Vua flung the lock.
Hugo stayed down and out of the line of fire, just barely.
The lock hit the sword-waving guard in the knees and impaled both legs and stomach. He fell forward onto the spikes, sending them deeper. Hugo looked away after he spied one of the spikes erupting out the guard’s lower back. The gauntwing hit the ground and rolled on his side, clawing at the lock. The key was stuck between the lock and the guard’s waist.
Hugo wanted to rush back and free the key. He could see the small gauntwing trying to wiggle free.
Vua must’ve spotted the same thing. “Leave it. Let’s go!”
He hesitated.
Suddenly, his mind was flooded with good thoughts. The key was letting him know it was okay to go. He nodded at it and then took off.
The axe-wielding guard had worked the spikes out and had tossed the lock aside. He descended on his fellow guard, working feverishly to free him as well.
Hugo scuttled back and retrieved the abandoned sword, surprised at its weight. He raced up the steps. Vua was already to the first landing.
At each new floor, Hugo expected guards, but there were none in the other stations. Did that mean these cells were empty or that there was less need to man them?
On the fifth landing, the elf yanked open the left door, and they raced through a corridor. No cells, but they did go by a large room. Inside were three guards. One spotted their passage and informed his fellow gauntwings.
When Hugo and Vua dashed through a door at the end of the hall, they had three pursuers, all one-eyed, big-muscled brutes.
They all were outside and running across an open muddy area. It was night. What could only be the main front castle wall loomed ahead, its large gate closed.
Two guards on either side of the gate advanced on them.
Vua held up the keys. “There’s no time. Go. You can ghost now.”
Hugo wanted to ask about how she would escape, but there simply wasn’t time.
The first gate guard jumped toward him.
Hugo dove, sliding through the mud. The guard landed behind him and struggled to right himself.
Vua had somehow wrestled a sword from one of the gauntwings and was holding two of the guards at bay.
Hugo stood and hefted his own sword in one hand and thought about rushing over to her.
A fist to the side of his head knocked him back down. His attacker jumped on him. Hugo willed his body to go immaterial.
The guard fell through him. “Ugh!” It didn’t hurt, but he shuddered and scrambled to his feet, ordering his body to stay just solid enough to do this. His sword lay under the gauntwing, having slipped through his hands. He couldn’t take the weapon through the wall or gate anyway.
Vua stabbed two guards in the gut, and both doubled over clutching at their injuries, their wings flapping furiously.
The elf saw him frozen in place. “Go!”
Hugo ran toward the gate.
The other gate guard flew at him from the side. They could use their wings out in the open, making them much more dangerous.
Hugo narrowly avoided the guard’s small blade, some sort of curved number Hugo couldn’t identify, but it reminded him of a wider scimitar. He looked back one last time. A small black shape winged toward Vua—the key gauntwing. What was it going to do?
He didn’t get to see, as he hit the gate and bounced back. He rubbed his chest and chin and struggled to his feet. He willed himself to go immaterial and then leapt forward.
Hugo glided through the air and through the thick wooden gate, winding up on a wide wooden bridge on the other side.
No guards, at least.
The sound of chains clattering and simple gears engaging pulled his attention back to the gate. The huge door lurched downward slowly. The gate lowering would buy him some time. He had no idea if the gauntwing guards, the kilowatts or whatever Vua had called them, could track him by scent, but he hoped not.
He crossed the bridge and dashed into the woods, keeping himself mostly a ghost so the branches and trees he barreled into passed simply through his body.
Hugo ran for a long time, up and down several hills and across two small waterways that came up to his knees. In both instances, he emerged on the other side completely dry, or at least not feeling wet. It was weird to think his clothes were also a part of his ghost form.
And he wasn’t tired at all. He still drew in regular lungfuls, but he wasn’t out of breath or fatigued. He slowed and walked for a while, listening for any hint of pursuit.
Nothing.
