Heart’s still beating.
Fear was keeping my heart beating, but anger was driving me to move. It may be a stupid, prideful thing, but if I had to choose a quiet death on my back, or a violent death on my feet, I’d go standing while flipping the double bird.
I managed to sit up, and then looked around the floor in the hopes that another bolt may have slipped from Eva’s pouch when she was thrown, but there were none. The only things around me were broken glass and whatever contents were in the case I was thrown into.
Shit.
I chucked the miniature crossbow at the approaching man, but it fell short and landed at his feet. Amongst the debris of the case was a model of an early caveman’s skull, a purple geode cross-section, and a bokken sword––a wooden training sword. The geode won; figured a heavy rock was better than nothing.
It didn’t seem to matter to the Caster that I armed myself because he continued towards me without the slightest hesitation in his stride. Neepa still struggled in his cloak’s grasp.
I stayed low, pretending to look weaker than I was. When he was within a few feet, I willed what little strength I had and exploded off the ground with the rock wound back. I figured his careless disregard would allow for one good shot. But that only would’ve worked in perfect world.
Just as I got to my feet, a hand snaked around my throat in a white blur, stopping me dead in my tracks. One firm squeeze was all it took to render me helpless. I dropped the stone in a panic and clawed at his wrist, kicking my feet as he hoisted me up to meet his ghostly face.
He uttered some foreign words, his voice icy and calm as he pressed the dagger into my belly.
“..Uck… gou…” I garbled as I felt the pressure building in my ears and behind my eyes. The blood trapped in my head made the world throb with my racing pulse.
I closed my eyes and hoped that my end would be quick. However, before the Caster could stab me, Neepa yelled, “Iubar Lux!”
I opened my eyes only to be greeted with a blinding light emitting from Neepa’s outstretched hand that she held to the Caster’s face.
He roared and dropped me and the strange dagger. He turned his attention to Neepa, and then her magic light suddenly stopped and she let out a choked cry as the cloak tightened around her throat, turning her face red and her eyes bloodshot.
Blood rushed from my head to the rest of my body like cascading gasoline, absolute fury setting off the spark that ignited it into roaring flames. I wouldn’t waste the opportunity Neepa gave me, it won’t be in vain.
The bokken was by my feet so I grabbed it and wound up like I was about to hit the mother of all home runs.
He must’ve anticipated the strike because his cloaked went up like a shield in front of his face. But, to both our surprise, the cloak gave under the blow like it was just simple cloth.
I felt the impact radiate down my arms as the Caster’s head whipped back from the blow, dropping Neepa to the ground in a heap.
I stepped in for a follow up, but he stopped my arm with his. At the same time, he drew another dagger from his belt and stuck me in the stomach. The blade sank deep, the cold steel churning my gut in a dull throb. An animalistic growl escaped my mouth, then I nailed him with a hook. Mystical being or not, a left hook on the jaw will rock anyone’s brain.
He wavered, pulling the knife from my gut and losing his hold on my right. I swung the sword like a baseball bat and struck him on the temple, which promptly sent him to the floor. I kneeled on top of him, smashing the pommel down on his face repeatedly. The Caster’s pale face split and black blood flowed over his features, which became less recognizable after each subsequent smash. I kept going, the thumps becoming wet smacks until a face didn’t remain, just a cavity of black meat. The strikes only stopped once the sword slipped out of my hands, the handle too slick to hold, my palms raw and trembling.
I struggled to my feet, gasping. I took two steps away from the Caster, and then fell onto my back. Pain didn’t register, not even when my vision shook from the fall.
It was cold, like being caught in autumn without a jacket. I didn’t need to be a doctor to know the stab was bad. Things going fuzzy on my peripherals painted a clear picture.
So this is it, huh? Well, I may be dying on my back, but at least I killed a wizard, or whatever the fuck he was. I’m sorry Mom... Dad…Harold…Caroline…
Neepa peered over, tears streaming down her lovely face. She was saying something, but couldn’t make out anything. When did it get so quiet? She seemed to be miles away now, her visage twisting away as if I fell into a black hole that was warping my reality. Then everything fell away as darkness swept forth.
✽✽✽
When I opened my eyes, I saw a blue sky. Not a cloud to stand in the way of the infinite blue. We don’t get days like this until late June. My eyes roamed the sky until I saw another face.
Peering down over me was Caroline. I was resting in her lap on top of a hill that overlooked an expansive green field that had no end. Never thought grass could get that green or grow that densely.
The pain from earlier gone, nothing but a memory. In fact, I felt good, warm even. Caroline gingerly brushed my hair with her slender fingers as she smiled down at me.
Her hair danced with the subtle breeze while she attended to me.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Did we get out?” I asked, extremely confused yet still remaining in her lap.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned over me and planted a kiss on my forehead, the tender show of affection sending a tingle that spread throughout my everything.
Caroline stared down at me with that gentle smile of hers. I never realized how charming she looked without her glasses. I just met her gaze and enjoyed the way she brushed her thumb over my cheek.
