by Walls, Devri
“Where are the other things… what did you call them?”
“The Fallen Ones, watch the tree line, they are almost here.”
Bursts of light zipped out from the trees as the Hounds inched closer, growling and baring their teeth. Drool dripped down their chins coating their black matted fur.
Kiora assessed the situation. “Your bow! Emane, use your bow.”
“Summon it.”
Kiora summoned the bow and the quiver with arrows, handing them to Emane. He re-sheathed his sword and knocked an arrow.
“Are you ready? Because as soon as I hit one, they will be finished stalking,” he said, drawing the arrow back.
“I’m ready. What about Drustan?”
“Drustan!” Emane yelled, “We need you!”
Taking aim at the closest Hound he released. The arrow hit the hound with such force that it sent it skidding into the hound behind him. The others snarled in fury, breaking into a dead run. Emane fired the next arrow, but it flew wide. Kiora hit the targeted hound with a bolt of magic instead.
“Your magic, Emane! Remember the dagger.”
Emane shook his head while knocking another arrow. “I don’t know how, not now. I haven’t practiced enough!”
“We need you to remember. I will handle the Hounds for now, you must concentrate!” Kiora threw wave after wave of magic, glancing over at Emane who stood with the bow in front of him, eyes closed. The largest of the Hounds moved closer to them, Kiora raised her hand to deal with it just as Emane pulled his bow up. The arrow flew straight and true taking out the largest of the Hounds.
The targeted Hound yelped as the arrow embedded into his flesh. The other dogs skidded to a stop, focusing on their whimpering comrade.
“What are they doing”” Kiora whispered, her hand still raised.
“I think I wounded the pack leader.”
The Hounds began to back up, growling and snapping their jaws. The one Emane had hit stumbled to his feet, the arrow still dangling from his side. Stumbling back to the tree line, his pack followed.
They were allowed only a second of relief before they heard a screeching voice shouting orders.
“Vitraya,” Kiora shuddered. It was the same voice that had fed the Shifter to the Hounds in her vision.
“Where… is… Drustan?” Emane said between clenched teeth.
“I don’t know! I can’t feel him anywhere.”
“He left?”
“I don’t know if he... Oh no.” Kiora looked frantically around the clearing. “The Fallen Ones are gone.”
“Why would they leave?” Emane asked suspiciously, his eyes darting around the meadow.
“They didn’t, they bubbled. They could be anywhere.”
As soon as it left her mouth Kiora felt the thread materialize behind her. She tried to turn to face her attacker but she was not fast enough. The magic hit her arm and she could feel it slicing through the skin. She screamed, grabbing at her arm that the Fallen One had just laid wide open.
Emane grunted as another Fallen One hit him, throwing him into the air. He came down with all of his weight on his arm, snapping it immediately. Kiora heard him cry out in pain.
“The Solus and her Protector…” Vitraya sneered, “they speak of your power, and yet we alone are enough to defeat you.”
“What do you hope to achieve by killing us Vitraya?” Kiora asked feigning a bravery that she did not feel.
“You really are a stupid, stupid little girl. You think I am going to kill you? I have much bigger plans for you.” The hideous black eyed creature sneered in her face. “Dralazar has been very anxious to meet you.”
“Why isn’t he here, now?” Kiora asked still gripping her arm. “He sends his followers out to die without him?”
“SILENCE!” Vitraya screeched. She flew closer to Kiora, raising her hand, but Kiora was faster. With a flick of her wrist she sent a targeted gust of wind, flipping Vitraya end over end.
The other Fallen Ones flew at her but stopped suddenly, their eyes fixed on something behind her.
As his thread announced his return, Kiora turned to see a giant dragon pulling itself up. “Better late than never,” she said under her breath.
Drustan looked at her, and just as she had in the cave, she knew his intentions. She threw herself on top of Emane throwing up a shield to protect the both of them.
Drustan pulled his head back and let loose, igniting the meadow. There were three Fallen Ones who were too slow putting up their shields. The screams were horrible. Kiora moaned. Evil or not, their screams, and their deaths, would haunt her.
“Kiora, you’re bleeding.” Emane gingerly touched the area that Vitraya had sliced open with his good arm.
“I know, and your arm is still broken. Why haven’t you healed it?”
“I, I didn’t think of that.”
“Honestly Emane! Hurry, we need to help Drustan. They will be all over him in a second.”
Emane set his hand on his own arm, healing it. Holding up his now whole arm he looked at it in awe
“Can we be impressed later? I need a little help.” The blood was running freely down her arm.
“Sorry!” Emane scrambled to her, setting his hand on her blood soaked arm and closing the wound.
They looked out to see The Fallen Ones zipping around Drustan’s head, zinging magic at his eyes and ears. He bellowed in pain. The Fallen Ones were too small. Without the element of surprise Drustan could not hit them with his fire breathing.
Suddenly an idea formed, it was just a hunch but Kiora was in unknown territory. “Wings,” she whispered to herself. “Emane!” she said pushing herself to her feet. “I need you to help Drustan, pull a few off of him. Use your shield to deflect their blows and use your sword if they get too close.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Not exactly sure, but I need you to keep them occupied.”
