by Candy Crum
Once Talia's usefulness had run its course, Scarlett planned to get rid of her. Although she was now strongly considering fulfilling the promise she’d made after Talia had slapped her, she would more than likely just kill her in some normal fashion when the time is right.
Her brows furrowed as her expression turned angry. Talia and her underestimating things had screwed with some of Scarlett’s plans, but she knew she’d get them back on the right path.
The most recent of which was the Cellans coming to Arcadia. Somehow, Amelia had not only escaped, but she'd taken the potential allies from Cella as well.
The governor had snuck in somehow and spoken to Amelia without their knowledge. Scarlett still hadn't figured out how, since all guards in charge of the gate had been instructed to deliver the governor to Talia immediately. That hadn't happened, and the governor and the Chancellor must've struck a deal between them, allowing him and his people to come into the city without putting Talia in a position of power over them.
That made Amelia the one they would be loyal to.
They must have escaped with her, or at least shortly after. She would have them on her side now, and they were much better fighters, though their numbers where only a tiny fraction of Arcadia’s Guard.
Cella had about twice as many people in their population as Arcadia did in the Guard—at a population of about two thousand, their army was only a few hundred. That number had been cut drastically after their fight with the remnant.
Still, they would be quite an enemy to go against if they were Amelia’s allies. At the moment, it wasn't Scarlett's concern. She had appointments to keep.
Scarlett had struck a deal with the dark Chieftain's closest ally, Aeris, who also happened to be the brother of Jenna, the girl who had so easily taken Cathillian down in front of the city gates.
It never hurt to have friends, no matter where those friends came from. Scarlett had learned that lesson long ago, which was why she had reached out to the remnant in the first place before she’d ever made her presence in Arcadia known.
The mystic was nothing if not resourceful, especially when it came to planning for her future.
Making friends with the dark druids would definitely come in handy, especially with that life-sucking thing they did. Scarlett had no idea how it worked, but she loved the entire idea of it.
From what Aeris had told her, the druids of the Dark Forest also had that ability, but they rarely used it—only for hunting or if an animal was suffering in the woods and couldn’t be healed enough to live.
Boring.
Scarlett much preferred the company of the dark druids, and they’d requested that she help them retrieve Jenna. She'd convinced them to hold off, explaining that a direct attack so soon after Jenna had been taken would've been expected. They would be ready, and would rip them apart.
But now was the time. It was a great opportunity for many reasons. One, it built a stronger foundation of friendship between Scarlett and the dark druids. Two, it forced Talia to deal with things on her own.
At this point, she was so paranoid that the slightest hiccup would drive her insane. Striking Scarlett had been a terrible mistake on her part, but it had forced the mystic to show her dark side. She hadn't wanted to do that so soon, but now she realized it would fester in Talia’s mind like an infection, growing out of control and making her even crazier as she worried about the possibilities.
Talia's time was coming; of that Scarlett was certain. It was just a matter of when. And how, of course. She hadn't quite decided how she wanted Talia to go yet, but she wanted it to be poetic. After all, Scarlett had shown her friendship, however false it may have been, and Talia had never once been appreciative. That was a mistake she would pay for.
Scarlett made her way into the Academy, searching for Bernice, one of the other teachers in their group who was capable of teleportation. She found her sitting alone in her classroom, reading.
"Bernice, I need you to take me to the southern edge of the Dark Forest," Scarlett said.
Bernice smiled confidently. "And does Talia know about this?"
Scarlett had hit her quota of snooty bitches for the day. Her eyes flashed white, and fear covered Bernice's face as she looked down, frantically kicking and clawing at herself.
"What's happening? They're everywhere!" the woman screamed.
Smiling, Scarlett advised, "Don't move too quickly, now. Snakes respond violently to quick movements."
The woman was visibly shaken. Her entire body trembled as her phobia came to life. "Please help me! They're everywhere, and I can't move."
Scarlett allowed her eyes to return to normal and the illusion to fade. The woman across the room sighed heavily as she frantically looked around the area, searching for any snakes that might still be lying around, but coming up empty.
"Why? Why would you do that?" Bernice asked.
Scarlett slowly took a few steps forward, each click of her heel on the floor a dark threat. "Because I asked you to do something for me, and I was met with rudeness. I'm sick of the disrespect around here. Talia would be nothing without me. She would've already gotten herself killed by now, most likely by that bitch Arryn. So, unless you want the image of those snakes burned into your brain for eternity, I'd suggest being a little more helpful."
Bernice nodded, quickly rising and moving across the room to stand in front of Scarlett. "Of course. Anything you need."
With a genuine smile, Scarlett said, "Good! Now, teleport me to the southern edge of the Dark Forest. You'll stay with me, then you'll teleport me back when I’m ready. When your part is all done, I'll compel you to forget all about this. Understand?"
The woman nodded, wringing her hands.
Scarlett gave a quick nod. "Good girl. Now, take my hand. Let’s go."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Today was the day. The sun was shining. The wind was barely a breeze. It was warmer than it had been for the past several days because of the snowstorm.
It was time.
