by Narro, B. T.
Effie shook her head. “I think it’s good that you’re not.”
“Are you afraid?”
“I think so. I’m scared of falling when I’m up high. But the fear goes away when I get down. These days, I have this feeling like I’m going to fall, this constant nagging that it’s going to happen but I don’t know when.”
“I think we all feel that, including Gabby,” Steffen said. “It makes sense. A battle unlike any in the history of Ovira is coming.”
Effie shivered. “Bastial hell, Steffen. You always know the worst thing to say.”
He apologized as she turned to go back to her room.
Not many chemists went with Hem Baom to Tenred. In fact, even the head chemist, Jack Rose, stayed behind. Steffen realized he had questions for him and visited Jack’s house after writing his return letters.
Steffen was delighted when his knocks were answered. “One moment,” Jack called. Opening it to find Steffen, he grinned. “And what brings you here?” The master chemist had a quill in hand. Steffen noticed papers on the table behind him.
“Are you busy?” Steffen asked. “I have some questions I was hoping we could discuss briefly.”
“Briefly, yes. Come in. You’re wondering about the caregelows?”
“How did you know?”
“Every chemist is. All of the plants appear to be undamaged by the battle. Most of the carnage occurred in other places. They’re growing very fast and should be ready for testing soon. Are you excited?”
“Yes. But I’m more looking forward to everything going back to normal. When will those who marched to Tenred return?”
“Fifteen days.” Jack’s mouth twisted. “But I wouldn’t say things are going back to normal, not until this war is over, and even then.” His voice trailed off. “Were those your only questions? Liaison Wilfre wants to see a schedule by tomorrow morning of how every day will be spent while Terren is gone. He has me working far into the night.”
“That’s all,” Steffen lied, not wanting to disturb the master chemist any longer. “Thank you.”
Jack seemed to know there was more Steffen wanted to discuss. He smiled to show his appreciation. “Come back tomorrow, if you would like.”
“Thank you,” Steffen repeated, closing the door behind him.
Hunger was gnawing at his stomach, but first he returned home to see if Effie wanted to walk to the dining hall with him.
He was shocked when he saw her at the kitchen table. She was crying, cradling a near empty glass of sakal.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
Her words were slurred. “I should uff gone with them. How can I shtay here while they fight fer us?”
“How’d you get this drunk so fast?” He put his hand on her back. “You shouldn’t ever drink alone, especially when you’re sad.” He took away the glass.
“Don’t!” She reached for it. “Don’t get rid uff it. You drink with me.” She jabbed a finger at him.
“I don’t feel like it, and I’m hungry.”
“Wer useless. But wer not…actually useless. Wer just making ourselves useless. Do you undershtand?”
“I think so. But Effie, we’re not making ourselves useless. Who knows, the Krepps could attack the Academy.”
Utter confusion creased her brow. “What?”
“Then we wouldn’t be useless.”
She still didn’t comprehend.
“Someone needs to stay in case they come.”
She patted his cheek a little too forcefully. “Yur trying to make me fill better.” Her hand dropped to the table with a thud. “But I don’t.”
“You need some food. Come on. You’ll feel better after you eat.”
“Bastial hell, yes. Food.”
“Battle training resumes tomorrow.” He helped her up from her seat. “There will be plenty to do.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
She smiled and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m glad yer…you are here. At least I’m not completely alone.”
Chapter 7:
CLEVE
It was their fourth day riding, and they’d spent most of it searching for the men who were supposed to be ten miles west of the Krepp encampment. Cleve’s frustrations had gone on long enough to transform into worries.
“Have you sensed anyone’s presence with psyche?”
“None so far,” Rek answered.
“Could they have been killed?” Cleve asked.
“They probably moved. Let’s check farther north.”
Cleve looked to the west, where the sun was quickly approaching the horizon. “If we don’t find them in an hour, it’s best we get as far from the Krepp encampment as we can before we sleep.”
