“Come, sinner, thy time is nigh,” sang the Adversary, and the Ægeldar’s laughter echoed off the black lumir crystals poking out of its decomposed spine.
Snakes and Menhirs
Greens and browns streaked past at nauseating speeds then they slammed to a sudden halt. Sarn sank to his knees and fought to keep the contents of his stomach inside where they belonged.
“Why’d we stop?” Ran squirmed out of Sarn’s arms and tugged J.C.’s sleeve, but the man remained silent and staring back the way they’d come—at Mount Eredren.
“Did something happen?”
Oh, Fates no, Miren, my brother is back there. Sarn stamped the ground in frustration. How could I forget my brother?
J.C. nodded then pressed a shaking hand to his forehead. “A voice cried out then was suddenly silenced.”
His cross flickered into view as it swelled. J.C. dropped to his knees, forced down by the weight of his burden. A twisted black crown appeared on his head and its thorns pierced his brow sending rivulets of blood down his brown face.
“We’re losing time. Hasten on your errand.”
“What about you?”
“I need to rest a moment. Go see your Queen. There may be more at stake than I realized. I’ll follow when I can.”
“No, stay here. I’ll find you. I’m good at that.” Sarn rose and captured his son’s hand. He checked his map and was unsurprised to see a cross symbol next to the white star of his son. Ran looked up at him.
“Will J.C. be okay?”
“I think so, son. We won’t be gone long. She’s close by.”
Ran nodded. “Which way?”
Trees surrounded them. They were so dark and quiet, they didn’t seem enchanted, but how could they not be? That black, magic-stealing mist had only affected the Lower Quarters, hadn’t it?
“Stay by my side. Something feels off about the forest.”
“This is the enchanted forest? The one you told me about?” Ran grinned in excitement and felt around in his pockets. After a moment’s search, he withdrew two glowing fuzzy balls—the seeds Sarn had given him last month.
Sarn nodded and pushed the rising tide of grief down. Now wasn’t the time for it to drown him in sorrow. Since Shade’s death, he had not set foot in the forest. The Rangers had found plenty of reasons to keep him out of it.
His gaze kept bouncing off the serrated tips of branches angled in their direction. Had he banished all the demon’s taint? Or were some of the trees still infected?
“If I tell you to run, don’t stop for anything. Go straight back to the mountain and find your uncle. Mount Eredren is three and a half miles that way.” Sarn waved to their back trail.
“Why? Nowhere’s safe, but I’m safe with you.” Ran pocketed the seeds.
Sarn blinked at his son’s unexpected insight, but the boy was right. There was no completely safe place and that was at the top of his list of things to fix.
“All right but stay close to me and don’t touch anything. We’ll be quick and quiet as mice.”
“You mean rats, like Rat Woman. Do you think we’ll ever see her again?”
“Maybe, son, that’s up to her.”
Taking one last breath to steel himself, Sarn stepped deeper into the forest alert for anything.
“We’re on an ad-ven-ture?” Ran hopped up and down in delight.
Sarn rubbed his face. “Yeah, I guess we are, but it’s just a short one then we must help J.C., okay?”
Ran gave him a distracted nod as he bounded past but was drawn up short by their linked hands. Ran’s enthusiasm lasted about a half hour before his energy flagged and he turned to Sarn with his arms raised above his head.
“Up, please?”
“Tired already?”
Ran nodded as Sarn scooped him up. “Where’s the Queen Tree?”
“The enchanted forest is a big place. She could be anywhere, but I think she’s beyond that line of trees.” Which raised a more important question—why couldn’t he see her? She usually dominated the skyline when she was present.
But her light was either dimmed or extinguished because other than the late afternoon sun sending golden spears through the leaves blotting out most of the sky, his eyes provided most of the light they saw by. The cold hand of grief squeezing his heart tugged Sarn back to where it had all ended last month. Back to where Shade had died.
Where else would something go wrong but on the exact spot where an abomination had meddled with unclean magic four weeks ago?
