by L Ward
“We’re in extreme danger just sitting here, Nath. Things cross these borders all the time and you’re the king. You’re the greatest bounty there is,” said Will.
“Yes, and hopefully still believed to be cosy at the palace,” Nath replied. “I didn’t come this far to fail. These are the beings who murdered my dad and are trying to destroy everything our country stands for. I will not stand back and let other people do my dirty work. I will avenge my father.”
“And to do that we have to cross the border and find the others,” said Evan.
“Yes. I put Narelia in charge of meeting with our ally,” Nath threw a smile over his shoulder.
After a time the rain stopped and they headed out, horses hooves splashing in the pinky puddles. The air smelled of storm fall and incense. Powerful magic rumbled the earth making Evan’s teeth chatter. It was louder than a concert hall of voices whispering dark spells and evil wishes.
The border rose before them a rippling red veil of magic stretching the entire border of Wales.
Nath’s hood was drawn and he muttered for them to stay close. “Rest your arm on mine, Will,” he said.
And Evan felt it.
He felt the change deep inside Nath’s mind. They made contact with the unwelcoming barrier and passed in a cloud of intense sorrow. He was shaking, okay, but unsettled. The landscape had been devastated; gaping fissures pulsating extreme shades of crimson and eggplant, smoke billowed from blackened trees and magical thunder rumbled behind the blanket of toxic-looking clouds. The most magnificent sight, however, was the Black Mountains. Jagged titans of darkness rose into the clouds, and if he squinted, Evan could make out an evil-looking little fortress perched high on the middle mountain.
“That’s our destination,” said Nath, pointing to exactly what Evan feared.
“What about meeting the others?” he asked, anxiety gnawing holes in his stomach.
Nath looked to their left and the right. “We’ve no idea if or where they made it through. The meeting place is the lookout on the third mountain, the guide will show them there if they’ve managed to cross safely. We should be able to make it there by morning if we keep moving.”
“Then let’s follow the shadows so we don’t get caught in the open. There’s all kinds of monsters here,” Will said quietly.
A belly-aching growl grumbled somewhere in the distance and Evan tightened his grip on Nath.
They progressed for hours in silence. Evan couldn’t relax for a minute, any small noise made him jump, and when they paused in a crater as a stampede of god-knows-what thundered past in showers of sparks and manic laughter, he felt the adrenaline in his bloodstream spike.
There had been a number unexplained noises that stole his breath and had him trembling like a newborn kitten; not to mention the horrifying sensation of being watched when they passed a valley split by a turquoise river. He could’ve sworn there were beings living there, some sort of tribe, perhaps.
The sky was diseased-looking when dusk fell, hazy green clouds smearing across a bloodied orange expanse. Pitch-darkness drew in quickly and the temperature dropped close to freezing.
If Evan thought the daytime noises were bad, he wasn’t prepared for what would happen at night.
Nath summoned the stars and they followed the trail a way up the mountainside, careful to keep light levels low to avoid unwanted attention, but it means they could see barely a few feet in front of them.
Evan had never experienced such a claustrophobic weight of darkness; everything but the bad-tempered sky was invisible. Noises twittered, hissed, cracked and giggled unnervingly with every step they took. Fortunate as it was, the higher they climbed the quieter it became until they were walking in silence along a patch of grass.
“There’s a cave,” said Will.
It was lighter here, too. The gut-wrenching terror Evan had been consumed by was beginning to abate. Nath had spoken calmly and held the mask of serenity in place, but he felt his heart pounding against his dragonhide plates.
The cave was small but sheltered and easy to escape from, its atmosphere dense with magical energy. Lighting a fire was easy as breathing to Will. The horses lay near the entrance, forces to be reckoned with in their own right. As predicted, Will turned his nose up in disgust at their surroundings.
Nath shared out food and water from the saddle packs. “The trails are getting thinner, we’ll reach the crossing soon, but it’s not something I would attempt in the pitch-black,” he said slowly.
