The Mirror Sliver

by Constance Wallace

  “You said you remember something about the temple and all?” Miranda strained to block the voices in her head. They seemed to be agitated and frantic, all talking at once. And it was annoying. “What was your memory of it?”

  Keltrain didn’t respond, but instead began walking in the direction of the temple complex. Miranda looked at her cousin, who shrugged his shoulders. He followed the wizard without commenting.

  Lug grabbed her arm and held her back. “He understands how to get us into the fortress. But don’t press him for more information. It’s probably something he doesn’t want to give up. I sense that there were many secrets from back then that he doesn’t want to discuss.”

  Miranda nodded. “Okay. But it’s just strange and all that he goes in and out like this. I sometimes feel that he’s losing his mind or somethin’.”

  Lug bent down and gently kissed her cheek. “I see your mind working, too. Sometimes there are things from the past that don’t need to be in the present. He’s an ancient being. Remember? He took on a curse.”

  “He said it wasn’t a curse.”

  “He took on a curse to save Green Isle. He has a right to be somewhat odd.”

  “I don’t want him to be odd when I’m in there fighting Uthal. I’m so afraid I’ll be alone and all.”

  “Sweet Miranda, I’ll always look after you. Always be by your side. Always protect you. Even to my last breath.” Lug bent down and touched her lips with his. She could feel his warmth pressed against her and it sent electricity through her body. His kiss was long and left her with a feeling she didn’t recognize.

  When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her. She didn’t understand why, but there was some sort of connection with him. It made matters in her soul even more muddled. She closed her eyes again, briefly, and held onto the sensation of his lips against hers. But only for a moment.

  “What wrong?”

  Opening her eyes again, she gazed at Lug. “Nothing. I wanted to remember it. In case…in case anything happens.”

  He bent and kissed her again, this time quickly. “We better catch up.” He motioned with his head. “Or they’ll leave us behind.”

  Both moved toward the others. When they finally reached their friends, Miranda overheard the cat talking to Thomas. “If people were part of a secret society, more than likely you’ll never know what the society was about,” Sonya stated. “It’s a secret.”

  “Gee whiz. Ya know, sometimes you can be so irritating. Why can’t you just answer a question simply by saying ya don’t have a clue?”

  “Because I know about everything. To state otherwise would be lying.”

  Miranda mentally agreed with Thomas and firmly told the voices raging in her head to be quiet. She needed some silence. It was strange to her that she had become so comfortable with them. But when they all talked at once, it gave her a headache.

  As the wizard continued his advance toward the temple ruins, Miranda contemplated his silent disposition. She heeded Lug’s words and didn’t press the matter about the structure. She wanted desperately to ask if it would take them to Uthal. In her soul, she needed to know that they were on the last phase of their journey. Knowing this fact would help her as she prepared to meet the thing that tried to kill Matt and had taken the others. On reaching the base of the massive temple structure, Miranda arched her neck and gazed upwards. This had to let them into Crag Cairn.

  “There’s an entry that was constructed here in the center of the temple. Our way through the mountain will be there.”

  “That might be an unwise choice,” DaGon said. “It looks like that arch caved in.” He pointed with his talon to an area above their heads.

  “To be expected with the age. There’s another small door over there,” Keltrain replied. He motioned to the left. “Let’s hope that one’s still intact.”

  The wizard had just moved nearer to the corner of the ruins when a shower of rocks cascaded down around them. Sonya was the first to recognize the stench that had a familiarity to them all. “The rat men,” she exclaimed quietly. She jumped on the first step of the temple, her tail swaying in expectation. She lifted her nose upwards. “I smell them. They’re close by.”

  “That may be what I’ve been sensing,” Miranda said. That’s why the voices were so aggravated. They had been trying to warn her earlier. Unfortunately, she was deep in her own thoughts and ignored them.

  “We need to get inside.” DaGon moved past her and Keltrain. “Perhaps they haven’t spotted us yet.”

