Khepri and I settled down for the night, and slumber soon took us. The last sight my eyes saw before I drifted off to sleep was the sleeping form of the phoenix.
Chapter Twelve
A Surprise and a Question
My eyes popped open suddenly, and I looked about, fully awake. Crickets sang off in the distance, and the sky was dark overhead. I looked toward the fire, and saw it was just coals. Breathing deeply, my eyes wide open, I felt my heart race, worried I had been awakened by another nightmare. But the campsite was clear, normal, nothing scary or nightmarish appeared.
I sat up and looked over at Khepri and then Caroline. Both seemed fast asleep. The phoenix still perched next to Caroline, its beak and half its face tucked under a wing, its feathers slowly rising and falling with its breath.
I felt my uneasiness melt away as I dropped a few small logs onto the still-glowing coals. Straightening I took a deep breath of the night air and surveyed the surroundings. I knew that outside the oasis, it was warm in the desert, but the air felt cooler here.
“Miss?” I turned around to see Caroline sleepily raising herself into a sitting position. The phoenix slumbered on. Caroline’s hand reached out and slowly brushed the sleeping bird’s brilliant feathers, softly, so it wouldn’t be awoken.
“Carrie,” I whispered. “Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep.” I brushed off my hands and returned to my own bedroll. Lying down, I nodded to her and then settled my head down, eyes drooping. Caroline lay back down as well and closed her eyes. I fell back to sleep.
A few hours later, a clanking woke me up and my eyes opened to the sight of Khepri filling a small pot with water and making coffee. Since the sky was lightening, I decided to get up. Caroline, I saw, was still sleeping.
“Khepri,” I said sleepily, yawning, “I need coffee.”
Khepri laughed softly. “It’ll be ready in a minute.”
A short while later, we were all up and breakfasted, the animals taken care of, and everything packed on the horses and ready to go.
I took one more look at the campsite, picking up a stray bit of flotsam, walking around the perimeter, when a flash of color caught my eye. It was a feather, brilliant orange. A feather from the tail of the phoenix.
Picking it up, I looked over at Caroline, setting atop her horse, the phoenix perched on the pommel. Its feathers were so vast they covered the horse from its crest to its loin, and poor Caroline’s form was nearly swallowed up in brilliant colors.
I laughed, “Carrie, are you comfortable?” I asked, smiling.
She grinned back, a dreamy look on her face. “Oh, yes, Miss.” Her hand emerged from the fluff and patted the phoenix’s shoulder gently. The bird itself looked very content and seemed determined not to be moved from its spot.
The horse stood placidly, as if it did not carry a massive, floofy mystical bird on its shoulders. I shook my head in bewilderment. Our caravan was getting odder each day. But I felt thankful we’d found a phoenix so fast and wondered at our fortune.
I climbed on my horse and turned to Khepri behind me in the camel’s basket. She leaned over to catch my words.
“Khepri, I know you said the oasis is fabled to be full of birds, but we seem to have been extremely lucky in finding a phoenix so fast.” I looked up at her. “What do you make of that?”
She looked back, an enigmatic look on her dark face. After a moment she spoke. “It was indeed lucky we found one so fast.” She glanced over at Caroline and the phoenix. “Very lucky.” She turned her eyes back to me with a slight shrug.
I got the feeling Khepri was mildly troubled at our luck, but since things were going our way, she didn’t seem eager to question our good fortune.
I turned back around.
“Ladies let’s get going. Hopefully, the phoenix’s presence will draw out the chimera.” I looked again at Khepri, and she nodded in response. Okay, good, I thought, urging my horse forward.
We had gone about a mile, the three humans, two horses, camel and phoenix moving along as slow as our slowest member, when suddenly we heard an animal cry out.
Loudly.
From about a dozen feet away.
We came to an abrupt halt, and my breath caught in my throat. The horses’ ears went back, and the phoenix tensed up into a brilliant feathery ball of many colors.
