“If this is perfect then I’d hate to see when you screw up,” the thief bluntly says. Wiping his hand on his shirt, he coughs as the curse spreads an inch along his left humerus. “There we go. I was wondering if you could control your little spell. Now, how about we skip to the point of this dinner? I want to get some sleep before I go wandering around tomorrow. All these centuries on Apelios and you never built anything remotely fun from what I can tell.”
Ignoring his latest jab, Jewelz rolls her wrist to pull a crystal cube out of her sleeve. “I can create whatever you wish, especially if you join me. The tournament is nothing more than a way to bring you to my side. Swear your life and loyalty to me and all of those other Dawn Fangs will go free. I might even allow my traitorous child to leave alive. Don’t you believe that your one life is worth sacrificing for so many?”
“You actually said that with a straight face,” Clyde laughs, a spray of cookie crumbs flying from his mouth. Getting to his feet, he joins the elegant woman on the railing, but it takes a minute for him to regain his self-control. “I don’t care about all of the people you’ve kidnapped and created here. If they live then great, but death is part of our existence. Titus can take care of himself, so he doesn’t need me to be a wimpy martyr. As far as Xavier goes, I’d sooner eat my own innards than give up my life and freedom for him. Can’t believe you thought I would say yes.”
“Oh, I knew you wouldn’t,” the Vampire Queen admits with a smirk. Nodding her head to the table, she throws a flat diamond that ignites all of the food. “It was a benevolent offer that would make my revenge on Mab fairly easy, but I truly hoped you would refuse. Still, this dinner wasn’t an entire waste. All of your food was laced with a poison that halves your strength for a week. You wanted a challenge in my tournament and I have provided it. How stupid are you that you routinely fall into my traps?”
Walking over to the table, Clyde picks up a slice of cake that is still on fire and takes a bite from the flaming side. Finishing the dessert, he uses his shirt as a napkin again, but grips the bottom to pull it over his head. With a sigh, he slips a finger into his flesh and hooks one of his jewel-covered ribs. A faint snap can be heard when the Dawn Fang breaks the bone and pulls it out of the wound. Tossing it to the Vampire Queen, Clyde pulls open the hole to show that the body part grows back without the curse. Letting his skin heal, he stretches his arms and briefly becomes a blur as he sprints towards Jewelz. His fists strike the railing and all of it cracks except for the part that the yawning woman is sitting on. Noticing a significant drop in his speed and strength, he cannot hide his smile and licks his lips in anticipation of his next fight.
“Keep that rib as a reminder that I can rid myself of your tricks at any moment,” Clyde whispers into his host’s ear. Enjoying her demure smile, he hops onto the railing next to her and puts his finger in the air to check the wind. “I feel like I should be nice too. I promise to leave you alone if you let my friend and I go back to Nytefall. Release Xavier too and I won’t hold it against you. Otherwise, the day I get bored is the day Apelios gets flipped into the ocean. How about I give you a week to make your decision? Should be plenty of time to consider your options.”
“And what makes you think that you can make such an offer?”
“Because I’m me.”
A flicker of red appears around Clyde’s body before he pushes off the railing and launches himself towards his room. Half of the balcony cracks and starts to fall towards those below, but Jewelz snaps her fingers to bring the pieces back to their proper place. Frowning at the show of unexpected power, she pulls an empty vial out of a hidden pocket and holds it up to the emerald moonlight. For a second, the Vampire Queen considers that she made a mistake in going after Clyde to get to Mab. One look at her extravagant bedroom and the rest of Apelios is enough to revive her confidence, which she demonstrates to her worried servants by casually crushing the crystalline rib in her fist.
