Part Three:
The Ancient Labyrinth
The Unfinished Prophecy Mini-Serial
Maggie Akhurst
Copyright © 2016 by Maggie Akhurst.
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Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
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The Unfinished Prophecy, Part Three: The Ancient Labyrinth / Maggie Akhurst. -- 1st ed.
For Mum –
You’ve always got the best advice when you read my rough drafts! Thanks for always supporting my dreams!
1 Cierra
“Dru!”
Cierra cried out in alarm. The Protector had collapsed on the frozen lake they were crossing. She hurriedly knelt down next to him. He was breathing shallowly and his forehead was burning up. Something was seriously wrong with him.
She thought back to the words he’d muttered before passing out. He’d said something about poison, but how had he been poisoned? They hadn’t seen a soul since leaving the Council Chambers behind.
Her eyes fell to the cut on Dru’s cheek. He’d got it from fighting off the massive tetrapus in the lake. The monster had been armed with tiny darts that it shot from its suckers. Poisonous darts? she wondered.
Dru moaned. She glanced up at the iced-over castle in the middle of the lake. That had been their destination before he had lost consciousness. It wasn’t far now, twenty metres away at most. Surely the royal family would have healers on hand. That seemed to be the only way she could help him now.
She bent down and pulled his arm over her shoulder, then heaved with all her strength. She managed to stand up, although she was bent over almost double. She took a careful step forward, dragging Dru along.
A couple of steps later, she slipped and landed hard on her side, Dru dropping beside her.
“Ouch!” she gasped, as sharp pain shot up her leg. She blinked back the tears that had involuntarily gathered. Taking a deep breath, she stood, wincing as tiny shocks of pain attacked her right leg.
“So much for that idea.” This wasn’t going to work, at least not using that method. She positioned herself facing away from the palace and grabbed Dru under the arms, walking backwards and dragging him along. The slippery ice made it easier and he didn’t feel as heavy.
She continued pulling her bundle towards the palace, glancing back every now and then to make sure she didn’t accidentally stumble into a rift in the ice. She slipped several more times, each time sending more pain through her leg. By the time she reached the shore of the island, a few tears had escaped, running down her cheeks. She continued dragging Dru towards the castle gates. It was a lot harder without the ice, but she finally got within a few metres of the imposing arch. She let go of Dru, checking his condition. He was barely breathing now and his skin had turned a slight shade of grey. An ugly gash on the side of his head oozed a frightening amount of blood.
“Don’t give up on me, Dru!”
She limped to the gates. They were frozen over. Everything was. The walls, the windows. Even the guard stationed outside the entry. She pounded desperately at the gates.
“Let me in! I need help! Please, my friend is injured!”
An eerie silence greeted her. Only the cracking of the ice on the lake broke the quiet. She knew it was futile. Dru had told her that the Darkness had taken over the castle and all its inhabitants. Everything and everyone was encased in ice.
Frustration, worry and exhaustion rose up and tears spilled over. It wasn’t long before she felt ashamed of her tears. Dru was lying on the ground close to death and all she could do was stand here and cry?
She wiped her hand across her eyes. Something sparkled. She glanced down. The droplet charm on her bracelet was glittering. Hope burst inside her. The keyhole had to be somewhere near!
She took a step back and scanned the area, searching for any indent that looked even remotely like a water drop. Her eyes swept over the frozen gates then paused. She stepped up to the lock mechanism. Above the normal keyhole, was a fancy insignia and at the centre of it was a drop shape. It was the only part of the gate that was clear of ice.
Cierra unclipped the charm. Holding her breath, she slotted it into place. It was a perfect fit. Light blazed, warm and comforting. The ice began to thaw at an impossible speed, retreating and leaving the castle and its inhabitants free.
The guard at the gate blinked. He looked at Cierra, bewildered. She could only give him a weak smile, her legs buckling beneath her.
“Whoa!” he said, quickly stepping forward and catching her. He held her up. “Did you do this?”
She shook her head, pointing to the glowing charm. “It was the bracelet.”
Sounds began echoing in the courtyard beyond the gates. People talking, laughing, crying, rejoicing. The gates swung open, astonished courtiers staring around in awe.
Cierra didn’t have time for it. She hobbled to where Dru lay, pulling the guard along with her.
“You have to help me,” she begged. “Something’s wrong with him, he needs a doctor.”
The soldier didn’t ask any questions. He could obviously see how grave Dru’s situation was. He knelt, pulling Dru’s arm over his shoulder. She hurried to Dru’s other side, helping to lift him and carry him towards the gate. He groaned softly.
“Hang in there, Dru,” she said quietly. “Almost there.”
Several of the men who had come out of the gates saw what was happening and began to help. One of them gently pulled Cierra out of the way, taking the side she had been supporting. Another hefted his legs.
