by Kay L. Ling
Lana went back to the circle and told the others, “It’s a definite maybe. She’s married and has a child, so she has to discuss it with her husband.”
Jules looked encouraged. “At least she didn’t say no. I’d like to test the rest of her family. Yours, too, Raenihel. If gem powers are hereditary, and we believe they are, others should share your gift.”
Raenihel nodded. “Come back tomorrow night. I’ll bring as many as I can.”
Jules said, “I hope several test positive. When the breghlin hear gnomes have gem powers, they’ll leave you alone.”
Raenihel frowned. “They’ll question how we suddenly have gem powers and think it’s a trick. A demonstration might convince them, but we don’t know how to use our abilities.”
“Elias has promised to teach Lana and me about Shadow gems. He can teach you too.”
“You haven’t been using Shadow gems?”
Lana shook her head. “Just Fair Lands gems. There’s lots to learn right there.”
“Lana and I have been experimenting with my knife,” Jules said. “It amplifies our abilities, taps into our subconscious thoughts, and channels our powers.”
“I’m glad you’re learning more about it.”
“We’ll learn to use Shadow gems eventually,” Lana told him. “We don’t know which have malevolent powers or we’d experiment on our own.”
“We could find out by touching them,” Jules said, “but it’s safer to wait for Elias.”
Raenihel looked uneasy. “Like you, I’d be afraid to experiment with Shadow gems. Gnomes are naturally cautious, so I won’t be testing my newfound powers without training.”
“Elias is sure to make training a high priority. Once we find a few more with powers, we’ll set up classes,” Lana said.
Raenihel sighed deeply. “I find the whole matter of gnomes with gem powers perplexing.”
Jules said, “So do I. Markopin and Shezek said they’d never felt gem energy until we tested them.”
“Since my youth I’ve felt gem energy, but the sensations have never been strong, and it seemed of little importance. Compared to Sheamathan, my abilities will always be pitifully weak.”
“You can’t compare yourself to Sheamathan,” Lana protested. “She had exceptional powers. None of us will equal her, not even Elias whom I consider an impressive gem master. Jules and I are total amateurs, but don’t tell the breghlin or they won’t be afraid of us.”
Raenihel chuckled. “Don’t worry, the breghlin are easily impressed, but I’m sure you’re being much too modest.”
Jules was staring at the glowing stones, frowning. Lana asked, “Is something wrong?”
“I can’t make sense of it. The other gnomes who tested positive couldn’t feel gem energy till now, but Raenihel says he’s felt it for years. How do we account for that?”
“Doesn’t it prove your theory? It’s your knife. It must be! Think about it—Raenihel’s family had it for safekeeping.” She turned to Raenihel. “When was the first time you held the knife? Do you remember?”
“I was in my teens. My father and grandfather told me tales about the Challenger, and they let me hold the knife.”
“I suppose it does make sense,” Jules said. “But we can’t take the knife to every gnome in Shadow. How will we test everyone?”
“You said certain gems might be the catalyst. If you’re right, we need to figure out which ones and get more of them.”
“If we only need gems, and not the knife, that would help,” Franklin said, joining in the conversation.
“We should test other clans as soon as possible,” Raenihel said. “I’ll send messages.”
“In a few days, I’ll open an office at Shadowglade,” Franklin said, looking happier than he had all evening. “If you want, I’ll test the gnomes and keep records. I can use the knife in some tests and potential activator gems in others. We’ll figure out what works.”
“That’s an ideal first job for the Ministry of Gnome Affairs,” Raenihel said, looking pleased.
Lana handed Franklin her pouch of gems. “Take these. Some are the same as the ones in Jules’s knife, and I’ll bring others this weekend.”
Jules studied Franklin’s face. “Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t mean the office. I mean the whole thing. Coming back to Shadow. I feel guilty for taking you away.”
