“Give me a minute to think,” Sari requests, intently watching the roaring river.
With her arms moving gracefully in front of her, the gypsy coils the steam around her arms and winces from the dull pain. As if casting a net, Sari throws the vapor over the river and weaves it into an intricate design. The structure takes a clearer shape when she adds more steam and a few surviving patches of snow into the mixture. Hovering above the river is a long canoe of ice that is already dripping from the rising heat. Cursing under her breath, Sari raises the vessel higher into the air and continues freezing water vapor to the hull.
“I’ll have to work quickly once this hits the water, so everyone get on before I lower it,” the gypsy says, wiping her brow and throwing her sweat into her creation. “I can maintain the canoe as we go along, but someone else will have to steer. You three can figure it out.”
“There’s four of us,” Luke mentions as Fizzle helps him to the canoe. The drite’s enhanced strength allows him to hoist the half-elf off the ground and he gently places him in the middle of the vessel.
“You’re not in any condition to help, lover,” Sari contends. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees Timoran preparing to leap onto the canoe. “Don’t you dare try to jump in there! I’m having enough trouble, so I wouldn’t be able to keep it in the air if you do that. Either let Nyx use her magic or wait for the rest of us to get in before leaping.”
Nyx lifts herself and Delvin into the cold vessel, each one settling at opposite ends of the canoe. Sari is already easing the boat into the water when Timoran makes his running jump. He picks the gypsy up as he goes by and vaults over the boiling water. They land and force the canoe into the river with a splash that Sari absorbs into the vessel. With the boat lurching forward, she scrambles to the rear and focuses on strengthening the hull. Timoran draws his great axe and plunges it into the river, using the weapon like a makeshift oar. Nyx follows his example and creates a wide paddle of solid force that flickers in her hands. Feeling useless, Delvin crawls to the front and takes the role of navigator. He is surprised when Luke takes a seat next to him, the half-elf crossing his legs as if to meditate.
“You use your eyes and I’ll use my ears,” the forest tracker whispers, patting Fizzle on the head. The drite glows a dull red as he uses his magic to fortify his friend’s aura. “I hope this isn’t a very long trip because I don’t know how long I can last. We’re good for the next half mile as far as hidden rocks and branches.”
“Do not push yourself,” Timoran warns his friend while driving the canoe forward. The ship shakes from side to side, causing him to glance at Nyx. “This is going to be difficult since you have no experience and I do not have a true paddle. Listen for me to shout orders because we must work in unison.”
“You got it,” the caster replies through clenched jaws. Her heart is racing as she increases her strength to match the barbarian and pushes her arms to their limit. “How are you holding up, little sister?”
“No talking,” the gypsy hisses, her focus breaking long enough for the boat to dip dangerously low in the water. With her blue hair whipping in the sweet wind, Sari pulls as much snow and steam into the canoe as she can.
“Turn in the river!” Delvin shouts back.
“Rocks on the way!” Luke adds.
“Let the fun begin!” Timoran howls with a mad grin.
“Doesn’t Luke get seasick?” Nyx quietly asks, a worried look on her face.
Whipping around the bend in the river, Timoran and Nyx struggle to steer the canoe away from the steaming rocks. They weave through the obstacles and use their oars to push off the stones whenever they get too close. Several times they are too slow to react and a loud crunch causes all of the adventurers to cringe. Cracks form in the canoe and steadily grow as the hot water gets inside the crevices. Obeying Sari’s frantic demands, snow streams off the raised riverbanks and branches to repair the tiny vessel’s hull. The boat bounces and spins through the rapids as the occupants struggle to control their speed and direction. Hitting a violent eddy, the canoe is spun into the air and crashes down with a large splash that the gypsy uses to thicken the hull.
“I’m hearing weird things up ahead!” Luke yells as he struggles to remain conscious and alert. The Dark Wind squirms in his belly, mixing with his typical seasickness. “I see fully grown trees and hills in the river. There’s a lot of movement and noise, so I can’t get a clear idea of what we’re heading into.”
