by R Cavanaugh
She was sitting on the cold earth and had her back against a tree. The door could barely be seen through the trees before her, but she didn’t need to see it to know that it was there.
The door and everything behind it loomed over her like a cloud that just wouldn’t stop dropping rain. There was so much riding on her team’s success. But the task would be far from easy. The door led to an enclosure filled with creatures who preferred a human for food and needed one for reproduction. If they all survived the run through the enclosure, then there was the castle itself.
The castle was huge, or at least to Rose it was, and she had to search through and find one man in it. That man was Igneous Stipes, and he was by far the most dangerous person that she had heard of. He was said to be cunning and exceptionally good at getting what he wanted, by force or otherwise. Most people wanted to avoid him, but they were setting out to find and stop this man.
“Rose.” It was Aphra, and she was on her hands and knees, coming over to her.
“Yes?” Rose whispered back and turned to see that Siren was coming over as well.
“We were wondering if it would be best to move back if no fighting starts tonight?”
“Um…”
Rose was going to answer the thought, but a dull roar reached her ears.
“Rose!” hissed an excited Orpheus, “They are fighting!”
“It’s time, then,” Rose said, standing up slowly, not wanting to make too much noise. If they were too loud and got caught, this would all be over very quickly.
“Do you suppose it is locked?” Courage asked, practically blending into the darkness with his black exterior.
“No,” Nightsky replied quickly but in a whisper, “Rachel said it wasn’t ever locked because no one ever made it out.”
“Besides, there is a rock at the base we press to open it,” Rose whispered and found herself focusing exactly on which rock Rachel said it was. It should be right at the foot of the door and exactly where the door opens.
“And we want to go in?” Devin said, pulling out his sword. He sounded as though the idea was somewhere in between ludicrous and funny.
“Crazy, huh?” Don said, a shadow of a grin on his face.
There were only a few others with them because too large a party would draw attention. They had volunteered because they felt that they were going to be part of the most important fight of the battle. They were also, for the most part, very young and slightly less experienced. Altogether they were a party of twelve people and ten animals. Two of the volunteers hadn’t even gone into the Forest of Promise to find their animal yet.
“Are we ready?” Vengeance said humorously. Apparently she thought all of this was funny. It had been clear since the meeting in the tent that she neither trusted Rose nor wanted to follow her.
Were they ready? The answer was no, but the time was now.
“On three,” Rose said, holding up one hand.
“One,” she mouthed, raising her pointer finger.
“Two.” She raised her middle finger to join the other.
“Three.”
They ran to the door, crossing the small gap between the woods and the door that was covered in short grass. Rose, reaching it first, opened it with the stone and allowed the others to go inside before following with Nightsky. Once they were all in, the door closed with an unnerving thud.
She couldn’t believe the sheer size of the place. It had clearly been magically enhanced, and the light was artificial. It was a frightful place, and she couldn’t wait to be out of it.
“OK,” she breathed, “the other door is straight ahead from here, so everyone meet me on the other side.”
Nods could be seen in the artificial light, and they all disappeared to find the door. People and animals were doing as they discussed and heading in the door’s direction but taking different paths to get there. Rose and Nightsky followed, moving swiftly and silently.
The enclosure was mostly dark, with pockets of magical, artificial light. The ground was mounded and far from flat, making running on it more than challenging. Not only was the ground uneven, but boulders and rocks were strewn everywhere. The trees were massive and unearthly, looking as if magic had not only grown them but fed them. It was an overall eerie place, where the greenish lights made one feel something was about to happen.
“Ahhh!”
The scream came from her right, and without thinking she shifted her direction slightly.
“Rose!” Nightsky called after her, moving quickly to catch up.
Rose ran this way and that, dodging bushes, trees, and other obstacles before she got to the source of the scream. There, before her very eyes, was a twelve-foot trasicore, and it was holding Devin.
The creature let out its horrible roar and tightened its clawed grip around Devin’s waist and legs.
“Help me!” he screamed and tried to get at his sword. The creature would have none of it, however, and switched limbs, going from using its left clawed limb to its right tentacle.
Rose pulled her sword to stab the trasicore but was lifted off her feet by something.
Upside down she saw another, smaller one now had her by the ankle and had brought her level with its face. The creature’s breath was putrid, and its fangs an off yellow gray. It was just at that moment that she heard a loud crunching noise behind her that meant that Devin was no more. There was even a satisfied sort of growl after the crunching stopped.
“Argh!” she cried as she sent her sword right through the creature’s head, between both sets of eyes. It dropped her and fell to the ground, and it continued to make a strange gurgling sound. She quickly righted herself, scrambling to get to her feet and searching for Nightsky.
“Nightsky!” Rose called and turned around to see her stabbing the twelve-foot creature repeatedly, though the first few times would have done it.
“You,” she said, taking pauses between stabs, “evil—son—of—a—bitch!”