It made him uncomfortable every time he peered to the east and saw the long stretch of huts. Tens of thousands of Krepps inhabited the land, the majority of his enemies all right there, surrounded by a low wall. Knowing he was only going to get closer in an attempt to shoot one of the Slugari leaders, he couldn’t look away.
Then he noticed something. “Wait.” He stopped his horse and pointed. “Those buildings are moving.”
Rek peered out, cupping a hand over his eyes. “Those can’t be buildings.”
“Then what?” They looked like black towers rolling about the encampment.
Rek’s mouth opened, but only a whisper could be heard. “Could it be?”
“What do you think they are?”
“I don’t want to say.” He tore his eyes away. “Come, we need to find these men soon. Otherwise we’ll prepare a camp for nightfall. In either case, let’s hope no Krepps cross paths with us.”
Rek’s horse broke into a gallop. Cleve commanded Nulya to follow.
It wasn’t long before a whistle caught their attention. Two men stood atop a hill, the sun glowing behind them. Rek and Cleve dismounted at the base of the hill and walked their mounts up.
“What in the Bastial stars is this?” one man exclaimed with a wide grin. “You’re back and with a horse?” He was talking to Rek, it seemed.
“What do you mean I’m back?” the Elf asked.
“Your common tongue has gotten much better!” the other said. “And they cleaned you all up and gave you a Kyrro tunic, I see.”
Cleve was perplexed. Rek didn’t seem to know what the men were talking about either.
“And who did you bring with you, Vithos?” one asked.
Vithos?
Rek gasped. “That’s the name of my brother. You must be mistaking me for him. When was he here?”
The two men shared a look of confusion.
“Your brother? Who are you, then?”
“I’m Rek Worender. The King sent us. This is Cleve Polken. Will you show us to your camp?”
Neither man answered. One scratched his cheek. The other rubbed his nose.
“Please,” Rek added. “We’re very tired. We’ve been searching for you all day. You’re not where Welson told me you’d be.”
Again, the men shared a look. One nodded to the other and then turned to Rek. “Come this way. We’ll explain why that is.”
The men led them back down the grassy hill. At its base, one of them knelt and brushed away dirt to reveal a wooden board. He pried it open and moved aside to allow Rek to climb down.
“We weren’t expecting horses, but there’s plenty of room for the both of you.”
“We should stay with our animals,” Cleve told him.
Rek agreed. “We can stay above ground as long as it’s safe. We’ll be leaving in the morning. Here.” He handed the birdcage to the men. “In case the Krepps march to Kyrro.”
“We could’ve used a pigeon a few days ago,” said the man who took the cage. “About a thousand Krepps look to be on their way to Tenred. That’s why we moved. They crossed where we usually spend the day surveying the encampment. But one thousand is such a strange number to send to Tenred. It’s not enough to make a difference in battle, but it’s far too many to be prot
ecting an important delivery.”
The other man asked, “Did you see the giants they have?”
“That’s what those were?” Cleve almost shouted, thinking of the moving “towers” he’d seen.
Rek grimaced. “I did see them. I was hoping my eyes were playing tricks. They’re called Dajriks. How many did you see?”
“Dajriks? I’ve never heard this word. There are two of them.” The man cursed. “Two massive Slugari that can cast magic and now two giants. The Krepps are making weapons for them.”
“What are they, Rek?” Cleve asked. “How do you know of them?”
“Everything I know is just from what I’ve heard. There were rumors—stories people would share in Welson’s castle when I was younger.” His eyes brightened. “Perhaps this means the Slugari that have allied with us also have one.”
Reela and the others had told Cleve about the Slugari allies but nothing of a giant. They’d discussed so much that night, he figured they’d planned to tell him later. They didn’t expect me to leave in the morning after just getting back.
“What stories?” Cleve asked.