“Clear the way!” the guard cried. “Wounded man coming through. Call for the healer!”
People parted and several servants rushed away to find the healer. The men carefully laid Dru on a stone bench. She stood beside him, hovering, hoping desperately that he would wake up and be fine.
“Let me through!” A commanding voice rang through the gathered people. “Move, I’m needed!”
A tall, slender young woman appeared out of the crowd. She went straight to Dru, ignoring everyone else.
After several long, silent moments of the healer checking over him, Cierra couldn’t help herself.
“Will he be okay? Please tell me you can help him. It was a tiny scratch from the tetrapus. How can it have affected him this much?”
The physician ignored her. She signalled to the men who had been carrying Dru and beckoned them to lift and follow. She trotted off without a word, the men following.
Cierra made to join them, but several hands held her back. She fought them. “No! I have to know what’s happening. I have to know if he’s going to be okay! Let me go!”
The healer turned before disappearing through a doorway. She stared sternly at her. “If he is to have any chance at al
l, you need to stay here and let me do my work in peace.” She turned, closing the door behind her.
Cierra stopped struggling. Tears fell. She couldn’t stop them. She was weary, scared and confused. Now that Dru was no longer beside her, protecting her, she felt very vulnerable and insecure. She hadn’t realised how much she relied on his presence and quiet strength.
Please be okay. Please, don’t die. Come back to me. I need you!
Blindly, she let gentle hands take her away.
***
It was nearly three hours later that she was informed that Dru would live. Those three hours had felt like the longest of her life. No one could tell her anything and she hadn’t been allowed anywhere near the healing chamber. She’d been fretting and worrying and none of the ladies of the court had been able to calm her. They’d given up in the end. They watched her pace back and forth until her injured leg started to ache unbearably and she was forced to sit.
As soon as the servant gave the good news, Cierra rose uncertainly. She hobbled forward and the servant turned his attention on her.
“I assume you want to be taken to the patient’s room?” he asked.
Cierra nodded. She couldn’t trust herself to speak. She didn’t want to believe anything until she saw him with her own eyes.
“Follow me.” He turned and left the room, following several twisting corridors. They arrived at a wooden door and the servant motioned for her to wait outside. He slipped through and closed the door. Cierra waited impatiently, fidgeting.
A moment later, the door opened and the servant let her in, warning her to keep quiet.
The room was dimly lit, only a single lantern on the bedside table. The healer sat on a low stool by the bed.
Dru lay on the bed. Cierra rushed over, going to the side of the bed that was unoccupied by the healer. She stared down anxiously. His face was very pale, but his breathing seemed much steadier. She laid a soft hand on his forehead. It was a bit warmer than usual, but nowhere near as heated as it had been earlier. A small white bandage was fixed over the cut on his cheek and a larger one covered the wound he’d gotten from cracking his head on the ice.
“He was poisoned,” the healer told her.
Cierra glanced at her. The lady looked worn out. Waking up from years of being frozen only to have to tend to someone as soon as you were defrosted wasn’t the type of joyful reawakening someone might expect.
“He muttered something about poison,” Cierra said softly.
The healer nodded. “Tetrapus poison. It’s not usually this ravaging. He seems to have gotten a much larger dose than I would expect from one of those creatures.”
Cierra shuddered. “The tetrapus we faced was a monster.”
“You’re lucky you got him here as soon as you did. Any longer and I doubt there would have been much I could have done for him.”
“Thank you,” she said, fervently. “I don’t know what I would do without him.” She thought about the quest she had undertaken. If not for Dru, she wouldn’t have gotten this far and without him, she wouldn’t get much further.
The healer rose from her stool. Her long, white-blonde hair was braided back out of her face, a few tendrils whisping around her ears. She wore a thigh-length, ruby-coloured dress, the sleeves stopping at the elbows – probably to keep her hands unhindered when performing medical miracles. A pale apron was tied around her waist, the pockets of it bulging with tinted medical potions and odd devices.
“All he needs now is rest and a couple of drops of this liquid in his water twice a day for a few days.” She held a small vial out. “I’m sure I can trust you with this task.”
Cierra took the medicine and clutched it close. “I’ll make sure he takes it.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow to check up on him. Try to keep him in bed as long as possible.” She eyed Dru. “That will keep your hands full. Protectors don’t like to lay about doing nothing.”
Cierra smiled faintly, remembering Dru saying something similar.
The healer turned to leave.
“What’s your name?” Cierra asked, before she closed the door.
“Elamiina.”
“Thank you, Elamiina.”
“It was my pleasure, Cierra.” The healer left.
Cierra didn’t even bother to wonder how the lady knew her name. Dru stirred in his sleep. She gently stroked his forehead, something her grandmother had done for her to help her sleep.
