“I got me two faeries,” he said, shaking the jar a bit. The snow faeries were pressed up against the glass, their silken wings bent and sad looking. The orc shook the jar again and they started to glow. “They’re full of faerie magic, and good for dark nights.”
Ricky leaned forward, trying to see the tiny creatures, but Princess was not impressed.
“I sprinkle faeries on cake for added crunch,” Princess announced.
The snow faeries gasped, covering their mouths as the orc frowned and tossed the mason jar back into the cart. He rummaged around before producing a dagger etched with red symbols. “Now, this will certainly please one such as yourselves. It’s a master’s dagger from the Assassins’ Guild in Aardyre. The blade is covered in a magic that causes anyone stabbed to yell the combination to their safe.”
“Practical,” Princess said. “But not necessary. I can be equally persuasive.”
“I’ll take the knife,” Ricky said, reaching for it. But the orc snatched it away. “Not for you, human. You be the traded, not the trader.”
Ricky didn’t like how things were going, especially if he was being talked about as commerce. He might have to get away from Princess and Magar sooner than he had anticipated.
The orc went back to its cart and pulled out a black chain with a small skull etched with red lines and three horns on top. He held it up, proudly, and every gas light along the street flickered. “Now, this is a true wonder. Bound in obsidian taken from the Shadrus; a powerful warlock shrunk the skull of a Gracon conjurer and bound it with forbidden magics. It is said to transform the wearer into their true form.”
“And yet you don’t wear it?” Magar asked.
“Ah, well . . . some of us are happy just the way we are,” the orc said, smiling again and showing his rows of needle-sharp teeth.
“That, and if what you’ve said is true,” Princess added, “such magic can be . . . unpredictable. Especially with such dark bindings.”
“No Tower-trained would be tempted by such a thing,” Magar added.
“Then give it to me,” Ricky said, stepping forward. “I don’t have anything.”
“Your dog needs a shorter leash,” the orc said to Princess.
Ricky turned to her. “Buy it for me—or I’m not helping you any longer.”
Princess laughed. “Did you hear that, Magar? And I thought you were impetuous.”
“He’s yours now,” the wizard answered.
“And I’m already growing tired of him. Perhaps I’ll trade him after all,” Princess announced, turning to the orc. “Any jewelry in there?”
Ricky might have been a bully, but he was also an athlete, and he’d decided that he’d had enough. When he moved, it was faster than Princess or Magar had expected. Ricky grabbed the unicorn horn from Princess’s hip and shoved her away before she could react. He stepped back, pointing the horn like a weapon. Magar put his hands up as Princess’s face went red with rage.
“Give that to me now!” she shrieked, stepping toward Ricky. But Ricky jabbed it at her and a bolt of lightning crackled past, hitting a brick building and blasting chunks of masonry from its side. Magar pulled Princess back. “Wands work here!” People along the street began to flee.
“That’s right,” Ricky said, pointing the horn at them. He swung it over to the orc and the creature instantly thrust the talisman out. “That’s a unicorn horn! Don’t point that thing at me! Just take it!”
Ricky took the talisman and slipped it over his head. The eyes on the skull immediately started to glow. “And the dagger—give it to me!” The orc hurriedly handed the assassin’s dagger to Ricky, who slid the weapon through his belt. Adrenaline was coursing through Ricky’s body. This was similar to what he felt when he was about to step on the wrestling mat or pound a kid into submission. But something was different this time—he felt a burning where the talisman lay against his chest.
“You’ll never control it!” Princess hissed at him. “My horn will destroy you. You will give it to me now! I command it!”
Ricky could sense that the horn was powerful and dangerous, like holding on to the tail of a poisonous snake.
“Not even a wizard can control a unicorn’s horn,” Magar added unnecessarily. “Put it down, Ricky.”