“I’m fine camping here tonight,” said Evan. “I’d rather not sidle emaciated trails in total darkness.”
“No, and we’ve no idea what’s ahead of us on said trails,” said Nath, flashing a weary smile. “Perhaps by morning there’ll be some sign of the others.”
They shifted about and made themselves comfortable by the fire. Evan fell in love with Nath all over again when he curled round his back and bundled them in their furs. Will watched, expression unreadable, wrapped in his own furs four feet away.
“We could all die tonight,” he whispered.
“Don’t remind me,” said Evan.
“This is the closest I’ve been when it comes to walking the fine line between life and death,” said Will, staring into the fire and making it dance.
“If you hadn’t received treatment for your injuries you’d have died in a matter of days,” said Evan.
“But you weren’t gonna let me die, so that eliminates your comparison. We could be sent to the afterlife any moment by some godforsaken monster in this place and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it,” he said coldly.
Evan swallowed.
“Can you be a little less morbid, please?” said Nath. “We’ll be safe until morning, then we move out. I peed round the entrance so this cave will smell of werewolves and that’ll hopefully deter unwanted visitors.”
Sleep was evasive, but Evan managed a few hours. At least he was cosy beside Nath, feeling his soft breath on the back of his neck as he drifted in and out of sleep. The fire simmered all night keeping them warm, it was all Will could maintain while sleeping.
Sometime during the blackness they were woken by a deep growl from outside the cave. Every organ in Evan’s body turned to ice. The horse’s snorted, tossing their magnificent heads and pawing the rocky ground with their giant hooves in warning.
Very slowly, Nath slipped from the makeshift bed and effortlessly summoned a moonlight orb in his palm. Time was a passage and Evan was lost down the rabbit hole.
The growl came again, closer this time.
One of the horses reared, front hooves colliding with the rock with the sound of a comet hitting the earth.
Nath’s ears twitched; pupils dilated to pinpoints. “It’s an abomination. I can sense it,” he whispered.
The rumbling growl returned; Evan was shaking.
Will’s irises were the colour of strawberries and flames licked his fingers.
Evan’s heart shot into his throat as the sound of something large and bipedal thudded toward the cave. Heavy breathing echoed outside and was snatched them both of the horses pierced the air with their screams. Hooves crashed to the rock, shaking the cave. Dust fell from the ceiling and the men were on their feet.
And then Evan saw it.
A monster.
In the blood-red light of morn, eight feet tall, a mass of fur and muscle. It was a bear, or some monstrously deformed caricature of one. Its jaw slit open sideways and smeared across its face, tongue lolling down to its chest. Its eyes were disturbingly human and overlarge, bloodshot and a pointing in different directions. It leered at them wearing a hideous grin, gurgling noises coming up its throat. The creature hunched its shoulders and sprang forward.
Nath shoved Evan behind him and blasted the bear in the face full-force with moonlight.
It roared as it was flung fifty feet through the air, hit the rocks and tumbled over the edge with a deafening howl. Some seconds passed before its body hit the ground far
below and splattered.
“What was that thing?” Will breathed.
“I’m not sure if it started life as a bear or a boy,” said Nath, masking his horror. “It was an experiment, created in this country either by a lifetime of exposure to these endarkened lands, or with some sick intent. Monsters like that radiate toxic energy, they’re unstable and deadly; haunted by their own existence.”
“Not to mention creepy as fuck,” said Evan.
“Good girls,” Will said patting the horses and offering them a nibble of carrot. “You and Nath saved our lives.”
Sleep was an impossibility so they packed up and set off up the dusty trail higher into the mountain. The further they climbed, cloaked in Nath’s enchanted darkness, the quieter it became. Only the odd screech or curse word from what Evan hoped were birds penetrated the calm. The ground rumbled and smoke billowed from cracks and craters all over the land. It was difficult to believe this place had once been a beautiful, thriving nation under monarch rule.
The trail became rocky; snippets of all Evan’s nightmares became reality when he laid eyes on the rickety wooden bridge, shrouded in silvery mist and suspended hundreds of feet above oblivion.
