The two men took turns petting the swifen’s feathery neck or stroking its long nose. The unicorn lowered its head for more attention, making the men smile.
“Didn’t you used to have lighter colored hair?” Gahn asked, braving a glance at her. “You were here several years ago. The life of the party.”
“See,” Rose said. “I told you guys.”
“Shush,” Victoria said, her tone falling somewhere between embarrassment and admonishment.
“You've been gone a long time,” Kale said. “We were all hoping you'd come back.”
“She’s been busy ruling Unsel,” Jaden said. “Soon to be queen, you know.”
“What?” Gahn asked. He elbowed Kale, and they both fell to a knee.
Jaden let out an evil chuckle and stopped when he realized Dallow was laughing too.
“And this is why I prefer traveling with Angst.” Victoria shook her head. “Better company, and better at sticking to the plan.”
Jaden froze, practically choking on a gasp. It was hard to tell if he was more upset about her preference of traveling companions, or if he suddenly remembered her title was to be kept secret.
“Speaking of Angst.” Victoria faced the two half-naked men. “Have you seen a man in his forties traveling with a young blond woman. She would’ve looked like a tramp. He’s stocky, handsome, and very charming.”
“I’m going to throw up,” Dallow whispered.
“We can share a bucket,” Rose said, not whispering enough.
“That sounds like a lot of people,” Kale said, looking sideways at Gahn.
“He was…different,” she said, hopefully. “Two giant swords on his back…”
They looked at each other, their eyes wide and their faces pale.
“Your Highness,” Gahn whispered. “You know we’re not supposed to say who comes and goes.”
“Tell me,” she shouted. With a snap of her fingers, the unicorn disappeared. Both men cowered, now completely unsure where to go. With her thumb pressed against her middle finger, she raised her hand before their eyes and glared at them. “Don’t make me snap you away, too.”
“We saw him,” Kale stuttered.
“Who was he with?” Victoria asked.
“A woman, she was much younger, and pretty with honey blond hair,” Kale said. “They went shopping, and then she did look like a—”
“Of course she did,” she said. “Go on.”
“He was also with two young women,” Gahn said. “Twins, both beautiful like you.”
“What?” Victoria asked. “Twins?”
“He’s made new friends,” Rose said.
“Not a surprise,” Dallow said, rolling his eyes.
“Where did they go?” Mirim asked
“We were at the back of the party when something attacked,” Gahn said. “We ran until we couldn’t. We’ve been lost in the woods ever since.”
“You were right, Your Highness,” Dallow corrected. “You knew right where to find him.”
“Her,” Victoria corrected. “Angst isn’t always predictable unless he’s flirting. Alloria has changed, but it was obvious for her to fall back on her old ways.”
“What do we do with these two?” Mirim asked.
“Rose, please give them some food,” Victoria said. “Sean, can you help them find their way back to town?”
Kale and Gahn devoured a loaf of bread, some cheese, and a flask of water while Sean stepped away. He returned after several minutes, followed closely by a gray rabbit.
“Bunny,” Kale said, pointing to show Gahn.
“Follow it.” Simon nodded at the rabbit. “He’ll lead you to safety.”
And without a bow or dismissal, the two men chased the rabbit through the woods.
“This place doesn’t change much.” Rose shook her head and smiled. “There’s a candle in the window, but no one is home.”
“Rose,” Victoria said, coolly. “Please lead us the rest of the way.”
Rose guided them on foot to The Fette. After ten minutes, the trees opened to a clearing. Rose covered her mouth with a hand and looked back at Victoria in shock.
Somewhere within the unrealistic fantasies of Victoria the teenager, she’d hoped to find Alloria and Angst amidst the party. After ceremoniously dismissing her traitorous cousin (which came in many different forms, from sending her back to prison to beating her senseless), Tori would release her traveling companions from their duties and proceed to enjoy The Fette with Angst. It was the best fantasy because it meant things were somewhat back to normal, at least between her and her best friend.
