to his missing shield. “We have to go back,” he murmured.
“Guess you don’t have a choice if you’re looking for the Mayor,” M’hadder replied.
“Why would the Mayor go there?” Rikki inquired.
“He didn’t go there intentionally. He was trying to find the Key, like you.”
Aros squinted in confusion at their host. “Why?”
“Legend says it’s the most brilliant and dazzling object in our possession, which is why it had to be buried. He thought if he could find and send it out to sea, the urchins would follow.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea if it were true,” Aros replied, rolling up his cloak and showing off the Keys on his waist. “They’re silver, but they certainly don’t dazzle.”
“That’s a shame,” M’hadder said as he scrutinized them.
“M’hadder, you rude jerk,” a woman with a misty voice stated as she approached. “How long have those guests been sitting with you and you have yet to offer food.”
“Can’t help butting in, can you Eloise?” M’hadder grumbled.
Elo
ise handed out sticks lined with cut-up fish bits to Aros, Doren, and Rikki before sitting at M’hadder’s side. She had perfectly shaped hair and a twinkle in her eyes. And though she was older than any in the trio, it could only be by a few years. Her clothes seemed to have been torn to purposely display her arms and midriff, though she would inevitably regret such a choice if the creatures ever neared.
As the trio munched on their meal, M’hadder gave her a brief overview of their story.
“Oh, so you’re from Kytheras, like Hatswick.”
They each froze midchew and stared at her.
“You’ve seen Hatswick?” Aros asked despite his stuffed mouth.
“He visited the Mayor several seasons ago,” Eloise said. “He was our only guest until the frost urchins came.”
Rikki swallowed her food. “What did he want?” she asked as if she didn’t already know.
“I believe he was looking to trade with us,” Eloise said. “But he and my father could never come to terms.”
“Your father?” Doren asked.
“She’s the Mayor’s daughter,” M’hadder informed them. “Eloise Kellig.”
“It’s probably why I know how to treat guests,” she shot at him.
M’hadder grunted.
“I’m sorry you three will have to sleep near this goon. We don’t have any other accommodations.”
Rikki thought back to the manor on Noon. Though it might be more comfortable than sleeping on sand, it was definitely not as safe.
“Try not to snore so loud.” Eloise headed back to her own camp.
“Excuse me,” M’hadder said, pushing himself up and following after her.
“Do you think they used to date?” Aros asked.
Doren and Rikki incredulously stared at their friend. They weren’t eager to discuss the dating life of their Twilean hosts. Instead, they had another topic to bring up.
“How did we lose?” they shouted at almost the exact same time. Both fell back into the sand, staring up into the dark sky and wondering what they could’ve done differently.
Aros leaned over the two. “It’s simple. There were too many of them.”
“I’m a mage,” Rikki groaned. “That shouldn’t matter.”
Doren took his girlfriend’s hand and squeezed it tight. “We underestimated what we were getting ourselves into.”
“Magic can’t solve everything,” Aros went on. “But we can go back.”
Rikki’s eyed locked onto Aros. “Any word from Magenine?” Was the Goddess as disappointed in them as she was in herself?
“None,” Aros stated.
“Do you want Her to berate you?” Doren asked.
“I want Her to come here and help us,” Rikki whined. “She expects so much of us, but She’s the Goddess. She should be able to take care of these urchins. She should even be able to stop Neanthal.”
“I don’t think She can,” Aros said, dropping his back into the sand to lie next to them.
Rikki knew Magenine wasn’t going to suddenly come out of Her Bastion and fight by their side. She didn’t need to, as part of Her resided in Rikki. But having those creatures get the better of her made her feel weak, and she hated that.
“I keep losing,” Rikki said. “I lost to Hatswick. I lost to the urchins. I’m the Grand Mage. I’m Amelia’s heir. I’m an embarrassment.”
Doren tugged on her arm. “And I’m Aergo’s heir and the Prince. These titles are meaningless.”
“I’d like a title,” Aros muttered.
Doren ignored the comment. “They don’t define us.”
“Losing defines us,” Rikki replied.
Aros jingled the Keys on his waist. “It’s still three Keys to one. And we will go back and get our weapons and Key number five.”
“You three sleeping already?” M’hadder asked as he ambled back to them. “Not a bad idea.” Within minutes, they could hear him snoring.
“Tomorrow,” Rikki whispered. She was not confident she could win, but she was certain she could not avoid her responsibility. “We go back tomorrow.”
Chapter Eight
Practice Session
The commotion of waking Twileans dragged Rikki out from her slumber. They arose with the dawn, while Rikki would have enjoyed a few more hours of sleep.
She turned her head one way and saw Aros still asleep. That didn’t surprise her. However, when she saw Doren still dozing, she was fairly shocked.
