The Spirit Well

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “I’m still too hungry to carry us, so we need to make a bridge,” the forest tracker nonchalantly answers. The expectant stares before him causing the muck-covered warrior to nervously rub his saber pommels. “I wasn’t thinking about anything important. Mostly about Kira, large meals, and hot baths. There are a few other things on my mind, but they can wait until we make camp.”

  “Well I’m curious, so let’s get to the island,” Nyx declares, sensing that she has to defuse another bout of foul tempers. “I can try to raise some of the submerged ground. That might be a bit too taxing and there’s no telling what I’ll bring up with the path. Surprised there aren’t any alligators or crocodiles here.”

  Sari taps her friend on the shoulder and points at a lounging form that opens its four-jawed mouth. “Probably because there are a few Eusu in the area. Those tend to take over as the top reptile and predator when they move into an area. Nothing to worry about since we have our own Eusu slayer here. Feel like tackling another of those, King Wrath?”

  “Not in this place,” Timoran admits with a friendly smirk. Watching the distant predator, he scratches a scar he earned during his fight with a much larger Eusu. “I have the utmost respect for them and know that this region is their kingdom. None of that helps us here. Unless we can ride them to the island.”

  “Fine. I’ll do it,” Sari groans with mock exasperation.

  The gypsy puts her hands in the water, but pulls them out immediately when a scaly tail breaks the surface nearby. Holding up a finger for patience and quiet, she returns to the edge of the water and waits for the lurking Eusu to come within reach. A sudden smack on the grunting predator’s snout causes it to stop and stare at its potential prey. Several times the animal tries to threaten the intruders by opening its mouth, but Sari repeatedly slaps the jaws closed. Frustrated and confused by the brave gypsy, the lethargic beast eventually gives up and swims away. It remains near an old mangrove and keeps its eyes on the adventurers, an occasional splash of its tail warning them to stay away.

  Satisfied that nothing will try to bite her, Sari dips her hands into the swamp and sends a wide road of ice across the water. Every time an animal gets in the way, the gypsy has the bridge veer around them, which creates a winding path. She struggles to create support pillars because the uneven bottom makes the depth different every time. Beads of sweat drip from her brow as she reinforces weakened parts of the bridge, the high salt content of the water already eating away at the ice. Removing one hand from the swamp, Sari takes off her boots in order to step onto the road and continue strengthening the path through her feet. The others let her remain a few steps ahead, but the constant sound of echoing cracks tempts everyone to sprint for the small island that they can see in the distance.

  Not wanting to distract Sari, the adventurers remain silent and keep their attention on anything that could pose a danger. They are so busy watching for large threats that they fail to worry when hundreds of shining bugs rise from the trees. The orange insects remind them of fireflies, so the idea of them being dangerous does not cross their minds. It is only when several of them land on the ice and swiftly melt holes in the bridge that the champions realize the danger. The burn flies are too small to strike with weapons and hitting them with bare hands results in a painful heat blister. Only Fizzle is safe due to his draconic nature, but there are too many insects for him to eat without getting violently ill.

  “Why aren’t they getting blown away?” Nyx asks, sending gusts in every direction. She watches the burn flies dart around in random patterns to avoid the blast. “It’s like they’re flying through the air currents. I say we dive into the swamp and swim. The island is only fifty feet away, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous.”

  “There’s already three Eusu in the water,” Luke replies, pointing at the lurking predators. He jumps away from an incoming batch of insects, his right foot breaking through a weak point on the bridge. “Might as well be fifty miles since Sari can’t fix the damage faster than the bugs can cause it. Timoran and Delvin should run ahead before this becomes more unstable. The rest of us are light enough to spend more time out here.”

  Delvin nods his head and is about to run across the cracking ice when Timoran puts him over his shoulder. The barbarian waits for Sari to thicken the spot he is standing on, the gypsy’s nod signaling him to leap as far as he can. He lands with a thud that breaks a large section of the bridge, but he is already back in the air by the time it crumbles. Two more powerful jumps and several burn marks from the dense swarm later, Timoran lands on the island and puts his friend down. Not wanting to helplessly watch, the pair use their weapons to swat at the burn flies and try to draw them away from their friends. Instead, the insects move away from the shore and gather on the edge of the bridge. They hum and buzz, sending their natural heat along the entire structure, which steadily shrinks.

