Kayleb’s eyes widened and he looked at Alicia, almost as if seeing her for the first time since his escape. Raising his arms, he brought them down again with a furious jerk, screaming out an incantation. The earth that was slipping down rose up again so fast that the succubus didn’t have time to slip back down. The edge of the tunnel cut her body in half, the expression on her face frozen in a grotesque snarl.
Alicia and Kayleb stumbled off the black circle that marked the pit that once was, the mutilated body of the succubus that lay on it the only reminder that this was moments ago the entrance to their deadly lair. Kayleb swayed on his feet. Alicia grabbed him around the waist and half led, half carried him to the rock behind which she had left her supplies.
As soon as they reached her hiding place, he fell on the ground, unconscious. Alicia checked his breathing. He was alive but barely so. She dragged him to her blanket and covered him with her spare cloak. That much effort exhausted her. For a while she rested, breathing in the cool, fresh air.
The mare nickered softly, almost inquiringly. “I’ll be fine,” she assured the animal.
She had remained in the cavern for a long time. On the far eastern horizon, a pale, thin slice of orange light streaked across the sky. Soon it would be dawn. This close to the warren of the succubi, she dared not rest for long. What if there were other openings into their tunnels nearby and they came out to look for Kayleb?
Dragging herself up, she used a clean cloth and towel to wipe the mud off her hands and face. She then used another piece of cloth to clean Kayleb as best as she could. Despite her ministering, he didn’t wake up from his deep slumber. From one of the pouches that hung on her belt, she took out two blood-red pellets. After mixing them in water she spooned the mixture into his mouth, taking care that not a single drop dripped out.
Before the potion was finished, he opened his eyes. Seeing her he slithered backwards, his hands moving, an incantation almost on his lips.
“Don’t,” she said in a sharp tone. “I’m not a succubus.”
“You aren’t…” He looked around wildly.
She offered him the cup she held in her hands. “You are safe. Here, drink this. It’s the lillybis potion. It will help you.”
After a brief pause, he took the cup. After gazing down at the mixture, and ascertaining her claim that it was indeed a healing potion, he drank it. He handed the cup back to her. “Who are you? Why did you save me?”
“My name is Alicia.” Uncovering the now cold pot of stew, she handed it to him along with a wooden spoon. “Eat quickly. We need to get out of this place before…anyone comes to look for you.”
While he ate and watched her, she gathered all her belongings and fed the mare. The sky to the east was now awash in a glorious fusion of colors. A cold wind blew through the rocks.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” he said, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.
“I’m not hungry,” she muttered as she wrapped the blanket in an oilskin cloth and tied it to the saddle of the mare.
He finished the stew, and used some water to wash the pot. Alicia packed it along with the rest of her things, and hung her pack on the mare.
Without exchanging another word, they walked out from their hiding place. Alicia held the mare’s reins and led her through the rocks and boulders.
Worries plagued her. Kayleb wouldn’t be able to walk for long; they needed another horse. The effects of the lillybis potion wouldn’t last forever. Soon his exhaustion would return. What he endured and lived through was enough to kill an ordinary man. It was probably his strength of will that allowed him to stay alive long enough for her to rescue him. Soon, however, his body would succumb. Before he did so they needed a secure place to hide and to rest. It had to be a place where the succubi could not find them, and where they would also be safe from prying eyes and Vindha’s spies who were sure to haunt this land, always looking for intruders and troublemakers.
Trackers were probably already on her trail, and it wouldn’t take them long to find her. Still it wasn’t something she could afford to worry about overmuch. It was bound to happen, and she would have to handle it one way or the other.
-----------------
Nine leagues away, Mage Josephine waved her hands as she muttered an incantation. The bowl of clear water placed in front of her turned milky white. It changed colors until she was able to peer into its depths and see the subject of her scrying.
“Hail, my lord and Emperor of the world!” she said, bowing.
