Balestone

by Toby Neighbors

  “No, it’s too old, but there’s plenty here, and I doubt we’ll need all that much of it.”

  After a few minutes of work, they had torn the fence apart and stacked it neatly into two piles. Tiberius picked up the bigger pile, and Lexi managed to carry the smaller one. They had just started back toward the building where Rafe and Olyva were waiting when the world suddenly went dark.

  “I’ll never get used to that,” Lexi said.

  “It’s a bit unsettling,” Tiberius admitted.

  He stooped over and set the wood down easily. Then, picking up one of the longer boards and holding it by one end, he uttered the fire spell.

  “Ingesco Exsuscito.”

  Tiberius felt the magic leach suddenly out of the dry and brittle wood. The flame at the far end, away from Ti’s body, was bright and warm. Tiberius held the board up like a torch and hoped the fire wouldn’t work its way down the rotten wood too quickly.

  He scooped up as much of the wood at his feet as he could manage with one arm, and they started back down the wide street. The ground was solid under their feet but covered with fine dirt. Tiberius wondered what type of paving stones the city had utilized. There were so many questions to be answered about the ancient ruins, but they would all have to wait. Tiberius knew he had to swallow his curiosity. His first priority was to get Olyva back to Hamill Keep and then to Sparlan Citadel. It might even be possible to take an airship from the Keep to the capital, but Tiberius didn’t want to put too much trust in that plan. Olyva’s father might just as easily throw them in irons as help them on their quest.

  “It’s hard to imagine such a large place being abandoned,” Lexi said.

  “I know,” Tiberius agreed. “What must the cataclysm have been like, and what caused it?”

  “Wizards caused it,” Lexi said.

  “I know that’s what we’ve been told all our lives, but we were also told all wizards were evil and that nothing good could ever come from magic. That isn’t true. I’m not evil, am I?”

  “Not most of the time,” she teased.

  “And I’ve used magic to heal the sick and injured. So some good things can come from magic.”

  “But how do you explain Princess Ariel breaking your leg?”

  “I can’t,” Tiberius said. “She’s a cruel person, but so is Leonosis. Perhaps it’s more about living a life of privilege than magic.”

  “You lived the same life as Leonosis and you’re nothing like him,” Lexi said.

  “Well, my life wasn’t exactly the same. I had everything I needed and never worried about going without, but I knew I wasn’t favored. Leonosis on the other hand could do no wrong. My father spoiled him, and my mother loved him more than the rest of us. Even the servants and city officials treated Leonosis with deference. I was seen as little more than a nuisance.”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Lexi said. “At least you had parents.”

  “I didn’t mean to pretend my life was difficult,” Tiberius said, feeling a stab of guilt over his callous comments. “I just meant that I never expected to have the things that Leonosis took for granted.”

  “And you think that Princess Ariel isn’t affected by the magic she wields?”

  Tiberius thought about the question before answering. The magic he used was powerful, and controlling it was sometimes incredibly difficult, but he had never felt that the magic was trying to control him. In fact, even when the magic flowed through him, he had never felt anything but powerful. Magic bent to his will, not the other way around.

  “I really don’t think so,” Tiberius said after a moment’s consideration. “At least in my experience, magic doesn’t affect the user.”

  “I know less about magic than you do,” Lexi said, “and maybe I’m just frightened by it all, but I feel like there are forces much darker than what you understand.”

  “Perhaps,” Tiberius said.

  “This city is a perfect example,” she continued. “Something bad happened that destroyed this place.”

  “I agree,” Tiberius said. “I’m just saying that we can’t say for sure it had anything to do with magic.”

  “But don’t you feel like it had to be magic?” Lexi asked.

  “I think it’s easy to attribute anything bad or scary to magic because of the way we were taught to believe that magic was evil. Everything bad about the world before the cataclysm was blamed on magic, but from my studies, magic was widely used — and for good, not evil.”

  “Maybe you’re right, but I’m still very uncomfortable here,” Lexi said. “A little bit of caution, especially in a strange place, is simply prudent.”