  Luke and Sari try to run for the island, but one of the Eusu smashes through the section in front of them. The impact splinters the entire bridge and sends the larger chunks spinning in random directions. Stranded on one piece that is rapidly melting, the two champions remain back to back to avoid falling. Sari continues to battle the burn flies, but only manages to slow their progress. Focusing on the Eusu, Luke roars and screeches at them in a feeble attempt to scare them away. Unfazed by the noise, the hungry predators circle the chunk of ice and calmly wait for their meal to fall into the swamp.

  With an echoing roar, Timoran lands on the largest Eusu and grabs his friends in one muscular arm. Enhanced by Delvin’s powers, the barbarian leaps off the grunting beast and hurtles back to the island. The amount of force from his legs drives the predator deep underwater and a small geyser erupts from the swamp, which quickly fills the unexpected gap. Scared by the sudden arrival and disappearance of Timoran, the Eusu race into the distant while the burn flies finish melting the last of the ice. The champions prepare for the swarm to attack, but instead watch them fall into the water and turn into smoldering ashes.

  “That was bizarre,” Delvin mutters, sensing no life coming from the insects. Glancing at his friend, the warrior’s heart sinks at a sudden realization. “Where’s Nyx? She was still on the bridge with you two. In fact, she should have been on one of the pieces. Did anybody see her fall in or escape?”

  “Come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing or hearing her after she last spoke,” Luke admits, scratching his head. Staring out over the swamp, he searches for a sign of the channeler while trying to recall the chaos on the bridge. “The Eusu stayed with us the whole time, so she couldn’t have been eaten. I was listening to everything in the water the whole time to keep track of them too. If Nyx fell in then I would have noticed. There was nothing.”

  “Fizzle see Nyx there,” he says, pointing with his tail. The dragon takes a quick flight over the area, hoping to find her hiding under the water. “Then Fizzle not see her. Nyx go poof, but not Fizzle type poof. No eaten. Just gone.”

  Feeling helpless and frustrated, Delvin kicks a stone into the water and tries not to lose his churning temper. Taking a deep breath, he takes comfort in the belief that his connection to Nyx would tell him if she is dead. Not feeling any surge of pain or weakness, he is sure that the channeler is only missing, which is a problem that he knows he can solve. With a confident smirk the warrior heads for a place to make camp and waves for his friends to follow.

  *****

  A small fire crackles and sends sparks onto the surrounding circle of stones, the smoke mixing with the taste of salt. Sari carefully tends to a pot of boiling water, which she adds dried meat and various herbs to in the hopes of making an edible soup. Meditating to regain his strength, Luke winces whenever a raised voice punctures his concentration. He has already made an attempt to stop Timoran and Delvin from arguing, but the two men are determined to shout until one of them gives up. As long as the pair avoid coming to blows, the forest tracker is comfortable staying out of the mess. Opening one of his eyes, Luke can see Sari is starti
ng to fall asleep and crawls over to ease her away from the fire.

  “Thanks. We really should have taken a day to rest before coming in here,” the gypsy whispers while the half-elf takes over the cooking. She folds her legs and lays back to watch the distant stars emerge in the thickening darkness. “I wonder what’s going on here. Dariana disappearing made some sense since this is her temple, but Nyx is an odd choice. Unless whatever is guarding the Spirit Well is scared of her.”

  “Possibly,” Luke mutters as he takes a taste of the meal. A surge of sourness causes his face to scrunch and quiver in disgust. “I think we’d be better off eating dry food. Maybe we can use this stuff as a weapon. My tongue is numb.”

  “It can’t be that-” Sari begins to say before a taste makes her gag. “I’m so sorry.”

