by DM Fike
“It’s fading!” the pale woman shouted as they neared the smoldering gate. The walls flickered in and out of existence as the shadows grew darker. Avalon pushed herself forward, lungs burning.
The ground gave one last heave as the spiky-haired man and pale woman jumped into the snowy tundra beyond. Avalon flung herself too.
The force of both the ground moving and her own jump sent her forward much farther than she expected. She miscalculated her landing and ended up flat on her back, staring back at where she had just been.
The fortress had disappeared.
CHAPTER 28
WIND BLEW SPARKLES of flakes over where Bedwyr’s fortress had once stood, a rectangular bare spot in the snow marking its outline. Avalon’s mouth gaped open. She might have remained dumbfounded had a sharp sword not cut across the tip of her nose. Avalon stared up the pointed edge into the cold eyes of the pale woman.
“Who are you?”
She gulped. “Avalon Benton.”
The spiky-haired man squinted at her. “Are you related to Braellia?”
“Who?” Avalon asked.
The pale woman moved the sword an inch closer to Avalon’s face. “Where are you from?”
“Utah?” She mentally kicked herself for how shaky she sounded.
“Come now, love.” The spiky-haired man pushed the pale woman’s blade away from Avalon’s face. Despite his many bulging muscles, he fell short of her height by several inches. “Bedwyr imprisoned this human. She has likely experienced many horrors.”
“She said she saw Desert Rose.”
He craned his thick neck at Avalon. “You did?”
Avalon nodded, her teeth chattering. “Sh-She brought me h-here.”
The man rubbed his hands together. “My apologies.” He clapped, the sound echoing across the snowy plain, and instantly, a warm glow spread throughout Avalon. “I forget that not everyone can travel the Kori Plains without a little help.”
Avalon curled her toes inside her sneakers, sharp pain shooting up them as she regained feeling. “Thank you.” The spiky-haired man helped her up.
“Why would Desert Rose bring you to Bedwyr’s fortress?” the pale woman demanded as Avalon dusted her clothes off.
How to answer? Scawale had not believed that she was the real Child of the Statue, and Avalon couldn’t prove it. On the other hand, what possible explanation could she have for a measly human like herself to be held captive?
The spiky-haired man misinterpreted her hesitation. “You do not have to fear us. I’m J.T. Emerson.” He threw his arm around the pale woman. “And this lovely lady is Halicia Shinkai. We’re both Guardians and generals of Emerged Falls.” He pointed to a badge sewn onto the side of his pants, a pastel blue and green checkered shield with a lowercase ‘e’ made of twisting brown vines overlaid on top of a broadsword. Avalon noticed that Halicia had a similar crest over her right breast.
“Guardians,” Avalon repeated. She wished Nobody had told her more about them. She could only recall that they protected the Child and helped defeat Kryvalen in the previous war.
Halicia shifted out of J.T.’s hold. “It should be obvious why we are seeking Desert Rose.”
Avalon stared at Halicia’s cold, calculating expression and J.T.’s fluid movements. Ice magic. Fire magic. Her long blonde hair and his dark skin. The names didn’t mean anything to Avalon, but their familiar features and mannerisms did.
“You are Desert Rose’s parents.” Avalon tensed. Nobody had told her that the Guardians were the good guys. Why would their daughter kidnap her and bring her to Bedwyr?
J.T. sighed. “I know how this must appear. Desert Rose is supposed to succeed us someday in Emerged Fall’s military ranks, but she has gone rogue. Been a mercenary for more than a year now actually.”
Halicia plunged her great sword into the snow, letting it stand on its own. “Should you divulge such information?”
“We can’t hide it forever. And this girl has already been dragged into it.”
Halicia’s lip thinned to a line, but she did not argue.
J.T. turned back to Avalon. “We assumed at first she was just rebelling against her parents, but when we discovered her contract with Bedwyr, we knew it had gone far beyond childish disobedience.”
“Which is why we need your knowledge,” Halicia said, “and your discretion to track her down.”