Rikki pulled her hand from Doren’s and pushed herself up from the sand. Her back was stiff and her hand cramped, so she carefully stretched before getting back up.
“My snoring didn’t keep you up?” M’hadder asked, sipping the milk from a cracked coconut.
Rikki shook her head.
“Then I won my bet with Eloise.”
“Is there any open space left on this island?” Rikki asked. “I need to practice something, and it’s better if there’s no one around.”
“Beaches are full, but you might find some space inland,” M’hadder suggested.
“Thanks,” Rikki said, and she headed away from the shore and towards the rows of palm trees.
Her head was clearer than it’d been the day before, and she was more determined to get back her staff and free the Twilight Islands of the urchins. She wasn’t about to spend the rest of her days sulking. She had work to do.
The Isle of Set was truly packed, as there were Twileans everywhere, leaning against trees or fixing up their crude huts. Rikki had to be careful where she stepped, as some had even partially buried themselves in the sand as they slept.
Finally, she found a small patch within some brush that was unoccupied. It wouldn’t do for later, but for what she wanted to attempt now, it was perfect.
Rikki took a deep breath and the channeling crystal around her neck came to life. She held out a hand and pictured what she wanted to create. She’d only made it twice before, but she knew she was capable.
A sheet of glass seemed to emerge from her fingers and grow in the air in front of her. It was but a diminutive disc at first, but it widened until it was almost the size of Doren’s shield.
“What are you doing, mage?”
The barrier disappeared immediately.
Rikki scowled and turned to the intruder. Eloise had apparently followed her inland.
“I’m trying to summon a barrier from the ether,” she answered. “It’s not easy magic.”
“If I can interrupt it, then the urchins unquestionably will,” Eloise replied.
Eloise was completely correct, but Rikki didn’t say it. Instead, she said, “That’s why I need practice.”
“I’d be glad to assist.”
Rikki would need to test the strength of her barriers, but she actually had to create one first. “If you’d like to wait.”
“There isn’t much to do these days.” Eloise’s gesture begged Rikki to proceed.
Rikki gave a single nod and then returned her focus to barrier creation. She held out her hand once again and willed a nearly invisible shield to life. Her arm shook as the barrier expanded, growing larger until it encompassed her entire front side. She dropped her hand and the barrier stayed in place.
“I need to be faster,” Rikki sighed.
“Well, I’m impressed,” Eloise responded.
With a wave of her hand, Rikki disappeared the barrier and started again. And she did this over and over.
Eloise stood by, witnessing Rikki’s improving skill as each subsequent barrier came to form more rapidly than the last. Sometimes she had to bend her neck to see them, as they were only visible if the sunlight hit them at the perfect angle.
It was only after an hour that Rikki was satisfied with the speed of her barrier creation. She could hold her hand out and almost instantaneously create one that covered her entire torso. That would be suitable for now.
“Still there?” Rikki asked as she noticed Eloise had not left.
“I’ve been here the whole time,” she answered. “Watching your magi
c is very fascinating. Our mage is young and can barely light a fire himself.”
“How often is a mage born on your islands?”
“We usually get one or two a generation,” Eloise replied.
“That’s about what we get in Kytheras,” Rikki replied. She and Milo had been the only mages born in recent decades. She missed the boy and thinking of him brought out a renewed fury toward Hatswick. “I’m the last mage from there, now. The only other is a sin mage.”
“What is that?” Eloise asked.
“A mage that serves Neanthal. One who would turn against the very Goddess that gave them their abilities.”
“I have to admit that we are not too into ancient history on our islands,” Eloise said. “Few even know the names of the other kingdoms.”
Rikki didn’t want to insult her by expressing disapproval of their lack of education, so she changed the subject. “Ready to help?” A short stream of water shot out of the channeling crystal and into the nearby sand.
Eloise seemed to understand right away, shoving her hand into the wet sand and picking up a clump.
“When I say.” Rikki raised her hand into position. “Go!”
Eloise tossed the ball of sand at Rikki.
The barrier came to fruition right away, and the wet sand splattered on it without touching Rikki.
“Excellent,” Rikki said.
“Let’s test your speed,” Eloise challenged her.
A lump of sand was already on its way to Rikki before she could raise an arm. It smacked into her shoulder and slid down her cloak.
Rikki didn’t disguise her annoyed look.
“The urchins won’t wait,” Eloise reminded her, and she sent another batch of wet sand flying.
Rikki was able to summon a barrier in time to take the hit. But then another chunk came at her. And another.
Barriers of different sizes appeared and disappeared as they served their purpose, each blocking the wet sand that Eloise evidently enjoyed throwing at her. The tosses came high and low, and even at different angles. With every one, Rikki reached toward it and conjured a barrier into its path. It appeared as if the balls of sand were exploding all around her as they made contact.
