by Kay L. Ling
“The last time I was invisible, we were hunting Kaff after he kidnapped S,” Parcune said as Tyla expanded the invisibility field to include him.
“That seems a long time ago,” Arenia says. “So much has happened since then.”
“Yes, it certainly has.”
“Elias said he’d have coffee ready for us and something called brownies that Lana brought a few days ago. He said he’s relying on us to eat a few.”
“Trying to get rid of them, huh,” Parcune said. “I suppose we’ll have to sample one just to be polite.”
They remained invisible until they neared the arbor.
“Good. You arrived safely,” Elias said, sounding as cheerful as ever. “Where is your cart?”
“In the woods a few miles away,” Tyla said. “We Walked With the Wind.”
They sat down at the table, and Jules poured coffee. “You’ll need something to wash down the brownies,” he told them.
That sounded ominous, Tyla thought as Elias uncovered a plateful of brown squares.
“Go ahead, Parcune,” Tyla and Arenia said in unison.
“They’re good. You’ll like them,” Jules promised.
Parcune gave the brownies a skeptical look but took one and nibbled it cautiously. Suddenly his eyes lit, and he took a big bite. “Try one,” he said enthusiastically.
Tyla was surprised at the flavor.
“It’s chocolate,” Jules said.
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Tyla scolded him. “Lana brought us chocolate before, but it didn’t look like this.”
“These are delicious,” Parcune said, taking another brownie. “And so is the coffee. Too bad I can’t live in the Fair Lands.”
“I think we’d all like to live there,” Tyla said heavily. “It’s been an eventful day. I had two visitors—Marrid and the pythanium.”
“They didn’t come together, I hope,” Jules said.
“No, they’re not allies,” Tyla assured him. She related her conversation with Marrid, explaining that the Guardian was a protective spell, and that Marrid wanted to form an alliance with her. “I haven’t agreed yet, and I don’t know what to think about the guardian spell. It’s helped me a couple times already. I’d hate to give it up.”
“This is all very surprising,” Elias said, stroking his gray beard thoughtfully. “I’m wary of The Eight, but if Marrid is sincere, she could be an invaluable ally. As for the guardian spell, I drew on oracle gems while you were speaking, and I didn’t perceive any danger. But anyone capable of creating the Guardian might be equally capable of deceiving me.”
“Let me try something,” Jules said. He led Tyla away from the arbor and drew his knife. The blade began to glow, but the light quickly went out. “That’s encouraging. It doesn’t detect evil or danger,” he said, sheathing it. “What about your knife? Has it warned you of danger?”
“No, and I suppose that’s a good sign.”
They returned to the table. “I could be wrong, but I don’t think the spell is dangerous,” Jules said.
“We have no reason to distrust Marrid,” Elias said. “She’s a woodspirit and one of The Eight, but we can’t condemn her for that. I’d give her a chance to prove herself.”
Tyla nodded, relieved to hear him say that. “If I agree to the alliance, I’ll be careful. The other business I came to see you about has to do with S’s gems. I’d like to give some to Amulet clans. We’ve been ordered to distribute a list of Emanicus laws, and the messenger could deliver gems at the same time.”
“What if an Emanicus gnome stops your messenger and finds the gems?” Jules asked.
“I’d be more concerned that the clans won’t know what the gems are or how to use them,” Elias said. “In some cases, one must know what power a rare gem holds in order to use it.”
“They’ll manage,” Jules said. “They can use oracular powers to learn what the gem does.”
“Perhaps so,” Elias said, folding his arms. “But it would be easier if someone could teach them.”
“Gem Master Ertz would be a wonderful teacher, but Finnack needs him in Aberell. Besides, travel is dangerous now. I couldn’t ask him to come,” Tyla said.
“What about Olissa?” Arenia suggested. “Or Higgart and Othir.”
“We need Olissa at Elantoth, but I suppose I could spare her for a while. As for Higgart and Othir, Finnack wants them back at Aberell as soon as they finish training our officers.”