“How big is it?” Ran wriggled in his grip until he could look straight up into the dark tangle of greenery above.
“Thousands of miles, maybe even a million, I’m not sure if anyone’s ever measured the whole of it. Legend says it used to stretch from the Frozen Sea to the Cape of Storms. Many races dwelled under its canopy—men as white as clouds and blacker than pitch and every shade in between.”
“What are those lights?” Ran pointed at something above their heads.
Sarn tilted his head back to look. Indeed, bubbles of light flickered and flashed across the interweaving boughs. In each flicker, chains of symbols appeared as bursts of information shot from branch to leaf. Are they announcing our arrival?
“It’s magic, isn’t it?” Ran grinned and clapped his hands at the brilliant display.
“Yes, it is, but that’s not all it is.”
But as Sarn hiked northward, the lights ceased jumping from tree to tree and the trees lost their luster then they dimmed and finally went out as he slowed. Memories rose, and his throat closed. There, that patch of leaves, was where Shade had died.
Blood had leaked from misshapen lips, and Shade’s chest had risen and fallen with difficulty. Shade’s hand had been cold like a thing made of ice and regret, and he could still feel its touch.
“I love you—wanted you to love me.”
Sarn blinked the memory away. For a moment, Shade lay there dying all over again. His ex-friend’s hand grasped after his, then grief banished the specter. Sarn kicked the leaves. No sign of what had happened a month ago remained. Not even a lingering taint thanks to his magic. He should be glad but seeing the clearing so full of life hurt his heart.
“You, stupid fool! I would have helped you. Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Papa? Who are you talking to?” Ran wrapped his arms around Sarn’s neck and his touch broke the spell the past had woven over him.
“I was talking to someone who’s gone away.”
“You mean Shade.”
“Yeah, kind of stupid, huh? It’s not like he—she—can reply. Gah, I don’t even know what gender my best friend was.” Sarn leaned against a tree too tangled up in grief and anger to care if he was making sense. “What a joke our friendship was.”
“Shade was Shade.” Ran shrugged.
“Yeah Shade was but now Shade’s gone and—” Sarn stopped speaking.
Moaning broke the thoughts circling in his head. Someone was hurt and in need of aid. His Ranger training kicked in and kicked out the grief tearing him up inside.
“Papa?”
“Shh, I heard something.” And it wasn’t J.C., though that worthy’s symbol had moved a tenth of a mile closer on his map.
Sarn rounded the tree he’d been leaning against and played the glow of his eyes over the giant trees ascending a rise. Their bark drank in its light. Shadows lay between their trunks so thick not even his eyes could pierce them. Beyond them, more trees leaned at crazy angles. It looked like a storm had blown through here, but he would have heard about such a storm. He was only a little over four miles from Mount Eredren.
“What happened here?” Ran’s head turned taking in the sight with interest.
“That’s what we’re here to find out.”
Inari skidded to a halt before she crashed into Ranispara’s arm. “What in God’s name is that?”
“I have no idea. Come on,” Ranispara pulled her behind a menhir, and her skin prickled.
Magic swirled on the
air, raising the hairs on the back of her neck, but Inari mashed her lips together to keep silent and crouched shoulder-to-shoulder with her dearest friend, her only friend, truth be told. She seized Ranispara’s arm. Ranispara wasn’t haring off without her again, no way. They were in this—whatever this was—together.
Ranispara rolled her eyes at Inari’s overprotectiveness, but Inari couldn’t help it. Ranispara had become a surrogate sister over the years. And I’m not losing her. I lost one sister to death and another to the Seekers. I’m not losing anyone else. Inari tightened her grip on Ranispara as her friend leaned forward to peer around the stone they hid behind. Ranispara tended to act first and think later, which made her a great leader during a crisis but not a safe one.
About ten-feet away, on the other side of the outer ring of menhirs, dozens and dozens of snakes slammed into each other and entwined. They rolled around in a woman-sized pile.