“Ricky . . . ?” he repeated, the words sounding foreign in his ears. And suddenly Ricky grew. Thick bands of muscle stretched out over bones that had become dense and heavy. His skin toughened, and faint lines appeared as if his veins were suddenly glowing. “Ricky . . . ?” he said again, the voice in his throat tumbling out like boulders falling down a mountainside. Ricky’s skin darkened and his hair turned the color of the talisman’s blood-red eyes, exploding out of his head until it reached the back of his shoulders. “Ricky is no more. I am . . . the Kraken!” When the Kraken shouted, the force of it caused Magar and Princess to take a step backward, while even the bravest of onlookers decided it was time to run for their lives.
Magar steadied himself and opened his hand, releasing a blue ball of super-cooled air that exploded, covering the Kraken in particles of ice. The wand slipped from the monster’s grasp, and Princess snatched it before it hit the ground. But the Kraken recovered quickly, grabbing at the horn again. The two fought over it for the briefest of moments, before the Kraken, who barely resembled the human boy he once had been, tore the branch from the horn’s surface. An explosion of silver light momentarily blinded them. And when they regained their vision, they saw pieces of the broken branch lying scattered on the cobblestone street.
“NO!” Princess shouted. She raised her horn, prepared to destroy the Kraken. But the creature moved with lightning speed. It shoved Magar into Princess and sent them both crashing to the street. The monster then effortlessly upended the orc’s cart and bounded away, disappearing down an alleyway.
Princess screamed in frustration, getting to her feet and preparing to chase after the Kraken. Magar put his hand on her shoulder. “He’s gone,” the wizard said, trying to calm the enraged unicorn. “The talisman—he’s became his true self. There was power there like I’ve never felt before.”
“An abomination!” Princess screamed.
“Look what you’ve done!” the orc yelled, running around to collect his scattered goods. The mason jar lay broken on the street and the two snow faeries took the opportunity to fly away.
Princess took several deep breaths before looking down at the fragments from the branch. “Do you know what this means?” she finally managed to say. “We’re stuck here. We’ve lost our ability to travel between realms.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Intolerable! All my plans, everything I’ve endured, all of it destroyed by that . . . that boy! I’ll make him pay. I’ll destroy him if it’s the last thing I do!”
Magar looked in the direction the Kraken had run. “Whatever it is, it’s a boy no longer.”
“But it was a human first,” Princess snarled. “And I won’t forget. I’ll make every human in the Techrus pay for what he’s done. I might have been content with just Texas, but now I’m going to destroy their world, Magar. You mark my words.”
For most, such bluster might be considered simply an idle threat—something said in the heat of the moment and soon forgotten. But Magar knew Princess was different. She was vengeful, powerful, and had no qualms with bringing a city, a kingdom, or even a world to its knees. Allowing a unicorn to leave the Magrus had unbalanced the three realms, and Magar had a deep and profound feeling that what they were doing was going to change everything—and not in a good way.
“You’ve destroyed my livelihood!” the orc screamed, getting the last of his broken wares into his cart. “That human belonged to you—you said as much. And that wand. I know what it is. You’re no human.”
Princess had to fight the urge to burn the orc into ash—it wasn’t easy. She was stuck in the Mesoshire now and she needed to keep a lower profile. Not that she was afraid of the Tower mages who kept the peace, but intimidation and f
ear could only get one so far. She might actually need help, and that required cooperation. Princess smiled, doing her best to put her anger aside as she reached into her satchel. She produced a single silver leaf and held it up for the orc.
“Come,” she said in a tone that always set Magar’s hair on end. “I will make up for your loss.”
The orc glanced at her warily, then drew near. When he reached Princess he made a grab for the leaf, but Princess held it away, shaking her head. “Not so fast. This is a leaf from the fabled Tree of Attenuation.”
The orc looked at it, his eyes growing wide. “Give it to me,” he said a bit too greedily.
The orc reached out and took the silver leaf from Princess’s hand. “Tell me what it does.”
Princess smiled. “On nonmagicals such as yourself, eating it will take you home.”
