by Zari Reede
“Ye nae need explain. I ken you and your people’s need.” I did nae like being out in the dark and the wild, but trusted the queen to keep us safe. An easier task, with the vast number of Liotte’s scourge no more. Little Miss and I drowsed as we traveled in the near dark until there was a humming upon my skin. Little Miss sensed it too. She started, wide awake, rubbing her arms. We rounded a hill then beheld a double circle of stone pillars. A light shown from the inner circle, illuminating the skies and disappearing in an odd, dark splotch high beyond. The Cyclops growled in their language, uneasiness coursing through the throngs of their people.
“What is this?” The queen gave her boar a great kick and tore off toward the sacred place. Her guard did the same. The other mounts skidded to a halt. We pulled up just behind her majesty.
“H’djk Vdrl tis nae natural?” I asked.
She dismounted and approached the outer circle. “No, Winnalea. It isn’t.”
Something, somehow, drew me. Little Miss struggled to get down. I held her tight and ported us both to the ground. She looked at me hopefully and I ken she felt it too. I took her hand and we ran to the queen. When we drew near, the central circle was not only lit, but great sounds poured forth. Not sounds of Ortharos, but sounds I ken of late. I heard the steeds of Earth.
“Winni! Is this a way home?” Little Miss’s voice warbled with hope.
Chapter 67
The Witch
Rapunzel and I had not many years together as siblings, but in our early years we were inseparable. We romped through Rhineguard’s fields, ran over its ramparts, and set the kitchens scrambling when we released a nest of baby moles under the great table. All were dear memories to me. My natural talent for potions I honed to the heights of the spell craft I possessed today, but Rapunzel’s talent was inherent. I admit there was a certain jealousy of my twin’s ease and poise in using her flame powers.
I stood glaring at her now, remembering the Rapunzel, I locked in the tower for the past many double moons. She glared back at me as well. She must have ignited her glamor charm because even I couldn’t avert my eyes, idolizing her immeasurable beauty. She appeared in her green velvet dress, breasts swelling over the low-cut bodice with the magnificent amulet beckoning between shimmering globes. The iridescent skin, a trait we both shared, glimmered like diamonds. Her lips pinked and her eyes lit a deep amethyst. I noticed that Max was unaffected by her great beauty. He was the only one immune to her glamor charm, however, Sir Reginaldo practically drooled. I was glad Jim held Mindy tightly looking the other direction. What was Reginaldo doing here? He hates the sisters Carvinalee.
“Cut it out, Rapunzel! You will have half of Earth’s population on top of us all, and I’ll not protect you,” I warned.
She dropped the glamor with a pout, but no one could deny she was still quite lovely. Max moved away from her clinging hair and busied himself regrouping the lot of us.
“You locked me up in that horrid tower and left me there to die!” She stomped her feet and glared.
I wasn’t ready for the fight. I had one leaking spell left in my bodice. “You tried to burn up half of Rhineguard when Winni released you!” I tried to reason.
Nonplussed, she wavered in her own confusion. “I would have succeeded it if it weren’t for you!” She pointed a finger and Max deflected her arm as flame shot out.
Attempting to protect me, Mindy darted in front of me. “’Punzel! This is not the time or the place to incinerate your birth twin!” She waved her arms, as though flagging down a runaway wagon.
Rapunzel’s eyes, glazed over, as if unsure why she behaved so vengefully. Sir Reginaldo approached my sister. Once he stood at her side, he stroked what hair of hers he could reach. She surprisingly petted him back as she calmed.
“I’m sorry, Phrysia. I don’t know what has come over me as of late. I’ve been more myself here on Earth, behaving as I did when we were children. The rage I felt on Ortharos changed and grew at Nestere to something I couldn’t tamp down. I have been normal on Earth, but now I feel it coming on again. I thought maybe I could stay this way. I thought maybe I could stay on Earth.” Tears fell like large, faceted aquamarine gems from her high, chiseled cheekbones. I felt a sob of my own lurking in the back of my throat for the other half of my soul long lost. I had to squash it. If this was trap, any sign of my weakness could be lethal. My twin was evil for a very long time and even a new world could not change the person within.