For all of the Guardians’ otherworldliness and talent, Avalon saw the parental concern pass between them. She recognized those same tired eyes on her parents when she had first been diagnosed with Miasmis. Her mother understood from experience how the disease would progress. She would never forget their painful expression as they sat across from James in his office receiving the news. They held hands so tightly Avalon worried they might snap off.
“Bedwyr thought I was the Child of the Statue,” Avalon said softly.
Both acted like she had slapped them across the face. J.T. took a step back from her, while Halicia reclaimed her sword from the snow.
“That is not possible,” Halicia said.
Avalon nodded. “It’s not possible. Scawale determined that I was not the Child.”
“But Desert Rose believed you were? Why?” J.T. ran his hand through his hair. “Because you share Braellia’s appearance?”
“You keep using that name,” Avalon asked. “Who is she?”
Halicia studied Avalon. “Where did you say Utah was again?”
Avalon didn’t want to push her luck, so she went for a sort of truth. “The desert?”
Halicia glanced at J.T. “Have you heard of this human town?”
“There are many small human settlements I have no knowledge of.” He faced Avalon. “Braellia was the Child of the Statue under our Guardianship.” His voice wavered. “She was killed during the Reformation.”
Halicia took over for him. “And you bear a striking resemblance to her. Perhaps our daughter wished to pass you off as a legitimate Child. She could have concocted a scheme by exploiting her connection to Emerged Falls.”
An orange glow flashed up and down J.T.’s arms as he recovered his composure. “That is terrible, Halicia. If Desert Rose kidnapped someone whom she believed to be the Child of the Statue and handed her over to Bedwyr, it is treason of the highest order.”
Halicia’s harsh demeanor softened as she put a reassuring hand over his glowing arm. “The statue was destroyed. There is no way the cursed thing exists, and without it, there can be no other Child. Desert Rose knows that.”
J.T.’s glow slowly dissipated under Halicia’s touch. “Then she sent this poor girl to die?”
“I have no more insight than you, but I have faith that she is not completely lost.”
“She killed my friend,” Avalon said flatly.
Halicia and J.T. stepped back from each other. The pain in their expressions seared her soul, but once the words came out, Avalon could no more stop them than she could stop an incoming wave on the beach.
“She killed him trying to capture me. She showed no remorse.”
J.T. shuffled his feet. Halicia took a step toward Avalon. Avalon didn’t know what to expect when Halicia approached her, but she certainly didn’t anticipate the gentle pat on her arm.
“I am deeply sorry for your loss,” Halicia said.
The two kept each other at arms’ length, but it did not feel aggressive to Avalon. More like an agreement that things wouldn’t change, but the future needed to be dealt with appropriately.
Halicia removed her hand. “Do you know where she went?”
“She collected her bounty and left yesterday. That is the last I saw of her.”
“She’s too far into the wind,” J.T. concluded.
“We followed her trail for several days,” Halicia argued. “We might still catch up.”
“That rock pile was a miracle, and you know it,” J.T. said.
Avalon jerked her head downward, sizing up the Guardians’ boots. “You found a rock pile? In the snow? Near a rid
geline close by?”
J.T. flinched in surprise. “How do you know about that?”
“I made it.” Avalon had all but forgotten her spur-of-the-moment decision. “I noticed your footprints in the snow when Desert Rose led me here. I figured I might as well try to warn someone we were here. I didn’t think it would actually work.”
J.T. broke out in a laugh despite his obvious melancholy mood. “That’s truly beating the odds now, isn’t it?”
Halicia returned her sword to the scabbard on her back in one fluid motion. “This is the end of the trail. Time to head home. We have duties to attend to.”
In synchronous agreement, the two Guardians marched toward the endless plains of frost. Avalon hesitated. She felt like the outsider she was.
J.T. motioned Avalon forward. “What are you waiting for? You will freeze out here.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Back to Emerged Falls. You must join us. We would appreciate more details about Desert Rose’s escapades.”