“There is another solution,” Elias said. “If you send a gnome with me, we can Walk With the Wind where possible, then go on foot, using an invisibility gem as you did today.”
“You would go?” Tyla asked in surprise. “The pythanium ordered you not to get involved.”
Elias laughed. “I don’t take orders from Emanicus gnomes or talking snakes.”
Jules cleared his throat. “It’s good of you to volunteer, but considering your health, it’s—”
“Nonsense! I’ve had a few extra aches and pains lately. Nothing to keep me from going. I’m one hundred and seventy-two. Who’s to say how much longer I have? I should make good use of my remaining time.”
It was hard to argue with that logic, but Tyla wanted Elias around as long as possible, and she’d blame herself if something happened to him. “Would you go with him, Jules?”
“Of course.”
“No, no. You can’t come along,” Elias said. “Someone has to stay here. We can’t leave the cave unattended.”
“We’ll talk this over when the others are gone.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. My mind is made up.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. “If you’re sure you’re up to it, we’d be grateful for your help,” Tyla said.
Elias’s green eyes met hers. “I haven’t traveled anywhere since the Amulet missions. It’s time for another journey.”
Jules opened his mouth to protest, but Elias cut him off. “Don’t argue. You know how stubborn Lana can be, and she inherited the trait from me.”
With a defeated sigh, Jules took another of Lana’s brownies.
Chapter 13
It was dark by the time Tyla and the others returned to Elantoth. Olissa met them at the door, looking worried.
“Did everything go all right? We expected you a couple hours ago.”
“Everything went fine,” Tyla assured her. “There was more to talk about than we expected. Elias volunteered to go with our messenger to distribute S’s gems. We had to settle details about gem-bonded jewelry and discuss how to divide the loose gems.”
“Elias is going? I thought the Watcher warned him not to help us,” Olissa said as everyone started up the passageway.
“First, Mierek tried to keep him from helping us. Now, it’s The Emanicus,” Tyla said. “Good thing he isn’t easily intimidated.”
“Franklin’s here. I asked him to stay for dinner. He has something important to tell you.”
“Is that why you were on the lookout for us?” Arenia asked.
“Yes. He’s in the dining room, and dinner’s ready.”
“Now that you mention dinner, I’m starving,” Tyla said.
Tyla found Franklin drinking fialazza, Bounder by his chair. The zek looked up and made a low rumbling noise that could be either a purr or a growl. Tyla was never sure.
“Hello, Franklin. Good to see you,” Tyla said.
“We’ve missed you and Bounder,” Arenia told him.
Franklin smiled. “Thanks. I didn’t mind staying here for a few days when you were gone, but I’m glad to be back in my cabin where there are no dark power attacks or giant flying snakes.”
“It was good of you and Bounder to look after Arenia while I was away. I hear the Watcher is afraid of Bounder.”
“He seems to be. Zeks are snake hunters by nature, and the Watcher looks a lot like a giant snake. Bounder, go say hello to Tyla.”
The zek looked at Franklin uncertainly.
“Tyla is the one who just spoke to me,” Franklin clarified.
Bounder came over to Tyla and lifted a paw.
Tyla smiled down at the striped animal. He showed his teeth almost as if he were smiling back. “Am I supposed to shake his paw?”
“Yes, he’d like that.”
Tyla shook the zek’s paw. “Hello, Bounder.”
“Bounder, shake with the other paw,” Franklin said.
The zek offered Tyla his other front paw.
“That’s amazing,” Tyla said, shaking it.
Maggie Ann stuck her head in the door. “Yer here! ‘Bout time! Dinner be ruined ‘fore long.”
“Sorry,” Tyla said. “Please bring it in now.”
Maggie Ann gave an aggrieved grunt and disappeared.
Parcune sat down next to Franklin. Tyla, Arenia, and Olissa took seats across the table. Tyla helped herself to fialazza and sat back in her chair, curious to hear the reason for Franklin’s visit.
