The Undying Illusionist

by Candy Crum

  They’d kept Aeris’ presence—as well as their daughter Jenna’s visits with him—hidden. They worried their son would be hurt or killed for his crimes, but it had gotten worse when Jenna had left to join him.

  Now, Flynn and Amara were prisoners inside their own home, unable to be trusted, but having had committed a crime large enough to be banished.

  Still, Elysia and the Chieftain knew Jenna and Aeris would be more likely to remain cautious out of worry for their parents. They would be less likely to declare an all-out war if their parents were still in “enemy” hands.

  As they patrolled the southern border, Elysia's gut began to roil. Her connection with nature told her something had, in fact, breached the wall, so she held her hand up, signaling for everyone to stop their horses behind her.

  Everyone halted and waited as she listened to the area around them. Off to the west, toward the Kalt River, in the direction they were traveling, she could hear the sound of small footsteps.

  Her eyes turned darker green as she closed them, focusing on the plants and animals around her. Though her connection to the birds and other animals couldn’t be as strong as the one she shared with Chaos, as powerful as she was, she could still coax them to allow her to see or, in this case, sense what they did.

  Soon, she opened her eyes, looking back to her men and women. "Move slowly. Something’s inside the Dark Forest, but it isn't human."

  Elysia used their bond to silently urge Chaos to pace forward, and he obliged, every step surprisingly light for a horse as large as he was.

  As they got closer, Elysia could hear the faint sounds of growls and whines. Wolves. Chaos stopped and knelt, telling Elysia that he wanted her to get off.

  She climbed down and waited for him to alert her, knowing his senses were even better than hers. Chaos suddenly ran forward at full speed, leaving Elysia behind. Through their connection, she could see him approaching several wolves.

  They were disheveled, their fur matted and filthy. Their eyes were clouded over, and they looked sickly, their teeth longer and sharper than those of a normal wolf. These weren't just any wolves.

  They were familiars.

  Dark familiars. Elysia imagined Jenna had used her pure nature magic to open the border, something dark druids were unable to do—even Aeris after having been gone for so long—and allowed the wolves, the companions to their dark masters, to come through.

  It was nothing shy of treason.

  Elysia turned to her warriors. "Jenna has opened the wall, and the dark druids have sent in their companions. Chaos has gone after them. Let's move!" she ordered.

  Faylinn, one of the other warriors, rode forward and reached down to pull Elysia onto his horse before heading in the direction Chaos had run. Within moments, they were upon the enemy wolves.

  Elysia watched as Chaos bucked, kicking at the pack with his large hooves. There were seven in total, and Chaos was about to be overrun, though he was causing a lot of damage on his own.

  They growled and snapped at his legs, leaving deep gashes from their elongated teeth. Their saliva was full of bacteria and would no doubt cause great illness to anyone they bit into if it wasn’t quickly healed—including Chaos.

  Elysia jumped from the back of Faylinn’s horse and ran forward. One of the wolves broke free of Chaos and charged at her, but she pulled her bow from her shoulder, nocked an arrow, and took the shot in one fluid movement.

  The arrow flew straight through the wolf’s open mouth and pierced the back of its throat and head as it jumped at her, ready to bite into her neck.

  It fell to the ground and Elysia stepped over it, moving onto the next. She shot another one through the side of the head as it dove for Chaos. The other warriors were now running past her to fight them.

  Elysia heard a growl to her right just before she saw the wolf in her peripheral vision. An eighth familiar had been hidden off to the side and had now jumped out of the thick brush, diving straight for her.

  Without even breaking her stride, Elysia lifted her right hand, causing thick vines to burst from the ground and wrap around its neck. She swiped her hand downward, the vines slamming him to the earth before she closed her fist.

  They snapped his neck as they tightened.

  "Behind you, Chaos," Elysia warned. Her voice wasn’t loud, but he was able to hear her through the bond.

  A wolf bit at his hind leg, but because of her warning, he was able to kick it in the face, sending it flying back into the barrier surrounding the forest.