My eyes were frozen on the spot just ahead where the sound had come from. We sat frozen in our saddles. Nothing moved.
This lasted maybe three or four seconds. Then –
“UUHSHEEEAAIRRRAHHHKKKkkkk!” Right beside us. My horse jumped to the side, and I almost fell off. Then she jumped forward and ran.
That was all it took. Caroline’s horse jumped along with mine, and the camel with the basket on its back, Khepri inside, leaped with us.
I remember thinking, what the heck made that scream? as my horse hurdled along the barely clear animal path. I grabbed a fistful of her mane and kept my head low, as we were moving fast without care for overhead branches.
The animal screamed again, and I could tell it was right behind us. I glanced back, and my heart sunk. It was the giant basilisk! Far bigger and more frightening up close than it had seemed at a distance.
My horse was not heeding my direction at all, so I turned again to sneak a look at the beast that pursued us.
It was dark and huge and moved in an undulating ripple, and when it wasn’t letting out ear-piercing screams, a hissing sound issued forth from its mouth as it traveled.
I gripped my scimitar in the scabbard around my waist.
We were racing along at a wicked pace, jostling about on our steeds. Khepri’s basket was swinging back and forth, and the healer was crouched on the bottom, hanging on for dear life, her fingers just visible as she gripped the lower sides of the wooden weave. Caroline rode her horse low and mean, her legs gripping its sides like she’d been riding all her life. Her head was flush against the steed’s neck, and it looked like she was whispering in its ear. Weird, I thought.
The giant basilisk screamed again, and my horse surged forward, running as if its life depended on it. Which it did, I supposed.
There was no way to stop and fight. No time to swing around and attack.
The thing was following us so aggressively that all we could do was rush headlong and try to stay ahead of its snapping teeth.
My mind raced, trying to formulate a plan.
The giant basilisk let out another piercing scream.
Think, Charlotte.
If I could just drop to the ground and roll, maybe I could…
It was impossible.
My horse screamed as branches scratched at her head and neck, producing long red lines.
I had to do something. This was intolerable. How would we survive?
Then …
There was a blinding flash of light and my ears popped. Painfully.
Ow.
I closed my eyes tightly and cupped my palms around my ears. Then I noticed that the jouncing movement of my horse had ceased. I hadn’t felt her slow down at all. That’s odd, I thought. I opened my eyes.
Everything had stopped, and we were in a clearing.
How had our headlong rush just stopped? How had …
I swung around and beheld the oddest sight I’d ever seen.
The giant basilisk was laid out on the ground, cowering. The creature atop it was an amazing sight.
It was maybe ten feet tall, and had the head of a giant lion, the body of a large muscular goat, and a tail that whipped about slowly, looking like it belonged to a massive green snake. A mane grew all around the creature’s face and down its back, which seamlessly changed shape and color to become like a goat’s and ended in that undulating tail. Its front feet looked like those of a lioness, but its back haunches were definitely like a goat’s. It was the strangest sight I’d beheld since entering the oasis.
It was the chimera.
It did not make a sound but held the giant basilisk easily. In fact, the huge snake seemed to
cower from it. The chimera dominated it with its very presence.
There was a regal quality about the chimera. It held its head high and surveyed us with intelligence. It didn’t pay any attention to the basilisk at first, just held it in place, easily, with its massive paw.
We stared at this king of the oasis, speechless. Then it spoke.
Queen I amended in my mind. Definitely female.
“Have you been harmed?” The chimera’s voice was sweet and lilting and sounded almost human. I felt surprise: The other animals in Alkebulan had not possessed the power of speech, although the water dragons were said to have rudimentary intelligence.
At first, in the presence of the regal creature, I found myself speechless. I slowly shook my head to indicate I was not injured. Then I swallowed several times, trying to gather my wits and voice. Finally, I felt I could try to speak.
“How …?” I fell silent again.
