Heroes of Perpetua

by Brian Clopper

  Vua winced and looked away.Key seemed upset at the elf, but it didn’t do anything.

  Hugo sent it calming thoughts. It’s okay. No one here sees you as a threat.

  Vua looked at Key, who was now bobbing around in the air, screeching faintly at Hugo.

  “Look, buddy. That’s not going to happen to you. We’re all friends here.”

  Key flew at Vua and peeled away at the last second. It disappeared into the woods.

  Hugo was sad but felt it would be back. “Probably spooked Key with what you did.” He pointed at the turtle gauntwing. “I mean, that’s like a cousin or something to it, right?”

  The elf cleaned her blade and tucked it away in its sheath. “Be careful. You may have influenced Key to help us escape, but the baron’s pull on these creatures is strong. It’s probably going to revert to its old self.”

  Hugo hated to hear that.

  Suddenly, two scrits scurried into view. They spotted the golem and the elf and finally Hugo. Both croaked like crazy.

  Vua stalked toward them, annoyed at their outbursts. She reached for her knife.

  Hugo intercepted her. “Hold off. Nelson’s controlling them. They’re just helping look for Wizard Itzel.” He nodded at the unconscious golem, pausing to make sure he witnessed the wizard breathing. He did.

  The scrits cried out until Lou and Nelson arrived a few minutes later. Both shot Vua distrustful looks.

  Hugo made introductions, telling them all about how the elf had helped him escape and how they’d been separated.

  “Why didn’t you tell us all this earlier?” Lou asked.

  “Well, we sort of had our hands full.” It was weird how he’d not shared until now. Something bothered him about it.

  Lou went to check on the golem. “His left leg is sort of missing.”

  Hugo hadn’t noticed the injury, as Vua’s body had blocked his view of the fallen golem. Sure enough, there was very little leg remaining below his left knee.

  Vua said, “I can explain that. When he—”

  Screeching sounded deeper in the woods.

  Vua said, “More gauntwings have my scent. Do you have shelter nearby?”

  Lou picked up the wizard, being careful to avoid touching his eroded leg. “We do. Let’s go.”

  She crashed through the woods in the direction of the creek bed and canyon.

  Everyone else followed.

  Hugo said, “How’d you run into the wizard?”

  “I was searching for you, and he came crashing through the woods and knocked me over.” She ducked a branch and moved swiftly down a slight slope. “He was nervous and a wreck for a few minutes. Talked about blackouts and a walking castle. Utter nonsense.”

  Hugo traveled straight through the branch she’d swept out of her way. “I can explain.” He wanted to share the wizard’s condition.

  “The rigool pounced on me, and, as I struggled with the gauntwing, the wizard grew suddenly confident and was about to cast a spell, when, well . . .”

  Hugo couldn’t be sure, but he thought their pursuers sounded more distant. Maybe they didn’t have the elf’s scent and were heading away. “What?”

  “I lied to you. I’m sorry. The gauntwing didn’t knock out your wizard. It was my fault. You have to understand . . . I wasn’t sure if he was going to help me or if he was working for the baron. If you can throw around magic, the baron has either drained you or forced you to work for him. So I threw my knife at a hegulnut overhead, splitting it with ease and dropping a ton of water on him. It washed away his leg and he lost consciousness. I’m so sorry.”

  The hegulnut must’ve been the purple coconut in two halves he’d spied on the ground earlier. Hugo passed through another orange-barked tree and again felt the tickle in his stomach. “It’s okay. That makes sense.”

  “There are ways to fix him. I don’t think your healing magic will work, but maybe the wizard is schooled enough to mend himself.”

  Lou looked back at Hugo. “You can heal people?”

  “Well, it’s the elf warrior magic in me that did all the heavy lifting. Vua got injured during our breakout and . . . well, it was the least I could do.”

  She rolled her eyes and increased her pace.

  Hugo thought she looked upset, but he didn’t know why. What did it matter that he’d healed an elf? He looked at Vua.

  She smiled. “Keep your eyes on where you’re going.”