  Elysia pulled a knife from her belt and charged toward a wolf that was heading for one of her warriors. She jumped on its back, wrapping her arm tight around its throat and pulling its head back so it couldn't snap at her as she rolled it to the ground. Wrapping her legs around it to pin it down, she sliced its throat before throwing it off her.

  Faylinn reached a hand down to help her stand. As she rose, she saw one of her fellow druids taking down the final wolf with his sword.

  They stood there and took a few moments to collect themselves. The death of any animal was not something to take lightly, especially when a druid had to be the one to do it.

  But this… This was something else entirely.

  They’d sacrificed their own familiars. Not in a great battle where lives were at stake, but as an experiment. It made Elysia sick and also saddened for the lives lost there today.

  But there was nothing she could do. As dark familiars, they would never listen to her.

  "What should we do, Elysia?" Arabella, a high-ranking warrior, asked.

  Elysia paused, looking from the bodies to the barrier. "They sacrificed their own familiars to test our strength and vigilance. They wanted to know if we were patrolling, and they wanted to see how effective we would be. I’m betting if we opened the barrier, they’d be standing right on the other side."

  "How could they do that? How could they sacrifice their own companions?" Arabella exclaimed.

  Elysia had no answer. All she could do was shake her head, thinking of what it would be like to coldly sacrifice Chaos just to test the enemy. She felt like throwing up, but she couldn’t allow her emotions to take hold. This wasn’t over yet.

  "I don't know how they did it, but it doesn't matter now. We can send their fallen companions back to them. Follow my lead," she ordered. "We're gonna give them a message of our own."

  Elysia turned and faced the barrier, lifting her hands as she did so. Her eyes turned dark green as she focused on the thorny vines intertwined in the barrier, which began to pop as they broke away.

  Soon, several were hanging free in the air. With graceful, fluid movements of her hands, she brought the thorn-covered vines down to wrap around a few of the wolves. Then, with a thrust of her hand as if she were throwing something, the vines whipped across the wall, launching the dark familiars back to the other side.

  She heard voices shouting as the men and women on the other side were pelted with the bodies of their dead companions. As Elysia had ordered, her warriors did the same, throwing the rest of the wolves over the wall and back to the ones who had sent them to their deaths.

  It hurt her heart and her gentle nature to do so, but she couldn’t open the barrier as she was certain they expected her to do.

  "Elysia!" a dark voice shouted. It was loud, brutally angry, and filled with hate.

  Elysia knew that voice.

  "Aeris! So lovely to hear your traitorous voice again!" Elysia called.

  "You will pay for this!" he cried.

  A dark smile spread across Elysia's beautiful face, making her look terrifying even to her fellow warriors. She was a good woman, but when anyone threatened her tribe, she became fearsome.

  "Oh, but Aeris! It was you who sent them to their deaths. Go home, boy. Know that their blood is on your hands, and anyone you send through this barrier will meet the same fate!"

  Elysia turned and walked toward Chaos as he knelt for her to climb on. She laid her hands against his neck, paying special att
ention to him right then as she allowed her magic to flow through him to heal whatever damage the wolves had done. The rest of the warriors followed suit, mounting their own horses.

  When Aeris didn't reply and she felt the retreat of the dark energy, she sent one of the soldiers back to summon the next watch. It was decided. When she returned, she planned to double the number of warriors patrolling and spread them out to monitor larger areas.

  Anyone who was left would begin battle training immediately. There was no longer a question in her mind.

  A war was coming.

  ***

  “Hey!” Samuel shouted at Ren who had just thrown his arms up in victory. “Yer a damn cheater if I ever saw one, mate.”

  Ren looked offended for a moment before smiling and wagging his eyebrows at a barmaid as she sat down two more glasses of ale. As soon as she’d walked off, he turned his offended expression back on Samuel.

  “Yerrr a summa muh bitch,” Ren slurred, pointing at Samuel as he tipped up his own mug and chugged half his ale.