“What I came to see you about has to do with Bounder,” Franklin said, coming right to the point. “Ben and Tina Ann discovered how feridium powder affects lizards, and I started thinking. They weren’t truly lizards. They were already intelligent and understood language. How would feridium affect a real animal? I gave Bounder a little as an experiment, and it’s made him more intelligent. Training him has been a breeze.”
The zek looked at Franklin and yipped in agreement.
“What happens if you both eat powder?” Tyla asked, remembering that Ben and Tina had been able to communicate telepathically.
Franklin immediately got her point. “Our minds are too incompatible for telepathy, but we’re more attuned to each other, and I can tell he understands me.”
“It would be interesting to see what happens with species that are more similar,” Arenia said. “Two animals. Or a bird and an animal. And if one could already speak, imagine the possibilities.” She gave Tyla a mischievous grin.
It took Tyla a moment to make the connection. “Loud Mouth?” she asked with a laugh. “There’s no telling what feridium powder would do to him, and I’m not sure I want to find out.”
“I thought of him, too,” Franklin confessed. “I was tempted to give him some while you were away, but I figured I’d better ask.”
“He’s annoying enough now, and making him smarter would make matters worse.”
“Think what it would do for his comprehension and vocabulary,” Olissa said, looking intrigued by the idea. “If he could scout the area and report back to us. . . .”
“He might fly away and never come back,” Tyla said, “but I wouldn’t be heartbroken.”
“You might not be, but what about the spell book? It would never forgive you,” Arenia said. “It spent weeks teaching Loud Mouth phrases, and they’re friends now.”
“Do you ever let Loud Mouth out of the cage?” Franklin asked.
“I haven’t so far, but I probably should,” Tyla said. “I know he’d like to fly.”
“There’d be bird droppings all over Elantoth, and he’d screech insults at all the staff,” Arenia said.
“I could take him back to my cabin and experiment there,” Franklin suggested. “I wouldn’t let him outside, and I’d bring him back whenever you want.”
Tyla shrugged. “That’s fine, but the spell book will probably talk my ear off while he’s away.”
“Would Bounder be jealous?” Parcune asked, looking at the zek who was watching Franklin intently.
“What do you say, Bounder? Would you like a talking bird for company? It would only be for a little while.”
The zek nodded, and Tyla marveled that the animal was able to follow the conversation. “I guess that settles it. Loud Mouth goes home with you.”
“This will be a fascinating experiment,” Olissa said. “If Bounder and Loud Mouth are able to share thoughts, Loud Mouth could repeat what Bounder is thinking.”
Just then, Maggie Ann and Brenda Ann came in with a maraku roast and vegetables.
“Don’t let none of this go to waste,” Maggie Ann ordered. She had a black smudge on her face and a piece of carrot stuck in her hair. No doubt one of the Anns had put the carrot there as a prank.
Conversation died while the group ate. Tyla finished first, anxious to tell Olissa the latest news. “Lana is bringing us gems tomorrow. Jules asked if I could meet them in the Fair Lands Amulet, and I said I’d go.”
“Our clan has a Tree Home there,” Parcune told Olissa. “Some of us used to go there every night to monitor the Fair Lands Amulet, but now that we have so many problems here, we’ve stopped going.”
“Why were you monitoring the human world’s Amulet?” Olissa asked.
“It’s like a bridge between worlds, so it’s wise to keep an eye on it,” Parcune said.
“During S’s reign, we had to make sure she wasn’t going there,” Tyla added. “We were afraid she’d corrupt their Amulet to gain access to the Fair Lands, and that’s what happened. She circumvented her restraining collar, went through the portal, and the forest over there started to die.”
“It’s hard to believe she agreed to wear a collar,” Olissa said.
“It was part of the bargain. If she wore the collar, Jules would let her turn him into a wolfhound. Everything was fine until she discovered alamaria and used it to amplify her powers so she could overcome the collar.”
“You should see the gigantic obelisk she built,” Parcune said.
“An alamaria obelisk?” Olissa asked.
Parcune nodded. “It’s in a clearing about a half mile from the portal.”
“We didn’t know it was there for the longest time, and even after we found it, we had no idea what it was for,” Tyla said.