“I’ve a bad feeling,” Delvin mutters, holding up his shield to protect his face from the hot spray. A knot grows in his stomach when he remembers the map. “We should be entering a low valley where the river is shallow and weak. It’s supposed to be flat land with scattered hills and patches of forest. Maybe that type of area will be calmer than this.”
The canoe bursts from the forest-edged river and hits a small dip that nearly plunges Delvin and Luke into the boiling water. Both warriors scramble back and stare at the flooded valley before them. Snow-covered crests of hills and towering trees can be seen above the steaming surface of the chaotic river. Hundreds of animals are cowering on the dry land while birds dart through the air, enjoying the swarms of terrified insects that fill the sky. Eddies and sudden dips are scattered about the area, making it impossible to travel in a straight line. The valley resembles an enormous bowl of hot soup with the only exit a narrow pass that can barely be seen through the thick steam.
With a violent jerk, the small vessel veers to the right and is pulled along by the strong current. The adventurers race throughout the valley with the wild, chaotic motion of the water forcing them toward the border of the flooded region. The canoe skims the sloping edge of the valley and spins for several minutes before a stable current grabs them. When it hits a rolling wave, the small boat is thrown from the river and careens toward the top of a hill. Nyx pushes them to safety with a gust of force, the half-elf desperately casting in every direction to avoid landing upside down. Timoran sheathes his great axe as he stretches to grab Sari by the leg before she topples into the river.
“Make it stop,” Luke feebly whimpers. Unable to stop himself, the half-elf leans over the side and vomits a chunk of Dark Wind. A spray of hot water grazes his face and he yelps in pain, relief coming from a pair of snowballs that rocket off a nearby treetop.
“Not the brightest idea,” Delvin says, blocking a burst of scalding water from getting into the boat. He squints over the rim of his shield when they make a sharp turn and head for the narrow pass. “Why does the path ahead look wrong?”
“Because the path kind of ends,” the forest tracker mentions with a groan. Choking down the queasy feeling in his stomach, Luke calls back to Sari. “Make some handholds because we’re heading for a waterfall!”
“Of course we are,” Timoran sighs.
Handles grow out of the gunwales and ice wraps around everyone’s boots. Sari is the only unsecured passenger, allowing her to continue reinforcing the hull. They race toward the waterfall and the vessel gradually spins until the gypsy has her back to the narrow passage. With a surge of speed, the canoe hits the edge of the river and soars through the opening. Their height is not as bad as they expected, but the drop into the bubbling pool is far enough that their canoe will be destroyed on impact. Sari’s voice rings out over the shrieking wind and a funnel spirals out from the dangerous water. It gently catches the bottom of the vessel, but the enchanted liquid refuses to cool off. Before their boat is melted out from under them, Sari releases her friends’ feet and redirects the pillar to toss them into the snow-covered trees.
“What went wrong?” Nyx asks, gasping for air. She clings to the forked branches of the oak she has fallen into, her stomach sore from the impact. “Is everyone okay?”
“Timoran and Luke landed on the ground,” Delvin answers from where he is hanging by his legs. He watches his friends scramble out of the bushes below and breathes a sigh of relief when the forest tracker waves to him. “Looks like they’re fine. I’m r
eally glad Luke didn’t get hurt because he’s already in pretty bad shape. Any more punishment and we’d have to drag him to the Garden of Uli. You still in one piece, Sari? Is that you crying?”
“I’m fine,” the gypsy says as she floats to the ground. Landing on the shore, she stares at the source of the baritone weeping. “I’m a little insulted that you think I cry in such a deep voice. What is that?”
By the time Delvin and Nyx get out of the trees, the others have gathered on the shoreline and are staring across the pool. A towering figure is crouched over the water, steam wafting off the creature’s thin body. Its alabaster skin shifts with every breeze as if its flesh will tear away and turn into mist at any moment. At first bald, a plume of wild hair erupts from the giant’s scalp and slowly retracts as the weeping grows deeper. The enormous figure’s mournful cries ripple through the air and fill the adventurers’ hearts with pity. Hissing tears fall into the pool and cause the water to froth, the heated liquid running up the waterfall to roil the river.