  “Did you just call me a son of a bitch? Because I couldn’t understand ye over the sound of ye not bein’ able ta hold yer ale,” Samuel spat back.

  Ren nodded. “That’sss whut I said, mate! Summa muh bitch. Youuu,” he said, carefully enunciating the last word without his normally thick accent. “Yerra smmmbitch.”

  Samuel rolled his eyes. “Scheisse, man! Yer actually gettin’ worse!”

  “Pffft.” Ren made the loud noise through closed lips while waving a hand in the air, spitting on the table in the process. “I ain’t gettin’ worse at nnnuthin’, mate. Yer da one callin’ people cheaterrrs. Yer just mad cuz I beat ya at arm wrestlin’. My ol’ arm is ssstrong’r than yers.”

  Samuel shook his head before finishing off his glass and picking up the new one that had just been brought to their table. “I’m gonna need ta be as drunk as ye are just ta deal with yer belligerent arse. And yes! Yes, ye did cheat!”

  “How?” Ren asked, leaning over the table, nearly-finished mug in hand.

  “I damn near had ye pinned and ye kicked me under the table, ye old bastard!”

  Ren laughed loudly. “Ah, yeah. I rrrmber now,” he slurred before belching loudly and laughing again. “Ye hear that? That’sss how a man does it. Youuu sound like a prepubescent little girl.”

  Samuel stared at him incredulously. “Yer two seconds from gettin’ drawn an’ quartered in the street, mate. An’ why do ye keep doin’ that?”

  Ren sat his mug down after another more modest drink, wiping his beard of some that had escaped. “What’s that, Sally?”

  Samuel ignored his reference back to the prepubescent comment he’d made before. “Minus talkin’ like a damn drunk mule, ye keep sayin’ yer words weird.”

  Ren nodded. “Ye ever done it? Try ta talk like the Arrrcadiansss? It sssounds stupid.”

  Samuel dropped his forehead to the table for a moment, tapping it a few times in annoyance before looking back up. “Then why do it?”

  Ren laughed. “Because I get bored easy when I drink, lad. Ye know what that says about ye, don’t ye?”

  “I sure as piss know what it says about youuu,” Samuel mocked. “I want a rematch when yer sober, ya prick.”

  “I think it’sss time fer anotherrr. I found da bottom of me glass,” Ren said, picking it up and looking through the bottom at Samuel.

  “Like hell ye do!” Samuel said, yanking the glass out of his friend’s hand. “Yer a rude drunk.”

  “But I’m funny,” Ren said with a smile.

  Samuel laughed. “Funny lookin’ maybe. I have shite ta do tomorrow, old man. Let’s get yer arse home before ye pass out on the table and ye need ta be carried there.”

  “Ye’d do that fer me?” Ren asked. “Even after I kicked ye in the shin and cheated?”

  “Pffft. I never said a fool thing like that, mate. I said we needed ta get ye there before ye needed ta be carried home. Me leg hurts. I ain’t carryin’ yer drunken arse anywhere.”

  Ren laughed, and Samuel walked around the table to help his friend out of the bar, making sure to leave some coins on the table as he did.

  While it had been a long time coming, Samuel needed the night to let loose and have fun, though Ren did far more letting loose than he did. As they made their way down the street, both men drunk as hell, he reminded himself to let go more often.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  As soon as class had ended the day before, Arryn had gone to Amelia’s office in hopes of talking to her, but Marie had said that she was too busy. With everything going on, she wasn’t too surprised to be dismissed.

  So, Arryn decided to go see Amelia the following day. Not only was the remnant weighing heavily on her mind, but she had other problems as well.

  Someone in the school was snooping in her thoughts with mystical powers. It was very unsettling, to say the least.

  Amelia was the only one who knew the story of her past. Her students knew she’d left the city, but she had never explained why. She wanted to keep it that way, for her own safety.

  No one knew if she was a noble or from the Boulevard, and no one knew about her total disdain for Adrien. She’d been careful to keep all of it under wraps.

  Amelia's door was wide open, but Arryn knocked anyway. Amelia looked up from her desk, then smiled and waved Arryn in.