  “I didn’t think you were one for prudence,” Tiberius teased.

  “On the street, you learn quickly not to go looking for trouble.”

  “I’m not looking for trouble,” Tiberius said. “But I wouldn’t mind exploring this city a little. There’s no telling what we might find.”

  “Or what might find us,” Lexi said.

  As if to prove her point, Dancer suddenly started hopping up and down on Lexi’s shoulder and chattering noisily.

  “What’s wrong with Dancer?” Tiberius asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lexi admitted. “I think she smells something?”

  Tiberius turned and looked around them, but the ruins were completely dark. The light from their makeshift torch wasn’t bright enough to cast light into the alleys or inside the crumbling buildings.

  “We better hurry back,” Tiberius said.

  They moved as quickly as they could, but the wood was awkward to hold, and the faster they walked, the more unstable it became. Tiberius heard the first growl just as they reached the building where Rafe and Olyva were waiting.

  “Did you hear that?” Lexi asked.

  Tiberius started to reply, but the horses suddenly neighed in terror.

  “What’s going on out there?” Rafe said, stepping to the entryway with his sword drawn.

  “There’s something out here,” Tiberius said.

  “Well, we might as well face it,” Rafe said. “There’s no way to secure this building. The windows are busted out.”

  Tiberius dropped his load of firewood and thrust his torch into the rotten material, which kindled quickly.

  “Take your firewood inside and wait with Olyva,” Tiberius said.

  Lexi didn’t wait to be told twice. She hurried into the dark building, and Tiberius guessed there was just enough light from his fire to show her where Olyva waited in the corner. There was another growl; it was coming from across the street.

  “What do you think that is?” Tiberius asked.

  “Sounds like a dog.”

  “You think there might be dogs here?”

  “Why not?” Rafe said. “There were certainly dogs here before the cataclysm. They’ll all be wild now.”

  “They wouldn’t come near the fire, would they?”

  “I have no idea, Tiberius,” Rafe said.

  Then they saw the pack of wild dogs. They were large, and their matted fur stuck out all over their bodies in different directions. The light shone yellow in their eyes, and their lips were pulled back over their pointed teeth.

  “Great,” Rafe said.

  “Six, seven, eight,” Tiberius said. “I think there are eight of them.”

  “Eight that we can see.”

  “Get out of here!” Rafe suddenly shouted, making Tiberius jump.

  The dogs whined and dashed backward, as if the sound had been a physical blow, but they quickly returned.

  “Here,” Tiberius said, handing Rafe one end of a board. The other end was on fire. “Maybe we can hold them off with these.”

  Tiberius had a burning section of wood, too, and he waved it with his left hand at the dogs who were slowly closing in on the two men. In his right hand, his whip flew into action. The first crack of the whip made the dogs jump back again.

  “How long do you think we can fend them off this way?” Rafe asked.

  �
�As long as we have to,” Tiberius said.

  The dogs were cautious but determined. They sensed the danger of the two men but also the opportunity for fresh meat. And it was soon clear that they wouldn’t be deterred.

  “You want to rain down some fire or something?” Rafe asked.

  “Sure, I’ll just burn down the building we’re hiding in to escape the dogs,” Tiberius said.

  “Hey, I’m just trying to figure a way out of this.”

  “You killed the graypees — a few dogs shouldn’t be any trouble.”

  “I can try the spears, but there are only three of them,” Rafe grumbled.

  He tossed his board at the dogs, who dodged easily away. Tiberius had to crack his whip over and over to hold the pack back. With Rafe gone, they were suddenly much bolder. One of the dogs came too close, and Tiberius’ whip opened a thick gash on its muzzle. The dog howled in pain and dashed back into the shadows.

  Rafe’s first spear flew from behind Tiberius. It streaked across the fire and slammed into one of the larger dogs. The metal spear point sank deep into the dog’s side and flipped the beast over. The dog yelped in agony, and the other dogs looked uncertainly from Tiberius to their wounded pack member.