Magar looked at Princess in surprise.
“Home . . . ?” the orc asked.
“Yes. And for you, I would guess the city of Fain, near the borders of Wallan. That’s the orc capital, is it not?”
The orc didn’t answer right away. A growing number of Mesoshire citizens were gathering to see what was going on, but the crowd’s whispers were joined by shouts and the sound of armored guards headed in their direction.
“I take it the mages are on their way,” Princess said, peering past the onlookers to see a human man and woman approaching. They wore black mail that had been inscribed with golden runes and matching gold cowls around their heads. Princess couldn’t afford to be delayed by mages. “So what will it be orc? Say nothing and the leaf is yours.”
“Home . . . ,” the orc said, his eyes still fixated on the silver leaf. “So many years to find the Mesoshire. And for what? To sell my goods from a broken-down cart.”
The two mages stepped forward and the gathered crowd parted from around them.
“Greetings,” Magar said, bowing formally. “As one servant of the Tower to another.”
“What’s this all about, wizard?” the woman said with an air of superiority.
“We’re in pursuit of a monster,” Magar said quickly. “Wanted for numerous crimes and now taking refuge in the Mesoshire. He’s called the Kraken, and something worthy of your attention.”
“And just who are you?” the other mage asked, looking Princess and Magar over.
“Simply a wizard and his guide,” Magar answered, “come to warn the city if the creature had come this way. But there is no doubt now.”
The mage turned to Princess, looking for more of an answer. But Princess simply shrugged. “Perhaps you should listen to your Tower brother and heed his warning.”
The mage looked back at the smoldering bricks before returning his attention to Magar. “Dangerous, this Kraken?”
“Maybe not for mages such as yourselves. To others, however, the same cannot be said.”
“Yes,” the orc jumped in. “Big and dark and full of magics. Talking to it only makes it mad.”
The mage seemed to make up her mind. “Then we’ll take it from here. If you spot it, find a mage—don’t try to engage it yourself.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” Magar said, bowing again. “We merely tracked it here. We’ll leave the monster’s capture to you.”
“I saw it, it went that way!” the orc shouted. “It ran down the alley. If you hurry you can catch it!”
“Everyone, clear the streets,” the female mage announced. “It’s for your own protection.” The two mages ran off in pursuit of the Kraken as the crowd dissipated.
The orc looked at the leaf in his hand. “See, I did good.”
Princess smiled. “Then there’s only one thing left to do.”
“I have dreamed of leaving the Mesoshire, but I’m weary and the trip is hard.”
“Then go,” Princess offered. “Consume the leaf and you’ll be home.”
The orc nodded and popped the leaf into his mouth. He chewed it carefully, then swallowed.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Magar asked, looking back at the orc. But Princess dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
“Farewell,” she said at last. “And as to the one who will greet you upon your arrival, tell him that the hunt continues. And most important, tell him a descendent has been found. I think you’ll want to be the bearer of good news, all things considered.”
The orc gave Princess a questioning look. “Who?”
“The Maelshadow, of course.” And before the orc could react he was gone.
“What was that all about?” Magar asked, wondering what other secrets Princess might be harboring.
“I was given three leaves in case we found a human who could read the Codex. The command came from the Maelshadow—at least that’s what the abbot told me.”
“And you’re not concerned that you just sent an orc, who is most definitely not a human nor a descendent of Sporazo, to the Shadrus? To the Maelshadow?”
“I wanted to send a message. Plus, once we deliver Max Spencer all will be forgiven.”
Magar had never heard the words “Maelshadow” and “forgiven” used in the same sentence. But it was no good worrying about it now—what was done was done.
“Without the branch our task has become much more difficult,” Magar offered, “but not impossible. We’re in the Mesoshire, after all. In theory we can get to the Techrus or the Magrus if we walk far enough.”
“We still need to find out why the Gimbal isn’t working,” Princess continued. “But there’s one here who might be able to help us.”