The emperor was seated on his throne, robed in a splendid crimson robe, a gem-encrusted, gold crown on his head. While he dressed simple in battle, he usually wore clothes worthy of his status on other days. He was inside his tent. Two of the demon mages stood behind him, their faces hidden in the cowls of their robes. “Josephine? Is there anything new to report?”
“You were right, as always, my lord,” she said. “We found evidence that four mages landed on the beach right where you said they would. Princess Alicia was amongst them. However, they all separated soon after.”
King Vindha raised his eyebrows. “Separated? I wasn’t informed of this by my spy at the island.”
Josephine resisted the urge to shift on her feet. King Vindha’s ire was famous, and she didn’t want to bear the brunt of his anger. “Two of them went east, and the other two…”
He leaned forward. “Yes?”
“The other two separated also. One of them we believe has gone towards the keep of ameers.”
“The keep of ameers?” King Vindha tapped his ringed fingers on the throne. “Hmmm. I do believe I neglected to take into account the ameers for far too long. They should have been dealt with earlier. But my legion is on the move, and should reach the keep soon. They have the potential to be wonderful allies…or perhaps, provide us with more bodies for the elite durkha force.”
Josephine gulped. “Yes, my lord.”
“What about Princess Alicia?”
“I am tracking her, my lord,” she said. “The princess seems to have gone into the forest of dryads. I am circling it because I can’t get inside.”
“The dryads?” The king frowned. “Have they decided to ally themselves with King Seve?”
“I saw no evidence of any movement in the forest. The dryads have never associated themselves in any political affairs before. I doubt they would do so now. Even if Princess Alicia talked to them, I don’t think they would change their centuries’ old traditions for her,” she said.
King Vindha rubbed his jaw. “Let’s hope you are right, Josephine. I wouldn’t want to teach the dryads a lesson they would never forget.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And Josephine, I am going to send two of my elite officers to you. Use them to track Alicia. I want her, dead or alive. With her double talent of elements, she would make a wonderful solider in my army.”
Josephine barely suppressed a shudder. The king’s elite officers were always the durkhas. She didn’t like them. It wasn’t natural for a mage to come back from the dead. It wasn’t something one told the king though. No matter that he was displeased with the demon mage who allowed Princess Zo to escape his clutches after she killed his son, the king was relying more and more on these deadly mages, each one of them more than a match for a small army. “Where should I meet them, my lord?”
“You keep tracking her. They will find you.”
“What about the other mages who came ashore with Princess Alicia?”
“Split your team. Send a few of your people after the others, but you stay on Alicia’s toes. I want her. She is the prize. It would be a blow to her brother to discover his sister as one of my elite soldiers.”
She couldn’t suppress a shudder. “Yes, my lord.”
“And Josephine, remember that I don’t like failures.”
She bowed her head. “Yes, my lord.”
He cut the connection with a gesture of his hand. Josephine sighed, realizing that she had been holding her breath a
ll this time. The arrival of the durkhas wasn’t pleasant news. It was now up to her to divide her people, and send them after the various targets.
She would track Alicia. As the king had so eloquently pointed out, he didn’t like failures, and she didn’t want to be the one to bring him any bad news.
From now, until she was caught, Princess Alicia would occupy Josephine’s every thought.
Chapter Six
Jace Arwal was a man of few words, and deep thoughts. Princess Alicia’s edict stung him even as he did her bidding. Why had she not told her siblings about her plan? Clearly she intended to do something she believed they wouldn’t approve of. Should he scry King Seve and tell him about this new development? Leaving the princess alone wasn’t a good idea; and yet he couldn’t help but believe that she knew what she was doing. If he scryed the king, he risked being discovered by the spies and trackers of King Vindha who roamed the land, looking for signs of unofficial magical activity.
