by Tyler Wild
“I’m old enough to look out for myself,” Jayna said defiantly.
“If I defy Xerius, I will suffer the consequences.”
“Do you think it will be any different if you defy me?” Jayna’s eyes blazed at him. “I may only be a demigod, but I am still powerful.”
72
Kron
The stablehand trembled as Jayna glared at him. Fearful of her wrath, he decided to comply and readied four horses.
I mounted a black stallion and strode out of the stables. I had no idea how to make this horse fly, but I followed Jayna’s lead. I spurred the horse on, and within a few gallops we were climbing into the night sky.
The horse flapped its massive wings, and soon we left the towering citadel behind. The wind rushed through my hair and my heart pounded. The sensation was incredible. This was the highest I had ever been in my life. And believe me, I held on tight.
I glanced over my shoulder, looking back at the castle, trying to see if anyone was going to come after us. Once Epheria found Xerius and removed the ring from his hand, we’d surely suffer his wrath. He would scour the ends of the earth looking for us.
It was hard to say how long it would take for Epheria to discover him. I got the distinct impression that they spent much of their time separated, and according to Jayna, they had separate chambers.
But before we could leave Valinsmor behind, we needed to grab our weapons and the Dagger of Onyx.
I pointed to the ground below and told Jayna we needed to make one last stop. She followed as I descended, landing near the small grove of trees where we had buried our gear.
We dug up the cache, and thankfully, the weapons were still there.
I mounted my horse and looked back to the castle one last time. As far as I could tell, no one was coming after us.
Once again we launched into the sky, and soon we scraped against the clouds, flying as fast as the horses could go. We crossed the peaks of the Everlong, and the mountains looked tiny from this altitude.
The idyllic landscape of Valinsmor disappeared behind us, giving way to the wasteland ahead. We flew over the diseased land that was home to the underworld. We crossed the rivers of lava, soared over hordes of undead, and within a few hours, crested the craggy peaks of the Black Mountains. We kept flying across the grasslands, over the canyon, and landing at the edge of the Dark Forest.
As I anticipated, the majestic horses refused to enter. They reared on their hind legs and neighed as we drew close to the wicked land.
I climbed off my horse, as did Cassandra and Sophia.
“Where are you going?” Jayna asked, remaining on her horse. It was clear she didn’t like the looks of the forest, especially at night.
“I have business to attend to in the forest.”
“What kind of business?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it,” I said. “We’ll let the horses go and travel on foot from here. The horses can roam free. I doubt anyone from Valinsmor will look for us in the Dark Forest.”
Jayna reluctantly dismounted, and we set the beautiful creatures free. They launched into the sky and flew to the west. They didn’t fly toward Valinsmor. Perhaps they wanted to be free of Xerius, just like Jayna.
The daughter of Xerius stopped at the edge of the craggy trees. She eyed the grotesque forest with concern. The full moon lit her face in a pale glow and cast long crooked shadows throughout the forest.
I took her hand and pulled her along. “Come on. You’ll be safe with me.”
She was anything but safe. Here I was, taking her to an unholy witch who certainly had wicked intentions.
I felt terrible.
Jayna’s terrified eyes glanced all around. She craned her neck over her shoulder looking behind us, petrified. “This is nothing like Valinsmor.”
“What did you expect?”
“Not this.”
She swatted at a bug that buzzed past her ear. “What was that?”
“An insect,” I said.
“What is that?” she screeched as a bug landed on her neck. She slapped it away. Her face contorted with revulsion.
“A bug. You’ve never seen a bug before?” I asked.
“I’ve never been outside of Valinsmor. We don’t have bugs there,” she said, cringing. She shivered as a chill ran down her spine.
Cassandra muttered in my ear, “What exactly are you going to do? You’re not going to hand her over, are you?”
I grimaced. I didn’t want to. “That was the plan, wasn’t it?”
“And you don’t feel the least bit guilty about doing that?” Cassandra asked, laying the guilt trip on thick.
“My entire kingdom is at stake.”
“It’s not right.”
I clenched my jaw. “I know it’s not right,” I hissed loudly. “But what am I supposed to do?”
“What’s not right?” Jayna asked.
73
Kron
“I think we should camp here for the night,” I said.
“Here?” Jayna asked, totally freaked out. “I mean, outside? There are bugs. And it’s cold!”
“We’re not that far from the castle,” Sophia said.
“Castle? What castle?” Jayna asked. “I vote for the Castle.”
“I don’t think you want to stay in this castle,” Cassandra said.
My eyes blazed into the elf.
“Why?” Jayna asked, growing suspicious.
“We’re not going to the castle,” I said.
Cassandra and Sophia’s eyes widened.
“So, that whole adventure was for nothing?” Sophia asked.
“What adventure?” Jayna asked.
I collected my thoughts. “We’ll find another way.”
“What if there is no other way?” Sophia asked.
“Hello? Can anyone hear me? Would somebody please answer my question?” Jayna said, growing perturbed.