Avalon prayed that among Nobody’s half-truths, what he had said about the Guardians being heroes was true.
Besides, she had nowhere else to go.
“Okay,” she said, letting them take the lead.
CHAPTER 29
THE TRIO CUT through the frosty plains. Halicia’s bare arms never formed goosebumps, never reddened in the bitter cold. J.T.’s glow kept Avalon toasty underneath her stolen clothes. Avalon couldn’t match their stamina, often falling far behind. Fortunately, unlike the trek with Desert Rose, the Guardians would stop to give Avalon breaks to catch her breath. J.T. even offered her a drink from his canteen at one point. Expecting water, the sweet liquid coated her tongue and burned as it went down her throat straight into her gut, where it settled into a lead ball.
“Feels good, eh?” J.T. laughed.
She hacked, then flashed him a weak smile.
Flat plains transformed into rolling hills. Scraggly bushes and short barren trees poked out from the snow. Eventually those trees grew more dense and closer together, their trunks coated in a layer of ice as if they were sculpted by an artist. Their transparent leaves glistened in the sun, covered in frost. Under this new foliage, birds sang to each other, their soft blue feathers acting as camouflage. A small white rodent ran across their path, kicking up a flurry of snow as it scuttled into the underbrush.
They had wandered into a winter wonderland.
“What is this place?” Avalon asked.
“The Forest of Sioc,” J.T. answered. “We will be at White Cliffs soon, where the Ancient Tribe, the Arctic Merfolk, live.”
Avalon hesitated to show her ignorance, but she was stuck here in Llenwald and needed to learn more about it. “What is an Ancient Tribe?”
“You have never heard of the Ancients at all?” J.T. asked.
“Utah is a real backwater place,” Avalon said apologetically.
“‘Backwater?’”
“Rural. Isolated,” Avalon scrambled for the right word. “We keep to our human selves.”
Halicia snorted. “Apparently.”
J.T. turned to Avalon. “You know the five elements, right? Earth, fire, air, ice, and lightning?”
Avalon nodded.
“Most Aossi tribes specialize in one magical element. And for each element, there is a master Aossi tribe that has performed marvelous feats. Legends say they are blessed by Gaea herself. Arctic Merfolk are the masters of ice magic.”
“They are also a very stoic and proud race,” Halicia said. “They aren’t particularly fond of overly excitable humans, so do stay calm around them.”
“Many Aossi tribes are still adjusting to co-existing with humans,” J.T. explained. “The Ancient Tribes in particular are rooted in the most tradition, and tradition takes time to change. Yet they are as committed to peaceful coexistence as we are.”
Halicia suddenly held out one hand at her side, halting them. “Hush.”
J.T. complied. Avalon took the hint and huddled in closer.
A low growl penetrated the foliage. The underbrush rustled to their left and right. Avalon flipped her head around from side to side, but she couldn’t see what made those noises in the forest shadows.
Slowly, Halicia brought her fingers to her lips. Avalon winced when she whistled one short, sharp note.
The rustling intensified. A roar rang out from the bushes.
Avalon scooted farther behind J.T., waiting for the attack.
Halicia whistled again, this time a series of melodic notes.
The rustling stopped. Silence followed. Halicia nodded in satisfaction, continuing forward. J.T. relaxed his stance.
“What was that?” Avalon whispered.
“Yetis,” J.T. said. “They guard the forest. Halicia gave them the passcode. If she hadn’t, they would have ripped us to shreds.”
Of course, they would.
The trio continued on. Before long, they broke out of the forest and found themselves in front of a wall of frozen vines, their glistening trunks twisted into each other like a woven blanket. Pencil-sized thorns protruded in all directions from the mass, their needle-sharp tips glistening with frost. Statues of people were scattered randomly around the wall, most of them leaning forward, their hands outstretched to the wall’s terrible beauty. The vines covered as far as they could see.
Avalon attempted to move toward the wall, but J.T. held her back.
“Do not touch those vines unless you want to end up like those statues.”
