ALDER

by Melody Robinette

“I’m stronger than I was,” she replied defensively, folding her thin arms across her chest that still revealed the exact structure of her clavicle and sternum. “Let me help. Surely there is something I can do.”

  Avery ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I guess you can help down at the Warrior Training Grounds’ base they’ve set up. That’s where we’re bringing back the injured. You can help the Healers.”

  “Perfect,” she said brightly. “I’ll go get changed.”

  Avery sighed. His mother had been trying to prove that she was completely healed every chance she got. Her mind may have been restored to full health, but her body still had a long ways to go. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her being in the thick of battle or anything while she was on the training grounds.

  “Ready!” she said, reappearing in a thick turtleneck that camouflaged her thinness, and a dragon leather jacket.

  “You sure you don’t need a thicker jacket? Or a scarf or a hat or—”

  “Avery,” his mother said in a comforting voice. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be the parent anymore. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”

  He nodded, not realizing he had been talking to her like he used to, like she was the child and he was the adult. For two years, that’s basically what she had been.

  * * *

  LUKE stood on the balcony of the highest level of one of the Warrior Training Trees, surrounded by the other Underground leaders, including Jessica, who stood on the ground beside the Tree, eye level with the balcony.

  Looking out at the training grounds, Luke was awestruck at the sight of all the magical creatures working together to prepare for battle. The leaders had decided that their abilities would be put to best use if they sent in their fighters in lines of each magical race rather than separate groups. Each line would hold two pairs of elves, warlocks, giants, leprechauns, centaurs, trolls, vampires—covered in a sun-blocking potion, of course—and then the merpeople would join them in the water. That way, they could work off of one another’s strengths.

  Luke watched as Tyler and Anna showed a vampire and a troll how to do Autumn’s trademark dodge roll. The troll then demonstrated the best way to slash at a Shadow with their knives, quick and fast. A little ways away from them Crystal, Charlotte, and Jastin could be seen teaching a group of centaurs and leprechauns how to shoot a bow and arrow more effectively. The centaurs were clearly growing frustrated and showed the Warriors how a sword could be just as effective at cutting off a Shadow’s head.

  “I think we may actually have a shot at winning this war,” Luke said, turning to face the other leaders, who seemed just as impressed—some reluctantly so—by the cooperation between the magical races.

  “We certainly have a fighting chance,” Sam agreed.

  “Once this war is concluded,” Eugene said thoughtfully. “It may be necessary for us to reconvene to deliberate, appraise, and amend a handful of the Underground Laws.”

  “Let’s not be over-hasty, Eugene,” Destry said, pawing at the balcony with her hoof and brushing her white hair off of her ebony skin. “Let’s just focus on the battle before us. Then we can talk about whether we wish to part ways as always, or consider further collaboration.”

  “That’s why I said, ‘once the war is concluded,’ Destry, Darling,” Eugene said, condescension oozing through his voice.

  “I know we can’t fight,” Jessica said, looking out at the training fighters with a conflicted look. “But perhaps we should at least travel to the shore with them. So, we are near our people.”

  “You know we can’t do that,” Quon said, straightening the collar on his trademark suit and looking at her with his cat-like eyes.

  “I know, I know. I just—” Jessica looked worriedly at a group of giants, who were trying with difficulty not to step on anyone as they made their way across the training grounds in only a few strides. “I’ve just always led them in battle. That’s what we giants do. If a leader isn’t willing to die for their people, what kind of a leader are they?”

  “It’s one thing for one group of creatures to lose one leader,” Destry said. “It would be another issue entirely for the Underground to lose all of its leaders at once. It would be complete chaos, and it simply isn’t plausible.”

  Jessica sighed regretfully, the force of her breath blowing Destry’s hair back. “I know.”

