The Lost Relics Box Set

by LJ Andrews

  “You showed powerful, quick thinking Killian,” Mercedes said after Speron had left.

  “I don’t know why everyone thinks I would just sit back and watch him commit suicide,” he replied as he jabbed his spear through a tangled barrier of fallen logs that blocked their passage. Mercedes pursed her lips and pushed hard against the logs with him until they burst free allowing them to pass.

  “I just want you to know I’m grateful.”

  “You’re welcome, I know you have strong feelings for Speron.” Killian gulped and diverted her gaze as he realized what he’d said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she retorted.

  “Nothing, forget it.”

  “No,” she said as she easily scaled a jagged boulder. Killian had to strategize how to climb the way she had. “I want to know.” She argued crossing her arms from atop the stone.

  He looked up at her and she met his gaze with a stern, furious glare. “Nothing Mercedes, I’ve just noticed you two have been spending…a lot… of extra…time together,” he panted until he made it to the top of the rock. The remaining three stopped at the bottom determining the best way for them to reach the top of the boulder.

  “Because he’s my guard Killian. Miller asked him to help look after me because you had the relic to think about. You think I have feelings for him?” Her mouth fell open in disbelief.

  “Mercedes, I don’t know,” he admitted. “It seemed that way. I know you and I have had tensions lately. And Speron made a good point earlier. I have a lot of questions and experiences that make me angry, and distant, and…messed up. You deserve better than that. Speron could give you something like that.”

  “Who says I’m looking for anyone? Who says I’d want anyone but you?” she cried. “We may have had tensions… I’m sorry about using Malumian wolves…I wanted to apologize over and over again. I realized it was a pretty cruel thing to do, but you never let me.”

  “That’s what I’m—”

  “Let me finish,” she interrupted. “When you stopped talking to me, and froze up around me I thought it was you who wanted to be done with me.” Mercedes threw her hands in the air and paced, mumbling frustrations under her breath.

  “You don’t need someone like me. I haven’t always done good things…I’ve wanted to do some dark things lately and…”

  “Killian you drive me crazy! Why is it so hard for you to see that I love you the way you are, with that crazy parasite inside your head and everything?” She stepped closer to him, her freezing breath filling the space between their faces as the temperature continued to fall. “I’ve felt that way about you from the moment I saw you on the beach. I sensed something good, and kind inside you. I never imagined you couldn’t see it yourself.

  “Killian, relationships take talking, communication. And to be honest, you’re awful at it. You have all these doubts about what you can do that when you do something amazing like build an ice wall out of thin air you still can’t see how amazing you are.” She said sincerely, lowering her voice. Mercedes closed the gap between them pulling his face to hers. Killian sunk into her remembering how good she felt against him, relishing in her warmth he pulled her face closer to his never wanting her to pull away.

  Chapter 14

  The Man from the Mountain

  The freezing air, gusts of winds, and the grunts from their struggling travel companions faded as Killian held Mercedes' face in his hands, close to his. Her face flushed beneath her auburn hair that fluttered in the icy wind.

  “So…those ropes tied to your waist would’ve been helpful Mercedes,” Lucan’s voice cleared and cut through their solitary moment of passion. Mercedes quickly released Killian from her and awkwardly stammered looking at their snow covered faces from the trek up the boulder.

  Speron looked at the ground when Killian faced him, a twang of sadness seeped across his heart; actually causing him to feel sorry for the haughty Glacien.

  “Uh, sorry,” Mercedes said. “Should we keep going?” She turned up the hillside giving Killian a shy glance, but Dalia held out a hand to stop her.

  "I think we should make camp here."

  "Empress," Nells said facing Mercedes. "Za arctic winds are building in za north, ve vould be vise to seek shelter and vait out za storm."

  "You're sure we can’t push through?"

  Nells shook his head. "Even I vould most likely freeze to death."

  "Alright then," Mercedes agreed. "We will camp here for the night." She glanced at Killian as if searching his face for disappointment in the hold up of the relic search. He smiled shyly at her and hopped off the boulder to help gather wood for a fire.