She stopped, out of breath and swaying a little. Apparently she was dizzy from stabbing the creature so violently. After taking a moment to steady herself, she stood upright and looked at Rose. She was so upset that it took her a moment to find her composure.
“Where’s Orpheus?” Rose said, looking around, searching for the white lizard that usually stood out in every scenario he was in.
“He is there.” Nightsky swallowed and looked in the direction of the trampled path that the trasicore had made. Bushes and trees had been pushed aside to make room for the trasicore’s direct route to his easy meal.
Looking among the destruction, she saw something white and broken. Orpheus was flattened and centered in a dusty footprint left by the creature that had devoured his friend and companion. It was clear to Rose that Orpheus had tried to intervene and save his friend, but size made a difference in this fight and Orpheus had lost.
“He didn’t stand a chance,” Nightsky whinnied and stamped her hooves.
“I know, Nightsky,” Rose said dolefully. “I know.”
Rose took another quick look around and noted that she was out of breath from the fighting. This was not going to be easy, as they had already lost two, and that was two too many.
“We need to move before more of those things smell the blood,” Nightsky said, looking around nervously.
“Yah,” Rose breathed and started to look around and regain focus in the process. Seeing a path that must have been made by repetitive movement gave Rose an idea.
“What do you want to bet that following that path will lead up to the door to the castle?” Rose said, starting to move with Nightsky right behind her.
“Could be,” Nightsky replied as she ran to keep up with Rose.
The path was dusty and smooth, very different from the rest of the terrain. Rose could only hope that the path led to where she thought, because they were trekking farther and farther int
o the enclosure with every step.
She was just starting to worry that she had made a poor choice when she came upon the clearing that Rachel had described and saw an ancient-looking wood door with the same copper finishing.
“Nightsky,” she breathed heavily, pointing at the door as she continued to run.
In reaching the door, she stopped and placed a hand to her chest, still breathing hard. It wasn’t long before others from their party arrived, and it soon became clear that they had lost the better half of their party. Don and Vengeance came trudging through the same area that Rose had, and Courage was only seconds behind them. Nightmare flew to the ground and seemed to have been monitoring the situation from above and explained that most of the rest of their party had become a late-night meal for the trasicores.
“Not only have they eaten, but somehow the door opened in the back, and now they are free and out in the world,” Nightmare said and looked as though she might like to rip someone’s throat out.
“Oh great,” Nightsky glowered, “now we have to worry about more of them out there.”
It was as the group was freaking out about the loose creatures that Siren, Aphra’s sapphire fox, came tottering into the clearing.
“Siren,” Rose started to ask, concerned and fearing the worst, “where’s Aphra?”
“I’m here.” Rose had to turn around in a half circle to see Aphra leaning on the door and bleeding from her right leg very badly.
“I was attacked by a small one,” she said in explanation, looking up at the horrified group.
“If Siren hadn’t run in front of it and offered a distraction…” She sighed and looked at the fox gratefully, “I would not have been able to get away.”
“How are we going to move around with her like that?” Vengeance hissed angrily and reaffirming Rose’s deep dislike of her.
“She’ll be all right,” Don said firmly, looking at Vengeance with a questioning look. “I’ll look after her.”
Rose nodded and looked at the few left to take the castle. It wasn’t looking good, but it was now or never, and she looked at Nightsky. She read the message loud and clear.
“Ready?” Nightsky asked them all, her horn starting to glow.
There were several slight nods around the group and, with Rose’s nod giving the go-ahead, Nightsky turned back toward the door.
There was a sudden flash of brilliant light that emanated from her horn, followed by the soft click of a door unlocking. There was a creak, and the door lay open before them.
Rose held her breath, waiting to see if they would be met with resistance. No one came.
“Go!” Rose whispered urgently and quickly. They all piled through.
The room was just as Rachel described it. A wall that was a window. A hallway that led right from the door to a prison keep and a second hallway running parallel to the glass wall. The second hallway started with four intricate pillars that led to an archway, signifying the entrance.
“All right,” Rose said softly and looked around, “let’s split up as soon as we reach the surface.”
“One group to take the king and the other to let our army into the castle and city?” Vengeance said, taking over and annoying Nightsky enough for her to snort in irritation.
“Right,” Rose whispered and was about to break off when a very unwelcome sight appeared in the corner of her eyes.
Soldiers that outnumbered them three to one came charging in. It was as if they had known that they would be there.
Crap, Rose thought and prepared herself for the fight that was going to happen. But before she could get herself ready, Vengeance made her move.
“Charge!” she screamed, cutting down two men in one blow and engaging a third. Nightmare soon joined her, taking on several animals that belonged to the soldiers.
Having no other choice, Rose, too, engaged a foe and cut him across the back, kicking him out of the way.
“Rose, behind you!” came a frantic Courage, who was dealing with a gray wolf attempting to bite his ankles.
Rose turned and took in a sharp breath as a man came running toward her, sword raised. Rose tried to ready herself when in mid-run, he suddenly made a noise that sounded like the air had been sucked out of him. Rose watched as he fell to the ground, his eyes wide and face blank.
