by Brindi Quinn
Not just concern, but heartache, maybe?
“Alright,” said Grotts, shifting Scardo’s awkward, long-limbed body in his arms. “We’re outside now, so spill it, Darch. What’s this message you were talkin’ ‘bout?”
“Right,” said Darch, “I suppose there’s no great way to say it, so I guess I’ll just get it out as smoothly as I can.” He pushed up his glasses and glanced at Nyte. There was something like apprehension there, but I didn’t know Darch well enough to be sure. “After you left Yes’lech, a note arrived from Elder Pietri. I’m afraid that Druelca has . . . er-” He paused and glanced at Nyte again before continuing, “. . . attacked the Elven Kingdom.”
“What!?” Kantú, Nyte and I cried in unison.
“Unfortunately, my words carry only truth. I hate that I’ve got to be the one to tell you, but that’s how it is.” Darch dropped his head.
“T-that cannot be!” Nyte’s voice was immediately anguished. His shoulders shook in a manner similar to that in which they shook at Edaw. Pained and despairing.
Indeed, he would definitely have slumped to the ground, had his arms not been full of Rend in that moment. Her crumpled form blocked what would have been an expression of utter desolation at the thought of his kinsmen under attack so far away. So far out of reach. Even at Elf’s pace it would take weeks to reach them. This realization made Nyte’s veins writhe from the understanding that there was nothing he could do, and it was written plainly across his downcast face.
But while his insides were twisting, all I could do was watch, but in my heart, I cried a similar anguish.
Ergh! If only I could comfort him!
Truth be told, I would have traded almost anything to have been able to embrace him in that moment – to stand on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around the back of his soft, warm neck. But I could do nothing like that. Such was the punishment of a leech.
I could do nothing, so instead I asked what his choked voice could not:
“Please, Darch, what do you mean they attacked?” I looked from Darch to Nyte and then back to Darch.
But ‘attacked’ was ‘attacked’, what else could it mean?
Ardette looked ready to make that point aloud himself, but I cut him off before he could start.
“I mean, how severe is it, Darch?”
“Well, it’s bad,” he admitted, “but it’s not as bad as it could be.”
Nyte’s ears perked, but his eyes remained on the ground, his mouth tight.
“You see,” said Darch, “Pietri has intervened on behalf of the Elves. He’s asked for Yes’lech’s support.”
“Pietri did?” asked Grotts, again shifting Scardo’s weight. “That’s a bold move.”
Darch nodded. “And so the officers sent an army to Sredna to help set up a defense.”
“Did they really?” said Grotts. “Well, that’s good at least. Yes’lech’s soldiers are top notch.” He looked at Nyte, but Nyte appeared only a little calmed by the news.
“Yeah,” continued Darch, “but that the bad thing is, the headquarters’ forces have been weakened because of it, and on top of that, a hundred or so refugees arrived along with Pietri’s note. The officers have offered shelter, of course, but that means that Yes’lech isn’t secure at the moment.”
Nyte appeared more than a little calmed this time.
“Shelter?” he asked, looking up.
Darch nodded again, but this time, his nod was accompanied by a little excited wiggle. “And so,” he sang, demeanor suddenly changing from solemn messenger to energetic announcer, “bum ba-da dum . . . WE are under new orders to hide the Pure Heart until further notice!”
I frowned and studied him while he happily waited for our reactions. It didn’t take long for me to conclude that he was way too excited for the deliverer of a message so morose.
Hide . . .?
But Ardette was caught up on a different specific of the message.
“We?” He asked Darch despairingly. He’d been slouching against the bunker’s base before, but he now straightened up unnaturally and moved nearer to the rest of us. “I take it you’ll be joining us, then?”
“Well, of course! Isn’t that great, guys?”
“It sure is!” Kantú nodded happily.
Ardette stared at Darch through darkened eyes for a moment in silence and then said, “Spec-tac-ular,” with the foulest expression of disgust upon his striking face. If possible, in utterance of the word, it was the driest the Daem’s voice had ever been.