  Keltrain nodded and with a motion of his hand had them crouch down and inch their way to the left of the pyramid. Hidden below the large platform that ringed the outer edges of the temple, they crept slowly.

  Miranda held her breath. It was confirmation that Uthal had indeed expected them or knew of their whereabouts. She was grateful when the wizard found the mechanism that opened the little door under the overhang. Once they were inside, she felt a rush of stale air and more coldness. It was here that she expelled the breath she had been holding.

  When everyone crossed the threshold and the door had been resealed, the wizard drew his crystal from his pocket and held it in his hand. Lighting the stone with the whisper of a short spell, he thrust it upwards, forcing the soft rays into the inky blackness. The hallway in front was shadowed but Miranda could still make out the worn mosaics. They matched those she saw in the tomb of King Balorn. The pictures seemed to connect Green Isle to Crag Cairn, and this world to Earth.

  “Hopefully we went unnoticed,” Lug stated. “Where do we continue from here? Is it far?”

  “This hall leads to an underground cavern below the temple. There’s a hidden lake beneath that, which spans the island’s length and can only be accessed from the cavern. If I remember correctly, one of the passages off the main corridor leads to the belly of Uthal’s fortress. But we need to get there first. And I don’t know if I remember which one of them to take.”

  Miranda could feel the voices in her head clamoring again in unison. It was another warning and this time she didn’t tell them to be quiet. “We’re not alone in here,” she whispered.

  “What do you mean?” DaGon asked.

  “The witch has her rat men everywhere and the voices are telling me that they’re in here.”

  “Then we must make haste to the cavern below,” Keltrain said. He motioned with the crystal. “That way.”

  “There’s something else down here.” Miranda walked beside him. “It’s different. I think it’s one of those creatures we met at the Nuada Findi outpost.”

  “Brollachan?” Lily gasped. “We’ll never know where they are. They take the appearance of anything they touch.”

  “I still have Urldrenn. The dagger of the Shadow People will do away with them.”

  “Gee, cuz. Can your voices tell you where the Fir Darrigs are?” Thomas asked. “It would be kinda nice not to have them jumpin’ out of some dark corner.”

  “They’re some distance away. But they smell us now. They’re headin’ in this direction. Five of them, I think. It’s just fuzzy pictures that I get in my head. And they’re gone before I can get focused on them.”

  “When your powers strengthen, your sight will, too.” The dragon put his snout in the air. “I smell them.”

  “What about the Brollachan?” the wizard asked. “Can you pick up where that thing is hiding?”

  “I’m having trouble pinpointing a location and all. Probably because its features keep changing.”

  “All right then. We’ll deal with it when we see it. Let’s move quickly. Keep your wits about you when we pass the darkened corridors. Just in case the Brollachan is hiding in the crevices. I’ll go first.”

  Miranda quickly stepped into the lead with the wizard. If they were attacked, the voices told her to use the sword. They would help her understand its power and how to harness the energy she would need to conquer the rat men.

  Cautiously, the group followed the sloping incline of the hallway. Eac
h step brought renewed fear in Miranda as she could sense the presence of the Fir Darrigs getting closer. They hadn’t yet reached the end of the hall, when her left hand begun to glow. It was time, they said, to pull the sword.

  Even before the others heard the beasts, Miranda’s movements signaled a warning to them. They stopped as her hand reached behind her head. The sound of the metal being released from its sheath echoed down the long hallway. Miranda saw, from the corner of her eye, Keltrain’s hand reaching for Urldrenn. Standing shoulder to shoulder they both stood. Defiant. Their bodies acting as a wall, shielding the others.

  “Let me in.” DaGon tried his best to wedge himself on the other side of the wizard. “I can send fire at them,” he insisted.

  “Yer fry the rest of us along with it,” Lamfada retorted. “Stand down. Let the girl and wizard handle this one, ya stubborn beast. It be her testin’ ground.”

  Miranda could smell them before they appeared. The air grew pungent, like rotting eggs. She glanced at Keltrain.