Victoria the soon-to-be-queen, the leader of this group preparing to go to war with her best friend, was reluctantly becoming a realist. The Fette party must’ve ended in chaos that frightened away the attendees. A stampede path led from the bonfire through a patch of tents and trampled right over her fantasy.
“Looks like Angst was here,” Dallow said.
“You don’t understand. It’s worse than that,” Rose said. “When the party moves, nothing is left behind.”
“The Fette leaves no feet,” Victoria said.
“What does that mean?” Sean asked.
“They try not to leave a footprint,” Rose explained. “Not only taking care of nature as best they can but making it hard for others to locate them if they come back. This is bad.”
“Your Majesty,” Mirim said. “If I may?”
“Go ahead,” Victoria said, conceding command. Her heart was heavy enough to distract her focus. Even as a young teen she’d felt safe at The Fette, and now it was tainted by the scars of war.
“Rose, stay with the princess. Sean, tell your friends to let us know if anyone’s coming,” Mirim commanded, pointing around the camp’s edge. “Everyone else dismount and check for survivors. There are plenty of tents still standing.”
Victoria headed straight to the bonfire, delicately traversing the tent maze, hoping she wouldn’t stumble over a body. Mirim and Rose followed closely. The dry smell of ash filled her nostrils as they reached the fire pit. It didn’t take long to find several oily, black feathers.
“I guess they found him,” Rose said.
“Rose, go tell the others to hurry,” Victoria said, stiffly. “I don’t want to be here if any Berfemmian come back.”
A short while later, they gathered at the bonfire.
“There are no bodies amongst the tents,” Mirim said, her tone very formal. “I consider this good news and suspect they all escaped.”
“Can we be sure?” Victoria asked.
Sean nodded.
“Animals don’t exactly keep track of humans,” Simon explained. “But there was nothing here for them to, uh, eat after the battle was done.”
“Gross,” Victoria said. “But good, I guess.”
“How did the harpies find Angst?” Rose asked. “Unless he’s showing off with lightning, he’s just a guy with two giant spatulas on his back.”
They all looked at each other for answers. Before Victoria could speak, Jaden let out an uncomfortable cough.
“In my future, harpies are considered the best trackers,” Jaden said.
“That would’ve been good to know,” Dallow chided. “Do you know how they track someone? Are they tracking Angst’s swords?”
“No,” Jaden said, rolling his eyes. “You can’t track something magical, like foci. I’m surprised you don’t know that.”
Dallow grimaced and took a step forward. Victoria held out a warning hand that was enough to stop him, for now.
“In the future, harpies are more bird than human. I once witnessed someone torture a harpy,” Jaden said with a shudder. “She eventually explained that they can sense a connection to their prey. Especially lust and love.”
“Well, I’m safe,” Rose said in a winning tone.
“Liar,” Victoria said.
“But really, any strong emotional bond will do,” Jaden continued.
“Like hatred or anger,” Dallow said.
“It’s at least a comfort to know that if the harpies were hunting me,” Dallow said, “they’d kill you first.”
“Boys,” Victoria said with an exhausted sigh.
“Is there any way to throw them off the scent?” Mirim asked.
“None that I’m aware of,” Jaden said.
“Do you know how the Berfemmain became harpies, or why they track emotional bonds?” Mirim asked.
“Unfortunately, no,” Jaden said.
“Useful,” Dallow scoffed.
“Considering how many of us feel something for Angst,” Victoria said, looking around, “if they are on the hunt, why aren’t they swarming?”
“Sean thinks that if their change happened recently, it might not be complete.” The brothers were both nodding.
“Maybe they aren’t all instinct,” Dallow said. “Maybe they still have free will.”
“For now,” Nikkola said. “But how long will that last?”