It was almost comical, but I felt no urge to laugh. Grotts’ next comment made certain of that.
“Hide ‘er, eh? Well, where’re we gonna hide-”
But I, of course, wasn’t as keen on the idea as the rest of the party, and I wasn’t about to let Grotts finish the statement that was sure to usher in a discussion of good places for the fragile and liabilitous Pure Heart to hide.
“Are you serious?” I cried. “We can’t just hide!” I turned to Nyte for support. “Ad’ai is coming, isn’t it?! We have to figure out a plan of attack or something! Or at the very least, we have to go help the Elves!”
However, support was not given where sought, for in response, Nyte shook his head sternly.
“No, Aura, we cannot go to the Kingdom. It will be the most dangerous place for you now, and your responsibility is something greater than an Elven conflict.”
“But Nyte-”
“Um, friends?” Darch interrupted my protest with a glimmer in his eye. “I’m not sure what you have in mind, but after what Scardo’s told me about the prophecy site, I’m afraid we have no choice but to return there at once!”
“Huh?” I was caught off-guard by the declaration.
Kantú scurried up next to Darch. “What? Why?” She glanced at Elder Nosrac for guidance, but the bird only pecked at its feathers, for the first time in its existence, acting like a normal bird.
“Because.” Darch crossed his arms and directed his glimmer at me. “You’ve yet to take the test, right, Aura?”
“Well, yeah, but . . .”
The prophecy site had been destroyed. What more was there?
Darch wiggled again. “It’s not too late to take it, and I know how!”
“Er, you do?” I asked, a little wary that this might be some sort of trap to lure me into concealment.
In response, Darch gave a great beaming nod, which despite my wariness, served to fill me with minor relief.
I allowed the minor relief to swell. Was that true? That there was still a way for me to take the test and gain the Song of Salvation? If that was so, then there was still a chance for me to help overthrow the empire that had caused everyone so much turmoil.
I brought my eyes to Darch’s gleaming ones. If he really knew, then . . .
I tossed the wariness aside and threw myself forward at him hungrily.
“How, Darch?! Please tell me!”
Kantú was puzzled. “But Aura’s song was released!” she said, this time looking to Grotts. He was a bit more responsive than the bird had been, but even though he inched closer to her, he said nothing. Darch answered instead,
“Yes, her song was released, but the Song of Salvation has yet to be bestowed. I can open a way to the test at the prophecy site. It’s one of the many wonders of being a Magir!”
The explanation was good enough for the Squirrelean. “Oh,” she said simply, turning from Darch to me. “Two songs, huh? That’s pretty cool, Aura!”
“Uh, cool . . . right.” For her sake, I gave a weak smile. “Okay, so we return to the prophecy site.”
Grotts and Nyte nodded.
“And from there?” I asked.
Grotts shrugged a muscled shrug. “We’ll hafta find someplace ta put ya-”
“No!” I interrupted again, angrily. “I refuse to hide! Illuma is in danger, and time is running out! If you think I’m just going to sit around and do nothing, you’re crazy!”
So get it through your thick skulls!
“But my ch
erry pit,” – with a lazy, upturned palm, Ardette tilted his head back haughtily and looked down at me – “we are under the strictest of orders to h-i-d-e you. I’m afraid-”
“Bull.”
He chortled. “Oh, but we must-”
“Fine then.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll give you fair warning that if you try to ‘h-i-d-e’ me, you’ll wake up in the worst thunderstorm you’ve ever encountered. Got it?” I jabbed Ardette’s chest authoritatively, but it didn’t accurately convey the emotion I’d been going for at all.
In response to the ‘menacing’ jab, the corner of Nyte’s previously grave mouth twitched, as did Ardette’s, and for once, the two of them shared an amused sideways glance at my expense. They knew, as well as the rest of us did, that I would never follow through on a threat like that. Besides, my ‘authoritative’ only came off looking silly.