10
Slashing at the broadleaf plants that are in their path, Mab struggles to remember her way around the island of Apelios. The ancient island shows very few signs that it has ever been inhabited, but she knows that there is a vast network of catacombs that Jewelz could be using as a hideout. Every time there is a break in the overgrown forest, the burglar leaves the others behind to get her bearings and sort through her hazy memories. She does not get too close to the lagoon, which is bubbling and filled with the bleached skeletons of serpentine sea monsters. A massive skull is embedded in the shore, its empty eye socket fringed by strange marks that have become too faded to easily identify. Thumb-sized flies are the only living things that the vampires have encountered since leaving the ship, which is moored at the southern end of the island. Mab can barely make out the top of the main mast over the blackened trees and is again relieved that they have a way out in case of trouble. Climbing into a nearby fir, she looks around to get a better view of her surroundings and her eyes fall on a large tree in the distance. Even from so far away, she can barely make out the ropes that she used to climb in order to get inside the ancient maple. Taking a moment to plan her route, she notices that there is a strange gap in the forest between them and her trainee lair. Unable to spot the hidden obstacle, she drops to the ground and returns to the group, who have been waiting patiently.
Without a word, Mab moves a few steps ahead of the others and goes back to slashing her way through the undergrowth. A faint whistle causes her to stop and she whirls around to signal for everyone to hide, but frowns at Lost’s pursed lips. Gesturing for the half-elf to stay quiet, she picks up the pace and practically tears bushes completely out of the ground. Throwing the debris aside, Mab becomes a little more violent when a sense of discomfort washes over her. The feeling has been gnawing on her nerves since she set foot on Apelios and now it is threatening to turn into full-fledged anxiety. Her movements gradually become sloppier and the narrow path she is carving requires that Luther make it wide enough for everyone. Muffled curses and grunts carry through the air as the vampires stumble over hidden roots and try to keep up with their guide. Looking over her shoulder, the burglar can see that the others have fallen behind, so she waits for them to catch up. The brief rest allows her to look around and she spots a bizarre figure in a nearby tree. Getting as close as she can without touching the gnarled object, she is surprised to find flecks of fossilized bone within the thick bark. The sight of the trapped body causes Mab to notice that she has not heard the voices of the dead for the first time in years. Instead of a distant murmur that she has learned to ignore, the Dawn Fang has no connection to the spirits, which she realizes is the reason behind her discomfort.
Feeling a little better with the situation, Mab shreds the vines in front of her and steps into a brightly lit area. She immediately feels someone grab her elbows and yank her back before her eyes can adjust to the light. The burglar finds herself standing between Bob and Decker, who are still gripping her arms. She is about to demand that they let go when she sees that they are staring open-mouthed at what is before them. Wriggling free, Mab walks to the edge of a large chasm that reveals the underground catacombs. There is no bridge to help them cross the unexpected division, but she can see that it runs to the center of the island where it narrows to a point. She is pulled away again, which angers her enough that she hisses and bares her fangs at Luther. The forest tracker points at where she was standing as it is consumed by an oily blob that is floating through the air. All of the plants that are touched by the strange object are drained of their moisture and crumble to dust. When there is nothing left to devour, the perfect circle is cast away by a foul-smelling gale. Inching back to the edge, Mab squints at the sky to see that the blinding light came from the sun shining through a mass of the bubbles, which is steadily sinking towards the chasm.
“Those things aren’t alive,” Stephanie mentions, her tail nervously swishing. She licks the back of her hand and tries to groom herself, but her hair continues to stand on end. “I think they’re r
emnants from the Great Cataclysm. There’s plenty of corrupted magic around Windemere, which causes trouble for travelers. Good chance that each bubble does something different too. Are you sure we have to get across?”
“My treehouse is over there and I had a private entrance to the catacombs hidden under the roots,” Mab replies as she gathers some stones. She flings them at the descending blobs and watches as each one sets off a unique spell. “Those things aren’t sentient, so we can get around them without worrying about a pursuit. Since they’re moving steadily, we can wait for them to lower themselves into the chasm and then we jump. Unless I take everyone in pairs through the shadows, which is something Jewelz would have prepared for. Probably put up a spell that will teleport me into that swarm if I try to take the easy path. I’ll be willing to carry Decker since this might be too much for an old-world to make during the day.”