I took a deep breath and sighed. I was about to explain the situation to her when I heard a twig snap. My eyes flicked in the direction of the sound. I drew my sword and prepared to defend myself.
Someone was out there.
It didn’t take long to find out who.
The air swirled around as Phaedra emerged from the trees with the little goblin at her side. She had a diabolical glint in her eyes as she surveyed the object of her desire. ”I see you have succeeded where all others have failed.”
I didn’t trust this witch, and I kept my guard up.
“What’s the matter? You don’t look happy to see me?”
Jayna’s frantic eyes surveyed the witch. “Who is this woman?”
Phaedra smiled. “You shall find out soon enough.”
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I came to make good on our agreement, before you change your mind,” Phaedra said. “Now lower your weapons before I get the wrong impression.”
I clenched my jaw and hesitated for a moment, then sheathed Asgoth.
“What agreement?” Jayna asked.
“Seize them!” the witch commanded.
The twisted branches of the crooked trees grabbed us. Branches wrapped around my arms and pulled me close to a trunk. I struggled against the scratchy restraints to no avail. My whole body tensed.
“I thought we were on the same team,” I muttered to the tree.
The tree said nothing.
Jayna shrieked in terror. Cassandra and Sophia struggled against their wooded bonds.
The witch grinned. “The forest must do as I command. Their loyalty is to me, not you.” She addressed the goblin, “Search their belongings and seize any items of interest.”
“What about your end of the deal?” I asked.
The witch chuckled. “Fool. I have no magic that can protect you from a dragon.”
I glared at the deceitful wretch.
The little goblin waddled toward me. He picked up the Dagger of Onyx and admired the blade.
Phaedra stepped to Jayna and admired her new possession. “It
is true. You are very pretty. Perhaps the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” Phaedra’s eyes fell down her sumptuous form. “Indeed, you will make a worthy sacrifice to Vutrax.”
Jayna’s eyes widened. “Sacrifice?”
The witch smiled. “In return I shall have eternal youth and beauty.”
“And you will spend that eternity being hunted by my father!” Jayna growled.
While Phaedra was preoccupied with Jayna, I whispered to the goblin, “I have something for you.”
I glanced to the pouch on my belt, and the goblin’s eyes followed.
“Grombly, bring me the Dagger of Onyx and watch a demigod die,” the witch said.
“Yes, Mistress.” Grombly snatched the pouch from my belt and dug into it. With his back to Phaedra, he pulled out a Kalazar coin. His eyes brightened. It was his ticket to freedom.
The little goblin spun around and marched toward the witch, pretending he was going to hand her the dagger. At the last moment he tossed her the coin. The gold doubloon sparkled in the moonlight as it tumbled through the air.
The witch’s eyes widened, realizing what it was.
“Our debt is settled,” Grombly said as he stabbed the blade through the witch’s chest.
A piercing howl billowed from her lips as she collapsed to her knees. Black blood gushed from the wound, and her body withered around the blade. She scowled at the little goblin and cursed him. “You ungrateful little bastard! I will haunt your soul for eternity.”
Her body shriveled and her skin turned to dust. Her bones collapsed around the dagger, and the witch’s glowing essence evaporated, drifting away with the wind.
I had the unnerving feeling that we hadn’t seen the last of her.
A smile tugged from ear to ear on Grombly’s lips. He jumped up and down and danced, hooting and hollering, stomping on the witch’s bones.
The trees released their grasp on us.
“Sorry,” the tree said in its low booming voice. “We had no choice but to follow the witch’s commands. Now that she is dead, the curse is over. The forest can return to its prior glory. We owe you all a debt of gratitude.”
It was good to know they were no longer a threat. But it seemed all of this had been in vain. With no magic to defeat the dragon, I was back where I started. The task seemed insurmountable, and my people were destined to live in tyranny. To make matters worse, Jayna wasn’t exactly happy with me.
Her rage-filled eyes stared at me. “You stole me from Valinsmor to use me as a sacrifice?”
“No,” I stammered. “I… I didn’t steal you. I helped you escape, remember?” I flashed a hopeful smile.
She picked up a stone and hurled it at me.
I ducked as it rushed past my face.
“You were going to give me to that witch!”
“No, I wasn’t. I swear. I was going to come up with a plan.”
“Didn’t seem like much of a plan to me!” She picked up another stone and hurled it at me.
I stepped aside. “You’ve got every right to be pissed.”
She was so mad her eyes filled, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She marched toward me and started beating on my chest with her fists. “You bastard!”
74
Kron
Jayna slapped me in the face. Her palm left a red print on the side of my cheek. Her gown twirled as she spun around and marched away, her golden hair flowing in the breeze.
“Jayna, where are you going?” I asked.
“Far away from you!”
“Way to go, slick,” Cassandra said.
Sophia grinned. “Let’s see you talk your way out of this one.”
I scowled at them both and chased after Jayna. I tried to grab her arm, but she jerked away.
“Get away from me!”
“I wasn’t going to let her hurt you. I swear!”
“It sure looked like it.”
“I can explain.”
