“Pish-posh!” said the man, “Utter nonsense!” He ordered himself a drink from the waiter.
“There must be some portion of truth in these disconcerting stories since several people have repeated them to us,” said Bloom.
“There are monsters here, yes, but they are not the ones causing all this trouble!” grunted the man, as a drink was placed before him. The liquid fizzed, and blue bubbles spilled down the side of the glass. “These are political games, nothing more,” he said. The singer finished her song and then he jumped up and began to clap and holler louder than anyone else in the tavern. Amelliea asked to be excused. Bloom nodded and was annoyed to see that as soon as she left her seat was taken by a second stranger who was apparently waiting in the shadows to move in at the first opportunity. This man had a thick beard and was a shifty-looking character.
“He wants to know about the monsters,” said the first man, as if he felt obligated to offer some kind of explanation.
“Don’t concern yourself with our local problems,” discouraged the second man looking at Bloom. “Get your business done with and move along.”
“Now don’t get hot with me!” said Bloom, imitating their explosive manner of speech. “I’ve come a long way and I will not risk traveling your region uninformed!”
“Settle down,” whispered the first man darkly, “You attract unwanted attention with your foolishness!”
“Tell me now!” demanded Bloom hitting his large fist on the table so that the glasses jumped, “What of the decimated towns and villages? I must know, so tell me true!” he knew that if he made a scene they might tell him just to shut him up.
“I would not bother with a fly like you for a bucket of brandy!” spat the first man pushing his chair away from the table and standing in anger.
“You are a stranger in these lands, and it is not your place to make demands!” added the second, staring death at the wizard.
Bloom realized that the conversation had taken a bad turn. The first man took a swing at Bloom, and the wizard ducked. Bloom felt the man’s arm whoosh over his head. At that moment, a chiming chord was struck on a harp somewhere, and everyone froze. The three men looked up to see Amelliea sitting by the instrument on the stage. The young woman leaned the harp onto her shoulder and began to play a sweet piece of music, matching the graceful movement of her fingers with a song.
“Isn’t that your daughter?” asked the first man, sitting back down with a thump. Bloom nodded. The man stared at the wizard for a long moment as if judging his character. “I am a guard of the royal army,” he suddenly confessed. “I know the inner workings of the game, and I say to you the monsters are not to blame. Our government masks its own treachery with these tall tales.”
“What is their agenda?” asked Bloom.
“They want to raise the tax again, this time substantially more than before, and they do not want the common folk to resist. They say the tax money will go to fending off monsters, but really, it will go straight into the pockets of already wealthy men.”
“Which village is next?” asked Bloom.
“Don’t tell him,” hissed the second man from across the table.
“The Maxton village is next,” said the first man.
“Traitor!” whispered the second man venomously. “Conspirer!”
“My mother lives in that village!” defended the first man. He stood, and stormed out of the tavern.
“He’s a dead man, and so are you—” began the second man but he broke off, interrupted by an enormous yawn. His head suddenly hit the table and he began to snore in a most unattractive fashion, having fallen into an unexpected slumber. Bloom discreetly dropped a tiny crolackrolite stone into his pocket. Upon thinking it over for a moment, the wizard bent down to the man’s ear and whispered a second incantation, cursing the man with a disbelieving spell to ensure he would not stir up any trouble. No one would believe a word the man said for an entire year. Bloom wished he could have remembered a version of the spell with a shorter duration, but he consoled himself with the thought that the curse would likely do the man good.
The audience broke into applause, and Amelliea was helped down from the stage by several adoring fans. People in the tavern parted before her, forming a path as she walked to her father. They clapped admiringly and called out for another song. “Excellent work my dear,” said Bloom. Amelliea smiled and waved goodbye to her many fans.
Once they were outside, Bloom turned up the street in the opposite direction of the inn they were staying at.
“Where are we going now?” asked Amelliea.
“We are in the Coalsmith region,” said Bloom, “the region most famous for its master welders and metal smiths. I think it is time we fitted you with a real suit of armor!”
Amelliea stopped dead in her tracks. “Really?” she asked wistfully.
“Yes of course, follow me!” said Bloom, moving on to a welding workshop up ahead.
Amelliea ran to catch up. “I couldn’t have even dreamed—” she began, but inhaled sharply upon seeing the many fine suits of armor in the window display of the workshop. There were swords, and shields, helmets and finished suits of shiny new armor. The metal work was truly magnificent, and Amelliea could not keep her eyes from wandering across of the many items time and again. They went inside, and Bloom paid the smith and his team of helpers for a custom suit of their finest armor to be fashioned for Amelliea.
With a professional air, the welder took a few measurements of the girl, taking into account her missing arm. “We will have it done by morning, and deliver it straight to wherever you and your daughter are staying,” said the welder, immensely grateful for the work. He indicated with a gesture for his helpers to get to work immediately, and the boys in the shop rushed to fire up the welding ovens.
“That would be most timely,” said Bloom. “Though we do not require you to work all through the night.”
“We work better that way,” said the man, hitting one of his teenage apprentices on the back of the head. The boy had been staring at Amelliea. “There’s no distractions at night,” the welder finished. Embarrassed, the boy moved away, obviously reluctant to get to work and leave the company of the pretty girl.
