Shock of Fate: A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure (Anchoress Series Book 1)

by D. L. Armillei

  “You want me to wear those?” Van said, horrified.

  “And leave anything else that would be incriminating. I’ll check your packs in a bit.”

  Van and Paley dug through the mound of clothes. Van complained the whole time. “Cheap.” “Ugly.” “Wouldn’t be caught dead in it.” Finally, they found the most tolerable styles and went behind a dividing screen to change. Van decided on worn khaki cargo pants covered with pockets and a ribbed white tank top, which at least looked clean, to wear under a long-sleeved, frayed khaki shirt, again with lots of pockets, and then pulled her hair through the opening in the back of a shabby cap.

  Paley picked the same outfit, except in tan, claiming it would complement her blue eyes better.

  Van went to put her sneakers back on, when Jorie said, “No, they’re too expensive-looking.” Van was forced to put on used hiking boots. She wanted to gag.

  She held back tears as she put aside her own clothes and packed several shabby scout’s outfits into her backpack. Wiglaf still lay hidden in a mesh pocket, sleeping soundly. She tucked the matchbook into one of the many pockets in her cargo pants, then she managed to conceal the Twin Gemstone, her mother’s earrings, and her hairbrush the same way. Manik’s text was too cumbersome for her pants, so she tucked it into a bottom pocket inside her backpack.

  “Here.” Jorie handed small coin pouches to each person. “It’s a few pecs and some stips. Not much, but it’s consistent with our cover story.” When Jorie got to Van and Paley, she glanced into each of their unzipped backpacks.

  “Good,” Jorie said, dropping the coin pouch into Van’s palm.

  Van was relieved Jorie didn’t pat her down or rifle through her backpack. If Jorie had, she would have noticed Van’s contraband.

  Paley dumped the coins into her palm to get a look; Van did the same. Several larger bronze coins marked “one pec” were imprinted with a Royal Balish Mint stamp—the same imprint as on the coin she had used to pay for the candy, except hers had been gold and was called a bagoc. Van figured the imprinted coins were more valuable. The others were presumably “stips”—worn, thin, unstamped coins: two were silver; the rest, bronze.

  Van added the change she’d gotten from the candy store to her pouch and then slipped it into her backpack.

  Elmont tucked the coin pouch into one of the many pockets in his cargo pants. “Which way we headed, boss?” he asked Jorie merrily.

  Trey rolled his eyes.

  Jorie replied, “The best way to the Pusiel region is south through Tipereth Forest—”

  “No way are we following team Echo,” Brux declared. “I refuse!”

  Joire’s nostrils flared. “If you let me finish—the best way by land is through the forest, the best way by water is the Fulguro River. Traveling by river, we’ll get to Pusiel days before team Echo.”

  As Jorie droned on about the details of her plan, every fiber of Van’s being told her that going south to Pusiel was wrong. Manik’s text showed the Coin in a northern region called Fomalhaut, but Van couldn’t say how she knew of the Coin’s location, and Jorie hadn’t asked people for their ideas. In a fit of frustration, Van said, “Heading south is stupid. Team Echo is already doing that. We should do the opposite—head north. I mean, duh, we’ll cover more ground, and nobody knows for sure the location of the Coin.” Van expected everyone to jump at her suggestion, but she was no longer on Providence Island.

  Jorie claimed her own plan was better, and team Delta sided with their leader, including Benedict Arnold Paley.

  “Seriously?” Van said to Paley.

  Paley shrugged. “You were so obnoxious about it that even if you were right, nobody would listen to you.”

  Team Delta gathered their gear and, as far as Van was concerned, headed the wrong way. East, toward the Fulguro River.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Day 2: 6:43 a.m., Living World

  They walked for half an hour when Van felt Wiglaf squirm inside her backpack. She stopped and laid her pack on the grassy field.

  The team paused and, with the exception of Paley, they all looked like they wanted to throttle Van.

  “Don’t tell me you already need a break,” Brux said.

  Van threw Brux a dirty look. “Wiglaf wants to get out.”

  “What’s a wiglaf?” Brux asked sharply.

  Van unzipped her backpack. The little animal hopped out onto the grass.