  “Stand firm,” the wizard instructed her. “The hall is narrow. We can pick them off. One by one.”

  She nodded her understanding. Her eyes strained to see into the darkness. The first she saw of them was the glow of their eyes in the crystal’s light. This would be the test of her power, the voices said. Before she must face the warlock. Her mind reeled. Can I handle the sword? Can I kill them?

  The rat men’s speed picked up when they spotted the group. The sound of their claws scrapping the stone floor created a chilling sensation in Miranda. The first part of the clash happened quickly. Her arm swung upwards without hesitation. Her hands then brought the sharp edge of the sword down across the neck of the first Fir Darrig. Its blood splattered her leather tunic and the body came to rest at her feet. She watched as the head bounced backwards.

  Keltrain reached out and slashed the throat of the second one. It dropped to the ancient floor and laid in a large pool of crimson. The other three hesitated. Miranda’s senses were heightened as she watched the nose of the one in front twitch. Its nostrils flared as it sniffed the air. The voices in her head told her to wait until its head lowered.

  The standoff lasted an eternity to her. The seconds passed like hours. She slowed her breathing and made her eyes focus on the one in front of the other two. She saw the move. It was the initial lift of its hairy lip that indicated its intention. And then it lowered its head. Now the spirits of the sword forced their magic outward. Great energy pulsated through the sword and her body. Her hand became a bright light in the shadows of the hall. The life that lived in the metal moved her forward, ahead of the wizard. It was here, in this present moment, that she took for the first time her place within the legend of the four. Warrior, champion, protector. She became all within herself.

  The light from the sword grew intense. It resonated emotion. A beacon of revenge from a time so long ago. She leaped on the Fir Darrig, burying the length of her sword into its back, spearing him to the floor. A fury, not her own, seemed to engulf her. She quickly pulled the sword out and turned. Her actions were automatic as she sliced through the other two without hesitation. When she was done, the power ebbed, leaving her cold. She regarded the lifeless bodies that lie between her and the others in shock. Her heart immediately saddened. It released the hate and the anger that had earlier transformed her. In its place was regret. Had she done this? Was this slaughter from her? Her eyes found those of the wizard. She knew he saw what was transpiring in her thoughts. The words and questions reflecting from her soul in the pupils of her blue eyes said much.

  “Death is never easy,” he said quietly. “Even when it’s your enemy.”

  “Will I feel this way when it’s time to battle Uthal?” she asked. “Will I mourn his death?”

  “Only if you haven’t lost yourself in the sword’s power,” he replied. “Remember. To always come back to the emotion of regret means you have not lost your humanity.”

  “She’ll never lose herself.” Sonya purred and rubbed against Miranda’s legs. “Her heart’s too pure. That’s why the sword chose her. She will always be its champion, until the day she dies.”

  Miranda allowed Lug to wipe the blade clean before giving it back to her. He dried a tear from her cheek. She looked at him and said nothing. Instead, she placed the sword back in the leather sheath and looked away. She tried to look at Thomas, but couldn’t. The death of the rat men lingered in her heart and her mind grieved.

  “Magic comes with a price,” Lug whispered to her. He embraced her. “Remember that, my dear one. You know our connection, and if something should happen when we meet the warlock, if we are separated, come back to me when you can. I’m your other destiny, as you are mine.” He drew her close and kissed her temple.

  Her body sank against him. She would never allow the power of the sword to consume her. Never. What she had done to the rat men created a deep void within her. It was deeper than the weeping she had done for Matt. She nodded her understanding to Lug. He was right. He was her other destiny. She couldn’t explain it, but it was in his arms that she found her sanctuary.

  DaGon gently nudged her. “Why don’t you ride on my back? It will help to rest.”

  She agreed and climbed up on his back and lay her head on his scaly neck. It was a good place to hide as the hot tears streamed down her cheeks and across her lips. She closed her eyes against the darkness that had knocked on her soul. She vowed never to open that door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  “Captain? The snow’s too fresh. If they’ve been by this way, we’re never going to know.” Christos pointed to the ground around him. He stomped the packed snow off his boots. “Where do we go from here?”

