Hugo looked down at the ground. “Sounds like me.”
Neruno turned to Nelson. “You seek solace in nature. You find animals and plants better companionship than the gift of others.”
Nelson didn’t say anything, but Lou was impressed that he had maintained eye contact with the elf the whole time.
The warrior elf shifted to her. “And you, child, you bear the burden of loss. You let it hold you back. You fear reaching out to others will bring more heartache, so you keep them at a distance.” He pointed at Hugo and Nelson. “Except for these two.”
She painted a nervous smile on her face and tried to make it sincere.
“How is this helping? You’re free and powered up to defeat Baron Orb now.” Hugo did a poor job of hiding his hurt. He didn’t like being exposed.
Neruno walked over to him. “Yes, it is true that my magic is stronger than it has ever been within me.” He looked at the golem. “But it was much stronger and burned far brighter when tucked away in each of you. So, I have to ask myself, which is the better path to defeating the baron? I know my capabilities; I know my limits.”
Lou saw the passion stirring in the elf with every word. His green eyes literally glowed.
“But you three, brandishing my magic, it is so much more.” He shook his head. “The wizard would say, if he were present, that entrusting you to bring about victory is foolhardy. Better to go with the hero you know. But I would tell him, I’ve faced evil and been driven back in defeat. You three, there is no limit to what you can do . . . together.”
“So what are you saying? You won’t be fighting the baron?” Hugo asked.
Neruno bowed his head. “I will, but through you. Perpetua needs your spirit, intellect, and passion. Armed with those traits as you are, Orb will not stand a chance.”
It clicked for Lou. Hugo was the spirit in every sense of the word, Nelson was the brains, and she was the passion. Although, the elf was asking a lot of her if he somehow thought she would let her emotions out to defeat a villain. She wasn’t sure she could do that. And how would that look? Was it a matter of slaying the villain with joy, while Nelson assaulted him with equations, and Hugo delivered a beatdown featuring gobs of enthusiasm?
“I don’t think we can do this,” Lou whispered.
Nelson looked at her, studying her face. She felt like he was examining a specimen under a microscope and identifying the inner workings of some sort of paramecium or whatever.
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
She stiffened. Nelson had never initiated contact that she could recall.
He patted her two times, both rather rigid and awkward, but made even more sincere because they’d been just that. “We can do this.”
“But . . . this is all too much. What about our parents? We’ve been gone for at least a day, or maybe two? What must they be thinking? That we’re dead? What if we actually do die? They’ll never know what happened to us.”
Hugo eased up next to her. “Lou’s right. We should go home. We have no business trying to save a world when there’s a perfectly good elf-warrior-mage guy here able to do it.”
Nelson frowned. The gears and cogs of his mind turned. His thinking face was so intense that Lou had always imagined the smell of something burning whenever he did his best pondering.
Nelson removed his hand from Lou’s shoulder as if realizing he’d held on a tad too long. “No, that’s not it. We’re the answer. We are what you plug into the equation to solve it. Orb won’t expect us, and that’s how we’ll beat him. We can do this. I know we can.”
Hugo stared at the boy for a long time. “Wow, geek boy comes through in the end. I like his style. I mean, I wouldn’t lean into the math metaphors as much, but the confidence smackdown he brings . . . well, I can get behind that. I’m in. Forget my pathetic and cowardly approach to this earlier.” He smiled. “Can you believe I said we should run home to our mommies? Ugh, I need to hero up like Nelson here. In fact, I’m feeling like a savior right now. The courage is rising in me as I speak. Someone point me to the bad guy and let’s mete out justice.” He arched an eyebrow at Nelson. “Together.”
Lou snickered. “So I’m outnumbered?”
“Yes,” they replied in unison.
Neruno nodded in approval. Lou was the only one to see this. She considered for a moment. “Then let’s save Perpetua!”
A booming voice interrupted their rousing moment. “Ho there. Am I glad to come across you guys, finally!”