The chimera studied me with intelligent eyes, waiting for me to speak again, and I found it a heavy burden to bear the focus of its attention on me. Her, I thought. Refer to the chimera as a Her. Had that thought been my own? I studied the chimera’s face, looking for a clue, but she remained silent and inscrutable. Patient. Waiting.
I tried again.
“How did our flight stop so abruptly?” I asked.
The chimera seemed to smile with her eyes and responded. “I possess many abilities here in Aoudaghost,” she gestured to the surrounding oasis.
“It is my home.” She fell silent. I wondered how her words translated into an answer.
“Charlotte,” Khepri whispered behind me. I turned my head to her, keeping my eyes on the chimera.
Khepri spoke again, whispering: “Where,” she gulped, looking around us, “where is Caroline?”
Chapter Thirteen
Smiling at the Stars
I tore my eyes from the chimera and looked wildly around the clearing for Caroline. The horses and camel were there, and Khepri had shimmied down to the ground and stood behind me. She looked back at me, an indecipherable expression on her face. What was going on? I thought unhappily.
I looked back at Caroline’s horse, which stood there placidly, unconcerned with where his passenger had disappeared to. The phoenix was perched on the pommel of the saddle, watching us.
I stared stupidly at the horse and phoenix as if they could provide answers to the whereabouts of my friend. Lord almighty. I slid off my horse and made a quick search of the surrounding forest.
“Carrie!” I called over and over. I used my scimitar to part the thick foliage, cutting away at some of the denser bushes to check behind them.
This is silly, I thought. She wouldn’t be hiding from me, would she?
No, but she might be injured, lying bloody and unconscious somewhere, unable to call for help. A new surge of fear bloomed in my heart. Oh, gods …
“CARRIE?!” I called, more frantic.
Khepri just stood there, not helping me, not searching, not caring.
I swung back to the clearing. “Why aren’t you helping me look?” I asked her, grabbing her arm and squeezing.
“I …” Khepri looked troubled, then glanced at the chimera, who had remained unmoved from her position next to the basilisk, who seemed to have fallen asleep.
“What is the matter with you?” I asked Khepri.
Had the whole world gone mad? I thought. I felt desperation. WHERE WAS CARRIE? My heart was racing, and my head felt confused.
I have to get a hold of myself, I thought. I can’t help Caroline in this state. I blinked rapidly and shook my head gently.
Okay, what are the facts? I took another deep breath.
Carrie is missing. Her horse is here but doesn’t look alarmed. Khepri is here but doesn’t look alarmed. This, this, … thing … I glanced at the chimera … has appeared and is some sort of … monster … in this oasis. I tried to think. My thoughts were racing. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. Took another deep breath. Wait.
Thinking for a minute, I turned back to the chimera.
“Do you know where Caroline is?” I asked.
The creature’s frightening face turned to me. “Yes.”
OH MY GOD!
“Where has she gone?” I asked, trying to sound calm.
“She was never here,” the chimera answered.
I stared at the creature in disbelief, then turned to glance at Khepri. It was the expression on the healer’s face that sent a chill down my back.
Khepri did not look alarmed. In fact, she did not look disturbed at all. Her eyes were downcast, and she looked … resigned.
Did she expect the chimera to say this? Did she know what was going on? I stared at Khepri, my eyes wide in shock. She raised her head to meet my gaze.
She looked sad and resigned and not the least bit surprised.
Oh, god. I realized. Shit has been going down behind my back.
I gave Khepri a furious look that said I will deal with you later, then swung around to meet the chimera. I felt white-hot anger blossoming in my chest.
Walking closer to the creature, I felt my face grow red. The creature turned to look into my eyes, an inscrutable look on her face.
The anger spread outward from my chest and filled every part of my body. I felt an angry heat tingling in every atom. My chest heaved with my breath as it blew quick through my clenched teeth. Caroline was my friend, but even more, she was the servant of the queen, and she’d been my maid for my whole life. I was royalty. How dare this creature toy with illusions and try to trick me?