  Hugo wanted to argue that he didn’t need to but thought that would make him come off as a little smug. He sped up, and soon they were at the creek bed with almost all of the scrits having joined them.

  Vua looked around, spotting the desert. “Where is your shelter? This is too open.”

  To drive home her point, the wailing and screams grew louder. It sounded like they were not only closer, but that they’d also added to their ranks.

  Horvuk came stomping up the creek, a few straggler scrits accompanying him. “We done? Ah, you have the mud wizard.” He noticed the golem’s leg. “Oh, is he still among the living?”

  Lou said, “Yes.”

  The gauntwings sounded even closer, and Hugo thought he saw a cloud of winged creatures approaching above the trees.

  Vua stared at the same spot in the clear sky. “He has sent hundreds. Where is your haven? And don’t say the desert. I’ll not risk its perils.”

  Nelson ran into the canyon. “This way.” His faithful lizards raced along with him, making it look like he was stirring up a yellow dust cloud if you squinted.

  Lou shouted at Hugo, “Stop squinting and run, dummy!”

  There was no mistaking that the dark cloud was made of hundreds of gauntwings, and they looked less than a mile away.

  The orc held up his spear and glared at the menacing flock.

  Lou anticipated what Horvuk was thinking. “No brave stands. There are too many.”

  Horvuk gritted his teeth and glared at her running into the canyon. “I am overflowing with raw courage and savage inklings. Do not dictate my actions, or you will meet the pointy end of my spear.”

  The gauntwings dropped lower. Hugo was certain the creatures had spotted them. “Don’t be an idiot. C’mon!” Hugo waved at the orc to follow and pushed himself to go at his top speed. He was surprisingly fast in the air.

  Vua raced past him.

  Guess elves are some of the fastest folks here.

  The orc switched from outrage to panic as the first gauntwings arrived. They dove toward Horvuk, who turned tail and ran to catch up to Hugo.

  They dashed through the canyon, with the gauntwings slowly gaining on them.

  Hugo needed to do something to slow them down. Otherwise, they’d never make it back to the keep. He spun around and flew straight at their pursuers.

  There were different types: turtles, snakes, bats . . . and the two-legged guards, which bounded across the ground using their wings to increase their leaps, but not getting fully airborne for more than twenty feet or so.

  So what’s the plan? Fly straight at them and freak ’em out? Maybe he could broadcast fear and get them to turn tail. He doubted he could shower them with kindness and get them to switch sides like Key.

  He bit his bottom lip and ignored Lou’s distant cries for him to stop. Good, she sounds far off.

  Hugo flew into the gauntwings, trying to make it obvious just how terrifying he was. Look out, guys. Spirit of vengeance, nasty soul-sucking ghoul coming through here. He thought he radiated a solid amount of fear.

  The gauntwings scattered and peeled left and right.

  He looked over his shoulder. Only a few kept after his friends. Most turned about and instead of scattering, which they had been doing, they zeroed in on him. Hugo had radiated a solid amount of fear, but it wasn’t enough. Too many shadowy minds to influence.

  Suddenly, a snake gauntwing crashed into him and wrapped itself around his wrist. He felt his body grow more solid. With that, gravity took hold, and he crashed. He bounced on his back and chest and legs before aga
in landing on his back and sliding the last few feet in the creek bed rocks.

  Hugo glared at the gauntwing. It had made him solid, like Key had back in the baron’s dungeon.

  That’s not good. He suddenly feared that these things could take bites out of his ghost self in its current semi-solid state. He ran, heading away from the canyons. If he could make it back to the woods, that might slow them down.

  Suddenly, another gauntwing struck him in the shoulder. It clawed at his arm and climbed down it toward the other. Hugo swatted at the new hitchhiker as he kept running. It squawked and changed into a key.

  He hesitated. Was the gauntwing still on his side?

  Key switched back to its snake self and pounced on its brethren, driving its fangs deep into the other’s neck. The one wrapped around Hugo’s wrist unspooled and flew out of range, hissing and spitting in outrage.

  Key darted a look at him and then jumped ship.

  Hugo ghosted himself and shot high into the air, relieved to be immaterial once again.

