CHAPTER FOUR
A THICK FOG ROLLED THROUGH THE FOREST as a male niiwu made his way back to the others carrying a double-bladed battle axe, taken a short while ago from a warrior that had lost his way in the fog and had gotten himself killed and eaten. Because niiwu were much stronger than humans he had no problem carrying it with his left hand, even though the axe was quite heavy and made to be wielded by two hands. He licked some of the human’s blood off the side of the blade.
The fog was so thick that Kromska had to use his nose to find his way back to the others, and now he could hear the crackling of the bonfire in the clearing. Other niiwu were aware of his presence by his scent, watched as he came into view, his silhouette materializing from out of the fog holding the battle axe over his head in triumph, screams and grunts of a job well done carried through the forest for some distance.
“Org ra!” Kromska held it over his head to show everyone his newly acquired weapon.
A female went up to him admiring the two-headed axe and her attention was appreciated; she stroked his chest and his ego as well and soon they were mating as others watched.
The wizard Gauwyn finally had to admit to himself that he was lost; he had wandered away from his three-story home in the forest in search of seven varieties of flower petals, having discovered three before the mist had rolled in. He had journeyed too far so when darkness enveloped the forest it made it that much more confusing to find his way back, an aging sorcerer that had made an error in judgment. He had let himself get too low on elixirs and now was paying the price; his joints ached to such a degree that he had a difficult time concentrating on things that needed to be done. Searching for ingredients to ease the pain now took up much of his time.
Gauwyn looked like he could be a hundred years old, a little old man under a red cloak; his wrinkles were many and his face weathered by time but in fact he was two years under sixty; sickness had accelerated the aging process, even with elixirs to battle his different ailments, because some of his disorders were unknown. Sometimes a wizard ended up with peculiar problems from playing with dangerous magical ingredients; he had a roaming lump that was on his left knee yesterday but now was at the back of his head, and it ached something awful.
Over his right shoulder he had a large pouch which contained bottles for the petals to ensure that the flowers didn’t touch less they contaminate each other, rendering them not only useless for his spell but dangerous as well. He also had powerful weapons, eight premade fireballs, three yellow and four red, not much larger than coins but they expanded when thrown. Now confused and hungry Gauwyn sat with his back against an oak tree; he would continue on when the sun came up, hopefully by then the fog would vanish allowing him to get an idea of his location.
He whispered to himself. “A night in the forest can be like a night in hades.” His voice was somehow comforting; he often talked to himself as he lived a solitary life. Years ago he had conjured a bird that could talk to him but it died when it ate an ingredient that was poisonous, and was unable to locate the fixings to create another.
Kromska sat with his two heads tearing apart a large leg of moose, eating bones and all. His talent was his nose, he could detect a scent better than just about anyone, and as he stared at his new axe lying beside him he acquired an unfamiliar smell; it was human and yet it was different. The niiwu turned and stuck both of his heads in the air, sniffing loudly as he turned toward the west. The wind blew in just the right direction as he took off on the run, excited to eat another human so soon. There were intervals of halting to reacquire the scent, attempting to narrow down his search, knowing that he was getting closer.
The fog was so thick that Kromska ran himself into a large tree, it stung but he quickly shook it off. The scent was increasing in strength, human flesh was salty but he liked it, they would eat just about anything that walked or crawled but preferred human. He stopped and listened, both heads scanning the area as best he could through the mist, thinking his prey was fairly close and so he needed to be stealthy.
Gauwyn was frightened and didn’t dare make a sound; he knew someone or something was out there having heard a branch crack, hopefully it wasn’t something nasty. But then the wind shifted and he could smell the stench of the niiwu, a distinctive stink like nothing else. He unhurriedly reached for a fireball which lit up a small circle around him as he pulled it out, not wanting to give away his position he quickly returned it to the bag. The sorcerer’s heart commenced to race as he could hear the niiwu sniffing, it was a nightmare come to life, especially in this fog, and even in daylight his eyesight wasn’t the best. He knew he couldn’t outrun it so what to do? If only he could spot it before it spotted him he could burn it.
Kromska looked at the oak tree realizing that the human was on the other side of it, commencing to nod both heads simultaneously, smiling like a hunter catching sight of a deer standing still in the forest. Another niiwu was further behind him watching, not wanting to spook whatever Kromska was after. Both of Kromska’s mouth’s commenced to salivate.
Gauwyn knew the niiwu had discovered his location, its stink now palpable, and so he removed a red fireball and let it cast its light, hoping that it would frighten the beast away. Niiwu would run from a sorcerer but he was at a disadvantage, this damn fog made it impossible to see anything, would it even see the glow? The wizard turned his head to the right, listening intently for the sound of movement, hoping the beast would move past him and continue on. The axe came from the left, removing Gauwyn head with a single chop.
Kromska lifted the wizard’s head and ate the skin off of it then crunched the bones. He removed the wizard’s robe and the rest of his garments and sniffed it, and then ate the remainder of him. The glowing orbs inside the pouch grabbed his attention and he took it with him, having had to stop several times on the way back with some explosive diarrhea, apparently Gauwyn didn’t agree with him.