Nonetheless, I wouldn’t break. I was still too angry at their assumption that I’d just lie down and cower, and their shared amusement only furthered my annoyance. Scowling, I said in a growl,
“So you can come with me or let me go alone, but either way, I refuse to hide!”
At least one person in the group took me seriously this time.
Grotts shot Darch a worried glance and said, “But, Aura, it’s not like we know anything useful. You can’t expect us to let ya go stormin’ into Druelca without Yes’lech’s army to back ya up. That’d be suicide!”
“Yeah,” agreed Darch somewhat apologetically, “and Ardette’s the only one of us that’s actually been inside – well, besides Nyte that is – and he made the most useless mole ever, so-”
But luckily, his argument, which was meat to dissuade me, only got me thinking.
“Wait!” I cried, quickly forming a plan in my head. “That’s it! Ardette, you said you’d help retrieve Nyte’s memories, right? Well, if we get his memories back, we might be able to figure out enough to at least work on something, right?”
I’ll be your memories’ ally.
“Damn,” grumbled Ardette, “I’d hoped you’d forgotten that little agreement. Like I want to go rummaging around inside of him.”
He curled his lip at Nyte; in response to which, Nyte gave a disapproving throat clear. It seemed their moment of camaraderie was over.
I ignored that and looked up at the handsome Daem in earnest. “But you will do it, won’t you, Ardette?”
His ruby eyes bore into mine for a bit too long before he answered, “Tch. Yes. If I don’t you’ll just run off and do something stupid, won’t you?”
For the first time in quite some time, the small something tweaked. Feeling guilty, I shifted closer to Nyte but was unable to pull my eyes from Ardette’s red stare.
Darch laughed softly. “Really, Ardette?”
Ardette quickly snapped his eyes from me and disheveled his hair coolly. I awkwardly looked at the ground.
“Again, you have my thanks, Daem.” Nyte tipped his head forward.
“Surprising, Ardetto,” grinned Darch, “but well . . . that’s just great! I like the new you even better than the old you!”
“Aren’t you just a bundle of joy. Rather exhausting, isn’t it? And don’t you dare use that nickname ever again.” ‘Ardetto’ scowled but then sighed. “But like I said before, we’ll need to get more of that first. More of that vile andap.”
With eyes still to the ground I said, “Thank you, Ardette. Really, you’re a good friend.”
Darch laughed again before letting out a jerking shiver.
I finally looked up. The sky had lightened to a lighter shade of night blue. Guess that answered my question. It was late, late night, nearly morning, and the air carried a dawn chill. I hadn’t really noticed it before, but now that a plan was being laid down, I was finally able to let myself live within the boundaries of the moment.
Brrr.
Not only did the air carry a chill, it carried a dryness. I realized then that it hadn’t rained at all since we’d entered the Crystallands. Maybe it was so that it never did? I tucked my arms beneath my cloak and scanned the dark distance. The brilliant white beads looked gray now, but they were still beautiful and would have certainly been surreally alluring had the moon been out to cast its light. How would that crystal sand be if it were to become wet? Uncrossable at least.
Brrrrr!
The rest of them were noticing the chill now too. Grotts inched even closer to Kantú while Nyte, once again staring down with an anxious ailing, wrapped his arms even tighter around Rend. Again I questioned the gesture.
What’s with that look of his?
“So,” chirped Kantú, “first the prophecy site and then to get andap? Aaaalright!”
The Spirit of In-between anticipated her fist pump just in time and flew away, looking much like a grumpy old man. Though I suppose, in many ways, he was a grumpy old man, so maybe it was to be expected.
“But where is more andap?” I asked.
Condensed shadow and tears of an innocent?
“Well, I know of a few good spots in Farrowel, but around here . . .” Ardette scanned the darkness and shrugged.
“Scardo’ll know,” said Grotts, looking down at the dangling man.
“Yes, I suppose he would. As one so adored by those damn officers.”
“Jealous?” Nyte looked up from Rend only enough to smirk slightly.
“Hmph.” Ardette smiled unpleasantly, and then he looked to Darch. “And when can we expect our most holy Scardo to awaken?”