“What is that? Do you see that pearl of pinkish light?” Inari whispered. She pointed with the hand not manacling her friend’s wrist.
“Yeah, I see it, but I have no idea what it is other than growing. It reminds me of your pink lumir stone.”
Inari nodded. She’d had the same thought, but that light didn’t come from a stone.
Where the light-ball rolled, snakes merged together. A pink flash blinded them. When it dissipated, a naked woman lay on the grass laughing. Her skin was gray and scaly—like the snakes which had vanished in the light—and her fangs glistened in the sun.
Snake Woman rolled in the grass, loving its feel on her naked scales. I did it! I escaped the black lumir crystal and now I’m whole again! I did it! She pounded the earth in triumph then dug a clod out of the ground and let the dirt slide through her fingers. Gales of laughter shook her, but she didn’t care. She’d won.
And now for phase two. That sobering thought made Snake Woman sit up so fast, her newly formed body flopped back down. Fine motor control might need a little adjusting, but she could do that on the fly.
Snake Woman froze like a rat in lumir light as a fell voice drifted on the wind.
“Come, sinners, tell father your lies. At my side, thy time is nigh.”
No, not now—she was so close to accomplishing her goal. But that was a demon calling and she was preprogrammed to obey. Her body pushed to a stand and marched toward the mountain. Not again, I’m no one’s slave.
Snake Woman slapped herself hard enough to see stars, but it didn’t help. Her body moved to the beat and the commands of that demonic voice—until she smacked into an invisible barrier. It wove between those wonderful menhirs, and she kissed it. An electric shock coursed through her, knocking her away from that beautiful shield and she laughed.
I’m truly free! And my lips are numb—what an odd sensation. Snake Woman rubbed her mouth as she turned and fought for every step away. Those two rings of standings stones reduced the demon’s call, but it still thrummed through her, making her want to go to it.
Her legs became rubbery and she teetered, slamming her shoulder into a tree. Snake Woman flopped on to her belly, banging her chin. His call must subside eventually. I just need to put some distance between myself and that damned mountain. She shot it a baleful glare over her shoulder. Two women stepped out from behind the inner ring of menhirs.
Oh shit. Snake Woman dug her fingers into the dirt and pulled herself forward, inch by painful inch. She must escape the woman drawing a black blade from her hip sheathe or her plans were ruined.
Ranispara unsheathed her knife. It was eighteen inches of polished black death in her hands.
“What are you doing?” Inari squeezed the wrist she still held, but Ranispara yanked her arm free.
“My job. Stay here. That thing looks dangerous.”
“No, I’m coming with you. You’ll need a witness.” Inari rose from her crouch.
Ranispara shoved Inari behind her, which was fine because Inari was the taller of the two women. “Are you always this difficult?”
“According to my husband, yes.” Inari shrugged, though that admission hurt. “Apparently a partnership is not what he wants.”
“Nolo said that?” Ranispara glanced over her shoulder at Inari.
Inari shrugged. “Not in so many words, no, but let’s discuss my marital problems over a bottle of wine later. That thing is starting to come around.”
“Only if there’ll be cookies.”
“You know there will be.”
“Good.” Ranispara nodded and took a cautious step forward.
The snake creature was rolling around on the ground laughing and looking less dangerous by the moment. So Inari flanked her friend, and they struck an invisible wall at the same time. It bowed and flexed, sending them stumbling away from the space between two menhirs.
“Ow, what the hell was that?” Ranispara rubbed her face. Inari did the same. Her nose felt numb where it had struck the invisible wall, but the sensation was fading. She touched the space between those stones and her fingers met resistance—not the same as with a glass pane, but there was something there.
“I don’t know, but it’s definitely magical.”
“Damn it! That thing is getting away.” Ranispara hammered the heel of her hand into the invisible wall. “Let us pass.”
Inari captured Ranispara’s wrist before she could strike the shield again. “Let her go. She’s leaving not trying to enter. Your job is done. Mount Eredren is safe—” Inari broke off as the mountain jiggled. “I take that back.”