Kiora dropped the shield and was gone. His emotions ran through her and she knew that he didn’t like it. She glanced back through her bubble to make sure Emane was running in the opposite direction.
Vitraya screamed commands, “Stay on the Shifter! You four after the Protector— and where is the Solus?” She pointed to another one and yelled. “You, find her!”
Kiora ran to the edge of the lake. She really hoped this would work. The Fallen Ones’s wings, although dark were still soft and fragile, just like the Guardian’s wings, just like dragonfly wings. She looked at the water, how was she going to do this? And what if it didn’t work? She shook her head, there was no time to worry about that now. Everything she was doing was by guesswork at this point. She looked over her shoulder at Emane and Drustan under full attack. Emane was blocking the blows but each one would send him to his knees.
A lot of water, she thought, I need a lot of water. Perking up she realized, I need a wave! She couldn’t drop the bubble yet. She didn’t know how long it would take to create what she needed, for that matter she didn’t know if she could create what she needed. The Fallen One Vitraya has sent after her flew this way and that throwing out magic in all directions hoping to pop her bubble by lucky coincidence. Carefully, to avoid too much rippling, she stuck her hand into the lake. Focusing all her strength into the water, she pictured it rising up around her. The water began churning in response under her fingertips. Soon after, it began separating and rising around her.
“Vitraya! She’s by the lake somewhere,” a voice called out.
Kiora opened her eyes to see the Fallen One that has been sent after her staring at the churning lake water.
“Yes I am,” Kiora said under the bubble, pushing everything she had into this spell.
“Flush her out!” Vitraya commanded.
The Fallen One began throwing magic randomly again around the lake, hoping for a hit.
No time, Kiora thought. Dropping the bubble she raised her arms as fast as she could, willing the water up and out. The Fallen One nearest her was swallowed up before she could s
hout a warning to her comrades. Kiora turned to face Emane and Drustan thrusting the wall of water in their direction. She could feel it rushing forward on both sides hurtling to its targets. Daring to look up, she was floored at the immense height towering over her. She wasn’t worried about Drustan, but she called to Emane.
Emane, hold your breath!
Emane looked out from behind his shield in just enough time to gulp a mouth full of air before the water slammed into him.
Kiora watched Emane, the Fallen Ones, and Drustan be swallowed up by the entire lake of water she had just willed across the meadow. Her heart was racing, it had worked. She really hadn’t known if it would. Now the worst of it– she had to get Emane out from under it. She pulled her hands back again willing the water to recede. Drustan’s head appeared first and shortly after Emane burst to the surface gasping for air. Once the water was mostly back where it was supposed to be, Kiora ran over to Emane, who was drenched and kneeling on the ground, still taking great gulps of air.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Where are the Fallen Ones?” he asked.
Kiora searched for them, looking for threads but there were none. “I think they are probably bubbled, waiting for their wings to dry.”
He looked at her quizzically, still breathing hard, his hair sending rivulets of water down his face.
“Dragonfly wings” she shrugged. “They can’t…”
“Get their wings wet,” Emane finished. “Brilliant Kiora,” he said kissing her quickly, “Just Brilliant.”
“Climb on,” Drustan instructed, “I will burn the field.”
Her joy was sucked out of her, the Fallen Ones were still in the field. Kiora’s jaw clenched, “No!”
Emane and Drustan both looked at her, “What?”
“I said no!” Her voice shook. “I will not let you kill them while they are defenseless.”
“Kiora, they just tried to kill us. And as soon as they can they will come after us again,” Emane objected.
“They would not do you the same courtesy,” Drustan reminded her.
“That is the difference between us and them, isn’t it?” she said, her voice shaking as the screams of the dead Fallen Ones echoed in her head. “I will not allow you to kill them like this. What makes us different from them if we cannot show compassion?” she asked, motioning outwards. “If we don’t have that, we don’t have anything.”
Drustan bowed his head. “My apologies, My Lady.” His voice was soft and humble. “Thank you for reminding me why we have chosen this side. Climb on, My Lady.”
Kiora closed her eyes and sighed, “Drustan, if it isn’t too much trouble, I really hate riding dragons.”
Chapter Twenty
THE VALLEY OF NO MAGIC
KIORA, EMANE AND DRUSTAN soared over the valley below. “What are you supposed to be anyway,” Emane demanded, poking at Drustan’s pink fur around him.
“I am a Shapeshifter. I can be anything I want.”
“Are you telling me this is an actual animal?”
“What do you think?”
He snorted, “You are a big, pink, fluffy, flying dog iguana looking… thing. It can’t possibly be real.”
“Not that long ago, you would have said the idea of a creature being able to change its shape was preposterous, would you have not?”
“That’s not the point Drustan. I am asking you if this is an actual creature or not.”
Drustan let out a loud laugh that echoed through the sky, “Of course not Emane! Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I knew it! Then why are we soaring through the sky on this pink monstrosity?”
“I was trying to cheer up the lady, if you must know.”
Emane looked at Kiora who was sitting in front of him. She was staring forward, seemingly unaware that they were even speaking.