  Then another spear shot out; this time it hit a dog in the chest, killing the animal instantly. The other dogs broke and ran. Tiberius wished he had a spell that would allow him to see in the dark. He could conjure light, but he didn’t want to attract any other creatures that might be waiting in the ruins of the ancient city.

  “Well, that worked better than I thought,” Rafe said.

  He walked out toward the injured dog and put it out of its misery with a quick, powerful thrust. Then he put his boot on the animal’s body and retrieved his spear. He was just picking up the third spear when a dog came bounding out of the darkness.

  “Look out!” Tiberius shouted.

  Rafe turned toward the attacking animal, but his arms were full with the three long spears, and he couldn’t defend himself. Tiberius reacted instinctively. His arm swung forward, and the whip flew toward the dog. The leather whip hit the attacking canine’s neck and wrapped around it just as the dog was jumping toward Rafe, its fangs opening wide as it prepared to rip out his throat. But Tiberius jerked back on the whip, arresting the dog’s flight in mid-leap. The animal’s eyes bulged, and its teeth snapped down with a crack as its body swung around. Then the dog crashed onto its back.

  Rafe, to his credit, dropped two of the spears and stabbed the dog, ending its life before the animal could recover its senses. Then another dog rushed forward. Rafe spun, lashing out with the third spear and cutting a horrible gash across the canine’s face. The dog howled as blood gushed from one ruined eye. It rubbed its face on the ground as it limped away, but Rafe and Tiberius didn’t have time to watch the defeated animal scurrying for safety. Tiberius dropped his whip and used both hands on the flaming board. He swung it back and forth, hoping to discourage the wild dogs, but the rotten wood crumbled in Ti’s hands.

  Rafe was shouting as three dogs approached him slowly. Tiberius bounded forward, snatched up a spear, and helped his friend.

  “Keep your back to the fire,” Rafe shouted.

  The dogs were darting in low, their mouths snapping before they sprang back away from the bright metal of the spear’s head. Two more dogs joined the attack, and Tiberius was on the verge of muttering a spell regardless of the outcome when all five seemed to launch a coordinated attack.

  The three dogs in the middle darted forward menacingly, but it was just a feint. Once Tiberius and Rafe moved their spears toward the middle three dogs, the two on the edges pounced. Rafe whirled with lighting speed, his spear blade tearing through the dog’s throat and then whipping back around to face the three dogs in the center. Tiberius wasn’t as fast. He saw the dog leaping toward him and turned, trying to bring his spear to bear, but he wasn’t fast enough. He held his spear in a wide, two-handed grip and was able to push the wooden pole between himself and the gaping maw of the wild dog.

  The dog’s teeth clamped down hard on the spear shaft, and Tiberius was knocked off balance by the sudden weight of the dog crashing into him. He spun and let go of the spear. The dog’s momentum carried him around just as the spear caught on the ground. The dog’s natural instinct was to hang on once it had latched onto its prey, so the dog’s body twisted in the air and landed on its back on the pile of burning wood.

  Tiberius smelled the rank odor of burning hair. The dog yelped and dashed away, but the shaggy hair was on fire, and Tiberius saw the dog now glowing as its coat burned, bounding away through the dark streets.

  The three remaining dogs were wary but still menacing. Tiberius snatched up his spear and had just turned back around to defend himself when a long, high-pitched whistle sounded. The dogs stopped growling and looked up. Tiberius couldn’t imagine what they were seeing, but they raced off together.

  “Damn,” Rafe said. “That was close. Are you okay?”

  Tiberius nodded his head, still trying to see what had called off the dogs. Rafe grabbed the other spear and then uncoiled Ti’s whip from the dog’s neck.

  “You saved me from this one,” Rafe said. “Here’s your whip.”

  Tiberius took the whip and coiled it up quickly, tying it with the little leather thong that held the whip to his belt.

  “Who do you think called off those dogs?” Rafe went on.

  Tiberius was still trying to catch his breath. “I don’t know, but I imagine we’ll find out soon enough.”

  “You think they’re coming after us?”

