by Eric Vall
Layla nodded and watched silently as Gawain made a face while being ushered out of the room forcefully by Orenn. When she and I were alone again, she turned back to me.
“Who’s Doc?” she questioned as she scrunched her nose.
I laughed and idly pulled apart some of the larger knots in her hair. “He’s the healer who travels with Ashla and the rest of the Wild Reds. His real name is Reyj, but everyone just calls him Doc.”
“You’ve spent a lot of time with them recently, huh?” Layla smiled, but it was small and distant.
“What gives you that impression?” I asked her curiously.
She shrugged a little. “You and Gawain are on a first name basis with the healer.”
“It’s been one crazy journey so far,” I snorted.
I went on to tell her about everything Gawain and I had learned, from our fight with Penny in the wilds and our time in Tietra to the rifts in the thicket and the desert and the nights we spent in Wildren.
Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head as she giggled softly. “You really did have a crazy adventure.”
I smiled and was about to respond when the door opened again. Ashla and Doc came in, but neither Orenn nor Gawain followed. Maybe they’d gone to get things to make breakfast. Me, I wanted bacon.
“You are awake!” Doc smiled brightly at Layla as he took the seat Orenn was in. “I’m Doc. I’m an alchemist, but I’m mostly a healer.”
“Layla Bethel,” she introduced herself quietly.
Doc set a small bag on the bed in front of him and pulled out a smaller bag of what appeared to be crushed herbs laced with silver. When he opened it, the smell immediately permeated the room. It was a pleasant scent, though, like what I would imagine flowers on the beach smelled like mixed with the scent of fresh air. He dabbed a little bit of it on his finger, then pulled a small vial from his pocket.
At first glance, there didn’t appear to be anything inside of it, but once he scraped the herbs into the glass from his finger, the vial turned bright, almost neon green. He swirled it exactly two times, then handed it to Layla.
“This is called Petal. Don’t ask me what the actual name of it is because it is too long and you’ll forget it in twenty seconds anyway,” Doc chuckled.
Layla snorted at that. It was nice to see her be able to let go of some of the tension she had built up inside of her as she opened up to new people.
“Okay, but what does it do?” she asked curiously as she turned the bottle over in her hand. “Looks like poison, if you ask me.”
Doc shook his head, amused. “You aren’t wrong, but no, it isn’t poison. It’s an elixir to replenish your mana and help with the exhaustion. It isn’t much different from something you would find in the Varle medicine cabinet, but the ingredients are a little more potent.”
“How do you know what’s in Varle’s medicine cabinet?” I questioned with interest.
“I don’t,” Doc answered, “but I know what medicines and ingredients are considered commercial and safe to keep in store for any mage who might need it.”
Layla and I glanced warily at one another, and Ashla stifled a laugh in the back of her hand.
“It’s perfectly legal,” she explained. “It just isn’t a concoction that’s regulated by the council for widespread use because of how potent it is. A small vial like this isn’t going to do any harm.”
Layla gave it another skeptical glance before she shrugged and tipped the vial to her lips. The liquid drained down her throat, and she coughed as the taste settled on her tongue.
“It tastes like a fart,” she managed between gags.
“Yes, well, if I had told you that, you wouldn’t have taken it would you?” Doc gave her a smug look.
Layla glared back as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. She knew he was right.
“It’ll take about an hour for the effects to kick in, but once they do, you’ll feel three times better than you do now,” Doc told her. “In the meantime, we should find you something to eat. I don’t think there is anything left in the kitchenette, so we’ll have to find you something from the lobby. I’m sure there’s some toast at the very least.”
Layla nodded and took her time scooting off the bed. She wobbled on her feet, but she was able to regain her balance pretty quickly, and Doc helped her out of the room.
“We’ll be right back,” he called to us as they left, and Layla waved to us over her shoulder. She already looked better than she had only moments ago. So much for having to wait an hour.
I turned my attention back to Ashla, whose smile had fallen when Doc left the room. She stared blankly at the door, and I wondered what was going through her mind.
“Did you come to a decision?” I asked gently. I didn’t want to prod if she wasn’t ready, but there needed to be a decision made soon or else we risked a bigger confrontation within the group than what we needed. I said ‘we,’ but I wasn’t really a part of the Wild Reds. I was more of an associate at best, alongside Gawain, but the decision to cut ties with Karn and Joshua and pursue the ciphers or give up on her research affected us as well.
It was strange how our paths had become intertwined, and here I thought she would only be a drinking buddy whenever she and the rest of the crew were in town.
“I have,” she replied after a moment.
I waited for her to continue, but she didn’t. Instead, she remained silent and refused to meet my gaze.
“Look, Ashla,” I started cautiously, “if this is about last night … ”
“It is not,” she cut me off quickly, and I sank back a little into the bed. “I’m sorry. It isn’t about last night. That was great. I just need to work up the courage to tell them all I’ve made this decision.”
I nodded. “So does that mean … ?”
I was cut off again by the ear-splitting sound of people screeching outside, and Ashla and I rushed to the window. The view wasn’t stellar. In fact, it was probably one of the worst views we could have to see what was happening in the streets, but there were more than enough context clues to put two and two together.