  As Arryn came over to sit down across from her newest friend, she was well aware that her own expression wasn't nearly as happy as Amelia's. When Amelia’s smile fell, it was obvious that she had noticed.

  "That doesn't look like excitement to see me," Amelia said. "What's wrong?"

  Arryn hadn’t meant to worry her, so she forced a smile. "I apologize. I didn't mean to look so pissed, but I had a rather interesting conversation with my students, and I thought you should know."

  Amelia nodded, closing a folder on the desk and sliding it to the side. "Of course. I’m assuming it’s regarding the remnant, because that’s been the running theme for the last two days.”

  There was a pause as Arryn hesitated, debating what she should say. She didn’t want to bombard her with more about problems she already knew about, but she did need to know the students felt worried.

  She straightened herself, deciding to continue. “Seems like you’ve probably already heard everything I’m about to say, but if I didn’t say it I’d make myself a liar. I told them I’d talk to you.”

  Amelia nodded. “No, don’t worry about that. I understand. Tell me everything."

  Arryn sighed, clasping her fingers as she debated how to start the conversation. "First of all, I think Amos’ murder is playing a big part in their reaction to the latest news of the remnant attacks."

  Realization struck Amelia's face. She’d taken the death of Amos, the Boulevard student that had gone missing for several days before being found with his throat slit open, particularly hard. She’d promised his mother she’d find him and bring him home, but instead, she’d been led to his corpse.

  The Chancellor seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before finally speaking. "I’m sure you’re right. That’s a lot to take in within a short period of time. I hadn’t planned to release any information on the remnant because of the murder and the initial attack on Ren’s group. I wasn't expecting the students to know."

  "I had a student miss school today because his father was one of the men who was killed. That's how the others found out. They had a lot of misinformation about the remnant, so I cleared that up—though, I don't think I actually helped. But I saw no benefit to lying to them."

  Amelia smiled, but it was more a sympathetic smile than a genuine one. "I wouldn't have lied either. Sometimes, the mind creates something far worse than the real thing, but in this case, they’re just as scary as we can imagine.”

  “Exactly. And they want to be prepared for the worst. I don’t think that’s wrong,” Arryn replied.

  “I know they’re worried. Luckily, those other attacks were almost at the southern edge of th
e Valley. Granted, the rearick and his friends did an excellent job fighting them off and keeping everyone alive, but the others farther south had no protection whatsoever."

  Arryn grew excited as she saw a perfect entrance into what she had come to discuss. "Exactly. The students know the Guard is understaffed and undertrained. We know you just hired a lot more, but those recruits are just that—recruits. They aren't even trained in magic, so their lack of martial expertise isn't backed up by anything. The students have real worries, and I think they’re right."

  Amelia sat back, tapping her fingers on her chair. "I know, and I understand. While I’m hoping for the best, I know the possibility is there. When we came back after the Battle for Arcadia, I didn't want the people of the city to feel like they would always be at war. I didn't want them to feel like they had to protect us anymore. That’s what the new Guard is for. I figured they should feel safe inside the city they had protected during the Battle for Arcadia, but now, it seems the remnant have other plans. I’ve taken steps to increase training, but I’m open to ideas. What did you have in mind?"

  Arryn told Amelia what she had told her class about the druids and went into even more detail, explaining the intensity with which they trained. Everyone learned and everyone knew how to protect themselves, and not just when an emergency happened.

  After taking a moment to let Amelia process what she’d said, she continued, "They want to learn how to fight. They want to know how to save themselves and their families. To ease their minds, I even taught them a bit of healing yesterday. It was abysmal, which was to be expected since I'm not the best healer either, but it certainly made a difference in morale."

  Amelia stood, running her fingers through her hair as she paced slowly back and forth behind her desk. It was a lot to take in; Arryn was certain of that.

  Not only did the woman have the weight of the city on her shoulders, but she also had a murder to solve, rebuilding to complete, jobs to fill, and now remnant to worry about.