by S. E. Smith
“When are you not ready to burn something?” Koorgan, the King of the Giants, dryly replied, drawing chuckles from the group.
Nali pulled away from Ashure and reached for Asahi. He shook his head in warning, but she ignored him and grabbed his hand. He returned the contemplative and curious looks directed at them.
“Ashure, you outdid yourself,” Nali said with a smile. “Asahi, let me introduce you to some of the fiercest warriors in the Seven Kingdoms.”
He murmured a greeting to each person, keeping a respectable distance from them to ensure their safety. There were eight representatives from the other kingdoms, including Ashure. He was surprised when he recognized Ross Galloway.
“Ross,” Asahi greeted.
Ross gave him a wry grin and said, “Welcome to Fantasyland, Agent Tanaka.”
After Nali introduced a pair from the Isle of Magic, Isha responded, “Mike wanted to be here, but Marina is due to have their first child any day. My father and I will fight beside you.”
“Thank you, Isha,” Nali replied gratefully. “Ariness, it is an honor to have two such powerful wizards standing with us.”
Ariness bowed. “I have seen what the alien can do, Empress. I will do everything in my power to protect the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.”
Asahi didn’t miss Ashure’s grim nod of agreement, and he wondered what had happened during Ashure’s trip. The unflappable pirate appeared more somber than he remembered.
“Pai has overseen the setup of a camp for us. He and a small squadron of my elite gargoyle soldiers will track the alien. I would like to share with you what we know—and coordinate an attack,” Nali said.
“We will follow your lead, Nali,” Orion replied.
Asahi sat along the outer edge of the group inside a tent. The interior was spacious and provided relief from the sun that had been burning his eyes and flesh. As the alien inside him spread, so did his sensitivity to light.
He silently listened as Nali shared what had happened so far on the Isle of the Monsters with the group around the large central table. Once again, he was impressed by her commanding personality. She relayed the information in a clear, concise tone and answered each question thoroughly. The only thing she had yet to share with the others was his infected state.
He tensed when Ashure walked over and pulled up a chair next to him. He curled his fingers into a fist when the alien particles inside him reacted to Ashure’s presence. The alien appeared to be repulsed by Ashure. Asahi glanced at the sword Ashure was holding. Ashure casually laid the enchanted blade across his lap and sat back. It was then that Asahi realized that it was the pirate’s blade repelling the alien, not the man himself.
“We have a good team,” Ashure murmured.
He nodded in agreement. “We do.”
“How long have you been infected?” Ashure suddenly asked.
Asahi stiffened. “How did you know?” he countered.
Ashure stood up and nodded his head toward the opening. “Walk with me,” he quietly requested.
Asahi rose to his feet and trailed Ashure out of the tent. They walked in silence, heading for the tree line. When Ashure kept going, Asahi glanced at the camp behind them, and then followed Ashure into the forest that surrounded the clearing.
They were on a wide, moss-covered path that led into the densest thicket of the woods. It was a stark contrast to the bright clearing they had left. Out of instinct, Asahi rested his hand on the hilt of Mr. Gryphon.
“Where are we going?” he demanded.
Ashure glanced at him before waving his hand in front of him. “Hopefully to find an old friend,” he said.
“An old friend? Up here?” Asahi warily repeated.
Ashure didn’t answer. Instead, he continued walking. Asahi eyed the sword the other man still held.
“I climbed this mountain when I was nine years old,” Ashure casually remarked.
“Nali mentioned it. It’s a very impressive feat,” he replied.
“This mountain has a magic of its own, you know. You must have noticed when you arrived,” Ashure continued, glancing at him.
“Yes, I noticed,” Asahi wryly responded, trying to understand where the conversation was heading.
Ashure smiled. “It is said that only the worthy can even see this old volcano. Everyone else passes by without even wondering what is here. I certainly wasn’t looking for a mountain. I had stolen a boat from a changeling along the lake—I wanted to pretend I was captain of all the oceans, you see—and I was puttering around with little direction when I saw it: a mysterious mountain shrouded in the thickest fog I’d ever seen. I just knew I had to climb to the top. Of course, I had to get to the damn thing first,” Ashure mused.
“How did you manage it?” Asahi curiously asked. “The Water Sirens nearly pulled me off the boat.”
Ashure chuckled. “I stuffed cotton in my ears. I am, after all, half Sprite, so I knew a thing or two about their tricks. They pushed me around a bit and finally decided to let the mountain do with me what it willed. It is alive, you know, the mountain. The sirens believed a child as naughty as I would certainly be crushed by it. Those slippery beauties love their death and destruction, but who would ever like dealing with the decaying bodies afterward? No one, that’s who,” he said with a flashing grin. “So, they decided I was more trouble than I was worth, and they let me pass.”
“But—the mountain didn’t crush you,” Asahi replied.
Ashure shook his head. “No, the mountain didn’t crush me,” he replied in a low voice.
“Why didn’t it?” Asahi asked, intrigued by the tale of a young boy on a magical adventure.
“Who knows? I talked to it the entire time. Nali says the mountain didn’t know what to do with me,” Ashure chuckled.