“The warlock? Are you certain you want to ask him?”
“What other choice do we have?”
Magar bent down and started picking up the broken branches from the Tree of Attenuation. “Then we should seek out the Wez. One of his notoriety shouldn’t be too hard to locate.”
“And if we stumble upon the Kraken along the way, I’ll burn him until there’s nothing left but a memory. The day of reckoning for the humans begins with him.”
Magar looked as if he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Princess could read his expression, however. “Oh, now don’t you worry, Magar. I don’t mean all humans, just those on the Techrus. I’m sure you and I will have many more years together.”
Magar didn’t like the sound of that, either.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE HUNT BEGINS
(THE TECHRUS—FUTURE)
ROBO-PRINCESS LOVED MACHINE CITY AT MAGIC HOUR—THE LAST moments before sunset. That’s when the coliseum filled with fans and millions of holo-vision sets were turned to channel 3522 (between the Hard Drive Channel and the Canned Air Network). Robo-Princess would take the stage, perfectly illuminated by powerful lights beneath the rapidly darkening sky, and let the adoration of her fans wash over her. The citizens of Machine City worshipped her as the superstar she had always known she was destined to be. She was the huntress, and the machines loved her for it. And feared her—and that was fine too.
The car—a highly modified stretch limousine with an ancient internal-combustion engine—made its way beneath the towering buildings that rose in windowless cylinders throughout the city. Robo-Princess had the roads to herself. Unlike most of the city’s inhabitants, Robo-Princess and Robo-Magar had to physically travel from place to place. The majority of the twenty-two million other citizens simply downloaded themselves into whatever hardware happened to be where they wanted to go.
Robo-Princess rolled into the coliseum as a crowd of onlookers began to shout and wave. The machines took on various shapes—some simple spheres and cubes, others more insectlike, with a few bipedal humanoids thrown in for good measure. When the limo rolled to a stop, two large doors opened so that Robo-Princess could step out, followed by her hovering, magicless wizard. A group of reporter bots pressed their way forward, recording images and sending updates to the various networks.
“Robo-Princess!” a fedora-wearing robot that looked like a faceless silver mannequin called out. “What’s your predict
ion for the show tonight?”
Robo-Princess paused on the walkway. “My prediction for the show? Well, I almost hate to just call it a show. This is really about something much bigger—the conclusion to an epic struggle centuries in the making. Not just a holo-event—this is history unfolding. This is the end of the human race.”
There was a flurry of activity as the sound bite was packaged and uploaded.
“And what about the humans? Who will be hunting them and just how long do you think they will last?”
“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? But don’t expect the humans to act like frobbits. They’ll put up a fight.”
“And the hunters?” the reporter bot pressed on.
“You know their identities are a secret—at least for a little while longer. But I can say they’re some of our best.”
“Rumor has it the Frobinator will be one of them. How can any living creature survive being hunted by both the Frobinator and yourself?”
Robo-Princess smiled at the compliment. “Remember that these humans have magic, and that’s something we machines have never faced—not even in the great war. I’m sure that will spice things up a bit.”
A barrage of additional flashes and questions filled the air, but Robo-Princess nodded and made her way down the carpeted path leading to a set of doors. Once inside, Purple floated over to her. “We’ve outsold this beyond our wildest projections,” the floating sphere announced. “The whole machine-versus-magic angle was the real clincher.”
“Of course it was,” Robo-Princess replied, reviewing the stream of pay-per-view buys sent to her over the network. “Looks like we’re going to make a lot of money.” Then she noticed Robo-Magar hovering at her side. “Well, I’ll be making a lot of money.”
“I’m pleased to simply bask in your glory,” Robo-Magar replied, sounding as enthused as if he were talking about picking up dog poo.
“Just how good do you think these humans are, anyway?” Purple continued. “I mean, there isn’t a chance they could actually win, is there? I know it’s one thing to play to the cameras, but the whole magic bit has me a little worried.”
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