“I’m not listening,” she said, plugging her ears.
“I did it to save my people.”
“La, la, la, la, la,” she repeated, drowning out the sound of my voice.
She tripped over a rock and fell flat on her face. I tried to help her up, but she pushed me away and tumbled back down. She found herself face to face with a snake.
The coiled viper was ready to strike.
I grabbed Jayna’s arm and pulled her out of the way just as the venomous creature sprang toward her face.
This time she didn't fight me.
I pulled her clear of the snake and backed away. It slithered sideways, eyeing us as it disappeared into the forest.
When the threat was gone, Jayna broke free of my grasp. “If you think I'm going to forgive you because you just saved my ass, you can forget it."
She stormed away.
"It's a long way back to Valinsmor,” I shouted after her.
"I don't care."
I stopped following her and stood there as she slipped into the darkness. I folded my arms and waited.
Her screams filled the air, and within moments, Jayna raced back and hid behind me. “There’s something out there!”
“It probably has big sharp teeth and is hungry too.”
She smacked my arm. “Stop it!”
I laughed.
“I demand that you take me back to Valinsmor right now!”
“I’m sorry, honey, but that ship sailed.”
She glared at me. “I am a demigod. You will do as I say.”
“Without the winged horses, I couldn’t get back into Valinsmor even if I wanted to. And I’m certainly not going back the way we first entered.”
“How is that?”
“Through the underworld.”
Her eyes widened. “I knew you were spawned in hell.”
I chuckled again. It only served to enrage her further.
She smacked my chest. “Stop laughing. It’s not funny!”
“It’s too late to travel tonight. I’ll make you a deal.”
She arched a curious eyebrow, listening intently.
“After I liberate my kingdom, I will return you to Valinsmor… even if it means going back through the underworld. Fair enough?”
Her eyes narrowed at me. “I have no desire to go through the underworld.”
“Then you better pray Xerius comes looking for you.”
“And you better pray he doesn’t.”
The wind swirled around us. What started as a gentle spiral soon became something just short of a tornado. For an instant, I thought the evil witch had returned. Glowing particles coalesced and took shape.
What materialized before me was far worse than the witch.
It was Epheria.
My body tensed, and I took a defensive posture. It was a ridiculous gesture. Nothing I could have done would save me from her wrath. And Grombly possessed the only weapon that could kill an immortal.
Epheria stepped toward me. “Put your weapon down. You will not need it. Not even your demon blade can harm me.”
I sheathed the sword and stood firm. If she was going to smite me, I was not going to go out like a coward. I had come too far to die on my knees.
“When Xerius awakens, he will be most displeased with you,” Epheria said, her eyes focused on Jayna. “You took his prized horses and let them roam free in the lesser world.”
“Are you going to take me back?” she asked.
“If that’s what you wish.”
“Please don’t hurt Kron. It was my idea,” Jayna begged. Then she glared at me. “Though, he was going to trade me to a witch.”
“I was not.”
“Stop your bickering,” Epheria commanded. “It is unbecoming.”
“How did you find us?” Jayna asked.
“My dear, I could hear you complaining all the way in Valinsmor.”
The bratty little demigod glared at her stepmother. “Did you come all this way to insult me?”
“No, I came all this way to offer my assistance.”
“I don’t need your assistance,” Jayna snapped, though she clearly did.
“I didn’t come to offer it to you.” Epheria’s eyes flicked to me.
Jayna huffed.
75
Kron
“You’re going to help him?” Jayna asked. She was seething. “So typical. You help a perfect stranger before you lend a hand to your own flesh and blood.”
“As you so often point out, we are not flesh and blood,” Epheria said. “But Kron is.”
My jaw dropped, and my eyes bulged. “Come again?”
I was flabbergasted.
“That’s a lie,” Jayna grumbled.
“No, it’s not.” Epheria gazed into my eyes. “I have no reason to lie to you.”
I stared at her, dumbfounded.
“I suppose I owe you an explanation.”
“Wait. What?” Jayna asked. “Why are you doing this? Is this another one of your sadistic games to belittle me?”
“This has nothing to do with you, Jayna,” Epheria replied.
Jayna folded her arms and glared at the goddess.
“Let me explain,” Epheria said. “It was during a time when Xerius was off gallivanting around, having one of his many affairs. I was alone.”
She shrugged innocently. “Despite what you may think, immortals need affection. Perhaps more so than mortals. We feed off it. Love and adoration give us power.”
She took a deep breath. “I left Valinsmor and traveled through the lesser worlds in disguise. I let no one know my true identity. I met your father. And I fell in love.”
My skeptical eyes gazed at her.
“I know you may be doubtful of what I say, but ask your father.”
“My father is dead.”
Her jaw went slack, and her eyes filled with horror. They overflowed with tears. She wiped them away quickly. “I’m sorry. I did not know. I have not been able to follow his life. I did at first, but it was too painful knowing I could never be with him. I blocked myself off from all visions of him, and of you. But when I saw you in the palace, I instantly recognized your face.”