“That would be appreciated,” the dwarf says without paying full attention. Taking a few steps away from his companions, he peers through a hole in the plants to watch the lagoon. “Are you sure this is the place? The island smells dead and the catacombs look deserted. I can’t imagine a person like this Vampire Queen living here.”
“This is Apelios,” the burglar declares, her soft voice betraying her doubt. Throwing her final rock, she watches it sail through a blob and explode like a firework. “Maybe there’s a spell on the island to make it look this bad or she keeps a gateway here. Her real hideout could be a tiny section that she’s turned into a small kingdom. Either way, we can rest once we cross the chasm and figure out a plan.”
Archillious clears his throat and spits at a nearby tree before asking, “What do we do if this isn’t the place?”
“There’s someone I can ask for information.”
“Nobody lives here.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Let’s just pop those things.”
Before anyone can stop him, Archillious fires one of his fangs at the nearest blob, which bursts with a loud boom. The blast knocks everyone off their feet and the rest of the bubbles stop where they are. Minutes pass with none of the oily orbs moving beyond an occasional tremor caused by the wind. Seeing that they only have a narrow tunnel to jump through, Mab turns to scream at the assassin. Her words are caught in her throat when she hears a distant bubbling and the voices of the dead return to her ears. Filled with rage, the local spirits shriek and roar loud enough to make her ears bleed. Something about the noise drives the burglar to leap into the branches and clamber to the top of a palm tree. Ignoring the ants that crawl up her legs, she looks around the island in search of danger. It does not take long for her to spot hundreds of scaly creatures crawling out of the lagoon and begin trudging in their direction. At first glance, Mab thinks they are a tribe of giltris, which she vaguely remembers living on Apelios. The lizardmen were useful for training or acting as an emergency snack, but she catches the strong stench of decay from them. Judging by the way they move, she is certain that the muscular creatures have been turned into zombies and they have caught the scent of fresh blood. Knowing that they do not have long before they are overrun, the burglar drops to the ground and immediately heals what little damage her awkward landing creates.
“We have a tribe of zombified giltris coming this way,” Mab reports as she clears away more of the plants at the chasm’s edge. Glancing over the side, she curses at how the blobs have clogged the catacomb entrances. “I think Decker should hurry back to the ship and get the crew to sail around the island. It isn’t like we can’t swim out to it in an emergency. Anyone who doesn’t think they can get through that mess can go too. I’m going to risk the shadows, but I won’t take anyone with me. Better move quickly since we’re going to have company pretty soon.”
“Why don’t I just pop more of those bubbles?” Archillious asks once Decker can no longer be seen. He fires three fangs, which sets off more explosions and creates a tunnel of fire around the slightly wider opening. “Okay, that really didn’t go exactly as the apologetic Archillious planned. Although, I think I can make it now with only a few burns. Nothing a few minutes of concentration or a bottle of blood can’t fix.”
“If Bob would be nice enough to position his lance like a ramp, I believe I can fix this new problem,” Stephanie says with a bow.
Hearing the gurgling roars of the giltris, Mab waves for her friend to do as the ritualist has asked. The vampiric elf plants his weapon into the ground and uses himself as a base to make sure it does not shift upon impact. Licking her lips, Stephanie backs away and signals for Bob to adjust his position. Not wanting her dress to catch fire, she strips naked and is about to toss the garment to Archillious, but hands it to Luther instead. Becoming a faint blur of motion, the calico runs up the lance and jumps with enough force to knock the Bob down. She sails through the narrow passage at a speed that creates a howling wind tunnel, which collects all of the flames. The instant Stephanie lands on the other side of the chasm, she curls into a ball and braces herself for the inferno to strike. To her surprise, she feels sharp teeth grab her by the scruff of the neck and pull her away from the blast. The ritualist crashes against a tree and stares at the decrepit rabbit sitting on the tip of her tail.
“Good bunny!” Lost shouts across the chasm. Running along the edge, she leaps through a small gap in the swarm and uses her telekinesis to shove the blobs away. “You sure got more interesting since last I saw you. I didn’t notice it before, but there’s something really familiar besides us meeting two years ago. Can’t put my finger on why you smell like everyone I used to know.”