  Luke had to agree with Jessica. When the majority of the leaders voted on remaining behind while their people went to fight, he almost acted like the eighteen-year-old he was, throwing a huge fit. But he didn’t, of course. He understood why the leaders couldn’t all fight in this war, but it didn’t make him like it any better. Seeing as how they were fighting a bunch of evil elves created by the evilest of all the elves, he thought he should be allowed to fight if any of the leaders did. But then there was the issue of who would take his place as ruler if he died. He was the last of the Oaken bloodline and, as much as it killed him, he knew his duty was in Arbor Falls, not the shores of the Opacious Sea.

  There was no real “plan of attack.” Seeing as how Alder Island was, in fact, an island. They couldn’t exactly sneak up on the Shadows. Plus, Luke was sure Victor already knew what they were planning. He was a creeper like that.

  So, they were just going to attack and throw everything they had at that damn diseased island. All of the Powers and the magic and the brute strength the Underground creatures had to offer. And hopefully, it would be enough.

  It had to be.

  Atticus breezed through the doors of the balcony then and said, “The lines have been established, the weapons have been dispersed, the stakes have been made clear—though they already were. The troops are ready when you are.”

  The weight of war sat heavily on Luke’s shoulders. This was it. The moment he had been both dreading and eagerly awaiting. He wanted this over and done with once and for all. No more Shadows, no more Atrums, no more Victor freaking Vaun. He didn’t care who Victor’s real father was. He would always be a Vaun.

  Looking out again at the sea of creatures willing to die for their kind—for other kinds—filled him with a sort of hope that he’d never had before when going into battle.

  Atticus looked to the leaders for an answer and, one by one, each of them nodded their permission in dispatching their fighters.

  After Jessica finally gave her reluctant consent, Luke turned to Atticus and said, “Send them out.”

  Atticus nodded curtly and left the balcony. As his teacher and mentor disappeared down the stairs of the training tree, Luke regretted not saying goodbye to him, just in case. Though goodbyes made things feel that much more ominous. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to say goodbye to Crystal. Childishly, he refused to accept the fact that she might not come back to him. He didn’t think he could handle that. But he would handle it if he had to. Somehow. And he wasn’t going to worry about how at the moment.

  Suddenly the uproar of chatter rising up from below ceased, and Luke looked down to see Atticus informing the magical creatures of their leaders’ orders to begin the trek to Alder Island. A somber shift ran through the creatures like a ripple in still water, and Luke could see each one of them mentally preparing themselves for battle. He wished now more than ever that he could be down there with them, making his way off the field as they were now.

  He spotted Crystal walking confidently beside Charlotte and Jastin. She turned to look upwards at him, a grim smile on her face. Luke gave her a small wave and tried not to look like he was worried even though his insides were twisting in agony. Her smile grew larger, and she blew him a kiss before turning back around and continued onward, all traces of her false leg invisible in appearance and stride. She had learned how to use it to her advantage rather than let it hinder her. Luke had expected nothing less.

  “I suppose now we just…wait?” Luke said, turning away from the retreating army to face the other leaders.

  “We could play a game of chess,” Eugene offered from the shadows of the
branches that hung over part of the balcony.

  In spite of the gravity of the current situation, Luke had to stifle a laugh. “Doesn’t your chess board play on its own?”

  “Only that particular set—a gift from Samuel, here, actually. And I left that at home. It doesn’t leave my throne room.”

  Sam offered him a crooked smile. “I appreciate that.”

  “I did bring another board, though,” Eugene said mildly. “Just in case we—”

  “We are not playing chess with you, dammit,” Destry snapped. “This is not the time for chess.”

  “Pardon me,” Eugene retorted. “I apologize for interrupting your evidently valuable brooding time.”

  “You know what, parasite—” Destry began, but was cut off by a high-pitched shout coming from behind them.

  “LUKE!”

  Whipping around, Luke saw Kyndel and Ember approaching at light-speed on pegasus.

  “Kyndel! What happened?” he shouted. “What did you see?”

  “All of the Shadows are evacuating Alder Island,” she said breathlessly as the two pegasi landed on the balcony. “There are thousands of them, Luke. Maybe more than that. I don’t think we can take them all. Even with the other magical creatures.”