“I’m a little sad that we didn’t talk sooner, I never noticed how good of a person you were.” Her expression withered a little, but she still wore her smile. “I just wanted to let you know that, Al. I want you to live a long and happy life.”
Caught up in the lucid nature of everything, her words didn’t register. Everything came forth as if on a delay, or like I’m reviewing the scene in hindsight. Is it happening or had it already happened?
I took the hand that was over my cheek, her flesh warm, real. “Caroline, what are you saying? I’m right here, we can just go find the others and––”
She silenced me with a finger, and then gently shook her head. “You can’t stay,” she said.
“I-I don’t understand.”
Her eyes watched me, no traces of fear, just remorse. She looked out over the rolling hills, her smile growing all encompassing, knowing. “Don’t forget to smile. Goodbye.”
A lasso seemed to secure around my waist, jerking me violently through the earth and into never ending darkness, away from the pool of light where Caroline was.
The light grew smaller, into a pinhole, then it was gone.
✽✽✽
An unfamiliar ceiling greeted me when I opened my eyes again. Exposed, rustic-looking timber cross sections made up the ceiling. I was inside, on a bed, and if the heaviness of my lids was any indication, awake.
I tried to move my head to see the rest of the room, but couldn’t. As soon as my muscles contracted, pain laced through me in an insufferable drone.
Before testing the extent of my motion a hand rested on my chest. Fighting against stiff, painful muscles, I turned to see Neepa in a chair at my bedside.
“Don’t force it, you’ve been severely injured,” she said softly. Disheveled dark bangs hung in front of her eyes that bore deep bags, as if she hadn’t slept for a day.
My throat was dry and scratchy. It took a moment to work up the moisture to ask, “What happened?”
She gave me a weak smile and said, “You killed the Caster. You saved us.”
Everything flooded back to me in parts; mismatched scenes blending together in a mess of a memory. A scene played back that made my throat hurt.
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“Where's Blondie and the big guy?” I asked.
“They’re alright. Out of all of us, you were the most injured.”
“Oh,” was all that came out. Perhaps it was the blood loss or the concussions, but it took me awhile to remember something important.
My eyes widened and I sat up with a start, instantly regretting it when pain rippled through my midsection. I looked down and saw most of my chest, stomach, and arms were wrapped in thick bandages. Neepa jumped to her feet and had her hands out to push me back down, but I swatted them away and asked heatedly, “Where are the others?”
“Others?” she asked unsurely.
“My classmates. Did they get out, are they safe?” I demanded.
She sat back down and stared at her hands. “T-They’re okay.”
“Where are they?”
“Well…I don’t know, when we took you––”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I winced when I shouted; breathing felt like getting lanced with hundreds of needles. “You took care of me. They couldn’t be too far away to help, let’s just go and––”
A thick, wooden door on the other side of the room opened and a man who I almost mistook for Iason stepped in. He wore similar attire that made it look like he was from the Middle Ages and had the same dark complexion. He was mountain-esque like Iason, but he looked to be a touch younger and had a long mane of golden hair and a rough goatee, an odd and almost impossible sight to see blond hair on a man of his color. It looked far too natural to be dyed.
“Ah, good, I was just coming to check on our native friend,” he said as he observed me. He turned his attention to Neepa and his expression visibly soured. “See to it that he makes it to the head of the guard, and make sure he doesn’t keel over,” he reported to Neepa with a heavy, cold inflection.
“Y-yes,” she said without pulling her eyes from her lap.
The man looked back at me and gave a long look, then smiled at me that looked like he was trying too hard. He stepped back out and left.
I stared at the door, trying to take everything in chunks to properly register it.
Did I imagine that?
I took in the rest of the room to shake off the thought of that man. There was an open window that illuminated the dreary interior of this medieval-style room. The walls were daub and wattle, the kind of walls you’d see on an upper-class cottage. However, the walls looked rough and the timber beams looked old and worn, just like the floors, which were potted in some areas, and scuffed everywhere else.
It felt like being inside that antique farmhouse I visited for a field trip back in middle school.
“Where the fuck am I?”
Neepa folded her hands on her lap. “We should see the head of the guard, he’ll inform you.” Her head snapped up and her eyes widened. “Oh! I saved this for when you awoke.” She pulled a corked vial from her pocket, a milky green substance sloshing around inside. “It’ll help with the pain,” she said, uncorking it.
I stared at it with trepidation.
“Please,” she urged. “It’s medicine, it’ll help, I promise.”
Normally, I wouldn’t take questionable substances from strangers, but not many strangers were magical beauties like Neepa. If she wanted to harm me, she could’ve done it while I was asleep. I let her bring the vial to my lips, and tilted my head back as she poured. Bitterness assaulted my palette that made swallowing a fight. It tumbled down my throat, and then my whole mouth became numb.
“Jesus,” I said through a cough. My tongue couldn’t even feel my own teeth.
She sat back down and pocketed the vial. “Just give it a moment.”
Sure enough, the searing pain in my midsection and the throbbing in my head receded slightly. I still felt awful, but the painful tension was given some much needed slack. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and let the sheet that was covering me fall. Neepa’s eyes went wide and her gaze traveled south, her face turning beet-red. I looked to where she was looking and realized that I was stark naked.