Upon returning to the inn, Bloom and Amelliea spent a while formulating plans for the following day and then retired to their rooms to sleep.
Chapter 25
The Take Down
In the morning Amelliea dawned her new suit of armor only to find that it was light and flexible. Amelliea marveled at how easy it was to move around in her new metal costume. The welder and his team had outdone themselves in the fine quality of the suit. Even the cuff capping Amelliea’s missing arm was designed not only with maximum comfort and utility in mind, but also with an ornate patterning that was both subtle and feminine. Amelliea was, after all, first and foremost a lady!
“I feel spoiled rotten,” said Amelliea, fastening her weapons belt around her waist and glancing in the mirror with a smile.
“You must learn to receive what you deserve especially when it is something good!” said the wizard.
Bloom went downstairs to get directions to the Maxton village from the innkeeper and informed the man that they would be staying another night. Leaving most of their belongings behind, Bloom and Amelliea dressed and armed themselves for battle. Amelliea wore all of her new armor except for the helmet and the boots. The wizard brought his staff, and Amelliea slung her shield over her back. Her sword was sheathed comfortably at her side. The village was an hour’s trek outside of the city and the two hurried down several long, cobbled streets until they reached a dirt road leading out of town. They continued on their way until they came to a sign that indicated the village was close by.
“Keep an eye out for anything that strikes you as odd or out of place,” said Bloom. They progressed forward. “I only wonder if they will use real monsters to frighten the people, or if they will use some kind of trickery.”
“You think they wil
l use real monsters?” asked Amelliea.
“I am almost certain they will.”
“But how will they get the monsters to attack on command if the beasts are wild and notoriously un-trainable?” asked Amelliea.
“They will starve them, and then unleash the monsters when they are ravenous.”
“That’s horrible,” said Amelliea. “What makes you think they are starving the beasts?”
“Because the attacks have been approximately two weeks apart, and that is how long it takes for a large animal to go crazy with hunger.”
“How many do you think they have?” she asked.
“I would guess no more than four, since more than that would be impossible to handle.” They had reached a small aspen forest and they wove through the trees, staying off the main road.
“Look at this,” said Amelliea, pointing to one of the slender white tree trunks. An X had been freshly cut into the bark.
Bloom brought his face to the cut and smelled the wood. “The mark is no more than a day old,” he said.
“There is a second mark!” said Amelliea, pointing ahead.
They followed the cuts in the trees deeper into the aspen forest until they saw a thinning in the trees ahead. As they crept forward, they saw army men milling about in a field. Four giant crates sat at the heart of the field and a vicious roaring and snarling issued from within the crates.
“Looks like you were right,” whispered Amelliea.
“On my mark!” commanded a general, as a chariot pulled by a black horse was brought before the crates. “Now!” commanded the general, and the chariot took off, racing forward through the trees. “Release them!” yelled the general, and the crates were instantly pulled open. Four enormous monsters charged forth from their crates, chasing after the chariot. The monsters ribs were visible, as though they had not seen food in a long while. The grey, harry beasts roared with hunger, and digging their claws into the dirt, raced after the horse drawn chariot.
“Awaiting your command, sir!” said a soldier.
“Hold your positions,” said the general. “We must not rush in too soon after them, lest the villagers begin to suspect that we were nearby all along.”
“But the people—” began the soldier.
“Silence!” shouted the general. “You forget your place!”
Bloom touched the locket on his necklace.
“What do we do?” whispered Amelliea.
“We must protect the villagers!” said Bloom. Amelliea rushed after Bloom as he ran through the trees to the village. From afar, Bloom and Amelliea could see the beasts chasing the villagers through the streets. The monsters broke through the walls of huts and tore holes in the straw roofs. Screaming people ran this way and that, trying to escape.
Side by side the wizard and his daughter raced into the village. Amelliea positioned her shield over her missing arm and drew her sword. She yelled, making one of the monsters turn its attention upon her. She charged the monster, and it came at her. A barrel of chains lay tipped over on its side near the monster, and as the creature ran for Amelliea, Bloom uttered an incantation. The chains suddenly came to life and snaked around the monster’s feet. The beast tripped in mid action. As soon as it came crashing to the ground, the iron chains quickly snaked around its gray body, binding it so tightly it could barely move. Amelia found a big metal lock on the ground near the tipped over barrel. Temporarily sheathing her blade, she used the lock to secure the ends of the chains together. The creature thrashed around trying to right itself, but remained hopelessly on its back.
“Nice work,” said Amelliea to her father.
“One down, three more to go!” said Bloom, dropping a fresh crolackrolite stone into his waist pouch.
Another beast was busy trying to scrape out a few children from beneath a wooden horse trough. The creature had slimy brown skin, and yellow, rotten tusks. It’s dark claws scraped at the trough, leaving deep cuts in the wood. Bloom whistled loudly, and the creature snapped its milky eyes upon the wizard. Getting down on all fours, it pawed the ground and then ran at Bloom. Amelliea skirted the action, rushing to aid the stranded children. While Bloom worked his magic, she helped the kids out from under the trough one at a time, and made sure they safely reached their mother who was crying for them inside a nearby hut.