Waltzing out of the woods was Horvuk. He looked much more scraped up than anyone else, and parts of his arms and legs were singed. He moseyed up.
“Are you okay?” Lou asked.
The orc looked at his injuries as if seeing them for the first time. “Oh, these little nicks and burns? Minor stuff.”
“Did the wizard’s ward not protect you as much as it did us?” Nelson asked.
“The orc waved him off. “Oh it worked just fine. Landed in a big tree without a scratch.”
“So why are you messed up?” Hugo asked.
“Since I’m much keener on chronicling what’s happened to you three, I’ll shorten it for you. Lava man village, sincere misunderstanding that was totally my fault, and well, being run out of town by an angry mob that can spew lava and handily does so, you can understand why I might look the worse for the wear.” He glanced back at the woods. “Don’t worry. They abandoned the chase a good ways back.”
Silurf’s thoughts filled everyone’s head. The orc must’ve been flung far afield. The nearest known lava man village is quite distant.
The orc nodded at the dragon. “That’s me. I never do anything by half. You guys get tossed a mile, I get hurled three.”
Hugo held out his hands. “I can heal you up if you’d like.”
Horvuk grinned and shook his head. “I’m good.” He eyed the elf. “Looks like lots has happened. Care to get me up to speed?” He retrieved his journal and opened to a fresh page.
They rattled off the bare minimum to keep the orc happy and then turned to Neruno.
The orc playfully bowed in the elf’s direction. “Hope you’re better than the last pointy-eared one that joined our merry band. I’ve had my fill of double-crossing. Although, it certainly would add drama to the tale.” He smiled.
Neruno ignored the orc’s punchy vibe and pointed up the creek bed. “While the orc was occupying our time, the wizard slipped off.”
“What?” Lou looked where he pointed but couldn’t see the golem.
“Why didn’t you try and stop him?” Hugo said.
Neruno offered, “He will return.”
“Do you think Georgie was just pretending to befriend us, and then when we dropped our guard he snuck off?” Lou asked.
Hugo laughed and slapped his knee. “Textbook golem.”
Lou started up the creek. “Itzel needs us.”
The elf put a hand out to stop her. “When he is back in charge, he will rejoin us.” The elf spoke with such confidence. “Bringing him along when he doesn’t have his wits about him would only make what we are undertaking much harder.”
That made perfect sense.
Neruno generated a cloud of magic that morphed into a green magic carpet with an ivy pattern. It floated three feet off the ground, billowing slightly. “I will escort you to the villain’s stronghold and then divide up my magic once again.”
Hugo waded onto the carpet first, face planting twice as the fabric had more give than he’d expected. Nelson mounted the carpet with much more ease after witnessing what not to do. And Lou hopped on without any problem.
Horvuk eyed the narrow open strip on the carpet. “I won’t fit.”
Silurf stepped in. I can ride you there, and we can watch the events from afar. You can chronicle the battle from a high perch.
“But I’m more of an in-the-thick-of-things guy. I want to be ground level to the action.
Neruno said, “No, that is not your place. You are merely a chronicler
. These three can give you more specifics of their victory afterward. Now let us be off.”
Without waiting for another remark from the orc, the elf flew into the air and the carpet soared after him.
Lou clung tight to the rug underfoot and watched the orc shuffle over to the dragon and climb aboard with much reluctance.
The sun was almost near the horizon.
Hugo risked holding onto the carpet with one hand to point to the setting sun. “And we will steal into the villain’s lair under cover of night.”
Hugo actually laughed as he tightened his grip on their ride and stuck to the center of it.
Lou looked forward. Their adventure was unfinished. They had more magic ahead of them. She hoped that tragedy was not waiting as well.
Chapter 23
Nelson Resents His Role
They landed well away from Orb’s stronghold.
Hugo jumped off the carpet and pointed at the castle roof, just barely viewable through the tightly interwoven branches overhead. “That’s definitely where Vua and I escaped from.”
Hugo grew quiet for some reason.
Nelson watched the dragon and orc flying toward a nearby mountain peak.