The people of Balvaan flooded the streets. They abandoned their wares, shopping, everything but their most prized possessions, and ran inland. Many of the people who ran past had plugged their noses, though whether it was to keep from smelling something or to hold their breath from an impending wave crashing down on them was yet to be determined.
“There’s a rift just on the other side of the tavern in the ocean,” Orenn yelled as he burst through the door with Gawain in tow.
“What do you want to do?” Gawain asked me, and I was shocked that he was allowing me to lead this, even though leadership wasn’t something I ever asked for.
I wasn’t going to complain though. It meant he was less likely to argue.
I thought for a brief moment before I turned to Ashla.
“Get the Wild Reds together and get into the rift as fast as you can,” I told her as I moved about the room to grab my battle gear.
“What about you?” she asked and stepped closer to me as I pulled on my cloak.
“We’re going in, too,” I told her firmly. “Nia was sucked into a rift, much like Gawain had been, so if there’s a chance Nia is inside there, we can’t afford not to look for her.” I looked to Gawain and Orenn for backup, and both of them nodded with equal conviction.
“What about Layla?” she asked again, and again, I had an answer.
“She’s coming with us,” I replied. “She might not be at full strength, but she’s a great ally, and I’m not going to leave her here without anyone to look out for her.”
Ashla nodded, then leaned close to me. Her lips touched my cheek in a soft kiss, and time seemed to halt for just that short, fleeting moment.
“See you on the other side,” she whispered in my ear, and then she was gone through the door to prepare for battle herself.
I turned my attention back to Orenn and Gawain, who were putting the final touches on th
eir battle gear. I didn’t know what we were about to walk into, but we knew we could face it and overcome it. We always did.
“Gryff!” Layla came through the door then, panic in her eyes. “We have to go!”
“We are,” I assured her, “and you’re coming with us.”
I looked expectantly at Orenn and Gawain to vacate the room so Layla could change in private, and though they were both a little slow on the uptake, they did eventually hustle out.
“We’ll meet you out there,” Orenn declared before he shut the door.
As soon as he did, I turned my attention back to Layla, who had already discarded my shirt to the side and searched through the pile of her clothes topless. I resisted the snort of amusement given the situation and averted my eyes again.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked her seriously. “You’re hardly able to consider yourself recovered.”
“I have to be ready for this, Gryffie,” she answered in a chipper tone. “This is what mages do, remember? We fight for what we love, what we believe in, and if there is any chance that getting back into the rift will lead us to Nia, then I’m going.”
I smiled as I stared at the ceiling. “You’ve changed a lot, Layla.”
“I guess I have you to blame for that,” she chirped back. “Now, come on. We have people to save and monsters to destroy.”
Layla’s hands reached up to cup my face, and she dragged me down for a hard kiss. She barely left me a moment to revel in it, however, and she was out the door before I could even manage to sputter her name.
I shook my head and smacked my cheeks to get myself focused again. After a quick double check that I had everything I needed, I ran after her and out into the streets of Balvaan.
I didn’t know what I expected to see when I got there. Maybe fires, people fleeing from monsters, the usual scene that accompanied a rift opening in a populated area. What greeted me, though, I couldn’t have prepared myself for.
There were indeed people fleeing, and rightfully so. There were no fires which was a relief, but after I saw what had replaced them, the flames might have been preferred. Water rushed the streets and burst through the windows and doors of the homes and establishments along the pier. The tavern, or what was left of it, was completely overrun by fish monsters that stood about as tall as Layla. They were bright green and yellow, not unlike the color of the Petal she had just drunk, and there were sparks of electricity coming from their eyes. I assumed that was where the rift gate had opened up if the smoke and smell of death were any indications.
It didn’t take long to realize the kind of damage something like that could do. I observed in horror as the fish monster walked human-like on its tailfin then dipped its head into the water. Anyone who was within a five-foot radius of it was electrocuted, and the screams of agony from men, women, and children were the most nauseating sound I’d ever heard. They dropped into the water as it rushed by like rapids in a river and then were washed away.
“Jettas,” Orenn muttered. His fists were balled so tightly his knuckles were white, and I thought he would draw blood from his palm with how deep his nails dug into his skin.
“You’ve seen them before?” I asked.
Orenn was quiet. He didn’t offer any more information, so I let it go. It was obvious he had a run in with some at one point. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so worked up. Besides, it was his business, and he had the right to share it or not.
“This is sickening,” Gawain growled. “We have to do something!”
“What about Nia?” Layla protested. “We can’t just give up our chance of rescuing her!”
“We don’t even know if going back into the Shadowscape is going to do anything!” Gawain argued. “Besides, that’s like saying the life of one girl is more important than the lives of all of these people!”
Layla growled, her eyes furious, and that was how I knew she was feeling herself again. That Petal concoction really did wonders. I’d have to ask Doc to teach me how to make it so I had a supply of it.
“Enough!” Orenn interjected, and both Layla and Gawain looked their separate ways. “I’m staying here.”
My ears perked up as the words left his mouth, and I whirled toward him. “You’re what?”