Arryn walked out of the cave, her body and her mind both feeling stronger than ever. The past couple of days had been spent training hard in teleportation skills. With how strong she had gotten, she had been able to practice several times a day without completely exhausting herself.
Sleeping with the tigers had kept her from needing fires, though she usually built one a few hours before dawn when it got the coldest.
She’d gone back and forth, questioning whether the animals were her familiars or not. The cats didn't seem to have an emotional bond with her, and she didn't have one with them, except for her general love for all animals.
Her rabbit friend had come back, having snuck into the cave in the middle of the night. She’d tried to tell the tigers not to eat him, but they hadn’t understood. She’d had to use magic to get through to the cats and arrange to keep her long-eared, chubby friend alive.
Had it been a bond like Cathillian’s had with Echo, she could've just spoken the words or simply thought them.
Perhaps it wasn’t a true bond.
Arryn made her way to the edge of the mountain, looking down to find a good path. From where she stood now, it looked like it would be easy for her to walk in a zigzag down a natural walkway that had been carved out by wind and erosion, but that would only last so long.
Eventually, she would have to climb down twenty or thirty feet, maybe more, to the next landing. That would take a lot of skill, patience, and sure footing.
"Fuck it," she said out loud to herself. "I'll just teleport down to those places. Not gonna risk it."
She checked her pockets and found jerky from the last ram the tiger had brought in, and she tied her knives to her belt. She had everything she needed.
As she stared down the path, rechecking her route, something felt wrong. She felt worried. Paranoid that something bad was about to happen. Taking several deep breaths, Arryn did her best to calm herself, but it didn't work very well.
The sound of crunching snow
filled her ears. The tigers had stepped out of the cave and were approaching. She walked over to them, kneeling to pull the cub into her arms. As she reached out to him, he stood on his hind legs and put his paws in the air. A big smile spread across her face as she picked him up and held him tightly, scratching the side of his face and his favorite area under his ears.
"Well, I guess this is it. I'm heading back to Arcadia. I have a score to settle." Arryn pulled the cub’s little face closer and kissed his nose, his cheeks, and between his eyes before hugging him one last time and setting him down.
When she turned to the mama, she had to stand. The tigress was now tall enough that Arryn could look her directly in the eyes.
"You are huge. It doesn't feel like we've been around one another very long, but I think you're almost twice the size you were when I met you."
Arryn stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the big cat's neck, hugging her tightly. To her surprise, the tiger wrapped one of her front legs around her thighs and tipped her head sideways, leaning into a hug. She rubbed her cheek on Arryn's head and shoulder several times before letting go.
"Marking me as yours?" Arryn asked, smiling as she pulled away. "I promise, where I'm going we don't have anything like you. I've seen some panthers and leopards, but nothing like you."
Arryn stepped back, tears filling her eyes suddenly. She laughed as she rubbed them away. Before her face was dry, she felt something hit her leg. Looking down, she saw that the cub had flopped down on her feet and was wrapping his legs around her.
More tears filled her eyes then, so many that she couldn't see. "I can't take you from your home. This is all you've ever known. If we were bonded it would be different, but I don't think we are. It's inconsistent—nothing like what I've been told. You're used to the cold. I can't take you to the forest without knowing that's where you belong."
She began to sob as she leaned down, picking up the tiger cub and carrying him back over to his mother. She set him down in front of her paws. "I don't understand," she said between sobs, sniffling as she stood and looked into the ice blue eyes of the mother tiger. "You grew so big. He grew. I thought you were mine. After all this time, after all these years, I thought you were mine."
Arryn once again started to leave, momentarily looking at the sky as she took a deep breath and exhaled. She did her best to push her emotions aside.
"Maybe the bond is just taking longer. Maybe it started, but we haven't had enough time to fully seal it." She sighed, exasperated. "Then again, if you leave the mountain and we aren't bonded at all—if this was just some strange thing that happened—then I'll have ripped you away from your home for no reason."
Arryn wanted to go, she felt certain she could go, but it hurt to think about it. Just then, something hopped across her foot. She looked down and smiled at the rabbit, who was looking up at her with his adorable nose bobbing.
"Hop Hop!" She picked the rabbit up, nuzzling her face against him. "I'm glad you came to say goodbye. All my best friends. If it wasn't for all of you, I would've either gone crazy up here or died."
She kissed his little nose and set him back down on the ground. With a sigh, and more tears threatening to fall, she looked at each one of them one last time.
"I love you. All of you. Be good to each other. Baby snow cat and mama snow cat, no eating my little Hopsicle. We're all family."
Having said her goodbyes, Arryn turned, did her best to stifle the oncoming tears, and headed toward the edge of the mountain.
***
The Chieftain had only just laid down to sleep when he felt the presence of dangerous magic. He sat up in bed, calling on his strength to reach out through the interconnected life in the forest, which allowed him to see what was happening.
In a flash, the Chieftain was on his feet and out his door, alerting everyone in the area to head south.
"What is it?" Elysia asked. Her own internal alarm had gone off when something approached the barrier.