“Don’t give it another thought,” Franklin said, looking around the circle with a contented smile. “This is my new family.” He lifted his goblet. “We should drink to Tyla and her newfound powers.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Raenihel agreed. He lifted his goblet and called, “To Tyla!” The other gnomes followed his lead, lifting their goblets. “May her gem powers bring us knowledge, security, and freedom.”
The gnomes cried, “To Tyla!”
After the toast, Lana caught Franklin’s eye and smiled. Hopefully, he’d find his new life rewarding, and The Ministry of Gnome Affairs would become a vital institution.
Chapter 12
Saturday morning, Lana stepped through the portal and found herself looking up at Shadow’s towering trees. Success! Her first solo trip! She spread her arms, drinking in the cool morning air that smelled faintly of decaying vegetation. Transitioning between worlds hadn’t been as hard as she’d expected. All that mumbo jumbo about attuning your mind and body to the energy field. Bah! She had gotten the hang of it in three or four minutes. From now on, there’d be no more relying on Elias, Jules, or the gnomes. She hated being dependent.
She touched her jacket pocket to make sure her gem pouch was still there, then set out walking, enjoying the absence of snow. It was worth coming here just to escape winter. Too bad Sheamathan had corrupted this world and turned it into a dangerous place.
Jules should be on his way to meet her before long, she thought with a smile. Wouldn’t he be surprised to find her here! He was supposed to meet her at the portal—on the Fair Lands side.
On her way to the cart trail, she passed the walking trail that led toward Shadowglade. One of these days she’d learn to drive, she promised herself. How dangerous could it be? If breghlin females could do it, she certainly could. But knowing Jules, he’d probably try to talk her out of it. He was protective, which was sweet, but now and then it grated on her nerves.
She glanced around. She usually arrived after sunset, and things always looked different by daylight, but something was different about the forest today, and it took a minute to figure out what it was. Everything was wet, and it wasn’t just dew. As she hurried along, scanning the woods on either side of the trail, it became increasingly apparent that it had rained, and rained hard.
Admittedly, her experience in Shadow was limited, but in all the time she’d been here, she had never seen rain. She glanced apprehensively at the overcast sky. Shadow had odd microclimates. Within a few miles, you might encounter dense forest, stony land with nothing but scrub brush, weed-covered hills, and stretches of land so parched that the ground had deep crevices. All this was due to S’s destructive meddling, according to the gnomes.
The land around the portal looked relatively healthy and green, so it must get regular rain, but the land around Shadowglade was dry and cracked, and the water in the moat—more mud than water—stank. The grounds in front of the castle had nothing but petrified trees, and a small garden of poisonous and carnivorous plants grew in the back.
As Lana walked farther, the ground sucked at her sneakers, coating them with mud. Before long, it felt as if she had weights around her ankles.
She glanced warily behind her. There was no sign of the flesh-eating mutant insects that swarmed the trails at night—thank goodness for that—but annoying gnat-like insects and flying ants buzzed around her head, and it was impossible to shoo them away.
When she neared the embankment at the edge of the forest, she eyed the muddy trail apprehensively. It would be even worse down there with no trees to absorb the rain.
She considered her options
. She had already bypassed the walking trail, which was far steeper than this one, and although the two trails intersected eventually, Jules might miss her if she left the cart trail. Maybe it was best to wait for him here. She was an hour ahead of schedule, having gotten an early start since there was no telling how long it would take to go through the portal on her own.
The sky was a leaden mass of clouds, and the air was humid, with only a faint breeze. Fat raindrops began to fall.
Lana swept back her hair and pulled her hood up. She would have to stay here. The trees would provide some protection from the rain. If she kept walking, she’d end up slogging through ankle-deep mud.
An uncomfortable thought occurred to her. What if it was so muddy Jules couldn’t get here with the cart? She stared at the crude trail threading its way across the hills. He’d come on foot rather than stand her up, she told herself, hoping that was true.
Something moved at the edge of her vision. Twigs snapped. She looked around and froze.
Eyes like black coals surveyed her hungrily.