I pulled the blanket back over my lap in a panic and shouted, “Where are my clothes?”
Neepa hastily cover her eyes and said, “Your clothes were ruined.” She jumped to her feet with her hands still over her eyes and walked right into the nearby wall. She yelped and made a whining sound. She felt around with her hand until they brushed along a short standing shelf.
Resting on top of the shelf were a folded set of clothes and a pair of boots, which she grabbed and held out towards me, her eyes still shut.
I snatched the clothes and held them over my lap. “…thanks.”
Neepa slowly scooted towards the door and opened it. “I’ll give you a moment to change.” She peeked through the gaps of her fingers and then asked, “Unless you need help?”
“Outside,” I said flatly.
She hastily left the room and closed the door, managing to get a portion of her dress caught in the crack. The door snapped open and she promptly tugged her dress free.
I shucked off the sheets and examined the clothes: a pair of black pants, black leather boots, and a long-sleeved white shirt with a laced v-neck. Getting the pants on was a bit of a challenge because my legs and back ached horribly, but the loose shirt was more forgiving.
Neepa knocked and opened the door a crack just as I was getting the boots on. She peeked her head in with her eyes closed and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m decent, if that’s what you’re asking,” I replied.
She opened her eyes and observed my attire.
“Sorry if they don’t fit well, it was all they had on hand,” she said quietly.
“It’s better than being naked,” I said. The clothes were a touch loose, but comfortable.
I took a deep breath and climbed to my feet. I felt stiff as a board and throbbed like a raw nerve, but I was standing. I took a few steps and began teetering, but Neepa was quick to put herself under my shoulder.
“You don’t have to do that; I’ll get my bearings, eventually,” I said, trying to shrug her off, but she didn’t budge.
She buckled under my weight, but managed. “I’ll help you until then,” she said, her lips curling in a subtle smile.
When it became apparent how difficult moving was, I cut the macho act. She grabbed her hat from the floor, then led me out into a hallway that looked just as rustic as the room I was in. We passed more closed rooms and a few bystanders, who looked gruff and burly, their gazes scrutinizing as we passed.
We followed the hall until it came to an open archway to the sunny outdoors. Beyond the archway was a covered, stone walkway that lead straight into a much larger building constructed of stone. Actually, a castle would’ve been the more appropriate term. It was difficult to really gauge the size from where I was.
On either side of the path was open space. To my right was a courtyard that had a few bystanders walking around, all of whom stared back at me. And on the other side was a group of men and women who held swords and shields. They were practicing moments before, but all ceased to stare as Neepa led me along. The avid attention was unwelcome.
We set foot into the castle, the floor before us illuminated with a plethora of bright swirling colors. When I looked behind and above the doorway, I saw a sprawling stained glass window crafted in such a way to depict some trippy imagery.
It looked to be a golden triangle with a single white circle within it, and vaguely humanoid shapes were arranged around it with locked arms. And beyond them was a swirling mass of red, purple, and black, like some sort of roaring inferno or dancing shadow.
Neepa led me deeper into the vast structure, taking several turns until we came into an antechamber. Two armored men were waiting in front of a pair of tall wooden doors. Neepa’s hand tightened on my shoulder, and when I looked over, her eyebrows where drawn close and she swallowed loud enough for me to hear.
Wordlessly, the men stepped aside and opened the door, urging us forward.
We slowly
walked into a massive courtroom of sorts; wooden pews were set around the room in a loose circle with an aisle leading to bench on a raised platform. Crowding the room were men and women, some clad in armor, others not. The light murmur of conversation dropped off as soon as Neepa and I walked in.
The crowd parted and created a path directly to the bench, where a man was sitting behind like a judge. As Neepa lead me down the aisle, I got a better look at the guy. His gray hair and wrinkles told me he had some years on him, but he was also probably the biggest, most intimidating guy I’ve seen thus far. His tunic hugged his massive chest so tightly that it looked like he could shred it just by flexing. The muscles bounding his forearms and biceps looked capable of rending steel like tinfoil. A long horizontal scar that started on his cheek and wrapped around his face spoke of a man familiar with conflict, but his coal-colored eyes gave that impression, too. The kind of hard gaze only men of war could cast. My legs were starting to feel a little weaker.
Neepa and I came to a stop at the foot of the bench. The man stared down at me, taking in every subtle detail of my character in drawn-out silence.
“What is your name?” his finally asked. His voice was low and coarse, like dragging an anvil across a concrete floor.
I opened my mouth, but no words came. I swallowed the frog in my throat and said, “A-Alfonso…Alfonso Engel. But just Al is fine,” I quickly added.
“Al of the family Engel?”
“…yeah.”
He stared at me for another eternity before he nodded his head and rose. Christ, he was as tall as an oak tree. I bet this is what it would feel like to meet Andre the Giant.
“Tell me, what are you?” he asked, but his tone was more like a demand.
“I… I’m not sure what you mean,” I nervously admitted. Trying to politely match his gaze took a lot of mental effort.
Heart of the Resonant: Book 1: Pulse (Resonant Series) Page 7