“Ah! What a touching reunion. It seems I lost the war on Ortharos, but that which I most value, I have found. My fortune is doubled because I now have two!”
I recognized the sly voice of the necromancer before even turning to see his loathsome face.
Chapter 68
The Brownie
The Cyclops removed their armor venerably, and naked, entered a cave. I dinnae want to disturb them. I saw the steam of hot springs from the mouth as the warriors emerged dripping. A purification ritual, they nae paused to dry themselves and surrounded the outer circle. At a shrill cry from their queen, the survivors ululated. They danced a tale of the deceit, the battle, and the losses. ’Twas so sad that I and Little Miss cried great tears. I was afeared when Fodjes of the Cyclops, perhaps the greatest of their rulers, swept up an axe dancing around the pillars of the outer circle alone. In her movements, she begged for forgiveness for not seeing her sister and husband as they were, deceitful and not in heart of the Cyclops People. She did nae tell of her triumphs nor give excuses. She merely told the sad tale and displayed her great sorrow. At the end, Queen Fodjes collapsed between the inner and outer circle, lying vulnerable between the two most ornate pillars. The axe held ready over her neck like a yoke. All paused, exhaled, and held their breath as they bowed and prostrated themselves to their queen. An eerie silence followed except for the odd sounds from the inner circle I ken of Earth.
The smallest soldier of all, the queen’s own daughter, walked to her mother and lifted the axe. She held it over her mother’s neck then swung it with dutiful intent. None could suppress a gasp. The axe slit into Fodje’s flesh, but the queen nae flinched. Wee Nstrl struggled to tug the weapon from her mother’s flesh. I thought to help, but at the stern countenances, held back. Sweat pouring down her face, Nstrl heaved the axe up and flung it away from the circle. She kneeled, kissing the wound at her mother’s neck, and keened. The Cyclops mirrored her cry. At the end, their doctor rushed to the queen’s aid, stanching the flow of blood on the sacred ground.
“Why, Winni? Why did she hurt her mother?” Dear Little Miss’s astonished voice croaked out in a whisper.
“I ken it was a punishment--a reminder to be more careful of whom one trusts. The young princess was within her right to kill her mother. The queen entrusted Nstrl to her sister. I think she wanted her mother to remember this day and lead with a stronger heart and mind.”
A raptor screeched above, and the rider glided down, skidding to a stop. A smallish, male figure leapt from its back and ran to the queen. “Grrlc!” The queen and Nstrl cried out in unison. Ignoring the doctoring, the queen swept each of her dearlings up in an embrace. The homecoming was sweet, and ’twas grand to see the queen united with her family. I tingled again as we neared the center of the shrine. Static electricity danced over my arms and legs, sending the fine hairs of my body heavenward. Young Sammy and I stepped closer to celebrate the reunion and congratulate the Cyclops queen. Stopping dead in my tracks, I held Little Miss’s hand firm. I retreated from the circle and the energy subsided. I somehow felt it was of our own choice if we Blinked now.
This must be a sort of control point for the rotating Blinks.
The exchange of Earth and Ortharos had become erratic. No one knew when or where. I now wondered if this sacred place marked a Blink spot, a thin place in the wall that separated our worlds. Several places bore a sacred temple. I wondered now if they might now be portals too. I did not understand why the queen and her children did not Blink or the other beings that had stood in the sac
red place before, but I had little doubt young Sammy and I would no longer be of this world once we crossed over its ancient stones.
The queen took notice of me as Little Miss and I moved toward her. Her smile broke with concern as if she too kenned my intention and destination. I smiled back at her and waved. I knew the queen would miss us, as we would her, but it was time to go home. The Cyclops nation was in Queen Fodjes’s capable hands and, in time, the land would prosper again.
Blue electricity danced around us as Little Miss and I walked between the two pillars.
Sammy looked up and smiled. “Winni, are we really going home?”
Great delight illuminated her features as I nodded, assuring her. She held my hand tighter, and, as the sun melts the snow, we were no more.