23
Angst had faced more Vex’steppe tribesmen at one time, but that was alone, and there was no risk in throwing caution to the wind. This was different. He couldn’t harm Alloria, shouldn’t harm Ivan, and the tribesmen hadn’t killed anyone. The dark-skinned, scantily clad men with sweat-painted muscles and nervous faces twitched with his every breath, as though he was going to steal the last morsel of food on Ehrde.
The two young dragons glared at Angst hungrily, licking their lips. They were smaller than most he’d seen, only half the height of nearby trees. It would take them several chews to swallow any one of them whole. The warriors standing beside the red-horned beasts shuffled away from the pooling lava that drooled from their mouths.
The poor tribesman in charge of Alloria was menacingly trying not to pierce her temple with a dagger. Blood tricked along her jaw and dripped from her chin. Every time he’d step away, she’d stand and bite at him. It was laughable, but she was doing a much better job at maniacal laughter than Angst ever could.
“Let’s see you get us out of this one, hero,” Ivan said. He winced as his captor poked the back of his neck with a knife tied to the end of his long staff.
“Don’t you dare do that again,” Angst said to the tribesman.
The knight jerked as the tribesman jabbed him again.
“Please, stop,” Angst said in a deadpan voice.
“I hate you,” Ivan said with a flinch as his captor stabbed his ear.
“Well, I guess that means you’re serious,” Angst said, loudly enough for them all to hear. He slowly drew the swords from his back, and to the awe of every tribesmen, rested them on their tips and let go. They watched in anticipation, waiting for the swords to fall.
“Hi, I’m Angst,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Who’s going to die first? My bet is you.” He nodded at the one nearest Alloria. The man’s eyes darted between Angst and the not-falling swords. “Oh, you’re wondering about my foci. I don’t need those. At least, not to kill a handful of guys and two little dragons.”
“They aren’t little,” a man near the dragons said defensively.
“Smallest ones I’ve killed lately,” Angst said, placing his fists on his hips.
“Enough,” said an older man from the back.
This tribesman was probably Angst’s age. It was hard to determine from his physical perfection, jerk, but his calm voice, receding hair, and tired expression were telling. He walked halfway across the clearing and rested his knife-ended staff on the ground, followed by three daggers, a short sword, and a smallish hatchet. As naked as these men were, Angst was shocked at how many weapons the man carried. A bow and three daggers later, he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.
“We’re not hugging,” Angst said.
“You aren’t very good at this,” the man said. “We took your servant and mistress without effort.”
“I’m not his servant,” Ivan grumbled.
“She’s not my mistress,” Angst said.
“Not yet, baby,” Alloria said.
Angst rolled his eyes. “What is this about?”
“We had to be certain you are the Angst,” the man said. “We feared you would attack if we merely approached you, so we took precautions. Even with your power, you couldn’t save them and kill us at the same time. We will now parlay while on top of the hill.”
“First of all, don’t call me the Angst. I sort of like it, but it’s pretentious,” he said. “Just Angst, now and always.”
The man nodded once in acceptance.
His opponent was right about being bad at this. Ignoring Hector’s advice to think before attacking was a mistake. Another, often repeated bit of advice from his old mentor was to negotiate from a point of strength, from the high ground, or the top of the hill.
“Second…” His timing had to be perfect, so they understood. With a deep breath, Angst drew enough power from both swords to move as fast as he could.
He blurred to Alloria while simultaneously blasting her captor with air. Even before the man crashed against a nearby tree and crumpled to the ground, Angst had returned to where he started, releasing Alloria, who collapsed. The other tribesmen took a step back while both dragons stood tall and drew in air.
“My hero,” she said, hugging his leg and rubbing her cheek against his thigh. “This is why I lo—”
“Ugh,” he said, shaking his leg until she quieted. He returned his focus to their leader. “Second, I don’t parlay from the bottom of the hill. You’re outnumbered.”
The other tribesmen laughed; the middle-aged man did not.
“Stop, all of you,” he shouted, raising a hand. “What do you mean, outnumbered?”
“Boys,” he shouted.