  She is about to dump the disgusting soup onto the ground when Delvin storms over and grabs the pot. His gloves steam while he clumsily pours the horrible meal into a container, which he tosses into his bottomless pouch. The warrior ignores the stuttered warnings of his friends, his anger still aimed at the scowling barbarian. Not wanting to throw the heated pot, Delvin carefully returns it to the hot stones and backs away.

  “This isn’t up for a debate,” he states in a slightly calmer voice. Checking his armor and weapons, he looks to the sky to figure out which way is north. “Dariana and Nyx are missing and we’re all in danger. There’s no telling who’s going to disappear next, but we all know that sitting around is asking for trouble. It’s a good plan that I search for them on the ground and Fizzle does the same from above. Both of us have a magical connection to Nyx, which should help us track her. With Luke and Sari looking like they’re about to collapse, I need someone to watch over them. here That’s why you’re staying, Timoran.”

  “A lot of words for saying that you want to rescue Nyx. I thought we were past these bouts of idiocy, Cunningham,” Sari bluntly says while lying down again. The gypsy wiggles her fingers at the irritated warrior, who tries his best not to smirk at her friendly insult. “This is Bor’daruk all over again, but without the elephant. I vote for letting him go and the rest of us will catch up in an hour.”

  “You cannot be serious,” Timoran growls, surprised that Sari would agree with splitting their weakened forces. Drumming his fingers on his bracers, the barbarian finds that he has run out of reasons for them to stay together. “I have given you all the wisdom that I have. Our enemy wishes to divide us and you are doing their work for them. Dariana and Nyx could be in different locations or hidden out of view. You know this, Delvin, but you continue to act like a reckless fool. Fighting amongst ourselves only drains our energy, so I will make a request. Leave an easy trail for us to follow and walk with caution. That way we can reach you quickly and you will not be too far away when we follow.”

  Delvin draws a piece of blue chalk out of his pocket and makes a dash on a tree. “Look for these at about my height. Too low and the water could destroy the mark. Come find me as soon as you can.”

  Fizzle disappears like a ghost as Delvin heads for the only path off the island, the narrow line of earth vanishing into shadows. The others continue watching even after their friend has vanished from all of their senses. For a while, the remaining champions hope to see the warrior come jogging back after a change of mind. All that happens is a chorus of crickets and frogs take advantage of the lingering silence. Their song is eerie and melancholic, which sends a shiver down the tense adventurers’ spines. Not wanting to hear the noise any more, Sari sneezes as loud as she can and makes a scene of sniffling into a handkerchief. As she had hoped, all of the animals stop and she can hear a few of them dive into the water.

  Unable to meditate any more, Luke begins roaming the small island without stepping out of sight of his friends. The hair on the back of his neck stands up when he feels like he is being watched. Scanning the area, he relaxes when he spots a mossy owl staring at him from one of the trees. The bird hoots and soars into the darkness where a loud splash precedes the animal’s piercing screech. Walking to the start of the solitary path, Luke’s mind continues its aimlessly wandering since he is still unsure of why the swamp feels wrong to his senses. Picking up a stone, he curses at not being able to solve the mystery or even confirm that there is one. With a whip of his hand, the half-elf sends the rock skipping into the night where it eventually stops and sinks into the mud.

  “You have misgivings about all of this,” Timoran says as he approaches and leans against one of the trees. The barbarian keeps his eyes on Sari, who is curled up in a bedroll by the crackling fire. “I wonder about it myself. There are so many tiny things that do not make any sense here. Not only with this temple and its challenge, but with ourselves. Delvin knows better than to walk away in this situation and I should not have given in to him so easily. There have been times where we snap at you for asking important questions. I do not remember ever having done that.”

  “I’m sure it’s happened before, but not like this,” Luke replies while chewing on a piece of fruit. A growl from his stomach causes him to pause, the sound far too loud for comfort. “I’m always hungry even though I’ve barely used the spirits the last few days. There’s also the strangeness of the entrance challenge. I know you don’t believe me, but it seemed far too suited to our abilities and was oddly straightforward. Thinking back to the other entrances, I can’t think of one that didn’t have such a one way answer. Pallice might be the closest, but I’m sure there were spells to mimic what I did.”