  The gauntwings rocketed after him, with Key in the lead, snipping at any who tried to zoom past him. That worked for about a dozen, but then too many surged past Key and his ally was lost among his fellows.

  Hugo pushed himself, demanding even more speed out of his ghost form.

  He looped high and then reversed course to head back to the canyon. This far up, he could see the Wayward Keep in the distance along with his friends, who were closing in on the refuge. He spotted just a few gauntwings in their midst.

  He flew on, glancing over his shoulder to see that his pursuers were close but not gaining.

  From above, a gauntwing dropped in front of him and looked back. While it was still a snake, he knew it was Key.

  “Thanks, friend.”

  The gauntwing nodded and then dove, angling toward the tower, specifically the top of the building.

  As they approached, he spied the open rooftop hatch leading to the spiral stairs. He would enter there and at almost the same crazy speed as he’d shot into it before.

  He watched as Lou, still carrying the wizard, leapt through the open front door. Nelson helped Vua inside as he also herded his scaly helpers along.

  Horvuk thundered in as well, and the door shut behind the orc just as numerous gauntwings arrived. They couldn’t peel away in time, and several dozen battered the door. Nelson expected the wood to splinter from the sustained onslaught, but it held. Magically reinforced, maybe?

  Hugo slowed and entered the stairwell with Key. The gauntwing again landed on his shoulder as he reverted to stomping down the steps rather than trying to fly through the tight stairwell.

  The rooftop hatch at the top of the stairs slammed shut. No one had been up there to close it, so Hugo assumed the spirits had rigged it with a spell to close once he was inside. He heard a deluge of thumps as the gauntwings smacked into the barrier.

  He continued down, glad to have his friend back at his side.

  Hugo entered the meeting room to find everyone already there. The golem was laid out on the table, and Naom and Kilg were scooping mud from a bowl and adding it to the missing leg, shaping it with care.

  Lou and Nelson hung back with Vua, while the orc had his journal out and was leaning in on the procedure.

  “Did you say two-parts mud to every one-part stick and just a spritz of water?” Horvuk looked around and addressed the room with his next statement. “I think it’s important to sweat the details.”

  The minotaur wagged a finger at Vua. “Who is this?”

  Hugo said, “She’s with us.”

  The minotaur turned, looking ready to argue a point with him. When his eyes fell on Key, he balked. “What have you done? You can’t bring that in here.”

  The gauntwing switched to his key form and slowly beat his wings.

  “Oh, he’s no threat. He helped us escape,” Hugo said with pride. “He’s good now.”

  “You fool. If enough of the baron’s essence slipped inside these walls, he could worm his way in and deal all of us true harm.”

  Hugo didn’t know what to say.

  Lou jumped in. “It’s okay. He’s the only one who got in, right? The rest are outside beating themselves silly. And I bet you guys soaked your doors with enough magic to keep them out or whatever.”

  He liked how she flipped the focus back to them. You go, Lou!

  The minotaur glared at Hugo. “And you’re positive no others snuck in?”

  He wished he’d checked for sure. Why hadn’t he gone back up the steps to be thorough? Because he hadn’t known?

  The golem sat up and opened his mouth. Hugo expected a loud gasp, but no sound came out.

  Kilg and Naom stepped back. Kilg hovered a hand still over the patient. Two of his rings pulsed red in sync with the magical glow surrounding the golem. They’d recreated his leg, and it was refining itself, smoothing out as the glow sank into the new limb.

  The golem clutched at his neck and pointed at his mouth as he tried to talk. His lips moved but there were no words.

  Kilg drew a quick symbol or two in the air and then frowned. “Someone cast a crude silence spell on your wizard. Easily remedied.” Kilg dropped a cloud of yellow magic down the golem’s tiny throat, which caused him to start coughing, the first sign Itzel’s voice was returning.

  “You okay?” Lou asked.

  The wizard harrumphed and prodded his new leg. He rose, putting weight on it before stretching and then answering her. “Better.”

  “Who slapped a silence spell on you?” the orc asked. “And be descriptive. Any distinct markings? A tattoo? A limp? Eyepatch? If so, over which eye?”