“A female geyser giant,” Luke states with a nervous laugh. The large woman roars at the sky and unleashes a torrent of scalding tears that misses the small group by a few inches. “We should probably calm her down before we’re cooked. I’d suggest only one of us approaches because these giants can be very moody.”
Delvin pulls the hood of his cloak over his head and walks toward the figure. “Everyone eat some food and get some rest. This might take a little while.”
*****
“You gave it your best shot, my friend,” Timoran states while patting Delvin on the shoulder. The brown-haired warrior stares at the barbarian with an incredulous look, forcing the big man to step away. “I am sorry. You looked upset.”
“I’m only confused,” the swordsman admits, scratching his head. He watches the geyser giant devour the feast at its feet, the creature’s stomach visibly bloating. “There was no way for me to tell she was hungry. At least I got the gender right. Why are you moping, Luke?”
“My ring won’t be recharged for a week,” the half-elf says as he leans against a moss-covered tree. “I haven’t been able to use this thing for the reason I bought it yet. The first time was a test and now I’m feeding a giant. I don’t even know how the food tastes.”
“Who eat first feast?” Fizzle asks, his head cocked to the side. “Luke no waste food. That bad.”
“I gave it to the people of Gaia who were helping with the city repairs,” the forest tracker answers, blushing at the smiles he gets from his friends. “Don’t look at me like that. You would have done the same if you were in my position.”
Delvin laughs and gives a light punch to the forest tracker’s arm. “Probably, but it’s funny seeing you blush about it.”
“It appears the river is cooling off,” Timoran points out.
The once bubbling water is already icing over and they can see up the steady slope that the valley is steadily draining. A herd of moose watch from the top of the ridge where they munch on the grass that has been revealed by the melted snow. The beasts run away when the geyser giant waves and calls out in a burbling voice. She lets her hand drop to her side and is about to cry again when Sari pats the creature on the leg.
“I’m surprised Sari knows how to talk to her,” Luke says as they listen to their friend talk in a gurgling language. Her voice is very melodic and transforms into clear words as the half-elf listens. “She’s trying to figure out why the geyser giant is upset. If we can make friends with her then she could help us up the mountain.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Nyx announces as she drops from a nearby tree. She lands on her butt in a pile of snow and curses under her breath. “Damn spell wore off before I could stick the landing.”
“Did you see anything from up there?” Delvin asks, hurrying to help the caster. She refuses his offer and stands, angrily brushing the snow from her backside. “Need a ha . . . forget I almost said that.”
“There’s a village of titans between us and the Widowhorn. I got a good look at a few of them and they appear to be agitated,” the caster reports, ignoring the warrior’s last statement. She takes a drink from her waterskin and cautiously eyes the geyser giant. “It’s strange that we found her so close the titans. I’ve heard that giant species rarely live within a hundred miles of each other. Too close and they fight over space, which gets messy. I’m surprised we haven’t seen the titans reacting to the geyser giant. They had to know about the flooded valley.”
“They probably knew, but didn’t care,” Luke explains, waving to the huge creature when she looks at him. Sari makes quick waves of her hands and snaps of her fingers to get the giant’s attention, causing the forest tracker to worry. “Geyser giants are solitary, so the other species don’t care if one wanders into their territory. They believe she’ll leave at some point and she isn’t a threat to their food source. Titans eat meat while she feeds off sunlight and clean water. That’s why you can find geyser giants chasing rainstorms during the summer.”
“No! Bad giant!” Sari screams in naiad, only Luke and the creature understanding her.