When he reached a clearing with a large fallen tree, he sat and gathered his wits. Even at the frantic pace he’d maintained, he’d taken in his surroundings. The plants looked completely alien, more purples and blues with green accents. And wildly different flowers and leaf shapes. He studied a nearby tree with leaves that were rolled up into cylinders.
“There you are.” The raspy words came from above and behind.
What now? Something exploding out of the treetops with lots of claws and fangs?
He pushed back at his first panic-stricken thought because he swore he recognized the voice. He looked up.
Vua flew toward him.
Actually, the elf didn’t fly at all. A gauntwing clinging to her back was flapping impressive wings, its serpentine body wrapped around her arms, chest, and shoulders like a parachute harness.
She landed, and the gauntwing slipped free and flew over to Hugo. It changed from looking like a snaky harness to a key with wings.
The gauntwing circled around Hugo, sending out waves of joyful emotion.
Vua snickered and hugged her stomach with one arm. “He’s happy to see you.”
“How’d you . . . ?”
She sat on the log and scooted his way. “Key here came to my rescue. Slapped himself on me, sliding all up and around my arms and shoulders and enlarged his wingspan. He flew me clear of the baron’s stronghold and then found you. Must be some sort of connection he has with you. You covered a lot of ground.” She winced and shifted her arm away from her stomach.
Hugo saw the blood soaking through her jacket.
“You’re hurt.”
“Just a little nick. You should see the other guy.” She laughed and then moaned.
Hugo didn’t know the first thing about first aid beyond sticking a band-aid on a simple cut or using tweezers to remove a splinter. But the magic in him swelled, filling him with confidence.
“I can help.”
She grunted as he guided her arm away from her stomach and placed his hands on the wound.
He willed himself to be solid and then drew the magic within him to the surface. His hands glowed green, and he prodded the magic to enter the elf.
She gasped and stared at him.
“I know that magic.” She frowned.
He concentrated and pictured her pale skin stitching itself together, sealing up the gash. Thankfully, he didn’t have to see the actual injury as her jacket kept it covered.
When the glow left his hands, he smiled at the elf. He’d healed her.
She pushed his hand away and hopped to her feet. She took a step back and wagged a finger at him. “How do you . . . ?”
“How do I do—what? Do that? I don’t know. It sort of just happened, like it was instinct. And the magic seemed pretty keen on healing you. I just didn’t get in its way.”
Vua’s eyes narrowed. “No, how do you have the magic of an elf mage in you?”
Hugo didn’t know what to say.
“How do you have my father’s magic in you?” Before he could ghost, the elf pounced and hit him soundly in the jaw.
The punch knocked him out cold.
Chapter 13
Lou Encounters Orcs of a Fickle Disposition
The wizard kept a demanding pace. Trekking through the forest was made twice as difficult as the moonlight barely the pierced thick canopy.
Lou had already stubbed her toes twice and run into a vine, nearly strangling
herself. Nelson had fared better, only stumbling once. That surprised her, as he was so distracted, focusing on making what felt like hundreds of observations about Perpetua’s plants and animals.
He pointed to a tree with leaves rolled up to form cylinders. “And I don’t recall seeing these in the daytime. Perhaps they curl up when there’s no sunlight.”
Wizard Itzel surveyed the slight stream ahead, located its narrowest spot, and trudged through vividly yellow mushrooms to reach it. “No. Their prey comes out at night. They’re carnivorous.”
The wizard had resurfaced in the golem’s body only a few hours after they’d fallen asleep. Lou had found that out when she’d gotten up to use the bathroom. On her way back, the wizard had gotten her attention, and she’d untied his bonds and removed his gag. She thought he would be mad for being restrained, but he praised their work in imprisoning him. They’d then left Mag’s Landing, only saying goodbye to two sentry dragons.
“Really?” Nelson shuffled closer to the plant and sniffed. “The fruity aroma they emit must serve as a lure.”