Upon his return to the bonfire everyone noticed that Kromska’s skin had a purple glow to it.
CHAPTER FIVE
RAINA WAS ANGRY AT MARCUS and was considering heading back to her kingdom just to see his reaction. Would he pursue her or just let her go? And if he did let her go she might have to admit that they were not meant to be together. She preferred only positive thoughts but of course life was not all sunshine and smiles, nor would it ever be, one day it was one way and the next it could be another.
She sighed as she sat on a rock facing a small brook, listening to the sounds of the water over the rocks, watching a crow in a tree that appeared to be watching her. A large puffy cloud blocked the sun, making it more comfortable. She loved the scent of the forest. It was beautiful here. Even though she was in the northwest corner of the courtyard and the huge wall took away from the view she still appreciated nature’s scenery. A squirrel ran up a tree and stopped, scolding her for being so close to his home, running into the hole in the tree and then sticking its head out and scolded her again.
Raina sighed as she decided that she would go back, that it might ultimately be for the best. There was no reason to pursue someone that didn’t want to be caught, perhaps it was a wizard thing, maybe in time Marcus would end up living a reclusive life in some conjured castle with hundreds of golden knights to serve and protect him. Who’s to say if that wasn’t his destiny? It saddened her to think of it but life was complicated and everyone followed their own path, no matter how strange a trail it ultimately ended up being; she could not carve his path for him.
She heard footsteps behind her and when she turned she smiled. “Marcus!”
“Hello Raina I’ve brought you a gift.” And from behind his back he pulled a dozen roses, the most beautiful shade of red. “These are for you and I’m sorry I lied. I would tell you that I would never lie to you again but that might end up being a lie.”
She took the flowers and smiled. Finally a genuine attempt to show his feelings she thought. “How beautiful and they smell wonderful.” She scented them once again and
thought that they smelled strange.
“I conjured them just for you. They will never die.” Marcus stopped and was suddenly very awkward as his face turned red; he felt like he might actually faint. He had practiced saying the words several times but face-to-face was different, his heart was beating a little too fast. He made several attempts to clear his throat before proceeding. “Just like my love for you will never die.” The sorcerer saw spots before his eyes.
She hugged and kissed him. “That wasn’t so hard was it?”
“You have no idea.”
Two days later Marcus walked toward a pensive Raina who was sitting beside the well in the courtyard as an old woman was bringing up a bucket of water. Raina was wearing a red and gold dress that king Darius had given her, it had belonged to his wife long ago and he thought that it was time that it again saw the light of day. She looked beautiful in it.
“Marcus, what have you been up to all morning?”
In fact Marcus had been up to something, had been researching how a man can impress a woman with various acts and deeds of affection. “Raina, I want you to come with me.” Was his smile mischievous?
Raina looked up at him and smiled. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”
Raina was bursting with curiosity as they made their way to the stables, got in Marcus’s horseless cart and headed out. After a time she realized that they were heading towards the forest and wondered just what he was planning to show her.
“Isn’t it beautiful today,” said Marcus. “There’s just a little wind and a cloud or two to block the sun.”
She was enjoying the alone time with Marcus. “Yes it’s very nice. So you are taking me in the woods?”
“I am.”
“And no chaperone in sight?”
“You were living with me at the castle so why would we need a chaperone now?”
The cart came to a halt and Marcus helped her down and she appreciated being treated like a lady. She was familiar with this part of the forest but now there was a path where none had existed before. Marcus took her arm and escorted her onto the trail, rose petals started to fall from the sky, she held her hand out and as some set down in her palm they vanished. The path transformed after the first bend, to an exquisite rock path with swirls among it and what appeared to be sparkling rubies with pretty red roses growing on both sides. In the distance Raina could see a heart-shaped water fountain that was actually made of water, running to it she giggled as she saw that her and Marcus’s name was magically etched into it.
“Oh I like this.” She held on to him tighter.
Marcus smiled at her. “It’s all one spell especially for couples that are engaged. There are more surprises ahead.”
“Oh I can’t wait.” She was happy to just stare at the beautiful fountain for a time until Marcus started forward and she followed. “How long will this fountain remain here?”
“Forever.”
More than a dozen finches commenced to circle and follow them, each one saying but a single word. “Love.” She grabbed Marcus and kissed him. “Even if I live to be sixty I shall never forget this.”
Marcus looked into her eyes and then gave her a gentle kiss as he touched her face. “The book said that women like to have their faces touched.”
Although it took away from the moment she decided to take it for what it was, a wonderful moment in time to remember; she hoped to remember every detail and every scent. A finch landed in her hand and one dropped down on Marcus’s head making her laugh, both repeating love several times, and then the one on the wizard joined the other finch in her hand; the birds kissed several times and then flew off, with one last love being heard in the distance.
Further off down the path there was a table set for two, with a beautiful center piece of pink roses. Gold plates faced one another and gold goblets only appeared when they approached as did the food. There was a civet of hare, a quarter of stag, two stuffed chickens and a sturgeon cooked in vinegar. Further down the long table was a large pie surrounded by smaller pies that formed a crown. The pies were made with roe-deer, capons, gosling, pigeons, boiled eggs and a rabbit covered with saffron. There were lots of sliced cheese and a large basket of delicious strawberries.