“That a Dajrik lives underground with the Slugari, protecting them. People say he’s made of rock and thousands of years old. They say that the older Dajriks get, the worse their nightmares. Eventually they reach the point where they can’t sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. But the Slugari have a necklace made from rujin flowers melted by Bastial Energy that allows the Dajriks to sleep without nightmares.”
If Cleve hadn’t met Jek Trayden and seen the gruesome effects of his dreams on his body, he wouldn’t have believed any tale about giants and terrorizing nightmares.
One man asked, “What about these two Dajriks, though? What do you know of them?”
“There are tales of Dajriks living in the mountains in Entja.” Rek pointed east where a crown of mountains looked no farther than a two-day ride. “Supposedly people have gone there to check. Only half have come back alive, claiming to find tunnels and signs of something living within the mountains. But no one has seen a Dajrik…or at least lived to tell about it.”
Cleve felt a hard swallow force its way down his throat.
“If you’re not coming underground,” one man said, “let me bring the others up to meet you both. Then you can tell us what happened with your brother.”
Rek half nodded and half shook his head.
There were six men in total. It was clear by their musk and the shine of their oily skin that they’d been away from a bath for quite some time. One man introduced the rest of them by name. Cleve assumed he was the leader. Many complimented Cleve on the craftsmanship of his ironbark longbow.
The leader gave his name last, offering his hand. “Bencer. And what are your names?”
“Rek,” the Elf said as he shook the man’s hand.
“Cleve.” He did the same.
“Where did you find these horses?” Bencer asked. “I didn’t think there were any in Ovira.”
“These are from Goldram,” Rek answered. By his tone, it seemed he shared the same feeling as Cleve. They just wanted to rest.
“How’d they get here?” Bencer was intrigued.
“We brought them here,” Rek said.
“You’re from Goldram?” asked one of the archers.
“Is it true they have desmarls there?” another man asked. His name was Evon. He was the youngest of the men and looked only a few years older than Cleve.
Rek held out his palms with a polite smile. “I know you must have many questions, but I feel I should warn you that Cleve and I both need rest. We weren’t just sent here to deliver the pigeon.” He pointed to Cleve’s bow before continuing. “We’re here to kill the Slugari leaders.”
A few started laughing, Bencer the loudest. “What? Are you mad?”
“It’s an order directly from Welson Kimard.” Rek wasn’t amused. His tone silenced their laughter.
Concern seemed to come next. Bencer spoke first. “How do you plan to do that? They have scouts watching the walls.”
“Welson told me you men might have an idea after observing the Krepps for so long.”
“I can’t be responsible for this,” Bencer said. “I don’t want your deaths on my conscience.”
“You didn’t give the order,” Cleve said, feeling even more resentment toward Welson in that moment. “The King did. Anything that happens to us is his fault, not yours.”
“Careful, young man,” Bencer warned. “That’s a very disrespectful tone I hear.”
The bastard killed my parents. Cleve said nothing.
“We’re just tired and nervous about tomorrow,” Rek said. “Will you please help us with whatever you can?”
“Of course,” Bencer said. “But you at least have to tell us about Vithos before you sleep. Did he get to the Academy and fight against the Krepps?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not the right one to ask.” Rek looked to Cleve as he spoke. “We were separated when we were too young to remember each other. I haven’t seen him since then.”
“He did get to the Academy,” Cleve said, repeating what he’d told Rek while they rode. “He killed many Krepps. He’s continuing to fight for Kyrro, along with a Krepp named Zoke.”
“So it’s true one of them is on our side?” Evon asked.
“It is.”
Bencer took a step toward Rek. “How did you get separated from your brother?”
“Vithos and I were born in Merejic. The Krepps attacked us a few years after, led by the two Slugari that still lead the Krepps. Did you know their names are Doe and Haemon?”
“Vithos told us,” Bencer answered. “But he didn’t speak of you.”
“I wouldn’t have expected him to. He doesn’t know me, nor did he know if he was ever going to meet me. There isn’t much to say.”