Twenty gamlin of all sizes dove up from the ground as if they were dolphins leaping from water. The hedgehog/porcupine creatures with human faces and practically indestructible hides ranged from two inches to three feet tall. A nervous tribesman threw a dagger that bounced off a larger gamlin. It horted with annoyance. The dragons inched back nervously, surprising every tribesman nearby.
“The gamlin are yours?” Ivan asked, looking around in stunned silence as if the creatures would steal his gold.
“They’re so cute,” Alloria said, clapping her hands.
“My gamlin eat dragons for dessert. Do we have an understanding?” Angst asked. “Because it’s taking everything I’ve got to keep them from coring your pets like apples.”
“Weapons down,” their leader said, an almost-smile creeping up his cheek.
The tribesmen lowered their weapons, and the gamlin turned to look at Angst.
“You did good, kids,” Angst said with a nod. “Back into hiding, but stay close.”
Several of the smaller ones waved before diving back into the ground, leaving nothing more than a small wake of dirt behind.
“Who are you?” Angst asked. “And what’s this all about?”
“I’m SMyket,” the older man said. “And you’re in great danger.”
“That would’ve been news a year ago,” Angst said, waving Ivan over. “You’re already boring.”
Jaws dropped, and SMyket grimaced, gripping his staudauf so hard that the wood handle strained. Maybe it was a bit harsh, but Angst really didn’t have the time, or patience, to be cordial.
“If this is how you treat allies,” SMyket said, “It’s no wonder most on Ehrde hate you.”
“Allies?” Angst said. “Allies don’t kidnap and threaten my companions.”
“We didn’t kill them out of respect,” SMyket said, looking perplexed. “You apparently do not understand the tribes if you saw that as a threat. Your companions live. That is our gift.”
“Sorry I missed something so obvious. It’s been a long life, and I seem to have misplaced my courtesy along the way,” Angst said, rolling his eyes. “You were going to warn me of something. Please share so we can move on.”
“Warbands are after you,”
SMyket said. “Not just one, but many.”
“Who?” Angst asked. “How many?”
“So far, we have counted five parties of twenty to thirty fighters,” SMyket said. “They are comprised of Fulk’han, Nordruaut, and others from the tribes.”
“So, what about you and your friends?” Angst said. “Why all of this?”
“We believe our leader ANduaut is evil,” SMyket said. “He is not aware, but we are not with him.”
“ANduaut?” Angst asked. “Not the guy Faeoris kept thrashing for turning the Berfemmian away?”
Many of the tribesmen chuckled, a few laughed out loud.
SMyket remained stoic. “You are correct,” he said. “ANduaut rejected her, and all Berfemmian, during the mating cycle. He is a fool.”
“He really is,” Angst said. “She was stuck in her mating cycle when we met and almost sexed me to death. It was everything I could do not to—”
Alloria’s glare caught his eye. It was so furious that he took a step back.
“But actually, I didn’t even notice her, at the time, when it happened,” Angst said, rubbing the back of his neck. “What was ANduaut thinking?”
“ANduaut chooses to lie with men,” SMyket said.
“Oh,” Angst said. “Well, that’s a reason not to have sex with her.”
“Yes,” SMyket nodded. “But he turned the Berfemmian away from all of us. Only some are like him. The rest are as locked in the same mating cycle as the women. It was a mistake.”
“Huge. Huge mistake. No wonder you think he’s evil,” Angst said, lifting his swords. Blue and red lightning sparked between them, covering his arms and hands. “But that doesn’t absolve any of you for what happened in Rohjek.”
“No. No, it doesn’t,” SMyket said, looking at the others.
The tribesmen all bowed their heads in shame. Several covered their eyes, either fighting back tears or the horror of what they’d seen. The entire nation had been wiped out and fed to dragons, so they could nest. It was a horror beyond comprehension.
“Our small group of rebels saw many to freedom,” SMyket said. “But it wasn’t enough, and too terrible a burden to live with.”
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