“Marcus there’s enough food here for ten people!”
“Raina remember it’s a spell, whatever we don’t eat will simply vanish.”
She hugged him so hard that it felt like she might break his ribs. “It is simply perfect.”
CHAPTER SIX
ASHER, AEWYN AND KAPANO made their way through the underground cavern pushing the catapult forward with bursts of magical energy, their long grey robes dragging on the rocky ground. Foggy patches from magical emanations were low to the ground, adding atmosphere to the place, mostly harmless residuals from old incantations. Each sorcerer had a triangular amulet around their necks which slowly but continually changed colors; Asher’s was currently red while the others were different shades of purple. It was rare for wizards to band together but they had been a threesome for almost five years, enhancing one another’s abilities and they usually got along fairly well.
“The air is humid in this part of the tunnel,” said Kapano. He cleared his throat and spat a gob of mucus on the wall.
Aewyn nodded. “Yah it stinks.”
Sconces of grey-blue light lit their way as they moved forward over the rough terrain; the catapult’s red glow also added light, casting a red shade against the walls. A small ochoid ran across the ceiling and down the wall before disappearing into a hole, an eight headed spider-like creature with eight brains that worked as one, their eight tiny luminescent blue eyes were usually the first thing that was spotted in the dark. They were animals that liked to collect things and sometimes horded a large amount of treasure, but they weren’t easy to follow nor was it easy to get one’s hands on their cache. They were two hands high and four wide and fed on various insects and small rodents and were obsessed with shiny things.
“Those damn ochoids stole my pouch of luminescence powder and I know which one did it because the little bastard glows purple.” Aewyn noticed another one head into the same hole with a gold coin in one mouth and a silver coin in the other, passed it off to one of its other heads just before it entered as it hadn’t been very comfortable.
“Aewyn, best to ignore them, make them angry and they will never leave you alone,” said Kapano. “I don’t need those little bastards after me. They are vindictive creature should they deem that you have wronged them, and unless you can sleep with your eyes open you best pretend that they don’t exist. A human once found their treasure; not the ochoids down here but still; the creatures took it all back but continued to torment him for years by stealing everything of his that they could take. He had a wooden leg and they even took that.”
“I know, I know, I know.”
Asher was a distinctive looking fellow, a round chin and beady eyes, his nose too big for his face but even with the big nose he wasn’t bad looking. He had dark brown skin and dark brown eyes and a scar that was awfully close to his left eye. He was forty-years-old and believed that there was strength in numbers, three sorcerers enhancing one another’s magical properties were much better than one. Schemes were more likely to be accomplished when it was times three.
“We’re almost there,” said Kapano, the tallest of the three and the oldest at sixty with a shadow of hair and a short grey beard. His blue eyes looked grey in the dim light.
Aewyn was a little person, a dwarf that was a little taller than half the size of a normal person but his energy was the strongest of the three; he pushed with his right hand and the magical pressure thrust the catapult lightly into the rock wall, the end of the Kcor tunnel, created by a Sorcerer named Kcor the Digger more than seventeen hundred years ago, having had generated so much space that two towns and a hamlet now existed inside the expansive burrows. Kcor had initially dug for magical ingredients but then got carried away and cou
ldn’t stop digging, had become obsessed by it, always thinking that there was something amazing just a little further in. Some had said that he had dug into an enchantment that had been buried that compelled him to dig and dig. He literally dug himself to death.
Aewyn climbed the sturdy wooden ladder that led to the surface, unlocked the magical lock with a touch of his hand which could be disengaged by anyone that touched it except that it had to be done from the inside. There were several exits to the outside world but this was the closest to Leeander. The oak door flipped open, hitting the ground with a thud, dispersing dust and pebbles that had blown over it. All three climbed out, turned and looked in Leeander’s direction. The night was as warm as mother’s milk and the air more satisfying than the stench they had walked through. An unknown insect flew into Kapano’s forehead and flew off; he swatted at it but it was long gone.
Asher watched as a shooting star streaked overhead. “It’s nice to get some fresh air.”
“Yah.”
Under the cover of darkness they could see a feeble glow in the distance indicating the kingdom’s position, magical luminosity that was created by Adorok and continued to remain viable even after his death, some chambers lit with old but durable enchantments. A bat flew overhead, the sound of it briefly catching their attention. Asher walked into the catapult and smashed his big toe and broke it, hopping around and releasing a string of expletives that made the others laugh even though they didn’t want to, a bit giddy from lack of sleep.
“Are you gonna kiss your mother with that foul mouth?” said Kapano.
“My mother died in childbirth and you know it you slabberdegullion druggel!” Asher continued to limp around guessing that he had broken his toe and would search out a spell to see if he could heal it once they returned to their lair, but it ached something awful. Peculiar how such a small bone could cause so much pain.
Knight of the Sword (of Knights and Wizards Book 3) Page 3