I marched straight up to the chimera, and glared at it, stopping only inches from it. I no longer felt intimidated by her. I was looking up at the impressive beast, but at this point I only felt anger. White hot anger. I spoke to the chimera through clenched teeth.
“Where,” I hissed, “is Caroline?”
The chimera looked back at me placidly, which infuriated me further.
“WHERE IS CAROLINE?!” I roared, my face growing red hot as spittle flew from my mouth, landing in the chimera’s mane.
No reaction.
She obviously knew something. She was obviously toying with me. She obviously had taken Carrie somewhere or killed her or blasted her out of existence. I wanted to kill her.
With a roar, I lunged at the thing, even though she was larger than I was, and stood a foot taller than me. I dug the heels of by boots into the ground and grabbed the mane on either side of her face. My eyes felt hot, my anger was flaring like a white-hot sun.
The chimera tumbled back, and I went with her. Into the forest we fell, me screaming the whole way down.
The basilisk was apparently unconscious, it didn’t even move.
I found myself on top of the chimera, my booted feet on either side of her, her back legs flailing behind me, my fists holding clumps of thick brown fur, and my face yelling an inch from her eyes.
My voice was so loud it filled my ears.
“WHERE IS CAROLINE? WHERE IS CAROLINE? WHERE IS SHE?!”
The thing finally blinked.
“You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding,” I sat across from the chimera, looking at her unbelievingly.
I turned to Khepri. “Did you know about this?”
“I suspected something was afoot,” Khepri lowered her head.
“Really??” I said.
“Charlotte, the chimera is said to do things like this, to trick wanderers who enter the oasis. To toy with them.”
“You could have let me in on it!” I was angry.
“The chimera rules the oasis. She has the ability to hear and know all things that happen inside,” Khepri answered, her face beseeching me to forgive her.
“Hey.”
I turned back to the chimera. She looked troubled, if a lion’s face could look troubled.
“I was not toying with anyone,” the chimera said.
“Really?!” I repeated my exclamation.
I was having a hard time with the sight of
the chimera, her huge, fluffy lion’s mane extending into the air around her face, just talking to us like it was a human.
“I told you, I was bored.”
My eyebrows threatened to disappear into my hairline.
“So you decided it would be fun to impersonate my maid and trick us all??” My voice rose in disbelief.
The chimera just stared back at me.
“And you shapeshifted into Carrie and THAT WAS YOU THE ENTIRE TIME??” I yelled; my tone outraged.
It seemed to cringe a bit. “I’m sorry I deceived you. As I said, it’s lonely in here and I was bored. I didn’t think of it as a trick, you know. This is a normal thing I do, I do it almost constantly.”
What? “You mean you shapeshift into other forms all the time?”
She nodded.
“Why?” I was genuinely curious.
The chimera looked relieved my anger was fading.
She looked back at me, looked me up and down, then spoke.
“Why do you wear clothes?”
I’m not playing this game, I thought. “To keep warm,” I shot back angrily. “To shield myself from the sun’s rays.” I scowled at her.
“I shapeshift like you wear clothes. To protect myself, but also,” she shifted in the grass, “to blend in. I mean, look at me!”
She started grooming her mane with a giant paw. It was huge and fluffed out several feet around her massive face.
I stared unbelievingly. I was starting to swing my perspective to the side. The side where a chimera sat.
She looked back at us. “I’ve lived in this oasis for a thousand years. I’ve never left it. It can get limiting when you can’t leave.” She looked around at the forest with sadness.
“A thousand years?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Are you immortal then?” I asked.
“No, but chimeras live for a very, very long time. Most magical creatures do.” She stroked her mane again for a bit. I waited until she continued.
“My mother, magnificent though she was, went a little mad at the end.” She continued.
The Pirates of Moonlit Bay Page 8