  "Can't you just...sn...snap...your fi...fingers and build...a...ca...cabin or something," Lucan said between chattering teeth after an hour of trekking through the growing windstorm.

  Killian chuckled softly, but pulled his hood tighter around his head. They tossed the armfuls of wood in front of Speron who refused to look at Killian. He had dug a small pit and strategically placed the wood before lighting it with his fire stick.

  "Good thing we went through the freezing pool training," Killian teased Lucan while facing his hands toward the large fire.

  "This is worse," Lucan shuddered.

  Nells had tied long branches and boughs from the nearby pine trees and expertly aligned them against the blowing wind. Killian was surprised at how much the small barrier protected them once everyone was settled.

  "Food is ready," Dalia announced as she passed around small bags full of nuts, bread, cheese, and fish jerky.

  The wind grew stronger, and they huddled closer to one another in the makeshift shelter as they ate their meager meal in silence.

  "There are legends of these mountains," Nells began after a moment. "That ven the bitter arctic vinds blow it is za spirits of za first Glaciens; an ancient emperor his empress." Ghostly shadows cast over his pale face as he smiled thinking of the legend.

  "What does the wind have to do with them?" Speron asked sullenly.

  "It is said zay vere great rulers, both strong, brave and vise. Von day a dark shadow passed over Glaciem and threatened destruction of za realm."

  "What was the shadow?" Mercedes asked, intrigued.

  "Vell, most people believe it vas from za neighboring realm, Cimmerian and it is za description of za dark people."

  Dalia smiled when Nells cautiously met her eye. "The legend could have truth to it. The realms were not always peaceful, especially at the beginning of history."

  "Vatever it vas za Glacien Emperor forced his vife and their young son deep into za mountains so zay could hide from za shadow. But za Empress vas brave. She hid her son vith a viseman and vent in search of her husband. She left to defend her realm."

  "What happened?" Killian asked.

  "According to legend, za shadow passed and za emperor returned to za mountain in search of his bride and child. Zay never met in battle. It is said she too vas lost on za mountain in an eternal search for her husband. Both died and their spirits became za furious arctic winds crying and calling out for their lost love."

  "That's sad," Mercedes said, her brows furrowed. "What about their little boy?"

  "He vas raised by za viseman and grew to be a powerful emperor," Nells replied taking a large bite from his jerky.

  "Well, I wish they would find each other soon," Lucan grumbled and wrapped himself in a large blanket before laying down. The others laughed and gathered their blankets together.

  "I will take the first watch," Dalia offered and turned to face the bitter wind outside the pine bough shelter.

  No one objected. Killian lay near Mercedes and soon drifted into a deep, cold sleep.

  “Mercedes, Mercedes wake up! Can you feel it?”

  Killian woke in a start to Dalia shaking Mercedes. The fire was out and the wind had ceased slightly.

  She glanced at Dalia bewildered, but Killian saw Speron jump from his blanket and clasp onto the infinite arrow and aim it stalwartly into t
he dark night. He heard Mercedes gasp and launch her daggers into her palms. Lucan rubbed the sleep from his eyes and grappled for his knives when he saw everyone else clutching their weapons.

  "What is—”

  “Everyone…run,” she interrupted desperately. Dalia and Lucan did not hesitate and lunged out of the shelter and rolled a distance in the icy snow.

  Mercedes backed up as sounds of shuffling footsteps filled the silent, bitter night. Eerie snaps of twigs littering the snow covered glacier froze them where they stood.

  “What is it?” Killian hissed stepping closer to Mercedes.

  “Wendigo,” was all she said. There was no need to say more, trudging slowly, and eerily through the snow banks a chilling creature made its way into the shadows of their light sticks.

  A fearful shout attempted to slip out of Killian’s mouth, but froze deep in his throat. The creature looked human—but it certainly wasn’t. Its loose, draping gray skin folded and slipped off emaciated bones as if it were in a cycle of eternal decay, and deep black sockets, with the smallest glimmer of white were all the creature had for eyes.. Its lips hung long, battered, and loose revealing bloodied, yellow teeth.