  Jorie gasped. “That’s—that’s a bunfy!”

  Paley let out a squeal, bent down, and gave the creature a scratch behind the ears.

  Van beamed like a proud mama. “Is that what he is? Is he a boy? Can you tell? Because I’ve been thinking he’s a boy.”

  “He’s so cute!” Paley said. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “We didn’t have time,” Van replied. “Once we packed, he was sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake him.”

  Wiglaf peered at them, enjoying the team’s attention. Then he lifted his head so Paley could scratch under his chin.

  She happily obliged.

  “They’re really rare,” Trey said, stunned.

  “I thought they were extinct,” Elmot said in awe.

  “How’d you get one?” Brux accused.

  Van didn’t appreciate his tone.

  “Bunfys are magical creatures native to Altithronia,” Jorie said.

  “Does that mean Wiglaf can use magic to turn me into a carrot?” Paley asked Jorie, gleefully patting the little bunfy.

  “They don’t do magic,” Jorie clarified. “They’re mag-i-cal. They can change their frequency and travel to different realms. They attach to one person and watch over that person for a lifetime. This one seems to have picked you, Van, as his charge. Catching a glimpse of a bunfy brings good luck. Having one choose you means that you’re blessed.”

  Brux snorted.

  Trey reached down and scooped up the little guy.

  “Hey!” Paley protested.

  “What are you doing?” Van screeched.

  Trey looked underneath the little animal. “Yup. He’s a boy,” Trey said, as he placed the bunfy back on the ground near Paley.

  The bunfy suddenly took off, trotting north into the woods.

  “Aww. Where’s the little fella going?” Elmot asked.

  “Trey!” Van said angrily.

  Paley pouted. “Trey scared him away.”

  “He’ll be back.” Jorie placed a thumping hand on Van’s shoulder, probably thinking to comfort her, but that stub of a finger was too close to Van’s face. “Wiglaf will return when you need him most,” Jorie said. “As a magical creature, his true home is on Mt. Altithronia with Lilla, the Elemental Guardian of all Animals.”

  “It’s best he go,” Trey said.

  Van noticed Jorie’s eyes narrow suspiciously at Trey.

  Trey continued, oblivious. “The presence of a bunfy indicates someone of spiritual importance is near and that makes him dangerous to have around, whether Van’s the Anchoress-in-Waiting or not.”

  “Not,” Brux said. “It’s my sister. I’ve felt a strong protective instinct for Daisy since birth.”

  “That’s because you’re her brother,” Elmot said.

  “I think Uxa screwed up by putting me on a different team,” Brux continued. “It’s almost like she’s sabotaging the mission.”

  “Brux is right. It’s Daisy,” Van said. “If I were the Anchoress-in-Waiting, I would know it.”

  “I’m still not sure Uxa told us the truth about the Anchoress’s bloodline surviving the Dark War,” Trey said. “Why have two teams, then? I think it’s a possibility that neither of our teams has the Anchoress-in-Waiting.”

  Trey’s comment enraged Jorie, who had made it clear she was an orthodox Lodian. “Our Anchoress is a reflection of the Eternal Light of the Creator! Of course, she exists! And no more bad-mouthing Uxa. It’s bad for morale. She is the HG, and she knows what she is doing.”

  After this exchange, Jorie’s squinty side glances at
Trey came more often. Van couldn’t figure out what made Jorie distrust him.

  For the next hour, the team advanced east, traveling over the grassy hills of Salus Valde; the majestic mountain remained firmly rooted in the backdrop. Van’s sense of dread heightened with each step. She knew they were going the wrong way; the bunfy scampering north was a clear sign. But she didn’t know how to get the team to listen to her.

  “Hold up,” Trey snapped his hand. “We’re getting close to the Salus Valde-Tipereth border. I need to scout ahead, make sure our path is clear.”

  Jorie grunted her approval.

  Trey dropped his backpack on the ground, kept his quiver and crossbow, and slipped off into the woods.

  “Oh, good. I could use a break.” Paley sighed. She plopped herself on the grass. “And a snack.”

  “Great,” Elmot smiled. He took off his backpack and rummaged through it. “I’ll re-check my maps, make sure we’re taking the best route.”