Chapter 69
Mindy
’Punzel was protective of her pseudo-father wizard and disclosed little. I knew of his power on Ortharos, and his intent on destroying her people so he could rule. She supported this, I supposed, because of her feelings of abandonment. Her own family freely gave her to this evil necromancer and happily cut ties. I might be miffed too, at such treatment. I worried about the glazed look that took over ’Punzel. She instantly went into a hypnotic state at Liotte’s first words. Her hands dropped to her sides limply, and her gold-slippered feet moved in his direction.
“That’s it, dear child. Come to me, the only father you have known. Bring your sister too. The rest you may incinerate. They are of no use to us now.” Liotte’s voice was fatherly authority, with a hint of false affection.
I couldn’t believe we came this far to give up, and let an ORB incinerate us. I pulled my gun from my back holster and took aim at Liotte’s head. Max looked frantically for a weapon. He must have been relieved of his standard issue somewhere along his adventure. ’Punzel turned, her hand raised and a finger pointed at us. I shifted the pistol in her direction. My hands shook. If it came down to us or her, I would have to shoot, but I couldn’t believe this had to be the end. The bond we formed over the past few days was stronger than this, and I couldn’t believe my plea to not kill ORBs would end with me doing the very thing I protested and risked all for.
“’Punzel, don’t do this, you had a wicked upbringing, but don’t ruin everything we worked for, to go back with this creep! You have family here--you have us!” I gazed into her eyes, trying to figure out how to break the spell. I saw a glimmer of recognition flow through her as her face softened to a smile, and her hands dropped by her sides once more.
“You would be my family?” ’Punzel asked softly, longingly.
I saw the green lady fish in her bodice and throw something to the ground. Orange smoke danced around ’Punzel and formed fine ropes to bind her hands.
’Punzel’s face distorted into an ugly mask of hatred. She struggled but couldn’t release her hands. “Damned you, Phrysia! You know you are no match for my power!”
“No, I am not as powerful as you, but this spell will prevent you from becoming a puppet to the necromancer. You were not abandoned by me. We were both children and subjects of our elders. You need to let go of the past, and free yourself from the bondage you serve to Liotte,” the green lady pleaded.
Liotte looked perplexed and irritated. He waved his hands, chanting in some ancient Ortharian language that was beyond my ISMAT skills. Dread crept over the green lady’s face, and I backed up. I wanted distance between me and this Liotte character. I didn’t want to shoot ’Punzel, and who knew how long the orange rope would hold?
Grabbing Jim, I called to Max. He grabbed the green lady with what I recognized as besotted male protection. Nice to know that talk about his crush could be canceled. He obviously found a new outlet for his affections.
Sir Reggie was still standing near ’Punzel looking up at her like he had lost his soul mate. I took pity on the poor guy, but we needed to get clear of whatever was coming down the pipe. I reached out and grabbed him by the shirt scruff.
“Come on, lover boy, there will be time to save her when we take out this guy.”
I worried that my pistol wouldn’t be enough to kill a necromancer, and if he retaliated like a pissed off bear, I didn’t want it to include killing all the people I loved. The plan was to fall back and then strike. We reached the alley where we entered the parade route and stuttered to a halt. The dead staggered toward us. Skeletons and the newly dead with flesh rendered and maggots burrowing in and out. They crept at a snail’s pace, and that was the only good in this scenario.
“Zombies? You gotta be kidding me!” I yelled over my shoulder in warning and despair.
“Oh crap, not again!” Jim and Max said in unison, from behind me.
“He is a necromancer! Did anybody miss that point?” the green lady threw in sarcastically, looking exasperated. She shook her head negatively. “I’m out of spells.”
“So he can raise the dead, and control the flame-throwing princess,” I summarized, thinking. “How does he control her? Is it a spell, an enchantment?” I asked.
“I don’t know. He would have to have given her a potion or something that is spell-bound, but spells and potions expire. She couldn’t have been enchanted this entire time on Ortharos and then here on Earth without him attending the spell.” The green lady stood with her, hand touching her mouth and chin in thought. Her eyes suddenly widened. “It’s the amulet! Liotte has enchanted the amulet she wears, and that can control her forever. He is nothing without her and his undead army. We need to break the amulet and kill Liotte, then the undead will be no more!”