“This is my home, Gryff!” Orenn reasoned. “I can’t just leave it like this. My family is here.”
I faltered. I had hoped to have the extra muscle with us when we went into the Shadowscape, but I could only imagine how he was feeling. I didn’t have a home, per se, unless I counted Varle, but I understood the need to protect the things and people I loved, as Layla had reminded me only moments before.
“Good luck.” I nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll see you when we get back.”
Orenn’s hand landed on my opposite shoulder and he nodded as well. “Be safe, Gryff. Find Nia and bring her home.”
We dropped our arms, and Orenn disappeared into the fray to help anyone he could.
Then it was time to go.
The question was how were we supposed to get across this? I wracked my brain, and I finally came up with a solution. I summoned my speed slugs and attached one to Layla’s back, and the other to Gawain’s. He made an utterly disgusted face at that.
“Run across and try not to get swept away,” I told them. “They should give you enough of a speed boost that you’ll actually be able to cut a path through the water for a brief second.”
“What about you?” Layla asked, concerned.
“As soon as you’re across, I’ll recall them, and attach one to me,” I told her confidently. “It’s simple.”
She remained skeptical but nodded to Gawain. With a flash, they were both across, and I recalled my speed slugs once they were stable on their feet. I summoned one again and then reattached it to myself so I could join them. When I was across, I put my speed slug away for good, and the three of us sought higher ground on top of the bar.
Splintered chairs, broken bottles, and all kinds of debris floated about the waters that poured into the tavern from the rift, and the jettas surrounded us. I had my hand on my crystals, ready to throw down my newly acquired roosa if I needed to. Layla and Gawain were also at the ready, and we watched them carefully as we devised a plan of action.
“We have to find a way in!” I yelled over the rush of water.
“Hope you’re a strong swimmer,” Gawain joked, and I almost laughed. I probably would have if the situation hadn’t been so dire.
“What are we going to do about these guys?” Layla asked apprehensively. I couldn’t blame her. Electrocution was not on the top of my list of ways that I wanted to exit this world.
I tossed Gawain a look. “What do you think? You seem to be the one who believes not all monsters are necessarily hostile.”
Layla’s face was priceless as she whirled to face him. “Are you out of your Maker given mind, you slimy ass turd? In case you missed the memo, they want to make us into an all course meal that serves millions!”
Gawain scoffed and rolled his eyes before he looked around her. “I think we find a way to keep them from getting out of here so they can’t cause any more damage while we find a way to get into the Shadowscape to save Nia.”
“Right,” I leveled, “but how? Ideas would be great right about now!”
“I can help with that,” Ashla’s voice came from on top of the half-blown-out roof.
All of our heads shot up to watch as she clapped her hands, then gripped her axe tightly. Ice covered the large blade, and I felt the chill of her magic in use as she leapt from the ceiling and hurtled toward the water. She swung her blade down, and a thick sheet of ice formed over the water’s surface. Where there was water on the walls, there was now ice that kept the jettas frozen stiff in place. Beneath us, the jettas that hadn’t been frozen over were trapped, and they rammed the sheet of ice with all of their might, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Follow me,” she instructed. “This ice wall isn’t going to hold forever. E
ventually, the water that’s gushing from the rift gate will put enough pressure on it to rupture. It’s a temporary fix, but it’ll give us just enough time.”
I nodded, and we climbed up to what remained of the roof of the tavern. All up and down the strip was chaos, and I gritted my teeth knowing that once all of the debris was cleared, the mortality rate would skyrocket. A feeling of foreboding loomed over us, even as the rest of the Wild Reds joined us on the roof.
“We have to get in there, Ashla,” Drew panted and sheathed his kukri at his side. “We’re out of time.”
“We can’t just leave them to fend for themselves, Drew,” Karn argued. “We have to help them. Their military is useless in this situation.”
“Let’s split up,” Zyg suggested. “Half of us stay here, the rest of us go into the rift and close it. It’s the only way we can do both.”
“He’s right, but that splits our manpower,” Doc interjected. “Ashla, you’re best suited for a scenario like this. Your ice magic is effective against all of these jettas.”
Ashla growled in frustration and ran a hand over her braids as she paced back and forth between the same three feet of space.
“Drew is going to lead this mission while I stay in Balvaan,” she declared finally. “Zyg and Doc, you’re with me.”
“That leaves only Drew on the vanguard,” Karn pointed out, and Joshua nodded.
“Don’t think I can handle it?” Drew bristled defensively.
Karn shook his head. “You bet your ass you can’t!”
“I’ll stay on the vanguard with him!” Layla’s voice cut through the arguments.
Everyone turned to stare at her, including Gawain and me. There was a determined fire that burned in her hazel eyes, and her jaw was set firmly. I knew at that moment there would be nothing anyone could say to change her mind.
“She’s a valuable asset,” I told Drew. “She’s an excellent summoner and quick on her feet.”
“You’ve got spunk, kid.” Drew smirked and gave Layla a once over. “I like it.”
Layla grinned and put her hands on her hips. “Then what are we waiting for. Let’s get in there and kick some monster ass!”