“So there could be other Elves besides you two?”
“There are many, but all of them are across the Starving Ocean in Greenedge. Many in Merejic fled back to Greenedge during the attack. My father was the only one left besides Vithos and me, but he died trying to get Vithos out of the Krepp encampment. He was the strongest psychic of the Elves, being their leader when they lived in Merejic.”
“Who was born first?” Evon asked. “You or Vithos?”
Rek shrugged. “Why?”
“Because one of you is king of the Elves.”
Rek laughed. “We’re twins. I believe my father told me Vithos was born just before me. But with no other Elves below us, what does it matter?”
“Didn’t it when you went to Greenedge?”
“No. In fact, it was the Elves there who gave me this.” Rek pointed to the scar down his cheek. “They tried to make me stay there and vow not to use psyche.”
“You didn’t want to be with your own kind?” Evon asked.
Bencer smacked him in the chest. “That’s enough questions for the poor Elf. Can’t you see how weary and tense they are?”
Evon’s head sank. “I apologize.”
“You’re a chemist,” Bencer said to him. “Isn’t there something you can give them to help them relax?”
“I suppose I could make some tea, if either of you would like some?”
Cleve nodded. “Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you all for your help,” Rek added.
“It’s getting dark,” one of the archers said, starting back up the hill they’d walked down. “I’d better take my post.”
Cleve watched the archer as he left. Bencer leaned forward to interrupt his gaze. “Someone’s always got to be watching for Krepp movement,” he said. “We still don’t know what they’re planning with Tenred. Whatever it is, we want to delay it as long as possible. We kill the Krepps we see. He’ll let us know if he spots any.”
They prepared a fire and hung a kettle over it. Soon enough, they all had a cup of tea in their hands.
“We usually spend a good hour searching for signs of Krepps before risking a fire,” Bencer explained. “But
when Vithos was here, we didn’t worry. I assume your psyche is as strong as his?”
“I suppose,” Rek said, sipping his tea. “Will you share what you know about the Krepp encampment that might help us get a shot at Doe or Haemon? Welson said there’s a mountain we can use for cover.”
Bencer let out his breath before sipping his tea. “At the far northeastern end, a peak replaces the wooden wall as the barrier to their encampment. You might’ve seen it.”
“That?” Cleve asked. He remembered it as more like a pile of rocks, hardly taller than the Dajriks. “It can be climbed?”
“Yes, it slopes downward to the north. But it’s not going to be easy to get there.” Bencer took another sip, lowering his voice. “And even harder to get out after shooting.”
“Where do the leaders spend their time?” Rek asked.
“One of them went with the Krepps to Kyrro. The other—”
Bencer was interrupted by what sounded like a bird call. All of the men jumped and grabbed their bows, letting their tea spill.
“Krepps!” Bencer shouted. “Come on.”
Cleve and Rek got on their horses and followed the men up the hill to the south. Soon they spotted the archer who’d left earlier. He was standing tall without a care of being seen.
“Get down!” Bencer whispered through his teeth. “What are you doing? Where are they?”
“They’re too far to see us in the dark. There, look.”
Cleve saw them in the distance. There were thousands of Krepps maybe fifty miles out, their gray mass illuminated by the torches that some carried.
“It’s the Krepps that went to Kyrro,” Bencer said, his tone disappointed. “So many survived.”
“They fled before we could kill them,” Rek answered, dismounting as he spoke.
Evon hesitantly petted Nulya. “It’s so strange to think you were in Kyrro at the same time as they were, yet look at how much quicker you got here. It’ll be four more days before they reach their encampment. These horses…I wish there were more.”
Evon’s words only reminded Cleve of the Takary Army that was due to take over Kyrro when it was finished in Greenedge. Thirty thousand, Danvell wound send, many with horses and Bastial steel swords. Cleve grabbed the hilt of his weapon, realizing none of these men had seen Bastial steel before.
