by Bill Albert
Once she was sure the horses were ready, she started back to the main building but stopped and stared at the sight of a man digging a grave nearby. He was dark haired and wore a red tinted armor with a sword in a leather sheath on each side of his body.
She approached slowly but when the man spiked the shovel into the ground and wiped his face clean, she saw it was Acrufix. He looked in to the open grave and then ran in to the restaurant only to return a minute later carrying a large dirty bag. He laid the bag on the ground and opened it to reveal his shiny metal armor. Piece by piece, starting from the helmet and working downward, he reconstructed a body. Without looking he grabbed the shovel and returned the dirt into the hole.
Gallif left him in peace and returned to the restaurant just as Lincilara dove into the room and circled their heads excitedly. “I know a way in,” she danced in thin air.
“A nice, easy, and dry way into the swamp?” Blinks asked hopefully.
“Well,” Lincilara failed at hiding her enthusiasm and flew in a figure eight around their heads. “It’s nice and easy and two out of three is pretty good.”
Blinks sighed and ran his fingers along his new armor. At least it was still undamaged so it should keep most of him dry for a while. He just really hated the feel of those little gooey things when they slid inside his boots.
“We have to head north along the Indafish road for about four miles until we hit a short waterfall. That leads to a stream that cuts through the woods and empties out into the swamp. There’s plenty of tress on either side so we won’t be seen by anyone. Then, when we get to the swamp, we have to go straight east, and I mean straight,” she said and flew in a straight line across the room several times. “Straight as straight can be,” she chirped. “Then there is a dry road we can get on for a while. That’s as far as I got.”
“That’s my girl,” Gallif smiled at her. “Let’s get going as soon as we can. I’ve got the horses ready.”
“What about Shiny Guy?” Blinks asked even though it was obvious he didn’t care.
“He’s out back near the stable.”
Within five minutes they left the stables and headed north.
Gallif rode Snow with pride and Lincilara rested between the horse’s ears. They had made a deal that as long as the fair kept the flies off him, she could ride as long as she wanted. As long as Gallif was near her the fairy was perfectly happy where she was at.
Luvin had rushed forward to make sure he was directly behind her. Not only did he have to guide Sparks but one of the donkey’s reins was tied to his saddle. It was the one carrying the salt and he would make sure it was never too far from her.
Jakobus was next in line and had the other donkey with him. He had no particular fear of swamps or the natural creatures inside them. It was the unnatural ones that worried him, and he prayed to Ha’dar for protection for all of them.
Blinks followed rubbing Horse’s mane as they rode. He felt guilty that he hadn’t been paying much attention to Horse lately. The animal had been a gift from his brother and sometimes the bond they had managed to form made up for the absence of his family member. He also wanted to keep an eye on the newest member.
Acrufix was last. It seemed an odd place for him to be at first but reminded himself that it was best to stay back. It was a reminder that he was not ‘The Keeper of the Faith’ anymore and had left that character behind. He felt humbled and believed that was what his god wanted him to remember to free his soul.
Lincilara’s directions were accurate and soon they were headed eastward into the swamp. They were confident they were doing what was right.
Gallif didn’t know that all of the losses she had experienced in her short life would be nothing compared to what she would have to face in the weeks ahead. There were more than a few ghosts in the darkness of the swamps and some of them would change her life forever. As she looked back at those that followed her, she didn’t dare consider the possibility that they would not all return.
TWENTY-SIX: A KINGDOM FALLING
For a while Aliala had been the most popular girl in the school. Of the one hundred and twelve girls at the school she was the only one who had ever met a legend. They had all seen the Giant Lords and most of them had either seen, or known someone who had seen, Acrufix but not only had Aliala met Gallif but she had sat with her and Gallif had even slept at her house. She had gotten lots of attention and it had been a full week before she could make it from one class to another without someone asking her about what had happened. Aliala had told all the details about what Gallif had worn, how she talked, even the way her hair had smelt. She had gotten the best seats at lunch and even the teachers had occasionally asked for a bit of information and confirmation. It had been paradise. Despite that, as the official proclamation was read during the weekly gathering of the student body, she felt people turning away. There were a few questioning looks as the announcement had started but before professor Gerar had finished even people on the same bench as she was were nudging away.
When it was revealed that the Giant Lords had positively discovered who was responsible for bringing down Starpoint Mountain there was a wave of excitement from the crowd. They felt even better when they were told that the guilty party was being hunted by the elite guards and the fear of more terror attacks faded away. When they were finally told who had caused the fall there was a full minute of silence. Gallif was a criminal, she was now Fugitive Kind. She was responsible for the fall of Starpoint Mountain and the assassination of the Fourth Minister.
No one was looking at Aliala as she sat near tears with shock. She could feel things slipping away and her young heart was pounding furiously. She had liked Gallif, looked up to her, and knew deep down inside that Gallif was innocent.
“Is there anything anyone would like to say? Are there any questions?” the principle asked to break the silence. As expected, the only movement in the crowd, the only person who rose their hand, was the little halfling girl in the back row. “Yes, Aliala, I’m sure you would like to say something. I’m sure your friends here will understand how you were victimized to believe her dishonesty.”
Aliala stood and walked boldly to the center of the room. With shaking knees, she stepped up on to stage and knew everyone in the room was ready for her to apologize. “The Giant Lords say Gallif is guilty,” she said and saw lots of people nod in agreement. “What if they’re lying?”
NEXT:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
The author lives in a small town in Iowa that he enjoys very much. He works in a factory but spends lots of time there thinking about being someplace else. He has had several short stories published, wrote, directed and produced a radio play, and this is his fourth novel. The first novel is “TIME WEB TREMORS” and is available at Lulu and Kindle. The second novel was based on a TV series and is unpublished. He also has written and produced several short films like “THE BURNING ROOM,” “EMILY’S GHOST” and “IT’S NOT EASY BEING A ZOMBIE” that are available on Vimeo.