The wizard hopped across rocks to reach the other side of the stream. Once there, he turned around and splashed a small amount of water on his chest. Lou couldn’t see it in the dark, but she knew his body had likely turned from gray to brown again thanks to the added hydration. “Yes, you’re quite astute.”
Nelson peered inside the closest cylinder leaf. Suddenly, he poked a finger within and tapped the interior. The leaf immediately constricted, trapping Nelson’s finger. He let out a yelp and started pulling it away from the leaf.
Lou darted over, intent on helping him.
The wizard shouted, “Don’t!” He dashed back across the rocks, slipping his right foot in the water. He scowled at this but didn’t spare a glance at his waterlogged foot. He drew up next to them and put a hand on Nelson’s wrist, inches away from the leaf. “Calm down. Relax and it will loosen its grip. Hopefully, before the secretions begin.”
“Secretions?” Lou said, fearing what Itzel would say next.“Like, acid?”
Nelson drew in a calming breath. “Digestive enzymes, probably. Pitcher plants and Flytraps don’t produce strong acids but enzymes that act in much the same way, only milder.” He dropped his shoulders and relaxed the trapped hand.
Lou thought she saw the leaf unfurl a little, but it was hard to tell, as Nelson and the tree were not spotlighted by a shaft of moonlight.
“Okay, I can feel the secretions. It burns a little. Maybe a bit more than I thought.” He yanked his finger back.
The plant tightened its grip again.
The wizard stepped back, mumbled a spell, and swooped his hands about, tracing an elaborate design in the air.
A small knife made of blue magic formed and dropped to the ground, landing in a thick patch of grass. White energy sputtered along the length of its stubby blade.
Nelson groaned and sent her a helpless look. He was clutching his wrist with his free hand and looked ready to give it a dramatic tug. She feared that might make matters worse. Such a jerking action might spur the plant to ramp up its secretions.
Lou reacted without thinking, grabbing the knife and bringing it up and then swiftly down, chopping free the branch leading to the leaf in question. It fell away from the tree. Nelson tumbled to the ground, pulling the severed branch with him.
The wizard smiled at Lou. “Quick work.” He pointed at the knife in her hand and traced a smaller air doodle. The weapon disappeared.
With the branch separated from the plant, the leaf was easier to deal with. Nelson pried it open and freed his finger. He kicked the branch away and scrambled to his feet.
“Can we get moving? We’re almost far enough from the magic of Rock Lake that I should be able to send out a locator spell and get a bead on Hugo.” The wizard marched back to the stream and started across.
She followed, noticing several fish darting through the shallows. She looked over her shoulder at Nelson. “Let’s focus on one foot in front of the other and less on cataloging life all around, no matter how interesting it might be.”
Nelson nodded slowly.
Once on the other side, she watched him cross. While he did spare a quick glance at the fish, he stayed focused on the next rock and made it over in no time flat.
Lou thought she saw something white scramble behind the thorn patch they’d given a wide clearance, but it could’ve also been a trick of the light. The shafts of moonlight came and went at the whim of the branches above swaying in the breeze.
She lingered, eyeing the spot for a long time. When she saw no other movement, she turned and raced to catch up to Nelson and the wizard.
****
Wizard Itzel directed them to step back. Nelson and Lou relocated well clear from the sharp drop-off to their right. The wizard deemed them far enough away that Rock Lake’s magic wouldn’t produce any significant interference.
They stood along a stony ridgeline, the forest’s edge to their backs and a few hundred yards off.
Nelson eyed the cliff.
The wizard cast a much shorter spell, and no magic appeared. His face lit up with excitement a few seconds later. “Splendid, I got a lock on your friend. He’s quite close to the baron’s stronghold but not in it. That’s encouraging. He might’ve found a way to escape.”
“That’s good.” Lou stared at the tree line. The white blur from earlier had yet to show itself, but it still unsettled her. She had seen something. What if whatever it was had followed them?