“We figured she’d built a monument to herself,” Arenia said dryly.
“I’d like to see it.” Olissa drained the end of her fialazza. “Could you take me there sometime?”
“Come with us tomorrow. After we show you the obelisk, we’ll go through the portal, and you can see the exact spot where S was defeated.”
“You ought to build a monument there.”
“That will never happen,” Arenia said. “The Fair Lands Amulet is inside a public forest, and if the park rangers discovered the monument, they’d wonder where it had come from.”
Maggie Ann returned, minus the carrot. “Knowin’ you likes sweets, I brung you some wild berries.” She put the bowl on the table and took something from her pocket. “This be fer Bounder.” She unwrapped a hunk of raw meat and set in on the floor. “Had ter beat off the Anns to bring ya this. They loves raw meat as much as yer do. Hope ya enjoy it.”
Bounder gave a delighted yip and devoured it, then licked the floor clean.
Maggie Ann grinned. “Wouldn’t trade our filkin for him, but he be a nice animal.”
Franklin’s offended expression was comical.
“Now, where were we?” Tyla asked when the breghlin had left.
“We were planning tomorrow’s trip,” Olissa said. “What time are we leaving?”
“Just before dark,” Tyla said. “Parcune, will you drive?”
“Sure. Someone has to keep you gem masters out of trouble.”
Chapter 14
Tyla’s nerves were on edge. Maybe she should postpone the trip, but she didn’t see how she could. Olissa was looking forward to it, and Jules was expecting her. While she didn’t consider herself superstitious, bad things often happened in threes, and there had already been two disturbing events today.
This morning, while the family had been eating breakfast, Tyla had received word that Finnack needed to speak with her. She’d raced off to the Pedestal Room, afraid she’d hear that The Emanicus had breached Aberell’s wards or someone had gotten a letter with an X. But that wasn’t it. A guard had discovered Sethan dead. He’d been in good spirits the day before and hadn’t complained of any health problems, so Finnack was puzzled.
While waiting for a physician to determine the cause of death, Finnack had drawn on oracular gems and learned that removing Sethan’s gem powers had
caused other damage. If that were true, others who had lost their powers might also die unexpectedly, and that was an alarming thought.
No sooner had Tyla left the Pedestal Room than a guard came to find her, warning her of a new shadow attack. Tyla sent for Olissa and hurried outside where she found the shadow flowing over the ground like a living thing, intent on swallowing everything in its path. When she drew her knife, the blade lit and then shifted to flickering flames, but she already knew the shadow was a malevolent power. She could feel it.
Trusting Elantoth’s wards to hold, she stood her ground. By the time Olissa arrived, the shadow had stopped advancing, but it continued to move and shift, as if unable to go any farther but reluctant to give up its mission. At last, it dissipated.
So, with that start to her day, Tyla wasn’t in a good mood, but she wouldn’t spoil the outing for Olissa.
“We have at least an hour until dark,” Parcune said as they all got into the cart. “Even with taking the long route, we should have plenty of time to stop at the obelisk.”
It would be a bumpy ride over trails full of ruts and holes, but it was worth the inconvenience to know they wouldn’t risk triggering Olissa’s transformation spell.
When they reached the forest, they got out of the cart, checked the position of the sun to get their bearings, then entered a tree and began Walking With the Wind. Ten minutes later, they emerged near the path that led to the obelisk, and from there it was a short walk to the clearing.
Olissa gasped when she saw the obelisk. The sheer magnificence of so many shimmering black stones was breathtaking. It stood fifteen feet tall, with large alamaria stones at the base and incrementally smaller stones ascending to its peak.
“Impressive,” Olissa breathed.
“Can you feel the energy vibrations?” Tyla asked.
“Yes.”
“I don’t even have gem powers, and I feel it,” said Parcune.
They approached the obelisk and could see the iridescent silver flakes within the black stones. So close to that much power, every hair on Tyla’s body stood on end.
“I’d like to see how much the obelisk amplifies our gem powers,” Olissa said. “Let’s draw infused strength and see what happens.”