Where he had been standing was Nightsky’s horn, horizontal to the floor and in a stabbing position. She brought her head upright and composed herself as Rose mouthed, “Thank you.” Nightsky nodded and, after kicking another guard, joined Rose by the first of the pillars.
“Go!” someone called from inside the fray, and Rose craned her neck to see who it was.
“Just go, Rose!” It was Don. He and Vengeance were in the thick of it, with Courage and Nightmare doing their best to keep the other animals away from their humans. Aphra was trying her best to lend a hand in the battle, and Siren was nipping and scratching wherever she could.
Rose looked on the scene, with Nightsky waiting impatiently for her to go. Rose wanted to help but wasn’t sure how; she couldn’t just leave them, could she? Vengeance broke free with Nightmare and was running.
“Go!” Don cried again, and Rose nodded.
She turned and ran through the archway and down the hall with Nightsky, Vengeance and Nightmare only steps behind her.
Chapter 33
Exotius Obscurum
In the City Decorus Regnum Corset
Since the battle had begun, night had fallen, and so had many a brave man, woman, and animal. The battle was in full rage at this point, and there were no clear lines anymore. The only thing that was clear was the fact that the army of RTET was gaining ground and nearing the city’s walls.
James and Valor were in the thick of it, and they were finally in sight of the city’s gates. James had deserted his saddle and was now on foot with most of the others, as he had made a prime target on top of Valor. The men he had been fighting were tough and didn’t give up easily. Very few men gave in to defeat, and most died first before withdrawing. Neither side wanted to give in to the other.
“They’re retreating!” came the cry of a fellow member of his army, and some of the others cheered. James, however, didn’t think that it could possibly be that easy: not with Igneous and Exotius.
“Keep focused, everyone!” He heard Evan call firmly from somewhere in the distance. James looked around to find his leader and caught a glimpse of him about fifty yards in front of him. Allegiance was only feet away from Evan and lashed out at a soldier charging and roared.
James and the rest of the army of RTET pushed forward, glad to gain new ground without having to fight tooth and nail for it. But it soon became clear that they weren’t going to gain the next bit of ground so easily.
After running most of the distance between their army and the king’s, they saw that the king’s army had received reinforcements. The gates had opened, and men were now lining up to charge the enemy with renewed fury, and to make matters worse, they had some new creatures on their side.
It seemed that Rachel’s story about the king breeding trasicores was true, because there stood five of them, and they were the largest that James had ever seen or even heard of. They were pushing twenty feet tall, and they had limbs that were as long as a man is tall. Horror was all James felt at the sight of them. How was the army supposed to beat that?
“Oh, man.” James swallowed and stopped with the rest of the army.
“Evan!” Topaz called from somewhere on James’s right, “How do we get past that!?”
“By praying we are the lucky ones,” Valor whispered in James’s ear. He had found his way next to him and was limping, having been injured by a stray arrow that had grazed his right foreleg.
“Everyone!” Evan hollered, and he now had the whole army’s attention.
“You pledged to do all that was necessa
ry to bring this regime to its knees. You said that you would fight, even if you only had one leg to stand on and held a sword in your only remaining arm to finish this tyrant of a king.”
He paused, turning in his saddle to survey them and their tired, dirty faces. He had them all waiting with bated breath to hear what he had to say.
“Don’t quit now,” he said with an urgency that made James want to win even more. “Not now, when we are so close. So close to victory. So close to freedom.”
He rode slightly forward and turned his horse to face them all. He too looked battle tired and seemed to want to rest. But it was his face that told a different story. His face said that he still had a lot of fight in him yet.
“They,” he said, looking at them and pointing at the army behind him, “hide like cowards behind those horrifying beasts because they know they are beaten by purpose. By pride. By honor. That we will not stop until justice prevails and peace reigns throughout.”
He watched them all hold their breath.
“My friends,” he breathed and readied himself, “you are my family, and I would be willing to die alongside you. I am honored to be the one leading you out of the time of darkness and into a future of warmth and light.”
There was not a pair of eyes that were not upon him. There was not a sound that could be heard.
“So let us end this,” he said in a low growl. “Let us cut off the head of tyranny and hold it high to the dawn of freedom!”
There was a huge cry of approval from the army behind him. An army that, only moments ago, was filled with defeat and fear. But now they held their swords high and raised their bows and cheered on their leader, ready for the next stint of fighting. And looking toward the gates as if freedom emanated from the city beyond them.
“To victory!” Evan cried, charging forward at the center trasicore, Allegiance was running in his wake, ready to take down the creature single-handedly.
There was a great roar as the army of RTET charged forward behind him and clashed once more with the king’s army of annihilation. James was one of the first to reach the army after Evan, and he sank his sword into the first soldier he encountered. Valor was right behind him, trampling many under his hooves and causing some to move out of his way to save themselves.