But Darch’s response was a little odd. Instead of answering, he clumsily shifted his gaze away and patted the back of his bald head.
“Darch?” questioned Ardette through gritted teeth.
Darch let out an, “Eh-he . . .”
“Yeah, when can we expect him to awaken?” Grotts was still holding Scardo like a maiden, but was quickly slitting his eyes at Darch in a suspicion-filled manner.
“Right, well, I thought you wouldn’t mind because you’re so strong, Grotts. I just thought I’d give him a little longer-”
“Darch!” growled Grotts too loudly, making Kantú jump. “Ya think I enjoy being yer mule?!”
I hadn’t really considered it before, but I now glanced around the group and wondered if there were any of us that Grotts hadn’t been made to carry at some point or another.
“Sorry, Grotts, really . . .” said Darch.
Grotts sighed. “It’s fine. Just wake ‘im up now.” He held Scardo away from his chest at arms’ length, like he was about to hand the sleeping man off to anyone that would take him.
“Well, okay!”
Darch bustled over and placed his pinky on Scardo’s forehead.
At once, Scardo’s eyes fluttered open.
Just like that?
“That’s all ya had ta do?!” growled Grotts.
“Er- yeah.” Darch clapped his hands to frighten away the accusation-filled question. He bent over and leaned at Scardo. “Um, good morn- I mean, good night, Scardo! Please, please, please don’t be mad at me for knocking you out, all right?”
The hunched man blinked at him and then started a train of hiss-like stammerings that filled the air like a dozen worry-filled arrows. “W-what’s happened? Are we free of the portal’s snare? Has the Elven sorceress awakened?! Ah! What’s this?”
Scardo let out a soft yelp when Grotts set him down. He must not have realized he’d been in another’s arms until just then. Grotts held onto him for steadying purposes.
“Oh!” Scardo rubbed his eyes like a sleepy child and looked up at the massive man. “Grotts? What are you doing here?”
“Glad ta see yer all right, Scardo. Look, it’s not just me. It’s the rest of the guard too. We’re all here and so’s the Pure Heart!”
Scardo was silent and scanned the guard, but when his eyes fell upon me, they widened.
“Scardo!” I stepped towards him with an outstretched arm. “It’s great to see you awake!”
It was actually more relieved than I thought I’d be
. Incredibly relieved.
“M-Miss Heart!” Staggering slightly, he slithered over to me, green tuxedo tails sliding behind. “I am terribly relieved to see you! I do apologize to you, Nyte, for how things occurred the last time we met.”
Scardo gave a trademark bow.
“You are referring to when you tried to kill him?” asked Kantú, but there wasn’t any hidden mal-intent within her question. She seemed only genuinely curious. She pulled her tail up around her shoulders to block out the night’s chill.
“No, Scardo,” said Nyte dutifully, “it is I who should apologize. There is no way for me to atone for the things I have-”
“Ugh,” interrupted Ardette. “This speech again? Haven’t we heard it enough?”
Nyte narrowed his eyes. “On my honor, I have resolved to respect you for the arrangement you have agreed upon, but I would very much like to mend that mouth of yours, Daem of darkness!”
Ardette smiled craftily.
“‘Mend’? Really, Nyte?” I whispered, giving the Elf an air-nudge.
At this, he immediately lost interest with Ardette, instead tilting his head sideways at me in inquisition. “Oh, is that a strange thing to say?” he whispered back.
I gave a shallow nod and grinned.
This action was punishment enough for Ardette. His smile fell and he turned away from us, openly uncomforted by our ease.
But where I should have felt guilt, I only continued to grin at Nyte, ignoring everything else. It was simply too hard to pull my eyes away from him. He gave a mischievous grin at Ardette’s annoyance, and my heartbeat quickened at that cuteness of it. The charming impishness of it.
For a little bit, it was good like that, and I enjoyed the nervousness I felt because of his stare, but then his face abruptly became concentrated, and it broke the moment. He looked down at Rend and let out a huff.