“It’s the only way to reach Mt. Solitude,” Nath said quietly.
The funny thing about mountains was they had names, even in the Dead Country which tasted of volcanic ash and burned-out magic. The mountain they’d scaled was named Mt. Fortitude. Evan could see why with the towering rocks and neat little caves, it was rather like a fortress. “It has to be some shit like this, doesn’t it?” he deadpanned, staring at the hideous passage.
Will cast him a glance, smile curling on his lips. “It wouldn’t be so bad if we could see the other side…”
Nath chuckled. “It wouldn’t be the kind of experience we’d tell our grandchildren about if it were easy.”
Evan’s heart warmed. The thought of a future away from this horrific place was enough to reignite his energies.
“Once again, we’ll be walking blind,” said Nath. “Ready?”
Will hesitated. “Alright. I’ll go first,” he steered the mare toward the wooden planks which looked older than Evan’s grandmother and were suspended by faded magical ropes that didn’t seem the slightest bit capable of supporting their weight. The mare snorted her opinion but stepped obediently one foot at a time onto the bridge. It sagged horribly and Evan’s breath caught in his throat.
“Let’s go,” Nath whispered and urged his horse on.
And they were crossing the bridge an inch at a time.
Evan felt sick to his stomach, his head was floating away and he told himself repeatedly not to look down- not that he could even see anything when he did crack his eyes. Fog swirled around them, grey and full of secrets. He held out a shaking palm willing with all his might that this would work, he could sense the life-giver behind distant clouds. Evan took a breath, and summoned the sun.
The bridge was worse than he’d anticipated. A lot worse. The ropes creaked as the horses paced over tattered old boards. How it hadn’t collapsed beneath them was beyond comprehension, the threads holding it intact glittered faintly with old magic.
Evan’s heart was a thunderstorm; his anxiety a hurricane. Now he could see all the way down into the greyness of nothing.
Nath’s heart was trying to escape his ribs and his breath misted the air like winter.
Large feathery wings beat distantly overhead, unnaturally slow, great swooshes of air ruffled their hair. Evan dared a peek but there was nothing but cloud around his halo of sunlight. The bridge groaned and Evan’s life flashed before his eyes, a series of mind-boggling images.
Will was waiting on the other side, watching with wide chocolatey eyes as they tip-toed from the ancient planks onto the dusty mountain..
Immense relief washed over him and they set off up the wide black trail. Dust clouded the horse’s gem-rock hooves and smelled of charcoal and loss. The lack of breeze permeated the air and a bead of sweat trickled down Evan’s back. Why was it different here?
“This place is too quiet,” he whispered after an hour of silent walking.
“That’s why it’s named Solitude,” said Will.
The air grew thinner and the temperature dropped again. It wasn’t as dark on Mt. Fortitude, but the silence was deafening. Evan’s ears were ringing and he tried to focus on the steady rhythm of the horse’s enormous hooves.
“There’s water nearby, we should resupply,” Nath said quietly. “It’s spring water and it smells safe to drink.”
Will glanced at him.
“Are we safe here?” said Evan. He felt Nath’s smile.
“I’ve no idea,” said Nath. “This place is charged with endarkened energies. We have to be careful.”
It was ten minutes before they heard the rushing of water and more by the time they rounded the corner and saw crystal-clear water gushing from a crack in the mountainside. Beneath it, sheltered by a crystal hangover, was a pathway leading to the other side.
“Wow,” said Evan, face warming with surprise. “How did you know about this?”
Nath shrugged.
They gulped fresh water until their bellies were full. They washed themselves with the little bars of travel soap in their packs, brushed their teeth and refilled every water canister.
It didn’t take long for them to stop again to pee, one by one, made uncomfortable by Will’s presence as they couldn’t stand outside the ring of light.
They walked for hours until darkness drew in and they sheltered beneath an overhang. Nath set about creating the enchantments and Will started a small fire for warmth.