“Thank you!” whispered the woman with a sob, upon being reunited with her beloved children. She kissed their heads and held them close against her tearstained cheeks.
Amelliea rushed back outside from the hut. The square was entirely devoid of villagers and had an eerie, abandoned feeling. Bloom had already managed to immobilize the second monster and it lay on its side stiff as a board, its legs sticking out like tree trunks. There was a thundering sound behind Amelliea.
“Watch out!” shouted Bloom, and Amelliea turned around just in time to block the impressively large teeth of a dark green, harry monster with her shield. The impact of the strike pushed her off balance, but the girl recovered quickly, and retaliated with a few quick cuts of her sword. The harry monster received a cut on its shoulder, and cried out in pain. It came at Amelliea even harder, and she blocked its claws and struck again, this time cutting a slash across its chest. The creature roared in wrath, and prepared to charge once more when suddenly, the beast twisted rapidly in the air, spinning in a blur of color, and transformed into a sofa. The overstuffed piece of furniture landed with a thud on the cobbled ground. The sofa had claw feet and fuzzy green upholstery, exactly the same texture as the monster’s fur had been. There was a slash across one of the green cushions.
“Where have you been hiding that spell?” Amelliea asked Bloom.
“I only learned it last week,” said the wizard defensively.
Amelliea gave him a look of doubtful surprise.
“I may be old, but I still have much to learn,” smiled Bloom.
The next instant, the army from the aspen forest thundered into the village. The general shouted orders, and his men stomped through the streets in their black boots. Several of them discreetly lit torches and threw them onto the straw roofs of the cottages, starting fires within the village.
“What are they doing?” cried Amelliea.
The men handled the villagers roughly, shoving children out of their way, and locking citizens inside their own houses from the outside under the guise of safety precautions. The homes containing people locked inside seemed to be the ones that were targeted for arson. The soldiers found the last monster, and threw many ropes around its long neck. They dragged the thrashing beast into the main square clearly planning to make a scene of killing it. The creature choked and cried as they ganged up on it. The men tied ropes to each of its limbs and held a spear to its heart.
Bloom clapped his hands a single time, and all the fires in the village instantaneously went out. The square became silent and everyone stared at the wizard not knowing why they feared this man so. Bloom stood tall before the army and the gathered villagers, smoke trailing in the wind behind him. “What is this monstrosity?” Bloom asked, shaking with anger. The ropes holding the last monster began to snap and tear in many places as if disintegrating. An instant later, the creature was free and it ran for the aspen forest, its tail tucked between its legs. “You’ve come to aid the village, yet you do more harm than good!” said Bloom. Clouds gathered rapidly in the sky above him, and it grew suddenly darker.
“We are here under command of the King to serve the people!” shouted the general.
“They were better off without your murderous help!”
“Without us they would have been eaten!”
“And with you they will be burned alive and slain in their own homes!”
It began to rain, and the heavy drops splashed against the ground, leaving the cobbled square dappled in tiny grey circles.
“How dare you speak to me this way?” demanded the general, the rain getting in his eyes.
“Where did you even find such starving beasts, or were you the one wh
o caused their hunger?” asked Bloom, as the villagers came out of their hiding places and gathered in an angry mob behind him.
“You conspire against the King!” yelled the general, “You will all hang for this! Every last one of you!”
With a yell, Amelliea charged the general, her new armor shining silver in the light of day. She fought the man with a fierce rage, swinging her blade in deadly strikes and easily blocking the general’s weak retaliation. “Your hatred has made you reckless!” she shouted, “and your cowardice has left you weak!”
Inspired by Amelliea, the villagers charged at the army men and the square was instantly filled with the clashing sounds of combat. Bloom used his staff to trip a soldier, and then whacked a second attacker in the stomach.
A young man from the village showed a surprising amount of valor and skill fighting off six of the King’s soldiers on his own. He had a hands-on style of combat, and he did not hesitate to pull someone’s hair or drag an opponent out of the way by their nostrils.
Not managing to deal with Amelliea’s ferocious energy, the general abandoned the fight and ran from the village. His men followed his example. Excited by their victory, the villagers yelled and chased their enemies from their grounds all they way into the aspen forest. Bloom discreetly opened the locket dangling from a thin chain around his neck, and the three enormous monsters he had captured long ago when rescuing Ausra whirled to life. These were no shabby-looking, or starving monsters. The creatures from the locket looked as though they had spent no more than two minutes inside the magical necklace. The instinct to chase their prey took hold of the monsters almost immediately, and they gleefully charged after the army men. The army men rushed to escape the creatures, getting a strong dose of their own medicine.
Victorious, the villagers returned to the main square and gathered around the wizard. The air was charged with an infectious excitement and an urgency to make sense of all that had happened.
“I would like to announce this brave and valiant young man the victor of this battle,” said Bloom, pulling the young man who fought bravely from the crowd and bringing him out into plain view. The villagers nodded and began to break into applause, when the young man suddenly stopped them with a gesture and shook his head.
The Curse (The Windore Series Book 2) Page 12