“Why did you do it? Why did you climb the mountain? This mountain?” he pressed.
Ashure slowed down until he came to a complete stop in the middle of the path. He idly looked around the forest. Asahi studied the pirate’s expression, trying to discern why the man was telling him this.
“I wanted to find where the Goddess lived,” Ashure finally replied with a shrug, looking back at him.
“And did you?” Asahi quietly asked.
“I like to think I did,” Ashure replied.
He was about to ask Ashure what he meant when he heard a soft snort to his right. He twisted around, automatically pulling Mr. Gryphon from his sheath, and gaped in surprise when he saw a group of animals emerging from the shadows.
Dozens of unicorns stood silently watching them. The alien inside him immediately reacted to the creatures. Asahi recoiled in alarm when the edge of his vision darkened as if he were looking through a spyglass. The entity’s black tendrils beneath his skin snaked up his throat and feathered outward across his cheeks. He groaned and sank to his knees.
“What is going on?” Mr. Gryphon demanded.
Asahi clenched his teeth and took a deep breath as he fought for control. Ashure pressed his sword’s glowing tip against Asahi’s throat. The entity, sensing the danger, retreated. Asahi tilted his head back, locked eyes with Ashure, and waited.
“You still have control over it—good,” Ashure commented, pulling the sword away from his throat.
Asahi grunted. “You could’ve just asked,” he muttered.
“When did the alien infect you? Why didn’t you tell me?” Mr. Gryphon snapped, whipping his tail back and forth in his agitation.
Asahi slid the dagger back into the sheath without answering. He wasn’t up to dealing with the irritating lion at the moment. His attention moved back to the woods. The unicorns were gone.
“Were they real?” he quietly asked.
Ashure nodded. “Yes.”
He stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves off of his trousers. “Why did you bring me here?”
Ashure grimly replied, “Because your connection with the alien may be the thing that saves the Seven Kingdoms—or dooms us all.”
Chapter 24<
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Nali studied Asahi from afar as he stared out over the lake. She started walking in his direction, only to pause when Pai flew overhead and landed in her path. She softly sighed in resignation when she noticed the gleam in Pai’s eyes. He wanted to talk.
“Pai,” she greeted.
“Empress,” the hippogriff gruffly replied.
“Did you find the alien?” she asked.
Pai grimly nodded. “As your human stated, the alien is no longer in the eel,” he answered.
She frowned and looked at Asahi. Her heart ached for him. He had spent the rest of the day avoiding everyone—except for the brief time he had disappeared with Ashure.
She wrapped her arms around her waist. “The creature needs to inhabit a form. Magna told us that the alien cannot survive long on our world without a body,” she informed him.
“We searched but didn’t find it. There is a deep ravine that runs the length of the lake. It has many caverns,” he said.
She nodded. “I will ask the Water Sirens. They should be able to help us,” she said.
“I’ve ordered double patrols and stationed lookouts along strategic vantage points on the mountain,” Pai said.
Nali stroked Pai’s feathered cheek. “You must be exhausted, my old friend. Why don’t you get something to eat and rest? We will need you strong and ready for the battle to come.”
Pai pulled his head away and shook it. “I may be old, but I’ll always be ready to defend the Kingdom and you, Nali,” he groused.
She watched Pai turn and walk away. He had a slight limp in his back left leg. Emotion threatened to choke her when she saw Ashure step out of the tent with an enormous platter of fresh fish. She sent him a grateful smile when he winked at her before shouting to Pai. The pirate’s thoughtfulness touched her.
“Hey, Pai, I saved you some dinner before Drago could hoard it all,” Ashure cheerfully called.
Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heel and continued on her original path. Asahi didn’t acknowledge her when she stepped up beside him. He stared at the darkening landscape in front of them.
“Pai confirmed that the alien is no longer contained within the eel,” she informed him.
She stood beside him in silence when he didn’t reply. The minutes ticked by as they stood like silent sentinels along the edge of the mountain. Below them, she could see the gargoyles patrolling the lake.
“Ashure told me that he traveled to the future—a future where we failed. He witnessed the beginning of the end,” he finally said.
She faced him fully. “We won’t let that happen.”
“Mike Hallbrook was infected with the alien. Mike could control the alien to a certain extent before he was killed in battle,” he continued.
She reached out and gripped his arm. “Asahi, I won’t let it kill you. Medjuline—” she said.
“Was one rare case of the alien leaving her body without killing her. Can you name another?” he demanded. When he looked at her, his eyes were glittering with anger.
“Yes, I can. Magna survived for centuries before she could rid her body of its hold. I won’t let it kill you. I can’t lose you. I—love you, Asahi. I love you so much,” she passionately replied.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him like she would never let him go. Fear and grief mixed inside her at the thought of losing him. She would do anything to save him—anything.
She took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes when he slid his arms around her and rested his cheek against her hair. A tear slid down her cheek, and she rubbed it away against his shirt, afraid he would think her weak for crying.
“I love you, Nali. I want us to have a life together when this is over,” he murmured.
“We can do this. We’ll defeat the creature,” she responded.
“Ashure was adamant that we do—or else. If we don’t, he promised he’d give me a personal tour of the Cauldron of Spirits,” he said with a small, rueful smile.