  “I don’t know.” He glanced at the numerous spirits. “Where are we?”

  “Wayward Keep,” Nelson said.

  The wizard drew up his hands as if ready to deliver a protective spell or perhaps even an offensive one. “What? No, these are criminals.”

  “Not anymore. They’re reformed.” Lou quickly summarized what Kilg had said about the spirits.

  Hugo found her delivery very convincing and reassuring. By the time she was done, there was no doubt she’d painted them in a sympathetic light.

  The wizard agreed. “Strange allies, but allies nonetheless.” He cocked his head, registering the infernal banging of the gauntwings. “And that sound?”

  “Gauntwings trying to get in,” Hugo said.

  Kilg looked at Naom and then at the repaired golem. “We will teleport from here shortly and that should have them baffled.”

  The wizard noticed the elf. “Who’s this?”

  “Vua. She helped me escape from the baron’s dungeon,” Hugo said with pride.

  The wizard hopped off the table and walked up to the elf. “Did she?” He squinted, as if doing so would reveal more about the elf.

  Hugo wanted to reassure Wizard Itzel like Lou had. “She’s a big help, and . . . she’s Neruno’s daughter. Small world.”

  The wizard sent Hugo a look of alarm. “What?”

  “The warrior elf in us, she’s that guy’s daughter. And she’s really good and helpful.”

  “Neruno has no offspring.” The wizard drew a spell in the air and struck an aggressive pose, pointing his hands at Vua. Black coils of magic featuring clusters of spikes sprang from his fingers and flew toward the elf. They wrapped around her like barbwire and pressed her arms tight to her sides.

  “What are you doing? You could hurt her!” Hugo rushed over and tried to pry a band of the magic loose. It burned his fingers, and he sent Vua an apologetic look.

  She smiled. “It’s okay. He’s right. Neruno doesn’t have a daughter . . . but Baron Orb does.” She blinked and shimmied, and her appearance changed. Her long hair dropped away, replaced with short red hair. Her skin tanned and her ears shrank until they resembled Hugo’s.

  He stumbled backward.

  “I was truthful about one thing. My name is Vua.”

  Suddenly, a powerful explosion sounded from above, sending dust and grit
falling from the ceiling.”

  The minotaur shouted, “We have a breach!”

  The ghosts sprang from their seats and, as one, rushed up the stairs.

  “What’s happening?” Hugo said.

  “Weren’t you listening, dear? If too much of my father’s essence slips in here, then he can crash the party.” Her eyes darted to Key. “And it wasn’t your new little friend that sent it over the top, it was me.” She laughed.

  Wizard Itzel tightened the magic bands around her. In some spots, the bands cut into her skin, drawing blood.

  Vua grunted and resisted showing just how much pain she must have been in. “Father’s here, and he’s fired up!”

  Chapter 18

  Nelson Marshalls His Forces

  Nelson watched the dust motes drift through the air. The explosion had been muted, which had spared him from getting too rattled. He was not a fan of loud noises. In fact, he wore headphones on July Fourth all day and night to keep himself settled and not worked up by how so many in his neighborhood illegally shot off fireworks.

  The elf was the baron’s daughter. Hugo’s ally had been conning him. She’d probably placed herself in the dungeon just to get close to their group.

  Vua uttered a spell under her breath and moved just her hands and fingers in tight circles. Would the magic be as potent if she was so limited in her movements? A white energy expanded out of her body, snapping the bands the wizard had restrained her with. The elf rubbed at her upper arms and then scowled at the wizard.

  Nelson examined his friend. Hugo looked upset and a little lost.

  The orc charged at Vua.

  The elf fired a bolt of blue magic at Horvuk, hitting him square in the chest and sending him crashing into the far wall.

  He slumped to the floor. The orc shook his head and patted around his torso, checking for an injury. Not finding any, he stood and growled at the elf.Horvuk said, “Foul thing! I shall rend you limb from limb for your betrayal.” He jumped on the table and dodged another blast.

  Vua flung three more volleys of magic, finally clipping the orc’s shoulder on the third one and sending him spinning about. The orc recovered and pressed on.