“Must be due to all the blood I use in my rituals,” Stephanie nervously replies. She jumps when a raven lands behind her and turns into Luther, who returns her dress. “Bob and Archillious will need some help. I can’t think of anything they can do to safely clear the chasm. Maybe we should send them after Decker.”
“As if magical bubbles can stop the amazing Archillious,” the assassin declares before he lands. Taking a bow, his grin widens at the slight bit of applause he receives. “I jumped through worse during my jester days. The trick is to know your limits, which I do not have, and pretend you’re an arrow. As long as my body was narrow and unwavering, I had nothing to worry about in there. Can’t say the same for that elf though.”
Neighing like a horse, Bob crashes into the branches and hangs in the vines. “Palm trees are nature’s catapults if you aren’t too rough with them. Did you guys know that there are bigger gaps all the way up there? One of them is shaped like a mare and her foal. I had to settle for the big circle though because Mab told me not to goof off. She wants Luther to hunt for a clue to Jewelz’s hiding place and the rest of us to meet her at the treehouse. Kind of rude that she isn’t staying with us.”
“Yeah . . . Mab is definitely acting odd,” Luther whispers before transforming back into a raven and taking to the air.
*****
Soaring high above the island, Luther is unnerved by the emptiness and utter silence of the sky. There are no other birds even within the forests, which he can now see are combinations of trees from every environment. He dives to investigate a group of flourishing cacti sitting next to a perfectly square patch of conifers, but immediately soars back when a rotting giltris looms out of the shadows. Slower than the quick and cautious raven, the creature’s teeth snap shut a few seconds too late and it slowly slips back into its lair. With a rapid flapping of his wings, Luther lands on top of an orange-leafed maple to calm his nerves from the latest attack. He licks at the air and coughs when he tastes a bitter rage that is rising from all over the island. Looking out to the ocean, he can see that the ship is starting to move around the island, which he takes as a good sign. The corrupted wilderness makes the forest tracker’s feathers ruffle whenever the wind blows, so any step towards an easy escape helps put his mind at ease. Returning to his scouting mission, he wheels around an oddly bent sycamore that has rose bushes growing from its ivory trunk. Heading for the foam-covered
lagoon, Luther goes higher to make sure he is out of range of the undead giltris, who have already tried throwing various objects at him. The foul-smelling lizard-people have stopped swarming over the island and have settled down to either lie in wait for prey or aimlessly wander. Several times, the Dawn Fang has seen the creatures turn on each other and battle until one decides to walk away with a severed limb or tail.
“Strange how vampires are supposed to be closely related to those corpses,” Stephanie mentions as her translucent form appears next to the raven. Feeling exposed as a calico, she transforms into a ghostly violet bird with long tail feathers. “Bob was getting worried about you and I owed him for being my ramp. This is only an astral projection, so I won’t be any help if a fight breaks out. Everyone is safe in Mab’s treehouse, which is a mess. I believe the giltris are avoiding it because they’ve already torn it apart. Archillious put some really noxious poison at the base of the tree to be safe. Oh, Lost wants you to know that Decker made it to the ship, bunny is fine, and Mab is starting to scare her.”
“It’s just like seventy years ago,” Luther says while dipping towards a suspicious hill. He veers away when the stench of garbage hits his nose and he spots several zombies lurking within the camouflaged heap. “You never really interacted with Mab when we were on the same side, so you might not know what it was like back then. After Clyde was buried, she became rather difficult. She would pick fights, especially with Duragians, and her heists were done in a way that we feared she was trying to get killed. Xavier giving her jobs helped Mab focus, but she still had many moments of agitation. This is a little different since she has someone to blame for Clyde’s disappearance and an easier path to getting him back. I will say that we’re lucky it isn’t the other way around. If Mab was missing, Clyde would have already torn apart a few kingdoms.”
Rivalry (War of Nytefall Book 3) Page 18