  The Wendigo shuffled awkwardly through the snow, and breathed in a sick ragged breath.. The creature had small holes in the sides of its head where ears should have been and periodically twisted its head side to side trying to gauge where they were.

  “Speron,” Mercedes whispered so low it was barely audible. The Wendigo sniffed the air again, and barred its disgusting, tendon and blood filled teeth in her direction. “Fire,” she whispered again before suddenly lunging toward the horrid creature.

  Speron bent low into the snow and removed a long stick and handed one to Nells. Killian saw them fumbling with fire sticks trying to light the wood. Turning his attention back to Mercedes, bile rose in his throat once he caught sight of her.

  The Wendigo was moving incredibly fast toward her, but she seemed to divert it with periodic dives and rolls. The skeletal creature moved with the strength and speed of twenty horses, but strangely its limbs seemed frail, as if ready to crush into a fine a dust at the slightest touch. Mercedes pulled out one of her knives and sliced across the Wendigo’s wrinkled midsection as the creature lunged on top of her.

  It cried out with a disgusting mix of demon and human. Shaking his head from the trance of such an impossible being he leapt toward the Wendigo, holding tight to his spear.

  “HEY,” Killian cried. The sick face of the creature flipped toward him. Killian stopped in his tracks as the Wendigo leapt into action and raced toward him. Its bloodied lips flapping against the furious wind and its deep black sockets focused on its prey.

  Without time to move, the rank leathery skin was smashing on top of his face. Frantically, he flung his spear toward the thin, yet powerful body hoping to impale the vicious creature. The Wendigo let out a hideous, triumphant scream and unhinged its jaw so its mouth hung open like deadly snake and bit hard into Killian’s soft skin on the top of his shoulder.

  The bite pierced through the thick coat, layers of clothing, and his leather strap. The pain was excruciating. A fierce burning from the sharp, blood soaked teeth seared through his shoulder. He felt the nightmarish Wendigo gnawing desperately on his skin, treating it as if he were a delicacy he would never partake of again.

  Killian wasn’t sure if he screamed, his mind had wandered from the present, though his throat was painfully raw. Black dots filled his eyes as the pain threatened to steal his consciousness. He saw a violent swing of the thick, ebony club and the Wendigo screamed, not in pain, but anger at Dalia interrupting his meal.

  Lucan knelt in a panic by his side and covered the gaping wound with soft, lilac scented towels. Vaguely he heard him shouting comfort, but all Killian really focused on was Mercedes’ shrill screams. Slowly he turned his head, as Lucan continued to apply pressure to his open wound. He saw the Wendigo release Mercedes, and watched her fall into the soft snow. Nells held both swords and sliced ferociously at the creature as he defended his empress.

  The Wendigo flashed a frightening smile on his leathery face. Slowly long, jagged pointed nails grew from the nail beds, pushing off the decaying nails that had been there. Nells grit his teeth and leapt toward the creature, cursing him in the old Glacien language. Bringing one of his swords down on the Wendigo's wrist, Nells cut a deep gash in its gray skin. No blood or tissue came from the wound, but the demon shrieked in pain.

  Nells chuckled as he backed away slightly, but he didn’t see the large boulder protruding from the snow. Nells stumbled briefly, but it was enough for the Wendigo. The creature sprang on Nells and drove his jagged fingernails deep into his exposed neck. Killian gasped and Mercedes screamed as Nells grappled at his wound and sucked in painful breaths when the evil creature withdrew its nails violently. The tall, strong Glacien fell to his knees and landed face down in the snow. He was dead.

  Dalia and Speron advanced on the murderous creature; Dalia with her club and Speron with a flaming rod. The Wendigo hissed and cried at the sight of the fire.

  Killian’s mind began to clear, but the pain was almost unbearable as he tried to sit up. Relief flooded over him as he saw Mercedes slowly crawling through the snow, injured but alive. Her shoulders racked in heaving sobs after Nells’ violent end. Speron let out a great shout as the Wendigo boldly swatted at his burning torch. The fire-stick landed in the snow extinguishing the moment it hit the icy surface. It flung its skeletal limbs at both Speron and Dalia and with a superhuman strength swatted them hard to the ground.