Mt. Solitude gave a new meaning to the words silent night. Not even a twig snapped, the only sounds were of the horses’ deep breaths and occasional crackle of embers.
Evan wasn’t sure if he liked this mountain better or not, what with the constant threat that any moment something could shatter this silent world and send them to the next. He’d drifted off in Nath’s arms into a sleep full of emptiness sometime during the darkest hours.
Morning arrived and the light from Evan’s skin roused the three of them, glittering beautifully in a mixture of healing and solar power.
“We can make it to the outpost by nightfall,” said Nath. “We’ve got to keep pace.”
“I wish there was some way to contact them,” said Evan.
“Unless we leave messages along the trails, there’s nothing that won’t expose us… or them,” said Nath.
“We don’t know that they’ve not already passed us or are taking a different route,” said Will.
Anxiety clawed fresh streaks of crimson down Evan’s chest and they walked, stopping only for lunch and to pee occasionally.
“Mt. Haven,” Nath nodded as the flat-topped fortress rose before them.
“Why’s it called Haven?” Evan frowned. It looked like something the Devil himself would be proud of.
“Because it’s hard for many monsters to scale and has grassy plains near the top,” Will said as though Evan should’ve known that already.
“The bridge to cross is invisible to the naked eye,” said Nath, smirking over his shoulder.
Evan’s lips popped with panic and too soon they reached the jagged edge with a rough signpost that said: Crossing!
Nath surveyed the drop. Hundreds of feet into a horrifying unknown death. Not the sort of place he wanted to hang out near for long. “There,” he said, pointing to a square slice in the rock.
“You said it was invisible to the naked eye,” said Will, frowning.
“To the naked human eye,” Nath’s smile was sly and, despite his terror, Evan felt a tug of arousal. This guy.
“What’s happening to you, Nath?” asked Will tentatively.
Evan had never heard such uncertainty from him before and stared in surprise.
“Exactly the thing I’ve been keeping from the media. These are cursed lands that fuel the monsters that thrive here, myself included,” he said quietl
y. “Neither of you are anything but human, so you’re fine.”
Will summoned a piece of flint. He threw it to Nath’s index location. It pinged off invisible stone, the sound ringing into the bottomless pit below with each bounce along supposed thin air.
Silence echoed back for a beat. Two.
Evan’s shoulders sank with relief.
“Let’s go. It’s a straight path to the other side,” said Nath.
Evan closed his eyes. He just fucking couldn’t. This was the biggest nope he’d ever noped.
The grass was literally greener on the other side (because there actually was some) and it boasted a radiant shade of lime, poking in tufts from the blackened soft soil. Trees protruded from the steep rocky cliffs and the air smelled humid with nature’s business. Sounds of forest activity set Evan’s teeth on edge. They rode until dusk and the climb became steeper to the point Evan’s fear.
Will took them on a route through a tunnel and Evan held his breath the entire time. They emerged higher up and before them stood the remains of the outpost. Smoke drifted from burned crates; bits and bobs were broken and littered about the floor.
“Do they know we’re coming?” Evan asked slowly.
Nath was quiet a moment just staring at the ruins of what should have been their meeting ground. “I don’t know. I don’t know who did this.”
“Do you sense a warlock’s magic?” Will asked.
Nath crinkled his nose adorably and shook his head. “I don’t sense black magic here at all.”
“But someone’s been here recently,” said Will.
“What if it was just… kids…” Evan knew how wistful and stupid that sounded but it made Nath and Will laugh.
“Maybe. Probably not,” Nath sighed. “My worries are they’ve been captured and taken. The headquarters is half a day’s trek from here but I’m not willing to attempt it in the dark. There’s a lot of security and darkness is a mutual friend to the innocent and the evil.”
“What do we do?” Evan asked.
“We should wait here tonight and if the others don’t arrive by morning, we storm the Border General’s HQ and shut down the rift travel as planned. Hopefully we’ll recover them all, if they haven’t been taken to the palace…”
