by Olivia Ash
Andreas met her gaze and with a frown, slowly nodded.
She nodded once and they both leaned over to peek at the creature hunting Andreas, both on edge and tense. The horrifying wolf-headed creature walked on all fours. The snakes covering its mane slithered and hissed. The creature’s eyes glowed lava red as it sniffed at the rock wall directly below them and mumbled to itself in the common tongue.
That shocked Andreas as he had no idea those creatures could talk. The monsters were mysterious to wraiths, and all he knew was that his kind was a vexsnare’s favorite meal.
They watched as another creature that looked similar to Sophia’s yakshi, but more deer-like and not as big or green, approached from around a bend. Sophia clutched Andreas’s arm as they watched the vexsnare snort and turn its head in the direction of the unsuspecting prey.
The vexsnare lunged, moving quickly and stealthily. By the time the yakshi look-alike knew what was coming after it, there was nowhere to run. It made a high-pitched, guttural sound as the vexsnare snapped its neck with massive jaws and sharp teeth, pulling out a large chunk of stringy meat. Blood spurted from the wound as the poor creature fell limp on the ground.
Andreas couldn’t watch anymore. In mere moments, that would be his fate if he didn’t figure out a way to kill that creature.
He couldn’t shift. That would draw the vexsnare even faster, making him an easy target. Staying in his human form would make it harder for him to be tracked, but that didn’t ease his anxiety. It was worse than what he was originally led to believe. The creature was much larger than the stories told him. The creature was a true force to reckon with, and he would probably need his entire brotherhood to help take it down.
Fighting this creature on the ledge of a cliff wasn’t ideal, either.
“Two delicate morsels come my way,” the creature mumbled and sniffed around.
Andreas wondered who else’s scent this creature could have picked up. He knew he was one, but never considered who the other was.
“We need to regroup,” he whispered.
Sophia nodded, and they carefully made their way back to the others, leaving the vexsnare to its meal and whatever other devices that suited it without them being involved.
Chapter Nineteen
Sophia
Sophia, lying down, stared at the fire while she thought about the almost run-in with the vexsnare. Everything she had learned about them mentioned how they didn’t stop stalking their prey once they caught its scent. They were something of nightmares that weren’t supposed to exist outside of fairytales.
But it did. And it was not only hunting Andreas, but something or someone else too. She felt thankful that the creature didn’t pick up on them as they stood above it, else they would have likely had a different story to tell about their brush with death and horror.
A shift in the air pulled her attention. She heard something walking at the edge of their camp. She pretended to be asleep since Ezekiel was on watch, though he looked even weaker than before.
She, on the other hand, felt stronger, more capable, and needed less sleep. She waited until an opportune moment and made a move for the woods, under the pretense of relieving her bladder. She snuck through the outskirts of their camp and surprised the person by grabbing her and tossing her to the ground next to Ezekiel.
“What are you doing here?” Sophia said, using the nearby light of the campfire to inspect the girl and make sure she didn’t have any weapons.
The girl, beautiful and elvish in features, seemed harmless and frightened as she held her shaking hands up in front of her face, defending herself against a blow that Sophia might make.
“Please don’t kill me!” the girl said.
“Then answer my question,” Sophia said, backing off a bit to let the poor girl up.
She sat up and scooted closer to the fire, pulling her legs close and wrapping her arms tightly around them. She took in a shuddering breath. When she spoke, she avoided eye contact, preferring to stare at the ground instead. “My name is Torra, I live in a village not too far from here. I’m trying to get out of the mountain and was hoping you would take me with you.”
“How do you know we are wanting out of the mountain?” Sophia asked as Edric and Andreas started to stir.
She shrugged. “I’ve been following you.”
“Prove to us you live in a village nearby, then I may consider taking you with us,” Sophia said.
The girl nodded and stood.
Edric ran his fingers through his hair and yawned. “What’s going on? Who is this?”
Sophia said, “This is Torra. She wants to come with us out of the mountain and is willing to take us to her village that is nearby.”
Edric steadied his gaze on her as if there was more beyond what his eyes saw, and she nodded to him once.
Andreas stood and began collecting their things while Ezekiel doused the fire and gathered the supplies they had amassed.
Once they had everything together, Sophia turned to Torra and nodded. “Lead the way.”
Torra smiled weakly and turned toward the opposite direction of the castle. It wasn’t a long walk, but Sophia could tell that it wore on Ezekiel. They followed the rockface to an opening that led to an oasis with beautiful colored ferns, a clear water hole, and little creatures that resembled sprites, but with butterfly wings and a soft white glow. They danced and fluttered around her and rested on her shoulder as she followed Torra to her village.
Torra walked along a path that was worn into the ground, and through the trees Sophia could see small huts decorating the side of the cliff wall and some even along the ground. Each hut was connected by a series of vine bridges and ladders, as well as branches from the trees surrounding them.
People that looked just like Torra filtered out of their homes and looked to her and her men with distrust. As soon as they took in Torra, their eyes grew with hope and excitement that filled Sophia with joy and relief.
“I have got to get this down,” Ezekiel whispered none too softly as he pulled out his book and began jotting down notes like an excited student on the first day of academy.