He was careful to cover his tracks, either by magic or by stealth. It had been four nights since he parted from the princess. He never made any fire to cook food, preferring to eat his supplies that were dwindling fast or gather fruits and berries that came his way. Out of caution, he didn’t venture into any of the villages, and instead skirted around them whenever he came across one. In this war-torn area, travelers were few and easily stood out. Hence he had made every effort to not draw any attention.
The gelding he purchased was old and slow, but there was little choice as he was unable to find good horses in the market place. Vindha’s men already took the best of the lot. His goal was to reach the keep as fast as possible, and then hurry back to Iram to inform King Seve about Alicia’s deception. There was little hope that the mages inside the keep would want to join Iram, but Princess Alicia was right, if they didn’t make an attempt, Vindha would surely do so. And he wouldn’t give the ameers much of a choice.
Traveling through the wooded area, dotted with ash and oak trees, he was making good time. It was near midnight of the fourth day when he finally stopped. Jace tightened the rope that tethered his gelding to the trunk of an ash tree. After feeding, watering and grooming his mount, he wolfed down a piece of bread and the last lump of hard, yellowing cheese.
Although, he would have liked to set up a few spells that would trigger an alarm if anyone came close, he refrained from doing so. Traces of magic would linger in the area for a long time, and if anyone was tracking him, it would give them an opportunity to confirm that he had indeed passed through here. He bedded down for the night, falling into a deep, exhausting sleep, punctured by shadowy dreams and worrying thoughts.
The eastern horizon was just morphing into a bright kaleidoscope of colors when he awoke. Jace sat slowly, his movements careful and deliberate, for sitting on the grass that was still wet from morning dew, was a young girl. She sat cross-legged, wearing a shimmery green dress, made of some strange material that he couldn't quite identify. Her hair, long and thick, was a beautiful shade of auburn.
Perhaps it was a trick of the sunlight that was gradually trickling in through the dense canopy of the tree, or maybe it was just his imagination but the girl appeared to be glowing with a luminous, soft light. No more than thirteen, she was petite even for that age.
He blinked his eyes. “Who are you?”
Dimples appeared on her cheeks as she smiled. “You have to turn back and take the other road. Go to Unji.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Someone needs your help, and you need him,” she said, still smiling.
“Look, child! I don’t know what you are talking about? Where do you live? Are your parents around?”
“My family doesn’t want me to meddle,” she said. “But if I don’t, then all may be lost. My brothers don’t understand the significance of all that’s happening. This world will change. He will change it.”
Jace squinted. The glowing shimmer around the girl seemed to be intensifying. It was hard to look at her. “I don’t understand…” For a moment he looked away.
“Don’t forget. Go to Unji,” she said. And then she was gone.
“What?” Jace stood.
There was no one nearby. He was all alone. Had he been hallucinating? Was she the product of his overactive imagination and exhausted brain? He took a few steps forward, and there, right where he had imagined her, grew three pale, pink roses. He was fairly sure they hadn’t been there when he had gone to sleep. Bending down, he touched a rose, his finger gently brushing over its delicate petals. The flowers were real, as was the heady fragrance they released. If the roses were real, had the child been real too?
Who was she? A dryad? Dryads didn’t just disappear. They also didn’t talk to strangers. He recalled the strange words she uttered. Did she really mean it? And why should he follow her instructions?
Nothing made sense.
And yet the experience left him craving for more; he wanted to see her again, talk to her, and listen to her. Whatever and whoever she was, he was sure she wasn’t evil. She didn’t mean him any harm. Jace believed in magic. He also believed in prophecies, signs, and omens. He would do as she asked.
After consulting the map he’d borrowed from Zima, he fed his horse and washed and bundled his supplies. He headed back. The crossroads he intended to find were a mere league away. Near mid-afternoon, Jace turned into the road that lead to Unji. It was more of a lane than a road. He’d missed seeing it before because it was choked with bushes and weeds. Probably led to a village that was now deserted, he remembered thinking. His gelding trotted keenly while Jace kept an eye open for any sign of his early morning visitor, or her kind. He recalled the soft sweetness of her face, the way the light bounced over her sun-drenched hair and the shimmer that appeared to envelop her body. She had appeared familiar. Did he know her from before?