  “An interesting thought,” the barbarian agrees with a nod. Distracted by the half-elf’s rumbling stomach, the large warrior offers some jerky that is swiftly devoured. “I have been wondering why those jellyfish took so long to emerge when it was obvious that they were everywhere. Also the way the Mawdaks stampeded just as we reached the middle of them and those insects had the perfect ability to thwart our crossing. These things are suspicious and do seem to be designed specifically for our abilities and to counter our actions.”

  “Where did that whirlpool come from?” Luke asks, vaguely remembering how they escaped the jellyfish. A pain strikes behind his eyes when he tries to recall the incident, preventing him from using his bard’s memory. “I thought it was Sari, but she wasn’t in control of it. The thing simply appeared.”

  “Perhaps our battle triggered the travel system of the temple.”

  “If this even is a temple since it isn’t working like one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Unsure if he should continue voicing his thoughts, Luke moves closer to speak low enough that only Timoran can hear him. “Dariana said that we were looking for the Spirit Well, which is in the middle of this swamp. If that’s the temple then why are we being tested out here? I guess it being moved by the Great Cataclysm could have done something, but that event affected some of the others too. Pallice sunk into the ocean and Aintaranurh did the same on land, but both structures stayed together both magically and physically. This place . . . doesn’t feel right. The entrance seems to be nowhere near the Spirit Well and the obstacles are closer to stumbling onto the local fauna instead of temple challenges. Is it possible that we’re being tricked?”

  “That would not surprise me,” the barbarian replies, his breathing become a little more rapid and heavy. A violent shudder ripples through his body and he swears that he can see his breath even though they are in a humid swamp. “I wonder if this place is smaller than we realize and our true location is outside its borders. This is the final temple, so an intricate challenge like this would make sense. Perhaps one needs to be psychic to succeed, which is why Dariana was eliminated first.”

  “Nyx was second . . . and Delvin was third. Just like at Bor’daruk,” the forest tracker mutters to himself. Another bolt of agony jogs his brain and threatens to dislodge his idea, but he pinches his ears to create a more understandable pain to focus on. “Can’t believe that idea worked. Let me talk quickly. What if our minds have been scanned by the enemy? All of this
could be a telepathic trap that we’re wandering aimlessly through. Think about who the champion is for this place. Dariana has been around for a long time. Possibly long enough for a guardian to be put in place that matches her own abilities like the Barghest. We saw with Aintaranurh that a new one can be created in an emergency.”

  “That is a possibility,” Timoran agrees, his voice faint and distracted. With a start, he takes a few steps and points to the abandoned fire. “Where did Sari go? I was looking directly at her this whole time. How did they get her?”

  Luke hurries to the campsite to search for any sign of the gypsy, but cannot find even a footprint around the stones. Turning back to Timoran, he draws his sabers as soon as he sees that the barbarian is gone. The half-elf jumps at every shadow and noise, his sound sight tying his nerves into knots. A snapping twig causes him to leap in the opposite direction and he swears a pair of hands graze his side. Kicking dirt on the fire, he hopes the darkness hampers his invisible enemy while his senses give him a much needed advantage. Sensing every noise and vibration, the forest tracker sees as well as if he is fighting during the day.

  When a whispering voice drifts to his ears, Luke is terrified that he is about to lose without getting a chance to fight. To his surprise and relief, a chorus of voices and roars erupt in his mind. Driven to his knees, he catches the faint silhouette of someone stumbling away and holding their head. Leaping into the trees, the figure vanishes before Luke can settle the enraged spirits and regain his composure. Refusing to stand still, the half-elf moves erratically and struggles to get another look at his enemy. When he ducks and spins to the side, a pair of slender fingers briefly grip his wrist, but he wrenches his arm free. A swing of his saber finds nothing more than empty space, which drives a spike of fear into his heart.