Sophia stifled a giggle and shook her head. Even exhausted and weakened by the magic poisoning his system, he still found it in him to be excited by new discoveries and writing them down in his book.
Torra stopped at the center of the village where a table full of ripe fruits, vegetables, and a few choice cuts of roasted meats were set. She gestured toward the table and said, “Please, eat your fill. Then we will talk.”
Andreas immediately sat down and started pilling a plate with handfuls of each item he looked at. Edric took his own seat and began with smaller amounts. Ezekiel was too wrapped up in his notes to notice the spread. Sophia smiled at the girl before taking her own seat.
“Thank you for such wonderful hospitality,” she said.
Torra nodded and was joined by the small number of her people. Andreas and Edric took notice and immediately stood, hands resting over their weapons. Ezekiel finally looked up over the spine of his book with his eyebrows raised and his eyes taking in the situation. The people gasped and took a step back, and Torra’s eyes widened. Sophia held a hand up to stop her men and then gestured for them to sit down. “It’s okay, guys. They won’t harm us.”
She knew these people carried a gentle nature just by the way they carried themselves and reminded her of the misunderstood creatures within the Witch Woods.
“Are they the ones we seek, Torra?” A man asked.
Torra nodded. “I believe so. Formidable warriors not from the mountain, though use the magic. At least two of them are.”
Sophia’s ears perked at that. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Torra waved her off with a gentle smile. “All will be explained wh—”
The man that had just spoken said, “We are in need of warriors like you to free us from the pain and suffering of Lady Naomi’s hand.”
Sophia gulped. “What do you mean?”
He sighed, shoulders slumped as he said, “We are in hiding, trying to stay out of the clutches of slavery and suffering of the thugs that work with the woman who leads in the Blood Queen’s absence. She is but a mild comparison to the queen, but horrible just the same.
“Many of our people have suffered and died at the behest of Lady Naomi’s will. Our children are enslaved and beaten when we don’t work hard enough for her. To what purpose, we don’t know, but the results are regrettable.”
“And those are?” Edric asked.
The man nodded. “Death. Such is the only freedom our people know now, and what we face if we are found.”
“You want us to kill this Lady Naomi?” Andreas asked.
Torra nodded. “Yes. Overthrow her and free us.”
“What of this Blood Queen?” Ezekiel asked. “Where is she?”
“We don’t know,” the man said. “But we aren’t privileged to such information.”
Sophia thought for a moment. This could be their way to get the guide they needed to get out of the mountain, so her men could heal and live. “Say we were to help you. What is in it for us?”
“You seek passage from the mountain, to return to your land?” Torra asked.
Sophia and her men each nodded, said “yes” or hummed the answer.
“Then that is what we will do,” the man said. “Will you help us?”
Sophia turned her attention to her men. They each seemed to wait for her to make the decision. But she couldn’t guarantee they would make it out alive. She turned to Ezekiel and asked, “How are you faring? Tell me the truth.”
He sighed. “Weakened. I should be dead by now, but I’m not, and I haven’t figured out why. But we should help these people, Sophia. It’s the right thing to do, and we will have guides out of the mountain.”
“Not to mention,” Andreas said, “fresh new allies.”
Edric nodded. “I agree.”
Sophia shook her head. “I don’t. We need to get you and Zeke out of the mountain before any more damage is done.”
“Perhaps,” the man said, “our elder arbors could help you. If there is a way to stave off the effects of the mountain, they would know of it.”
Sophia’s hope grew. “You would do that for us?”
He smiled and nodded.
“Then take us. We will help if they can provide a way to heal Edric and Ezekiel of the effects the mountain magic is taking on them.”
“We’ll leave at once, then.” The man gripped Torra’s shoulders and gave an approving smile to her which she returned.
The men quickly finished stuffing their faces before standing. Sophia shook her head. Regardless of what they faced, they carried a hefty appetite with them.
Chapter Twenty
Sophia
Toward the back of the oasis was a cave, isolated, and filled with the rush of a waterfall. Three tree-like creatures were there. They moved freely and were humanoid in shape, with long, limber limbs and sprouts of leaves and twigs that covered the length of their bodies. And for their hair: a collection of leaves and twigs designed differently. They stopped what they were doing to settle their gazes upon Sophia and her group as they entered their private sanctuary.
“Welcome,” the woman said, her voice a soft lullaby that drew Sophia closer, marveling at how tall they were, stretching as high as some of the stationary trees within the Witch Woods.
Or, perhaps, it was an illusion of the idea that they were moving, talking, breathing creatures. Regardless, the woman lifted a green finger, tipped with a thorn, and pressed it to Sophia’s forehead. The woman closed her eyes and her lids fluttered.
She pulled her finger away and settled her gaze on Sophia. “Interesting, this one.”
“Allow me,” a tenor voice said, and another elder arbor stepped in front of her. This one was male. He did the same thing and pulled away from her. “Interesting indeed.”
“I shall have a look as well,” another male’s voice said, and he too stepped in front of her and did the same as the two before him.