  “We must make a decision. The sun is at mid-day. If we wait any longer, we may not make it to the top before it sets.” Urcias’ eyes darted briefly to the sun’s position in the overcast sky. He didn’t want to admit to himself that all of Matt’s friends, along with the wizard and dragon, may be lost. What had Adalay said to him about DaGon? His worth should be valued far more than any of the others?

  “Rufus? Did the young boy say anything to you this morning when you walked the beach together? Anything about where the wizard may have gone should they be separated?”

  “No sir. He seemed to still be effected by the attack of the water dragon. He continues to stutter. Sometimes not making any sense with his words.”

  Urcias lowered his head. His own thoughts seemed muddled by the cold and the wind, and the realization that the quest could be a failure. He shut out the pain in his heart as he thought of Adalay. Should her death be in vain? Should any of those lost be in vain?

  “Leave the horses here. We won’t be able to take them on the mountain path. It’ll be too narrow,” he commanded. He realized that he was closing the door to their escape. The possibility that they probably would not come back from Crag Cairn alive remained a constant presence in his assessments and decisions. They had lost many. Too many.

  “Sir, have you decided which direction we should go?” Rufus looked at the forked road in front of their group. “I’m guessing this way.” He pointed to the right.

  Urcias’ pulled at his chin in thought. This would be a hard decision for him. He wasn’t familiar with the island. He had been hoping Keltrain would be able to guide them to the Black Warlock’s lair. Now, without him, Urcias appeared to be alone in the task of getting what was left of the men to Crag Cairn.

  “Captain? Perhaps I can help. Would you allow me to do something?” Zuya moved toward him. “Let me ask the wind. It talks to me. Maybe it will show me the way.”

  Urcias smiled briefly, his lips a tight thin line. “What do we have to lose? Perhaps the wind can tell you if any of the boy’s companions are still alive.”

  “The wind has a lot to say. People choose not to listen.” Zuya bowed slightly. “Give me a moment, sir, and I’ll find out where we need to go.”

  The captain watched the small man move to an open space wit
hin the ruins. Cupping his hands around his mouth, Zuya begin to sing a haunting melody. It was a magic song. The notes and words whispered into the breeze coming from the sea. After singing a few bars, the wind walker seemed to go into a trance. He held his body still. Urcias wasn’t sure, but it looked like the wind diverted its course and flung itself around the man in a wild whirl. Snowflakes began to dance around Zuya’s body. Several seconds passed before the man opened his eyes and gave Urcias a smile. “There are people here. Scattered. In different places. But we aren’t alone.”

  “Where exactly are they, then? This cursed island seems to swallow up all who come to it.” Christos paced in front of Zuya.

  “Some are in Crag Cairn. In the heart of the Black Warlock’s fortress itself. Some have traveled to the east.” Zuya pointed to the right. “And some have traveled to the west.” Zuya pointed to the left.

  “How do we know who is who? And which way to go?” Thyssen asked.

  Zuya nodded. “The wind sings of a dragon off to the west. Perhaps that’s the group that the captain was to meet.”

  Something in Urcias’ heart released a small fraction of the tension he had held since the sinking of their ship. They were alive. Looking at Matt, he waited to see if Zuya’s words gave him relief. But there was no emotion. It seemed odd to Urcias, but then again, perhaps the boy had been through too much. “Then we go to the left. To the west. Toward the dragon. That’s where we will find the others.” Right or wrong, they would meet up with someone.

  “Should we not weigh the fact that there could be other dragons on this island?” Papella asked. “We met a rather large one that destroyed our ship, if you remember. I would hate to come across another one like that. Jumpin’ to conclusions at this junction could mean the difference between success and failure.”

  “Papella is right. Zuya’s conversation with the wind didn’t disclose who these people are.” Ditred adjusted the badge over his eye. “I, for one, don’t relish meeting up with those who aren’t friend.”