She stayed next to him for the following hours, listening to the joy of the people of the palace who were finally free of the ice. He stirred occasionally, muttering incoherent words in his sleep. At one point, she was sure she heard him say her name and the word ‘danger’.
“I’m safe, Dru,” she whispered. She rested her head on the coverlet next to his arm. The fatigue was finally catching up to her. Just a few minutes, she thought. I’ll close my eyes for a few minutes…
“Cierra.” Someone was gently shaking her. “Cierra, wake up.”
Cierra sat up groggily, blinking sleep from her eyes. Elamiina was standing beside her. How long had she been asleep for?
“A room has been prepared for you. You should go and get some proper rest.”
Cierra shook her head. “No. I want to stay with him.”
Elamiina pursed her lips. “He’s not going to know the difference, whether you are here or not. You need to look after yourself as well.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
“I’m sure you are, which is why you’ve been favouring your right leg, isn’t it?”
Cierra started. She hadn’t said anything about the ache in her leg. Elamiina had sharp eyes. “I slipped on the ice while trying to get Dru here.”
“Stand up,” the healer ordered.
She did as she was told. Elamiina knelt and felt along her leg. Cierra winced as she prodded a particularly tender spot.
After a minute, Elamiina got to her feet and fished in her bulbous apron pockets. She pulled out a small green jar. “It looks like you’ve strained a muscle. You should be fine in a few days. This ointment will numb the pain and speed the recovery.”
Cierra took the jar. “Thank you.” She hesitated. “Um… do I need to pay you with something?”
Elamiina smiled. “I think you’ve more than paid for my services. I hear it was you who freed us from the ice.”
She shrugged uncomfortably. “It wasn’t a big deal. All I had to do was put the charm where it belonged.”
“Thank you, anyway. Everyone is very grateful for what you’ve done. We know the price of this quest.”
Cierra frowned, sleepiness befuddling her brain. The price?
Elamiina was turning to leave. “If you change your mind about resting, ask the servant outside to take you to your room. You’ll find a change of clothes there. Gifts from the people of the palace.”
She nodded as the Healer left, then sat back down, setting the jar of ointment on the bedside table, alongside Dru’s medicine. She rubbed her eyes.
“You should do as she says.”
Cierra jumped in shock at Dru’s voice. “Dru!” His eyes were open and he smiled wryly at her. “You’re okay! I was so worried, I didn’t know if I’d gotten you here in time and they wouldn’t tell me anything! I wasn’t allowed to see you for ages.”
“Slow down, Cierra! I’m fine. The poison is gone from my system now.” He lifted a hand to her cheek, gently stroking it. “Don’t cry. I’m here, I’m fine. It’ll be okay.”
She hadn’t realised that tears had started running down her cheeks. Hurriedly, she wiped them away. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Why? You don’t need to apologise for being worried. I’m the one who should be sorry, making you carry me all the way here and fretting about me.”
She smiled, wiping away more tears. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I’ll live,” he replied. “But I’ll recover a lot quicker if you go and get some rest.”
She looked at him sceptically
. “Liar. You’ll get better at exactly the same rate! It makes no difference what I do.”
“Exactly. Absolutely no difference whatsoever, so you may as well get some rest instead of hovering around my bedside.”
Cierra realised she’d fallen into his trap. He’d used her own words against her. She sighed, resigned. “Fine. I’ll lie down for a little while. Then I’m coming straight back here.”
He grimaced. “I’ll still be here. No doubt they’ll try to keep me bed-bound for days. Seriously, I don’t need to be coddled like this.”
She laughed. “Doctor’s orders, Dru!” She picked up her jar of ointment and turned to leave.
“Cierra.” He caught her hand. “Thank you.”
She paused. Last time, in the Singing Forest, she’d had to make him say thank you. This time, he said it sincerely, without being prompted. She smiled. “You’re welcome, Dru.”
He let go and turned over in his bed. “Get some rest.”
Still smiling, she left, following the servant to the room that had been prepared for her.
***
“I’m perfectly fine! Look at me. There is nothing wrong!”
Cierra paused before entering Dru’s room. His voice was easy to hear through the wood of the door.
“You are not fine until I say you are.” Elamiina’s voice was softer than Dru’s, but firm.
Dru growled, presumably in frustration. She smiled, knocking twice before pushing the door open. The two people in the room turned to look at her.
“Cierra!” Dru said. “Could you please explain to this exasperating woman that there is nothing wrong with me?”
“Nothing wrong with you?” Elamiina huffed. “This ‘exasperating woman’ saved your life and now you won’t follow her advice. Your attitude is what’s wrong with you.”
“Calm down, both of you,” Cierra said. “Sorry Dru, but Elamiina is right. You need to rest. And your attitude could do with some tweaking,” she added.
Elamiina humphed in satisfaction. Dru scowled darkly at her.
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