The ground shakes as the geyser giant charges at the adventurers, Sari hanging from the monster’s leg. With a quick shake, the gypsy is thrown off and she falls into the ice-covered water. Drenched and shivering, she rises from the pool in time to see the geyser giant bat Timoran and Delvin into the bushes. Drying off, Sari gathers the water in her hands and hurls two liquid nets at the creature. Both projectiles burst into hissing steam when they touch their target’s skin. The gypsy races toward the others and tackles Nyx out of the way of a dangerous stomp that singes the ground. With nobody else in her path, the geyser giant scoops Luke into her arms and runs into the forest.
“Get her!” Sari screams as she gets to her feet and sprints after the fleeing monster.
Nyx rushes ahead, her body covered in crimson aura that enhances her speed. Using the same spell, Sari catches up and they can hear the warriors following far behind. They come within sight of the geyser giant who fires jets of scalding water at the adventurers. Sari dances and leaps among the attacks while Nyx is forced to move away in an attempt to come at their target from the side. She watches the gypsy struggle to gain on the creature, but the slippery, uneven ground keeps the girl out of reach. Nyx waits for the giant to turn toward Sari, which gives her an opening to attack from what she thinks is a blind spot. With a burst of force beneath her feet, the half-elf sprints down the path to launch herself into the air and hurtle toward the monster. The caster is within reach of Luke when the creature’s other hand snatches her out of the air and hurls her into the surrounding trees.
“What going on?” Fizzle asks as he catches Nyx with his tail. He flips her over his head and watches the half-elf land gracefully on a tree stump. “Geyser giant angry?”
“I’ve no idea,” the caster answers, her lungs and muscles aching from the long-distance running. “She’s heading for the titans, so it can’t be good.”
“Others far behind.”
“They’ll catch up.”
Leaping over a log, Nyx sees Sari has stopped and several enormous figures are walking beyond the trees. She stops next to the gypsy and stares at the chaos in front of them. One-armed titans are charging around the stump-covered village, each one wielding a pine tree like a flyswatter. They repeatedly roar and swing at the geyser giant who is shrieking in her gurgling language. Whenever a muscular titan comes too close, the thinner creature transforms into steam and drifts away. Each time Luke is juggled within the sweltering vapor, his weak body resembling a leaf in a hurricane until the geyser giant reforms.
“Luke not do good,” Fizzle hisses as they watch the fight. “Dark Wind eat fear and stress. Need save.”
“Why are they fighting over him?” Nyx asks, waving to Delvin and Timoran when they rush into view.
“I told her we were going to the Garden of Uli and that Luke was the champion,” Sari explains when the warriors join them. They watch help
lessly as their friend is tossed around and nearly grabbed by the crushing grasp of a titan. “She babbled about being the protector of the guardian’s emerald and being dishonored. The titans supposedly took the gem and deemed her a traitor. I guess they’re fighting over who gets to be the protector. She thinks possessing the champion will grant her the emerald and the titans kind of agree with that idea. I’m sure Luke could solve this by talking to them, but both sides think it’s physical possession of the champion that will solve this feud.”
“So he’s nothing more than a prize,” Delvin groans, rubbing his eyes. “How do we reclaim our friend from battling giants?”
“I do not think we will have to worry,” Timoran says, drawing his great axe and pointing at the geyser giant.
Dark tendrils are flowing from Luke’s body and burrowing into his captor’s hand. Panicked and confused, the geyser giant is violently shaking her fist in the hope of dislodging the unconscious half-elf. The titans keep away from the other creature and swat at her with their trees if she gets too close. Luke unleashes a primal scream when the Ring of Uli erupts and pink energy ripples along the corruptive tendrils. With her hand free, the geyser giant prepares to smash the whimpering champion with a devastating clap.
“Put friend down!” roars Fizzle as he grows to the size of the giants. His wings turn leathery and three barbed tails weave through the air behind him. “Fizzle demand you return champion. No make Fizzle mad!”
The geyser giant gently places Luke on the snow-covered ground and the titans drop their trees. All of them kneel before Fizzle even after he returns to his tiny form and lands next to his friend. Nyx and Sari are the first to reach the forest tracker while Timoran stands ready to fight the behemoths if they attempt anything.
Curse Of The Dark Wind (Book 6) Page 25