  “Well, what do you want me to do, Kyn?” Luke said almost desperately. “If the Shadows are heading towards Arbor Falls, then it’s best for the fighters to head them off before they get here.”

  “I know. I just—there are so many. Way more than there were a few months ago. Like tens times that amount or more.”

  Luke turned his head to look at the other leaders, whose faces were now drawn and pale. He looked from Kyndel and Ember to the leaders, and back to the two Warriors. And he knew what he had to do. It wouldn’t matter if Arbor Falls had a king or not if there was no Arbor Falls left.

  “Screw it,” he muttered to himself. Running across the hard wood of the balcony, he leaped onto the back of Kyndel’s pegasus. “Come on, let’s go!”

  “What are you doing?” Ember said incredulously.

  “I’m going to fight.”

  Kyndel and Ember looked uncertainly at each other and then to the other leaders, who seemed taken aback as well.

  “I’m coming too,” Jessica said gratefully.

  “And I,” Sam agreed, already hovering in the air, ready to follow Luke.

  “Um, hello!” Destry shouted. “I thought we all decided to remain behind. The Underground rules clearly state—”

  “Noli timere, Destry,” Luke interrupted.

  Destry stopped talking, her expression changing then. She looked to the others and then back to Luke, her face morphing into a determined mask. “Okay, let’s go.”

  “What does noli timere mean?” Kyndel asked as her pegasus leaped into the air.

  Luke smiled and answered, “Don’t be afraid.”

  43

  Fire Ants

  AVERY felt like an ant in a colony. Though, instead of one kind of ant, there were all kinds, marching right alongside each other. There were fire ants, carpenter ants, red ants, black ants, even flying ants, all working together to tackle an army of bug invaders.

  Warriors had always approached battles stealthily and secretly, hiding behind trees and blending in with the foliage, opening attack without notice. This was different for them. Though they wore their traditional Warrior uniforms, made to protect and camouflage them, they weren’t exactly blending into anything. It was clear the intent of this attack. It was a sweep. They walked forward—a block of killers, ready to dispose of any and all Shadows or Atrums. It was dangerous, he knew this, but all he could think of was Autumn. Dying wasn’t an option because he had to get to her. He had to.

  Avery was somewhere in the middle of the mass, so he heard the fighting begin before he saw it. The troops came to a standstill as they encountered what Avery soon learned was a thick wall of Shadows. It would appear that Victor had heard about their plan a little too late. The Shadows had only made it a few miles past the water’s edge, but not far enough to pose a threat to the elves of Arbor Falls.

  Not yet, that was.

  Sounds of metal connecting with flesh rose up along with grunts and shouts of pain. The front lines had connected and were battling through the barricade of Shadows. Avery pushed forward along with the rest of the fighters until he reached the vile creatures. Unlike the fight in Arbor Falls where they had been unprepared and taken by surprise, the Shadows were dropping in waves now. The fighters were able to push their progress slowly backward until they reached the shoreline where Avery’s confidence wavered.

  The sea was teaming with Shadows. Squinting, Avery could see a steady, endless stream of them leaving Alder Island. He’d thought they had just taken out a large chunk of them to get to the shore, but, as it turned out, they hadn’t even made a dent.

  * * *

  LUKE urged Kyndel to push Relic harder, for her to fly faster.

  “She’s going as fast as she can, Luke!” Kyndel shouted in protest.

  “Are you kidding?” he shouted over the wind and the pumping of the pegasi’s wings. “Thunder can go three times as fast as this.”

  Relic snorted indignantly, and it seemed she managed to push herself even harder.

  “Well, good for him!” Kyndel snapped.

  “Are you two actually fighting over how fast your damn flying horses can go?” Ember said in exasperation. “Have you guys really fought enough battles for the impending danger of what we are doing to be lost on you?”

  Luke and Kyndel exchanged annoyed glances and shut up.