  Killian’s heart sunk, the Wendigo, if it could do so, seemed to smile. It had cornered, killed, and injured them and now would devour them. He felt Lucan continue to hold the towels against his skin, but his breathing had grown ragged. Lucan’s despair flooded through Killian as though he had transported into his body temporarily.

  As the excited gasps of the Wendigo grew closer, the sky suddenly lit up in a beautiful fiery orange. Large balls of flaming reds and blues plummeted toward the Wendigo, the creature screamed and tried to avoid the siege of fire, but soon large boulders the size of small cars followed the flaming orbs. The creature was bombarded by an invisible opponent shooting all matter of the forest in his direction.

  Killian sat up but quickly ducked back down as swarms of razor sharp ice shards flew through the air. The creature cried in frustration as it attempted to bat at the painful icicles, but bit by bit the ice stuck into every limb. Behind him Killian felt a warm heat; another fire ball was surely waiting to launch. To his relief the horrid, hellish Wendigo resigned his defeat and sped away into the dark unknown of the glacier.

  Resting his head back on the icy snow Killian released a sigh of beautiful reprieve. Slowly he sat up. Lucan was staring beyond him at something, as well as Mercedes and Speron. Cautiously he turned around, propped up on his elbow. His eyes widened as a man in billowing, tattered white robes stood high on a fallen log extinguishing the remains of fire ball with his bare hands.

  His long white hair flowed in tangles to his waist, as well as a matted white beard that rested in uneven pieces against his chest. It was as if large chunks had been torn out sporadically and had never re-grown evenly. His blue eyes were tumultuous and wild, like a hidden madness was waiting to be unleashed. He glanced at Killian and beamed boldly, though Killian was sure they’d never met, but the man’s eyes as he gained a closer look frightened him. Familiar, vibrant orange rings pulsed furiously around his pupils, extenuating the madness beneath.

  Dalia paced slowly toward the man, dropping her club near Killian. He saw her bright silver eyes, dazed, confused and relieved.

  “Dalia,” he attempted to get her attention as she shuffled past him. “Dalia, who is…” but she never stopped. Stopping a few feet from their strange savior, she cleared a lump of emotion out of her throat.

  “Axel? Is it really you?” Her voice was filled with longing

  . The wild man smiled boldly and rel
eased a crazed laugh of excitement, a sound that sent a new wave of shivers down Killian’s spine.

  The bearded man spoke to Dalia in a language Killian had never heard before, and then swiftly took her into a fierce embrace. Killian held his breath when he saw the back of his neck. Underneath his thin white hair Killian could make out red, jagged marks spanning his neck; the same marks in his own neck.

  Speron helped Mercedes who was clutching her stomach sit next to Killian.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her trying to see her injuries. Mercedes pulled back her hand and revealed a mangled open gash with torn skin and blood soaking her coat.

  “Dalia,” Killian cried. “Mercedes needs help now!” Dalia turned away from the man and hurried toward Mercedes.

  “Lay down, now Mercedes. That’s it.” She said as Mercedes winced in pain. “I’m going to bind my energy and strength to you. It should help heal the wound.”

  As Dalia placed her hands on Mercedes’ bleeding midsection Axel bent down beside her and pushed her hands off.

  “Hey, stop,” Killian shouted at Axel. “She needs to help her.”

  Axel smiled brightly at Killian.

  I will help, the words filled his mind with such a force Killian’s feet stumbled as he tried to stand. It wasn’t his voice, the words were smooth and comforting as if they reached a different part of him. A part that had connected to another; another with a similar parasite living inside. Axel beamed and shook his head before turning to Dalia. “Vendigo come again. My home. Both need help,” Axel said in broken words pointing at Killian and Mercedes. Before anyone could object Axel scooped Mercedes into his arms and effortlessly jogged toward a patch of thick trees.

  “Come on, we need to get out of here,” Dalia insisted clasping her club and following Axel. “Lucan, Speron bring Nells with us.” The solemn request struck Killian. Nells fought valiantly, but lost his life. Killian hoped it was for something, and not in vain.