  “I guess that depends on whether or not they mean us harm,” Tiberius said. “Either way, I don’t like the idea of meeting anyone in the dark.”

  “Let’s move inside,” Rafe said.

  He picked up a few of the burning pieces of wood and carried them into the building. Tiberius stepped back into the shadows of the doorway but remained there with his spear. He was tempted to cast his cloaking spell and search out the person who had whistled for the dogs, but he wouldn’t be able to see them in the dark. It seemed unlikely that anyone could be moving through the city at night without light of some kind, but Tiberius could not see even a spark of light anywhere.

  Rafe kindled the pile of wood that Lexi had carried into the building. Tiberius glanced over his shoulder and saw the interior of the building. The walls were smooth, just like the outside of the building, but there were pegs where paintings or tapestries had been hung. The furniture was covered in dirt and broken down. Tiberius guessed that, if worse came to worse, they could probably burn some of it.

  “Is there another way in here?” Tiberius asked.

  “Yes,” Rafe said. A door in the back is missing, and there are more windows in the other rooms.”

  He wanted to curse but he knew it wouldn’t help. He turned his attention back to the street. It was so dark and yet, somehow, Tiberius knew that someone was watching him. He could feel their gaze, the way a child feels when they are pretending to study and their tutor is glaring at them from across the room.

  “Someone’s coming,” Lexi said.

  Tiberius looked over at her. In the light of the fire, her face looked orange. Her eyes were closed, and her brow was furrowed. Olyva was holding onto her. Tiberius realized she was seeing what Dancer saw, and there was nothing more he could do but wait for whomever was coming out of the darkness to reveal themselves.

  Chapter 12

  Lexi

  When the dogs attacked, Lexi had watched in horror from the darkness of the building. She couldn’t take her eyes from the blazing fire in front of the building where Rafe and Tiberius were fighting. Ti’s whip cracked like lightning, and Dancer grabbed hold of Lexi’s hair and trilled urgently.

  Tearing her eyes away from Tiberius, Lexi grabbed the little creature and flung it up into the air. There was no wind for the animal to catch inside the building, but Lexi had tossed it high enough for the little creature to scramble onto the roof thr
ough the hole at the corner of the building. Lexi tried desperately to see Dancer, but it was just too dark. She looked back out at Rafe and Tiberius in time to see Ti save Rafe from a dog’s attack by choking it with his whip.

  “Should we do something?” Lexi asked, her hand on the hilt of her Wangorian dagger.

  “We would only be in the way,” Olyva said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  The two women joined hands in the darkness, both watching as the men fought desperately to fend off the dogs. Lexi gasped as Tiberius flung one of the dogs into the fire. The wretched creature’s yelps made the hair on her arms and neck stand out stiffly. Lexi’s nature was to run from danger, but she was in a completely foreign place. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, but without some knowledge of her surroundings, she would just be fumbling around in the darkness. And she would have to abandon Tiberius if she fled, so she held her nerves in check and stayed with Olyva.

  When Rafe came in and lit the wood on fire in the corner of the room, Lexi immediately felt better. She and Olyva moved closer to the warm flames, although Olyva was careful to keep Lexi between herself and the fire. Then Lexi felt the tell-tale buzz in her head that signaled Dancer’s attempt to show her what the little animal could see from high in the air. Lexi closed her eyes and immediately saw the shadowy city.

  Dancer must have leaped from the rooftop and caught an updraft. The view that Lexi saw was from high above the city. She could see the buildings below her. There was no color, just varying shades of gray, but it was enough. A speck of fire burned far down a narrow alley, and Lexi realized it was the dog that Tiberius had flung into the burning pile of wood in front of their shelter. It would have been nearly impossible to know which building she and the others were hidden in if not for the fire burning just outside the door. And then Lexi saw a shadow moving slowly down the street. The movement was strange, more of a lurch than a walk, but it was clear to see that the thing moving toward them was a person.

  “Someone’s coming,” Lexi said, but she didn’t open her eyes until the man was almost in the circle of firelight.