Neruno absorbed the magic carpet back into himself and thumped his chest plate. “I should fill you in on what you can expect.”
Hugo blurted out his take before the elf could get a word in edgewise. “There’s lots of gauntwings, I mean, a ton. All types too. You guys haven’t seen the ones Orb uses as guards and foot soldiers. Nasty things.”
The elf sent him a look.
Hugo clammed up.
“The baron is likely still down at the Well, replenishing his magic.”
“The Well?” Lou asked.
“He holds hundreds of captured spirits there for him to harvest magic from. Since he has no magic of his own, he must rely on that and the magic every citizen hands over to him. The magic in the Well is much stronger than what he takes from everyone else. Your success lies in vanquishing his battery. If you go after him head-on, he will be harder to defeat. Cut off his biggest supply and you hobble him greatly.”
What about the gauntwings?” Hugo said.
“You will get past them by summoning an army of your own. The creatures residing in these woods will be your soldiers.” He looked at Nelson. “You are quite worthy of that task.”
Nelson nodded. He could definitely handle that. He doubted he could convince any strike shadow fiends to aid in their cause, but there were likely other more agreeable species out there. Despite being eager to send his mind out and begin enlisting his army, he resisted. He needed to listen to the entire plan.
Neruno pointed at Hugo. “You will scout ahead. Find the Well and report back to the others. From there, you will work together to disrupt the Well.”
“How would we do that? None of us throws magic around. Mostly we talk to things and fly about.” Hugo exchanged looks with Nelson and Lou.
“Together, you can do the task. It doesn’t require memorizing a spell or casting a particular symbol. It comes from within, and your innate strengths will fuel the magic. It’s risky to count on such volatile magic, but I am confident you three can do it.”
“What about me?” Lou asked.
“The spirits in the Well are lost souls, their bodies long gone. You will need to speak with them, apprise them of what is needed and implore they aid in bringing about an end to the baron’s reign.”
“The plan seems a little loose.” Hugo grinned.
“I agree. Can you give us more specific tasks?” Nelson nodded at Hugo.
“I could, but magic thrives on the unknown; it multiplies the most when extemporaneous.”
Hugo shot the elf a look and then directed the same expression at Nelson. “Care to explain that one, Spelling Bee Grandmaster?”
Lou snickered. “It means spontaneous, random, at the moment. You should be familiar with that strategy, Hugo.”
Nelson laughed. It didn’t bother him at all that Lou had fielded the question. That surprised him a little, but it was okay. He trusted his neighbor was looking out for all of them.
“Now stand before me, and I will return my magic to you,” Neruno said.
They did as the elf asked.
With his eyes closed, Neruno put his hands out and began shaping a sphere of magic as if kneading a ball of clay to make it more pliable.
Nelson wasn’t sure how long it would take. He was eager to reach out and discover the new animals all around them. He stared into the woods, hoping to spy a flyer in the trees or even a burrowing rodent low to the ground. He spotted several brightly colored insects and wondered if he could tap into the bug kingdom. He thought they might be hard to negotiate with. Did smaller mean less ability to communicate? The scrits, while clever, weren’t nearly as intelligent and verbose as the owl and the strike shadow fiend had been.
The magic grew to the size of a beach ball. It was identical to the sphere the wizard had conjured to free Neruno. The warrior elf handled the magic with greater finesse. Being confined to the golem’s body must’ve made it more of a challenge, as the wizard had stated.
Nelson estimated the transfer would happen in another minute or two. He continued scanning for strong candidates to enlist. Maybe a pack of predators. He imagined a wolf/scorpion hybrid, but dismissed it. Why would this world have such mix-and-match species?
He spotted movement to his right and craned his neck to see Vua step out from a large bush. She dragged the wizard behind her. Itzel was tied up by a glowing red rope. She’d also gagged him. Nelson couldn’t tell who was in charge of the golem’s body just from his expression alone. The golem looked worried, but was it anxious enough to be Georgie, or was the wizard worked up? Nelson couldn’t be sure.