They were out in the open. If some hideous white beast charged forth from the forest, they’d see it coming in plenty of time to react. She thought about mentioning her concern but resisted. It had to be a trick of the light. Otherwise, she’d have seen it again, right?
“Or he has sparked an army to hunt him down.” The wizard executed another spell, this one almost identical to the last portal spell, or at least she thought she recognized a few familiar moves and words.
Nelson said, “Make sure the portal doesn’t appear beyond the cliff. I’m not a fan of jumping off precipices.”
Okay, so Nelson had also recognized the wizard’s gestures and phrasing as a portal spell. She smiled, happy they were both so perceptive.
The wizard harrumphed and finished his spell with a flourish of irritation.
The portal appeared down the slope and closer to the woods, well away from the cliff.
“Let’s hurry. Hugo may be in over his head.” The wizard jogged toward the gateway.
Probably business as usual for Hugo, Lou thought to herself. Although, she really had just met the guy. Maybe it was unfair to assume he had a knack for getting himself into sticky situations. She glanced over at Nelson, thinking back to the leaf incident. I’m surrounded by trouble magnets.
Nelson hopped through the gate right behind the wizard.
Lou was about to jump through as well, but the sound of rocks skittering further downhill caught her attention.
She stepped to the side to peer around the portal. Racing up the incline was Kanzu, the young dragon.
He smiled at her and his thoughts thundered into her head. I snuck out. I’m coming with you. We shall have an adventure.
Before she could react, the white dragon took a huge leap and sailed through the portal on its opposite side. She threw up her hands and winced, half expecting Kanzu to crash through the portal and land on her.
He didn’t. Good to know the portals work from either side.
The edges to the gateway were pulsing and contracting. She didn’t have much time. She flung herself forward and disappeared into the rift.
****
Lou exited out the other side feeling more disoriented than usual. Their last trip had been instantaneous, but this one had been different. She’d felt pulled in several directions for a few seconds, and a general numbness had traveled up her body. Before it could reach her head, she had fallen out of the gateway.
She jumped to her feet and gasped.
Large creatures with spikes poking from their cheeks and the tops of their heads and along their shoulders rushed toward them, forming a circle around their group in seconds. They wore no armor, just leather tunics and cloth pants with sandals. With how tough their red hides looked, they didn’t have a need for protective gear. They all pointed axes or long spears at them.
The wizard and Nelson gawked at Kanzu, who rolled on his back and then sprang to his feet, clearly having endured a less than ideal landing. The dragon swooped his head about on his long neck, studying the creatures.
The broadest creature snorted at them and waved his axe with menace.
Beyond the perimeter of angry beasts lay dozen of tents interspersed around blazing fires. Many of the brutes lumbered around with quite a few heading toward them.
The gate collapsed and vanished.
No easy escape there, she thought.
Lou said, “What happened?”
Wizard Itzel marched up to the biggest creature. “Well, the portal dropped us off target. That happens when a spell tailored for a certain number of travelers is strained by a random gatecrasher.” He gave the dragon a vicious side-eye.
Kanzu’s thoughts fluttered into their heads. Many apologies. I had no idea.
The wizard stopped and glared up at the leader, a nasty fellow with a scar running from the bridge of his flat nose diagonally across his right cheek and ending at the base of his very horizontally long right ear.
Lou drifted closer to Nelson.
In unison, the creatures took a step forward, tightening the circle and closing in any and all gaps.
“We’re not going to be able to rabbit.” Lou frowned. Not even the wizard, who was the smallest among them, could squeeze past now.
Rabbit? What’s that? Kanzu sent her a puzzled look.
“Not important right now. We have an orc situation.” The wizard kept his voice calm and barely above a whisper.
The orc with the scar stared at the golem for a long time. “Where is your wizard? Which of you conjured the portal?” He squinted at Lou and Nelson.
“That would be me.” Wizard Itzel raised his hand.
Heroes of Perpetua Page 15