Jace pulled his horse to a stop right next to a small mud pond. Peeking out from behind the last few trees, he could make out the thatched roofs of the mud huts that constituted the heart of the village. No smoke wafted from any cooking fire, no chickens squawked, and there wasn’t a single child running around this time of the day. In fact not a soul moved in the village. What had happened here? Likely a raid by mages at least a year ago. Those left behind must have moved out of the area.
Why was he then directed to come here?
Maybe there was someone hiding inside one of the huts? After getting off his horse, Jace tied the animal to a tree and went inside the village on foot. He found a mother duck with young ducklings living inside an old, broken coup and two goats munching on grass on the far side of the village. Despite a thorough search, he found no evidence of human life. The village wasn’t inhabited, and hadn’t been for a long time. Jace noticed a blacksmith’s workshop, its furnace that once must have issued clouds of smoke now cold and silent. A potter’s wheel lay broken against one wall while three perfectly made pots sat next to it.
Not so long ago this village would have been full of people, children might have run on these dirty lanes chasing their pets, and women would have exchanged gossip and news while traveling to the nearest stream to get water. Now it was only a sad, empty set of houses that reminded him fiercely of the devastation that was wrecked by Vindha’s army.
He sighed. This had been a useless trip. He was wasting time. He needed to move on. As Jace reached his horse, he heard a faint rustle in the bushes behind him.
He turned, and stepped away as a huge, grizzled man swung a machete at his head. “What are you…?” Jace raised his hands, his fingers moved in an intricate pattern and he wove a spell—but before he could unleash it, the man fell at his feet, the machete falling from his hand with a loud clatter.
For a moment Jace stood motionless, his fingertips burning with the need to release the spell. When the man didn’t move, Jace quenched the spell and bent to take a look. His adversary was unconscious, his breathing labored. He was of tribal descent, his wide open face and squat nose indicating that he was
from one of the Mahapuri clans, a tribe who members were typically docile and hardworking.
The man’s skin was bathed in sweat. His hair and beard was matted with streaks of mud as if he had slept on the ground for days on end. Jace touched his forehead gingerly. He was burning with fever, probably with some kind of infection.
“What now?” Jace threw his hands up in the air. What was he supposed to do? Leave the man to die, or waste time administering to him. In the end, his conscious wouldn’t allow him to abandon the man.
After lighting a small fire, Jace heated a pot of water. Taking out some molted green, round hard pellets from a pouch that hung on his belt, he mixed them in the water and watched the liquid as it bubbled. The water evaporated until there was a thick green paste left at the bottom of the pot. After scooping it out with a wooden spoon, he pulled open the man’s mouth and inserted the medicine inside.
Within a few moments his patient’s breathing improved and the fever began to abate. That day and night, Jace spent time ministering to the man. Twice more he gave the same medicine, and spooned drops of soup in his throat. The next morning, the man groaned, and moved in his sleep.
His fever was gone, and the color of his skin was markedly better. He would now survive. Not wanting any more trouble, Jace gathered his supplies. He banked the fire and left the area. He’d done everything possible to save the man. Despite his intense curiosity, Jace couldn’t hang round to find out why he had attacked him without any provocation, and why he was living alone in the woods.
The trip to Unji was a waste of time. To make up for lost time, Jace urged his mount to a fast gallop, and soon he was riding hard through the woods. At mid-afternoon he dismounted, and allowed his horse to feed and rest. As he sat against the trunk of a tree watching his gelding munch on the wild grass, Jace closed his eyes.
He was standing at the edge of a ledge, far ahead of him stood Princess Alicia. She wore a cotton, white gown. Behind her, he could see the black dome of a building. It was a temple. Ribbons of black smoke issued from the hole in the ceiling and hovered overhead like a malevolent dark cloud.
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