She tilted her head back and looked up at him. “Over his dead body,” she threatened, her eyes gleamed with a warning before she continued. “What else did he say?”
He looked back out over the lake. “That my connection with the alien could either save the Seven Kingdoms—or doom it,” Asahi grudgingly shared.
“Do you think you could connect with the alien again?” she asked.
He thought for a moment before he nodded. “My grandfather taught me the power of meditation when I was younger. If I focus, I can connect with the alien again,” he said.
“I don’t want you to do it if it endangers you,” she insisted.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I think we are beyond that,” he murmured.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked.
He pulled away from her and stepped back. She watched in puzzlement when he loosened his belt and pulled off the sheath holding the magical dagger. He held the sheathed blade out to her.
“Hold this. Whatever you do, don’t pull the dagger out unless it becomes apparent that the alien has more control over me than I can resist. If I present a danger to you and the others, you must use it to stop me. Promise me, Nali,” he said, cupping her hand around the dagger. “I need your solemn promise.”
“Asahi—” she whispered in horror.
“I would rather die swiftly than turn into a monster that would harm you or anyone else,” he quietly replied.
He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her forehead. She briefly closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the golden dagger’s leather sheath. Could she do it? Did she have the strength to harm Asahi?
“I—promise,” she forced out.
Tears burned her eyes when he tenderly caressed her cheek with his knuckles. A rueful smile curved his lips, and he nodded to the dagger. She looked down at it.
“Do me a favor and don’t pull Mr. Gryphon out unless it’s absolutely necessary. His constant talking is annoying, not to mention distracting. Just don’t tell him I said that or he’ll never stop complaining,” he said.
Her laugh was strained, but she nodded.
“Stand back,” he advised.
She moved back, her worried gaze never leaving his face. He stood perfectly still for several minutes with his hands together in front of his broad chest. His breathing grew slower, deeper and more measured.
She watched in fascination as he gracefully moved in a fluid kata that looked almost like a dance. He traced measured, graceful arcs with his hands as if he were embracing the world. He moved one foot in a circle and the rest of his body followed. She parted her lips in awe. She could almost imagine the wind moving under his command. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Goddess, please help me save him, she silently pleaded.
Valdier:
The Hive
Carmen released Creon’s hand when they entered the mammoth cavern. Her heart pounded with fear and desperation as she surveyed the deserted interior. The soft golden light did not immediately reveal her daughter.
“Phoenix! Phoenix, sweetheart, where are you?” Carmen called.
“Phoenix!” Creon shouted from behind her.
Their voices echoed throughout the cavern. Harvey bounded forward along a wide path through the rocks. Carmen hurriedly followed the symbiot.
“Carmen,” Zoran called to her.
She ignored him, breaking into a run. “Phoenix, where are you?” she urgently yelled again.
She rounded an enormous boulder and stumbled to a stop. In front of her, a wide river of gold flowed through the center of the cavern. She observed the river’s flow, following it to the far end and a nearby staircase—where she saw the fading ghostly image of her daughter in dragon form as she flew through a portal at the top of the stairs. “Phoenix!” she screamed.
“Carmen, wait,” Zoran hissed, grabbing her arm.
She jerked free and transformed. Creon was already flying toward the Gateway. Her tail struck Zoran as she lifted off the ground.
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Creon, catch her! she pleaded.
The fire of a mother’s love filled her, driving her dragon to fly faster than she ever had before. The Gateway was closing. Creon was almost to it when a roaring hum and a wave of gold surged up from the river. Long bands of gold shot outward, wrapping around Creon’s dragon and pulling him away from the rapidly closing gateway.
A cry of rage erupted from Carmen along with a torrent of dragon fire. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw spears of gold shooting out from the river like deadly missiles. She attempted to evade them, and Harvey flew between her and the spears, roaring when the long, golden shafts struck him.
She was almost to the platform when Zoran grabbed her from behind. Twisting, she cried out in shock when she saw Zoran’s larger dragon gripping her by the wings. The force of his midair tackle sent them spiraling downward. Zoran turned them at the last second, taking the brunt of their impact with the stone floor. They rolled across the floor, sliding several feet before they stopped.
Carmen’s frantic gaze remained glued to the Gateway as it vanished before her eyes, leaving a solid wall of rock outlined by an arched doorway. She shook uncontrollably, and a well of pain rose inside her until she thought her heart would break. Her pain turned to fury when she looked at Zoran. With a loud bellow, she rolled to her feet and launched herself at him.
“Release me!” Creon ordered, struggling to break free of the bonds holding him.
He had transformed seconds earlier, hoping the move would allow him to escape, but the restricting bands merely adjusted as his body changed. The sound of Carmen’s furious roar made him wince. He twisted around, trying to see her.
“I need to reach my mate. Please—release me,” he said, acknowledging that fighting against the bands would be futile.
The symbiot gold bands slowly released their grip and flowed back into the river. With the Gateway now closed, there was no longer any need to restrain Creon or Carmen. He grimaced when Zoran’s dragon crashed down the steps.
“Carmen!” he called in a loud voice.