Avalon stopped dead in her tracks. “Come again?”
“The thorns are filled with magic. They will turn you into ice sculptures if they prick you.”
Avalon backed away from the vine wall. She bumped into one of those statues, a woman in bedraggled clothing, bent over at the waist. She looked as if she might vomit. Avalon responded with a sympathetic squeak.
Halicia ignored the statues, striding up to the wall so that her face confronted a giant thorn. Without hesitation, she grabbed it, pricking a fingertip. It dripped a few drops of blood onto the snow, dotting it pink.
Avalon gasped. “What is she doing?”
J.T. patted her reassuringly. “The thorns will freeze us but not her.”
The vines came to life, whipping this way and that, untangling themselves like arms of a giant octopus. Halicia did not move as they withdrew from in front of her, resettling in a pattern that formed a large doorway in front of her.
J.T. grinned. “Arctic Merfolk blood allows us to pass through to White Cliffs.”
“Halicia’s an Arctic Merfolk?” She couldn’t see it.
“Half,” J.T. corrected. “All the Guardians are misach, half Aossi, half human.” He lifted one hand, his fingertips sizzling into flames. “My father was a Deep Dwarf, the Ancient fire tribe.”
“The entryway will close soon,” Halicia warned, trekking through the wall.
J.T. strode through the doorway. Avalon hesitated, but as the vines shifted and stirred, she knew she couldn’t be left alone. She scurried after the Guardians, dodging another ice statue as she ducked through the wall opening. The thrashing sound intensified, and Avalon dashed to the other side. Once safely across, the vines knitted together as the hole repaired itself. The wall returned to its previous impenetrable form.
“These guys don’t mess around.” Avalon shivered.
J.T. laughed.
“Come.” Halicia had already moved onto the flat snowy plain that stretched on the other side of the wall. “The platform is nearby.”
Halicia led them a few miles away from the wall. Avalon focused on the distant horizon, something glimmering on its edges. At first, she thought her tired eyes were compensating for staring at white snow, but a gentle rhythmic roar indicated a vast body of water. The sea grew from a glimmering line on the horizon to a widening ocean.
Halicia paused, stomping one foot more firmly in the ground. Then she motioned perpendicular to their current path. “This way. Do not go farther toward the wa
ter.”
Avalon was about to ask why when she craned her neck forward and saw the cliffs.
If Halicia had taken one more step, she would have fallen down into deep blue water. The White Cliffs weren’t made of dirt or rock but solid ice shelves. The snowpack formed jagged edges all the way down to the water below. The color of the distant horizon and the snow made it all but impossible to see the cliffs until you were almost on top of them.
Halicia continued her path along the very edge of the cliffs, walking with her eyes closed and arms outstretched. Avalon tensed at her suicidal behavior, but J.T. did not seem concerned.
Before long, Halicia dropped her arms and opened her eyes. “Here.” She pointed at the ground.
J.T. and Avalon formed a rough circle around the spot. The stark white drifting snow appeared no different than anywhere else.
“Lock arms and tighten formation around me,” Halicia commanded. Avalon let herself be folded into something between a football huddle and a group hug with the two Guardians. “The tube will be narrow. Do not stick out any limbs unless you want to lose them.”
Before Avalon could mull over this vague warning, the ground opened up beneath them and they fell straight downward.
CHAPTER 30
AVALON SCREAMED AS they dropped at an alarming speed, her stomach lurching in the sudden freefall. She would have panicked and thrown her arms out had J.T. and Halicia not clamped down on either side, locking her in place. Avalon glanced upward at the hole of sky vanishing above her whipping hair. The walls zipped past in an icy flurry. Avalon felt like she had been thrust into a pneumatic tube, the kind used at drive-through banks to move currency between a far-away car and the teller.
The platform slowed before jerking to a stop. Halicia stepped off the platform into a narrow hallway of ice, the walls shining of their own accord. J.T. motioned for Avalon to go next. They had to walk single file in order to fit.