  Van fell next to Paley. “My feet are killing me. They were already sore from wearing my new boots yesterday.”

  Brux fidgeted, as if he felt conflicted about wasting time resting, then heaved off his backpack and sat on a rock a few feet away.

  Jorie assumed her favorite position: sitting cross-legged, fiddling with Zachery. Only this time, she was treating the labrys’s handle with some kind of gooey rub. “Van, Trey has some medicines in his backpack,” Jorie said. “Ask him for some ointment for your feet when he gets back.”

  The exposed skin around Jorie’s Mohawk reflected the brightness of the sun. Van wanted to ask if Trey also had sunblock, then decided Jorie’s scalp was none of her business.

  “We almost there?” Van asked Elmot.

  Paley had used the boundless bowl to get a fully loaded hotdog and was stuffing it into her mouth.

  Elmot laughed. “If you consider a week almost.”

  Paley’s hotdog caught in her throat.

  “A week?” Van thought she’d be back in her comfy bed in a few days. “Ugh!” This trip was awful. She lay on the grass and gazed at the sky, resigned.

  Trey returned, breathless and wide-eyed. “The path—it’s blocked by a Balish squadron—a royal squadron—they’re—headed this way.”

  Jorie and Brux jumped to their feet.

  “We’re nowhere near the Coin,” Jorie said, alarmed.

  “It’s Princess Solana,” Trey explained, catching his breath.

  Brux heaved on his backpack. “She’s searching for Manik’s text.”

  Van’s stomach twisted.

  “Elmot—” Jorie snapped. “The maps—which way?”

  Elmot held a curled, aged parchment in his trembling hands. “To the trees,” he said, pointing to the direction from which Trey had just come.

  Brux, Jorie, Trey, and Elmot beelined toward the trees.

  “Toward Solana?” Van questioned, rooted to the ground.

  Paley waited with her and called out, “Are you guys nuts?”

  “Get moving!” Jorie cried. “That’s an order!”

  Paley tugged Van’s sleeve. “We have no choice.”

  Among the trees, Van scanned the ground, searching for a stick, sickened that she might need to use her twirling skills for combat and possibly against her father.

  “Here.” Elmot stopped in front of an enormous tree with huge knots on its trunk.

  “A trunk-a-vator?” Brux hissed. “These were shut down when Nequus became king.”

  Elmot looked stricken. “TAVs should still be functional. They’re powered by the Universal Energy Grid. An energy source that comes from nature. The Balish can’t control that, right?”

  “But they restrict and monitor the use of magic, you halfwit,” Trey growled. “TAVs are magically imprinted trees that work off the Grid. King Nequus had one of their government-sanctioned wizards block the magic in the system, making the TAVs unable to operate.”

  Jorie pushed them aside. “I may be able to get it to work.” She slid her hands up and down the tree.

  “What are you doing?” Van asked, stressing over Jorie wasting their time playing with a tree when they should be running in the opposite direction.

  “Off the record—I got some low-level magical skills, self-taught,” Jorie explained, then quickly added, “but I got no desire to go into training as a government-sanctioned witch.”

  “You’re an untrained witch?” Elmot said, startled. “Doing magic incorrectly can drain your energy and attract bad luck!”

  “Shut it, Elmot,” Jorie said. “I need to concentrate if I’m going to connect to the same vibration as the tree.” She closed her eyes and mumbled a chant.

  “If you’re wrong about the TAV,” Trey said, glaring at Elmot, “we’re all dead.”

  Jorie found a knot she liked and pushed her palm against it. A panel glided open, exposing a circular compartment large enough for all of them. They rushed inside. The door automatically closed.

  It reminded Van of the elevator she took to her classes on the reservation, which always made her feel as if she were trapped inside a box, and this one was much smaller. An embedded flat panel screen lit up, displaying a map of the landscape.

  “A panel map!” Elmot said, as if someone had given him a birthday present.

  “Neat-o.” Paley maneuvered herself next to Brux.

  “We’re not safe from Solana yet,” Jorie stated. “Stay focused.”

  Elmot pointed to an area in the east. “The map is grayed out here, in the Tipereth region, meaning this whole area’s not functioning.”