Spotting the intruder, Hugo said, “Look out! Trouble!” He pointed at the baron’s daughter, who held up her free hand and was conjuring a cloud of magic. She muttered her spell under her breath so they couldn’t hear.
Neruno kept his eyes closed. “Quiet. So close. Let me finish this. It’s at a critical point.”
Vua sunk her fingers into the red energy and flung it at the elf warrior.
Neruno released the magic. It split into three streams and each extended toward them.
Vua’s magic hit the questing mass, and the streams twisted and corkscrewed.
Neruno gasped and opened his eyes. He concentrated and struck a pose as if he were trying to hold back a boulder from rolling over him.
The three strands of magic faltered and then shot out again, each entering one of them.
Nelson flew backward and landed in a bush. Lou did the same, only crashing into the side of a tree instead. Hugo’s wide stance saved him from taking a tumble. He staggered backward but stayed upright.
Neruno’s body faded until it resembled Hugo’s spirit form. The warrior elf mustered up a lasso of magic that he flung at Vua. She dodged it and slipped into the woods, dragging the golem with her.
Neruno fell to his knees and looked drained. There was a hollowness to his gaze.
Lou rushed to his side. Hugo joined her, while Nelson jumped to his feet and marched over, taking care to memorize the direction Vua had fled, through the yellow and green thorny vines, on track to reach her father’s stronghold.
“Wait, you never told us what would happen to you,” Hugo said.
Neruno grew paler and more see-through by the second. “I will be a spirit, and therefore vulnerable to Orb. I cannot go with you, or he will take what little magic still clings to me as his own.”
“But we can give you back ours after this is all over, right?” Lou said.
He nodded.
While he was extremely translucent, he had stopped fading. The elf had stabilized.
“Go, execute the plan.” His green eyes briefly sparked with magic. “I’ll manage.”
Hugo turned around and marched toward where Vua had fled.
Lou reached out to the elf to touch his wrist. Her hand passed
through his, and she gasped.
Nelson nudged her and pointed at Hugo already ducking to avoid the vines overhead.
They left Neruno and entered the woods.
Nelson turned his attention to his returned magic. It felt different than before. He was about to comment on that observation when Lou let out a shriek.
She froze next to him, a ghost version of herself emerging in a way that it looked like she had two heads. The paler one, the new addition to her right shoulder, expressed shock just as much as her flesh-and-blood self.
Hugo said, “Hey, that’s my deal.”
Lou’s spirit retreated. Once again merged with her physical body, she reacted, patting at her torso as if confirming she’d returned. “What was that? Can we all do each other’s magic?”
Hugo wagged a finger and grinned. “Like, he spread the love and gave us more options? I like that.” He concentrated. Hugo scrunched his eyes shut and focused even more. He opened one eye to look himself up and down. “I’m stuck. I can’t seem to leave.”
Nelson tried to ghost. He imagined some unseen second self slipping out of him, picturing the ghost version stepping casually forward.
That didn’t happen. “I can’t ghost either.”
Lou paced. “We all received magic, right? Like, I definitely can feel it in me.”
Hugo paused and then said, “Yep, it’s there for me too, but it feels different.”
Nelson said, “I can confirm I have magic, and I too agree that it feels altered.” He snapped his fingers, which really didn’t produce a snap. He’d always had trouble applying the right amount of force and proper angle of movement to his digits to create a satisfying result. “Wait, what if Vua messed up the magic? What if Neruno put the wrong magic back in each of us?”
“So, Lou got my spirit ability, and you and I can talk to animals or dead things?” Hugo said.
Nelson replied, “Yes, but since my magic feels off, I don’t think I can talk to animals anymore. And it’s plants too, but I just haven’t tried a conversation with one yet.” Maybe if he’d asked that carnivorous plant to let go of him, that ordeal would’ve been less embarrassing. Not that it had bothered him at the time.
Heroes of Perpetua Page 25