Ten feet off the trail, three creatures stood watching her. Her breath caught in her throat. What they were she couldn’t say, but they had to be Sheamathan’s abominations because nothing so bizarre could occur naturally, even in this strange world. They looked a little like crocodiles, only a lot taller. Bony, armadillo-like plates covered their backs, heads, and legs. Their whip-like tails ended in a protuberance that might be a stinger, and their shovel-shaped heads bore multiple sharp horns along a ridged brow.
Lana’s mouth went dry. She didn’t dare blink, much less move, but it was hard to remain perfectly still. The creatures showed no sign of leaving, and she couldn’t stand here forever.
If the creatures looked like crocodiles, was it possible they behaved like them? She’d heard that crocodiles ate more dogs than cats because dogs ran in a straight line, but cats zigzagged and escaped. These creatures might be able to run faster than she could, but they probably weren’t very nimble.
And they couldn’t climb trees.
Her heart hammered in her chest. If she slipped in the mud they’d be sure to catch her, but she couldn’t stand here much longer. They were sure to come investigating. As if reading her thoughts, one of the creatures started cautiously forward.
Zigzag! Find a tree to climb!
But paralysis had set in, and her feet wouldn’t move. What a day to come here alone. Jules was overprotective, but that seemed like a virtue now, not a flaw. She wished he were here. These creatures could probably rip a cart beast apart, much less a man, but at least he had his jeweled knife. All she had was a pouch of gems.
The gems! She had forgotten about them. Did she have any that could kill these creatures or drive them away? Jules’s knife, able to tap her subconscious and respond to danger, was far more effective than loose gems, but she had to work with what she had.
Emboldened by their leader, the other two creatures started toward her. She didn’t have time to figure out which gems to use against them.
Run now!
She ran, zigzagging as best she could, slipping and sliding and dodging trees. Soon her lungs were burning. There weren’t any trees with low-hanging limbs, she realized with increasing desperation.
Unwilling to look back, she kept running. The creatures were close. She could hear them crashing through the underbrush. Eventually they’d trap her. She could already feel herself slowing with fatigue.
Finally, she saw the perfect tree. It was shorter than most, and nowhere near as big around, with several low-hanging limbs. Thank goodness she had always been a tomboy. Grabbing the nearest limb, she hauled herself up. Her muddy sneakers made it difficult to climb, but she only needed to go high enough to escape snapping jaws. Winded and panting, she found a sturdy limb to sit on and wrapped her arm around the trunk.
Not a moment too soon.
She looked down. The hideous things must have seen where she went, or smelled her, because they had stopped near her tree, heads swaying, testing the air.
Move along, crocodillo. No lunch for you today.
Somehow, she had to incapacitate them, or at least drive them away. If not, she’d be stuck in this tree indefinitely, and she was already cold, wet, and miserable. How many were roaming between here and Shadowglade? By now, Jules must be on his way. She didn’t want to endanger him, but there was no one else to rescue her.
Never depend on someone else. Come up with a plan of your own.
Still, she had to warn him. Fumbling through her gem pouch—a difficult task while hanging onto the tree—she took out lapis lazuli and sapphires. Could she send him a telepathic message or mental image from this distance?
The crocodillo were still nosing around the tree, making weird, croaking grunts, probably irritated at losing their prey.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. Jules, where are you?
Instantly, she felt a connection—faint at first, and then clearer. A mental image formed. She saw him approaching the forest, driving the cart on a muddy trail. He was safe, and he wasn’t far away.
Before she could warn him about the creatures, the tree shook and she lost her balance, nearly dropping the gems, and the mental connection broke. She grasped the tree trunk tighter and looked down. Apparently, one of the creatures had head-butted the tree, and they all looked agitated as they circled below.
Waiting to be rescued was not an option. Opening her hand, she stared at the gems, considering. Was telepathy possible between humans and animals? If so, maybe she could get inside their heads and frighten them away.