Up a rise, Snake Woman crawled with trees towering to her left and her right. Not one offered any aid, nor did they even react to her presence. Maybe she registered as harmless to their hive mind. Which she was. Right now, she couldn’t break any of the forest’s three rules even if she’d wanted to. So she slid down the other side of the hill, glad for gravity’s assist hoping she could lose the warrior woman down there.
Something about the demon’s call changed when she reached the bottom of the defile. Maybe it was the timbre or the content of his summons. Or maybe she was becoming immune to it because the more she crawled, the more control she had over her musculature. She breathed a sigh of relief and rose. She still felt a lingering urge to go to Mount Eredren, but she fought it down and hiked up the incline in front of her.
Where did little miss priestess go with my black lumir crystal? Come out, come out wherever you are, psycho girl.
Snake Woman grinned as she headed for her cache of goods. Before taking on the priestess, she needed a few things. Besides, finding that Seeker and her prize wouldn’t be hard. No doubt she’d left a mile-wide trail of destruction leading right to her.
But first, go get your things. You need protection before you can tangle with that black lumir crystal.
Inari and Ranispara exchanged shocked glances as Mount Eredren stilled.
“It's just another earthquake, nothing to worry about.” But Ranispara bit her lip and looked less certain of that than she sounded.
“What do we do now?”
Ranispara pointed to Mount Eredren. “Someone needs to report in.”
“Right, we tell Jerlo and let him sort it out.” Inari nodded, liking the idea the more she thought about it.
“What’s this ‘we’ business? You have your own errand, remember?”
“Oh no, you’re not cutting me out of this.” Inari shook her head. “You’ll find a way past their cordon and go after that snake girl, and I'm going with you.”
“What about your sister?” Ranispara pointed to the ships.
Inari cursed. Right, she already had a mission—Aralore. Inari stamped her foot family obligations always interfered with the best-laid plans.
“If I go deal with my crazy sister, then who’ll speak to Jerlo?”
Ranispara cursed. Shading her eyes, she scanned the meadow seeking someone else to dump that problem on, but she saw no one because the Rangers were stretched dangerously thin. “Damn it. Where the hell is Mardeck?”
Missing in act
ion as always. The Ranger was never where he should be. Considering he ran the day watch, that was a serious problem.
“He must be on the other side of the mountain.” Her tone said he’d better be there or else.
Someone was running across the meadow, but he wasn’t Mardeck. Though, he was shouting for that worthy. Ranispara cursed her luck again. That snake girl was gone too.
“Look, I must deal with this.” Ranispara hooked a thumb in the running man’s direction. “Why don’t you wait five minutes while I straighten out his problem, so I can accompany you? Then we can go to Jerlo together. You might need a witness.”
A bitter laugh bubbled up, but Inari bit it back, shaking her head. “Thank you but I need to deal with my sister on my own.”
Ranispara waggled a finger at her. “Fine but I want details. Find me afterward and deliver them, okay? If you don’t, I might storm the ship in search of you. And I’ll come armed for bear.” She gestured to her hip sheath where a blade made of polished obsidian rested.
“What about Jerlo? He needs to know what we saw though I doubt he’ll believe it.”
“You’re right. I could send a runner. There should be one by the docks. But it would be best if we both spoke to him. Two people can’t have the same hallucination.”
Inari nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Go solve the problems of the world, and I’ll deal with my sister.”
“Yeah right, I wish.” Without another word, Ranispara jogged to intercept the Ranger speeding toward Mount Eredren.
Grass crunched as Inari continued toward a confrontation ten-years overdue. Why did Aralore come here? Fear welled up causing her foot to slip as grass gave way to water-smoothed stones. She caught herself on a rock standing taller than her. Could her sister know about Sarn? Had the Seekers come to destroy him?
Inari squared her shoulders. Answers waited aboard that vessel, and she must pry them free. Sarn’s life might depend on them.
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