  “Meaning what?” Van asked. She didn’t care where they went, as long as they got out of the suffocating tree trunk.

  “The TAV will only let us go north, to Altithronia,” Elmot explained. “Just shy of the North Alga border.”

  “The connections to other TAVs are broken?” Brux asked impatiently.

  Elmot nodded. “There might be other connections in the forest, but they’re not connected to this particular TAV’s network. As for this one, we can’t use it to reach the river.”

  Brux turned to Jorie. “Can you use magic to unblock the route restrictions?”

  “I thought the Balish monitored the use of magic?” Van asked worriedly. Stepping out of the TAV only to become imprisoned by Balish soldiers wouldn’t make her day.

  “I don’t see any Balish soldiers in here, do you?” Brux answered.

  Van felt her cheeks redden and resented Brux for making fun of her when all she wanted to do was get out of there.

  Brux softened at her reaction and explained. “A Balish wizard’s job is to monitor the squawker system that detects ripples in the energy of nature that happen when people use magic. The spell has to use a large amount of energy to be detected. Jorie’s simple magic will create too low a ripple to alert the authorities. Otherwise, a Balish solider has to catch you in the act.”

  “She’s obviously not schooled in magic, Brux,” Elmot said in Van’s defense and explained further. “There are energies in nature that we can channel for everything in life. Medicines, transport, electricity, communication.”

  Elmot’s conversation helped distract Van enough to curb her anxiety, so she encouraged him to keep going. Plus, she was truly interested in the subject.

  “People with magical skills can connect to the energies of nature to create magic,” Elmot continued. “They do this by focusing their thoughts through meditation and chants. More powerful magic can be produced by using tools, natural objects—a tree, a rock, water—that the witch or wizard uses to change their vibrational frequency to match that of the object before casting a spell. Whatever method they use, they harness the universal energy of nature and use this connection to produce results. It’s difficult to hold the energy of nature long enough to do a spell without losing your own energy. It takes training.”

  “That’s a no-go on breaking the route restrictions,” Jorie said to Brux, ending Elmot’s mini-lecture. “My magic can only get the TAV to work the way it wants t
o work. I’m not powerful enough to break the wizard’s block. The only other way to break someone else’s magical imprint is by fire.” She heaved her chest and let out a snort. “I can’t burn down the tree we’re in.” She reached a hand to the panel map. “Let’s just go north. We got no time to waste.”

  Using the full finger next to her nub, Jorie tapped a tree icon on the screen.

  Van braced herself for a wild ride, but the compartment anticlimactically hummed and vibrated.

  The TAV stopped, and the door slid open.

  Van was the first one out.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Day 2: 10:12 a.m., Living World

  Van blinked to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. The trunk-a-vator had deposited them onto a bluff. In the distance were rolling hills, blanketed with colorful flowers and weepy trees whose purple-pink leaves flickered in the gentle breeze. The bluff stretched for miles and stood so high, the tips of the pine trees seemed to be at Van’s toes. She breathed in refreshing scents of pungent pine and pure air.

  A loud, peaceful rushing sound came from behind the TAV.

  Van walked to the backside of the tree and gaped across the gorge at a crystal-blue waterfall as it crashed onto jagged gray boulders. A gigantic tree next to the top of the waterfall had dug its roots into the earth like big knuckled fingers, reaching to the collection pond at the base. The majestic mountain loomed so close that Van had to crane her neck for a full view, and she still couldn’t see the top. It seemed to stretch forever into the clear blue sky.

  Paley appeared next to her. “Could anything be more beautiful?”

  Van sighed. “Let’s hope the rest of the way is just as nice.”

  Paley glanced at Van with hooded eyes. “You think Brux would want to take a swim with me?”

  “Ugh! He’s the last person in both worlds I would want to swim with,” Van said, wondering if Ken missed her.

  “Isn’t she a beaut?” Elmot said, coming from behind them.

  Van had begun to notice that Elmot liked hanging around with her and Paley.

  “Mt. Altithronia,” he said.

  The mountain made Van feel insignificant against its unabashed beauty and, at the same time, grounded by its constant presence.