  Jessica and Destry ran/galloped through the forest far beneath them, Sam flew with the help of magic to their left, and the rest of the leaders brought up the tail. The farther they went without seeing the battle, the more relieved Luke felt. He didn’t want yet another attack on Arbor Falls. They’d lost so many elves already.

  A light, yet powerful sword rested against Luke’s leg—a gift from Destry as they had departed.

  “Here,” she’d said, tossing it to him and laughing when he nearly dropped it. “You’re gonna need that, dryadale.”

  He was perfectly capable of using a bow and arrow and a Warrior’s knife, but he had to admit that he felt rather like a badass carrying a sword.

  As the Opacious Sea rose before them, Luke’s stomach dropped with the weight of dread. The fighters had managed to push the Shadows to the shore, but no further, and as they killed one Shadow, five more took their place from the water. It was as if they were just waiting their turn, like an endless machine pumping out a deadly product.

  Luke scoured the ground for a glimpse of Crystal’s platinum hair but was unable to spot her. That doesn’t mean she’s dead, he told himself firmly.

  “She’s over there by that big rock,” Kyndel said, somehow knowing who Luke would be looking for.

  He glanced in the direction Kyndel was pointing and let out a sigh of relief when he saw her whole and unharmed, battling beside Charlotte, Jastin, Wyx, and Leon—arrows, spells, and swords flashing through the air. Kyndel guided Relic to the ground and immediately sent her away so she wouldn’t get hurt.

  “Aw, that was thoughtful, Kyn,” Luke teased as he slashed a Shadow with his sword. “I love when you prove you have a heart.”

  Kyndel called him a bad name before flashing a smile and disappearing into the thick of the battle with Ember following closely behind. Luke fought his way through the Shadows alternating between using his sword and his Power until he made it to Crystal and the others.

  “Luke!” Crystal squealed in surprise as he struck the Shadow she was currently battling with a bolt of lightning. “What are you doing here? I thought the leaders had decided to stay behind.”

  “Me? Follow the rules? Ha!” He scaled the side of the rock and jumped onto the back of another Shadow, sliding the long blade across its throat.

  “I’m so hot for you right now,” Crystal purred in his ear when he returned to her side, momentarily stunning him
into silence.

  The added help of the other magical creatures was enough to hold off the Shadows for a little while. The merpeople and Aecorex were controlling the sea as much as possible, creating waves and whirlpools that temporarily distracted the Shadows that were floating and bobbing in the water like forgotten trash, waiting their turn to charge onto the shore. The giants were able to take out ten Shadows at a time, and the other creatures were masterful fighters, slashing left and right, taking down the silent monsters with apparent ease. Though, after nearly an hour of constant battling, fatigue began to set in, and the Shadows kept coming, emerging from the water like the snakes they were.

  “How long do you think we can all keep this up?” Crystal shouted as Wyx and Leon’s combined spell explosion took out another twenty Shadows that were soon replaced with thirty more.

  “As long as we need to!” Luke shouted.

  Though, just as it had at the last battle, doubt was beginning to overtake him as he stepped over more and more piles of bodies that weren’t Shadows.

  44

  Sand Zombies

  AUTUMN followed quickly after Victor through the dark passageways until he reached whatever room he was leading her to. Pulling open the heavy stone door, he disappeared into a dimly lit chamber that Autumn soon figured out was his weapons room.

  Pulling a leather weapon belt from the wall, he slung it around his hips that were now decked in fighting armor made of thick, impenetrable dragon hide not unlike that of the Warriors. But, instead of dark earth tones, this armor was jet black.

  “Here,” he said, tossing a weapon belt to Autumn. “Fill it up.”

  She nodded and stuffed as many weapons as she could into the different holsters, knives of all shapes and sizes, including a short spear and a surprisingly lightweight sword. Finally, she grabbed a bow and a sheath of arrows from the wall and met Victor in the doorway, where he stood waiting for her. Indicating she should follow him, he left through the corridor and down a set of stone spiral stairs with Autumn on his heels.