“Great, sounds easy enough, but how do you kill a necromancer?” I asked.
“You take off his head. Anyone have a steel blade?”
Chapter 70
Jim
As I watched, Sammy, holding a little brown woman’s hand, popped into existence just behind Mindy.
“Mommy!” Sammy cried out as she ran and threw her arms around Mindy’s hips.
“Sammy?” Mindy whirled around and knelt, drawing Sammy close. “Sammy, I am so happy to see you, but Mommy has a crisis on her hands.” She stood and tucked Sammy behind her while training her gun at the zombie first in line for the all-you-can-eat human buffet.
I passed Sammy’s companion, who must be the Winni she had spoken of, and rushed to Mindy’s side. Sammy had gripped the tail of her mother’s shirt in her fist. She looked afraid that if she didn’t hold on, she would lose her mother again.
As the nearest zombie closed in, Mindy’s eyes met mine. “Take care of her, Jim,” she said. Then, with a hard, quick kiss, she pushed Sammy into my arms.
“Daddy! You’re here. I thought I lost you,” Sammy sobbed.
Mindy turned back to the undead and raised her gun. She took a deep breath to steady herself, exhaled, and squeezed the trigger. A hole appeared in the center of the closest creature, a decaying brunette wearing a blue dress. Mindy kept firing, never missing. The bullets tore off chunks of flesh, but the zombies barely slowed.
“We need fire!” Mindy yelled.
As the undead continued to draw near, we backed away. The creepy corpses drew ever closer trapping us between them and the creepier death magician behind us. The crowd was realizing that all this wasn’t a part of the celebrations and many pulled away. Curious murmurs gave way to screams.
Mindy paused and glanced back at the lassoed princess. Wonder Woman had nothing on Princess Frizzy’s talents. “Damn it, ’Punzel! Snap out of it! We need you!”
’Punzel shook her head fighting the power of the spell. Max and Frizzy had found an unoccupied ladder. Max collapsed it and flipped it sideways. He held one end, Frizzy the other.
“Watch out!” he yelled in warning. The rest of us stood aside as he and the Frizz ran at the creepers plowing the first wave back. A black man in a suit with maggots wiggling out of his decaying nose reached over the ladder and grabbed Frizzy’s arm. She screamed, and Max dropped his end to run to her aid.
Max went all Kwai Chang Caine and karate chopp
ed the thing’s wrist. When it released her, he wrapped his arms around Frizzy’s waist and dragged her back to the rest of us.
“Hey, Max. See if you can cadge a lighter from a smoker. Frizzy, cobble together some sort of torch from all this garbage.” I gestured at the trash. “Hell, you can go back and gather flotsam and jetsam from the shipwreck, if you gotta.”
“Who died and made you boss?” Max asked.
Belligerent bastard.
“If you have a better suggestion, lay it on me--otherwise start bumming before we get eaten by the Munster family rejects!”
Max and Frizzy were off and running. Mindy ran out of ammo and reloaded. The dumb bunny undead were having trouble getting over the ladder. When one fell, the one behind tried to climb over it. We were close enough to see their gnashing teeth, and I don’t think they were gonna just give us love bites. Their nostrils--well, the ones that still had them--flared as they drew closer. I turned around and that damn weirdo wizard actually grinned at me!
My little girl tugged at my hand. “Daddy, I can help!”
“Not sure how, sweetie. Just stay safe. If we get taken down, run.”
My hands were sweaty, and Sammy peeled her way free. She ran to her mother’s side and yelled, “No!” as she threw up her hands. The scourge was flung backward and tumbled down like pins in a bowling alley. My Sammy has skills, damn. That pissed off Liotte. His forehead wrinkled. The undead struggled to their feet and moved faster.
I cried out in frustration, “Damn it! We need a blade to Veg-O-Matic that dude’s neck!”
Something tugged at my trousers.