"The dark druids. From the amount of magic being used, it looks like there are several." The Chieftain turned, searching the assembled crowd of warriors for Nika. He found her and ran over. "Send Luna to find the warriors and tell them about the barrier. They may be patrolling and not in the immediate area. She's the fastest."
Nika only nodded before turning and running in the opposite direction. The Chieftain closed his eyes for a moment, and a loud roar echoed through the forest as Zobig answered his silent call. Thunderous hoofbeats sounded as Chaos answered Elysia. Each climbed onto the back of their familiar before racing for the border.
Other horses joined the fray as the warriors followed their leaders into what was sure to be a battle. Howls and growls sounded from other familiars as they raced alongside the Elders’ steeds. The moon was high, but the light only shone through every so often because of the thick canopy overhead.
The Chieftain could sense magic in the trees, and he realized that the Schatten warriors were quickly traveling through their branches. He'd ordered some of them south from the northernmost village in the tribe to help in cases just like this one.
"Do you think they’re coming for Jenna?" Elysia asked.
"They've been suspiciously quiet since she was captured. I'd have to say that's exactly what they're after. If that's the case, they probably have a sizable pack with them."
As they approached the wall, the Chieftain sensed a large amount of magic being used in one specific spot. Just as they came into seeing distance, the Chieftain watched the plants in the barrier darken, all life inside being drained as they shriveled.
"Shit!" Elysia shouted. "They must have a ton of men to accomplish that!"
She wasn't wrong. The Chieftain knew their death touch was strong. It was what had destroyed the southernmost edge of the Dark Forest, and it was also what would one day destroy the rest if they won. But a small number wouldn’t have been strong enough to break through that wall so quickly.
There had to be at least thirty, maybe more.
Just as they got close enough to engage, several dark druids broke through the barrier, having cleaved their way through the weakened wall using swords and what looked like scythes. As Elysia and the Chieftain dismounted, the Schatten began dropping from the trees, snatching up the enemy and taking them into the canopy before dropping them again with their throats cut.
The Chieftain ran forward, and Zobig wasted no time before charging several enemies, grabbing them by their throats with his powerful jaws and slamming them into the ground.
Staff in hand, the Chieftain swung as a dark druid approached him, striking him in the head and taking him down before delivering the finishing blow. Vines began shooting from the canopy, wrapping around ankles, yanking the men and women up and slamming them against the thick trees, ending their lives immediately.
Very quickly the Chieftain realized he'd underestimated their numbers. Elysia ran up, her face frantic. "There are too many of them, and Aeris isn't here. Something's not right."
When he looked around, the Chieftain saw that his people were evenly matched against theirs. Though everything was happening quickly, the actual progression was slow. The Schatten were killing from above, thinning the horde as those on foot charged forward with their companions.
The Chieftain looked at Elysia. "The village! This is a distraction."
Elysia's face fell. "Cathillian and Samuel are guarding Jenna."
"I'm about to finish this. Go. Quickly. Get back to the village and save them," the Chieftain ordered.
Elysia nodded once before jumping on Chaos and taking off. The Chieftain took several steps towards the crowd, his eyes glowing bright green as he lifted his staff to the night sky, causing thunder to crack hard above the forest. Clouds began to blow in, covering all available light.
"Let us end this!" the Chieftain called as lightning struck the top of his staff.
***
Cathillian looked at the sky as clouds began to blow in.
"That's some
loud thunder," Samuel said.
Cathillian shook his head. "That's not real thunder. That's my grandfather."
Laughter echoed around them as Cathillian glanced at the young woman still tied to a tree. "They must be coming for me. Cathillian, my dear, I'll forgive all of this if you untie me and take me to my brother. He's going to get me anyway, so you might as well live through it. Or… Maybe we could just have one night together before you die."
Cathillian grimaced as he looked down at Jenna. Even in the fading light, he could see her dark smile. She made him sick.
"Fuck you," he spat.
Jenna laughed again. "I'm trying, but you're not cooperating."
Cathillian shot her an annoyed look. "Hey, I'm the only one around here allowed to hand out witty one-liners. And I won't ever give in to you, not in any way, shape, or form. You might as well get that through your stupid head."
"Lad," Samuel said, readying his hammer, "she's baitin' ye. Don't listen to her. She's tryin' ta distract ye while someone sneaks up on us."
Cathillian had no more than listened to Samuel's statement when someone grabbed him around the throat from behind, shoving a knife through his lower back. He cried out as he thrust an elbow into his attacker's ribs, throwing her far enough away he was able to reach back and pull the knife from his kidney. He turned and jammed it into his attacker’s throat, twisting it for good measure.
He focused his energy, healing the area a bit, but careful not to use more energy than what was needed for a simple close. He’d do a deeper heal later.
Samuel ran forward, swinging his hammer just over Cathillian's head into the chest of another approaching dark druid. A knife whistled through the air as it passed between the men and struck another attacker in the face. Both men turned to see Celine standing there with a smile on her face.
"Thanks for that last lesson, Sam," she said before waving her hand, her telekinesis pulling the knife free from the attacker's face and bringing it back to her.
Samuel smiled. "Glad ta see it paid off fer me, too."