“It doesn’t seem to be working.”
“Perhaps you can do better?”
“Kiora?” She didn’t flinch. “Kiora?” Emane nudged her gently.
She jumped, coming back to reality, “Hmm? What? I’m sorry Emane, were you talking to me?” She turned her head to the side, but her eyes didn’t meet his. They remained distant, looking out over the trees.
“Are you ok?”
“Umm, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know, I was wondering the same thing. We did just manage to defeat a pack of Hounds and twelve Fallen Ones. Which, by the way– Drustan, you and I will have words over your little stunt.”
“Whenever you’re ready, my Prince,” Drustan answered with amusement.
Emane rolled his eyes, “Anyway, as I was saying, we managed to survive our first real battle. And you, what you did with that water was… well, it was something I will never forget.
She forced a smile, “That worked better than I expected.”
“Better than you expected!” he exclaimed, grabbing a hold of her shoulders. “You should have seen yourself. I looked over to see you standing there– in-between two enormous walls of water! And then when you sent it crashing forward, it was amazing.” Setting back he amended. “Of course it was more amazing after I realized I wasn’t going to die.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it had you not healed my arm.”
“That reminds me, let me see that arm.” Emane leaned around her side to see where Vitraya had cut her. “I didn’t know they could do that.’
“Me either.”
He glanced up at her, her voice was nearly monotone, and forced. Scowling, he looked at her blood soaked arm and sleeve. “You lost a lot of blood.”
“It was deep.”
“Kiora,” he asked again, “what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Drustan where were you?”
Emane’s head snapped up, he knew she was changing the subject but this was an answer he was dying to know. “Yes Drustan, where were you?”
“I was in the meadow, right where you left me, Prince.”
“Drustan,” Emane closed his eyes trying not to yell, “you are the most infuriating creature I have ever met!”
“It is an effort, I assure you, my Prince.”
He took a deep breath, refusing to take the bait, “I thought I told you to turn into a Dragon as soon as I set you down. And instead, we don’t see hide nor hair of you till half way through the fight.”
“It was a strategic decision based upon experience.”
“How so?”
“Is the Prince asking my humble opinion?”
“No, the Prince is asking for your humble explanation, Drustan!”
“That’s too bad, listening to the opinion of someone who is experienced with the enemy would be wise.”
Emane took another deep breath. He was right, he knew he was right. But he really hated admitting he was wrong, especially to a flying pink iguana. “I will keep that in mind.”
“Emane…” Kiora chided.
“What?”
“Just say it.”
“For not being a mind reader,” he grumped “you are disturbingly good at knowing what I am thinking.”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“Alright you were right, I was wrong. I do want to know what it is that you were waiting for.”
“I suggest that we find somewhere to stay for the night. After we set up camp I will be glad to discuss things with you.”
“Where do you suggest? Kiora can’t bubble us all night.”
“She won’t need to. They will assume that Eleana is hiding her, they won’t be looking tonight.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I know.”
Emane swallowed his retort and instead asked, “Where shall we camp then?”
“On the borders of the Garian Sea there is a region that is devoid of magic. It would be the last spot anybody would look for us if they chose to do so. It also makes it very easy to recognize incoming threads from a greater distance.”
“Why is it devoid of magic?” Emane asked.
&n
bsp; Drustan banked left, clearly assuming they agreed on the location, “Because the land itself is devoid of magic. We magical creatures cannot, well…” he paused unsure how to explain.
“Because once you use your magic, you need to get more, and you use the magic on the land to do so,” Emane said.
“I’m impressed.”
“Aleric explained it to me. What if we do need to use magic while we are there?”
“We can use what we have already, that should be enough to get us out of the area and back into magical territory.”
“How far is it?”
“As the pink flying furry dog iguana thing flies? About thirty minutes.”
Half an hour later, they landed in a dream-like valley framed by mountain peaks on the far side of the Sea of Garian. Emane had been to the northern shore but he knew of no one that had been to the other side. There had never been a need. Even as he wondered why, his mind slid off the question, moving instead to the beauty that surrounded them.
“How can magic not exist in this place? It speaks of magic,” Kiora said as she soaked in the landscape.
“Nobody knows.”
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
The grass was greener, the trees were weeping, brushing the ground. Emane reached out fingering a leaf on the willow. The leaf was more silver than green, and almost glittered as he twisted it, the now setting sun bouncing off it. A thin layer of mist crept over the ground.
“Follow me.” Drustan walked into the mist.
Emane and Kiora walked in silence, staring at the world around them. They followed Drustan’s large pink backside to a weeping tree that stood towering over the rest. Drustan disappeared underneath its branches. Emane pulled back a branch, following Kiora through.
Underneath its magnificent boughs was a home made by nature, completely protected by the willow branches that laid themselves down upon the forest floor. No amount of wind or rain would bother them here. Emane watched Kiora as she leaned against the tree trunk, staring out but seeing nothing. He could not understand what it was that had her so upset, but it was like she had buried herself somewhere in her mind, somewhere he couldn’t go with her.
“We had better make camp, nightfall will be here soon,” Drustan reminded them.