“A look at what?” Sophia asked, but the elders didn’t respond to her.
“Ah, yes. Such a very interesting creature,” the second male arbor said.
“Now that we have that out of the way, I need your aid,” Sophia said.
“Yes,” the woman said. “We know.”
“Your connection with your men has carried you all through this journey, while others would have died. But yes, they are weaker,” the second male said.
The first male elder arbor approached with two amulets in his hands. He held them out to Sophia. “These will help prolong life, but they will not last forever.”
Sophia took the amulets. “Thank you, elders.”
The woman approached and held Sophia’s chin in her hand. “You have an incredibly deep magical connection to the mountain, young one. We suspect that connection is far greater than anyone realizes.”
“Indeed,” the second man said. “You hold secrets even we cannot see.”
This was her chance to ask about the heirs. If they could “see” that much about her with just a touch of their fingers, then it was possible they knew much more than that. “And may I ask of the heirs to the Nighthelm throne? Or perhaps how or why I ended up in the mountain?”
The second male inclined his head and turned to his fellow elder arbors. They nodded and he returned his gaze to her. “I’m afraid we don’t know much on that. But we do know someone who may be able to help you. For now, aid our friends, and we will send for you once we have contacted him.”
Sophia slightly bowed her head and thanked the elders again for their help.
At least it wasn’t another dead end.
On their way out, Sophia placed the amulets on both Ezekiel and Edric. They held her close and she kissed them on the cheek. Gently pulling from them, she faced Torra. “A deal is a deal. You’ve held up your end of the bargain, now it’s time for us to hold up ours. We’ll take care of this Lady Naomi for you.”
Torra smiled and nodded graciously before turning and leading them back to the village.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sophia
The trek back to the village was quick but gave just enough time for Sophia to mull over the task that lay ahead of her and her men. Once back inside the village, Sophia stopped Torra and asked, “Do you know of a way into the castle undetected?”
She shook her head. “The only way in I know of is through the front gate of the stronghold.”
There was a sadness in her eyes that flashed quickly before disappearing. Sophia wanted to ask about that but figured it was likely a family member that was under the control of Lady Naomi’s forces. Perhaps Torra had previously tried to find a way in to rescue her loved one and failed, discovering the gate to be the only way in and out of the fortress.
“There is one secret place that overlooks part of the castle. I go there sometimes to…”
She didn’t seem inclined to continue, as if the idea caused too much pain. Sophia gently smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Would you take us to this place? It would allow us to scout the grounds and get a better idea of the layout.”
She took Sophia in, the girl’s big brown eyes were full of hope. Sophia noted a soft glow surrounding the girl’s skin. Torra gently smiled and nodded in that meek way she did everything. “Eat first. Then I will take you. You will need your strength.”
Sophia nodded and went to the table with her men. She picked at meats and fruits, but she didn’t have it in her to really eat. It wasn’t that she wasn’t hungry. She just lacked an appetite. She found herself wondering if it wasn’t partly due to the mountain magic that affected her need for food or if it was her mind being pre-occupied with finding the heirs and putting a stop to Lady Naomi.
As soon as her men had finished eating, she found Torra and let her know that they were ready.
“Follow me,” she said and led them through the village and up a set of stone stairs t
hat were hidden behind sheets of ivy that otherwise blended into the rest of the scenery as though nothing was there.
Following a platform was an opening into a stone corridor, lit with beautiful flowers that held a soft purplish-blue glow and was dim but bright enough for them to see where they were walking. It was tall, yet narrow, forcing them to go through in a single-file line.
Sophia loved that the place came with such marvels she had yet to see. It was beautiful and enchanting despite all the dangerous things that lurked in the mountain.
Torra led them through the corridor that inclined toward what seemed like the top of the mountain before leveling off and declining slightly. When they finally reached another opening, it was barely big enough for all of them to stand. The ledge was narrow, making it a precarious lookout point.
But from here, Sophia could see the back side of the castle where a large balcony jutted out from the body of the castle, overlooking another ridge. There was a line of guards or thugs outlining the balcony, standing watch. Torches were lit and placed in such a way to illuminate the area around a woman lounging in the center. She had fiery red hair and copper skin to match. She was dressed only in what appeared to be a very sheer robe. There was a girl standing next to her that resembled Torra, only her skin didn’t hold a glow and she was shackled at the neck, wrist, and ankles. The clothing she wore were little more than rags that were torn and stained with dirt and what Sophia knew better than to think as anything but blood.
Torra’s hand appeared in Sophia’s vision, she held a finger out toward a woman lounging in the center of a balcony. “That’s Lady Naomi,” she said. “And the girl is my sister.”
Sophia’s heart wrenched at the pain in the woman’s words. She looked to Torra. She nodded once, pressing her lips together as a sheen coated her gaze. Sophia realized then, taking on Naomi was personal for Torra.
“My whole family is enslaved,” Torra said. “I only got away because I’m stealthy. That’s why Lady Naomi wants me. To use me as a spy.” She shook her head and took a shuddering breath. “But I don’t want that life. I want to free my family.” Her voice cracked at the end and Sophia truly felt badly for her.