Hoping to learn something useful, she tried to read their minds. At first, she couldn’t make a connection, but after willing herself to relax, she started to sense their emotions. The creatures were wet, hungry, restless, and angry, and they weren’t leaving without their prey.
She needed to transmit an image of a creature larger and scarier than they were. Old Japanese horror movies came to mind—Mothra and Godzilla. Yes, Godzilla was a good choice—scaly, long tail, big teeth—sort of crocodilloish . . . only on a much larger scale.
Concentrating, she projected that image along with a burst of rage. It was easy to summon the rage. Sheamathan had created these monstrosities, and Lana didn’t want to think how many gnomes they had killed.
The creatures let out loud, croaking grunts and fled. Snapping branches marked their progress. Startled birds rose from the trees. Then, the forest fell silent.
Lana sat on the limb, lightheaded with relief. She could hardly believe they were gone. Opening her hand, she looked at the gems. Lapis and sapphires had helped her chase away monsters in another world. Amazing. She slipped them back into her pouch.
Rain pattered on the leaves. Water had soaked through her hood and jacket, but right now she didn’t care. She was just thankful to be alive. Too numb to move, she sat listening to the rain. Then she heard Jules calling her name, a frightened, desperate edge to his voice.
“Over here!” she called. “Be careful! There’re some kind of weird crocodillo things in the forest.”
“I’m coming. Keep talking so I can find you!” he shouted back. He didn’t sound too far away. “How did you get here?”
“I came through on my own. I wanted to surprise you! But I got the surprise!”
“You came on your own?” He sounded much closer now, but she still couldn’t see him.
“Yeah. I was tired of depending on someone else.”
“Bad timing!” he called, and now she could see him. He was wearing her navy windbreaker.
“No kidding!” She tried not to laugh as she watched him look around, trying to find her. “Up here!”
He finally spotted her. “Are you okay?”
“Of course. You know me—lucky and resourceful.” She didn’t feel as cavalier as she sounded.
He shook his head. “You could have been killed. Are you coming down?”
“I’m giving it serious thought.”
He held up his a
rms as if coaxing a frightened cat from a tree limb.
“Don’t worry. I got up here, I can get down.” She left her perch and began to climb down.
“I don’t know whether to curse you or kiss you,” he said when she turned to him.
“Do you want my input? Or would you rather decide on your own?”
He grinned and pulled her close, his warm lips brushing lightly over hers. Then he kissed her deeply, and the terrors of the morning faded away. She stepped back and looked at him. “Nice jacket. Where’d you get it?”
“How can you joke after nearly being killed by a gerstlit?” He slung an arm around her shoulders and they started walking.
“That’s what they’re called? I think my name—crocodillo—suits them better.”
“So do I. Nasty vicious creatures. You’re lucky you got away.”
“I chased them off. Or Godzilla did.”
“Godzilla?”
She grinned. “I’ll explain later. Are they common around here? I’ve never seen one—or even heard of them.”
“They’re usually nocturnal. They live near Shadowglade where the ground is cracked, and they sleep in the fissures.”
“So, what are they doing up here?”
“The fissures are flooded.”
“I’ve never seen rain here. Or wet ground for that matter.”
“This weather is abnormal. We get brief downpours, but never days of rain.” It was clear from his expression that she was in for a long story, and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
“Don’t tell me. This is something to do with S, right?”
He shot her a glance that answered her question.
“The ommort mirkstone did this?”
“We think so. There’s no way to be sure, short of asking S, which Elias would never do.”
“We aren’t in for forty days and forty nights, are we?”
“I hope not.”
His worried expression frightened her. Could the situation really be that serious? Maybe it could be, if this was part of the warding spell.
“Wednesday, we got a few hours of gentle rain and shrugged it off. Thursday night the rain started again, and it rained much harder. At that point, we began to think something was wrong. Friday morning, we woke to a downpour, and we knew we had a problem. The rain hasn’t stopped for more than a few minutes since. Elias is working on a solution, but in the meantime, this is wreaking havoc in unexpected ways—like migrating gerstlits.”
