by L. R. Flint
While I healed my various scrapes, cuts, and bruises, Koldobika took on his duty of reproving me for making a rash decision such as I had—in taking on all of the meir cats alone. “Ah, so, they are called meir cats?” I asked, ignoring the warning; I knew it was petty of me, but someone would have had to kill them after all, so why not me? Koldobika gave up, since I was paying his warnings no heed. When that was over, everyone was able to finish resting before we started saddling the horses again for the night’s journey. Even with the rest I ended up sleeping a bit in the saddle; I could not entirely help it, because I was dead tired. Pun intended.
It was not until a few hours had passed that any of us realized something was wrong, yet again. “Has anyone realized anything different in the past hour or so?” Izar spoke up.
There were murmurs of ‘No,’ and then Koldobika said, “Just the foreboding of the mountains.”
“Look behind us,” my sister said. Koldobika reined in his horse and everyone followed his example and turned opposite the direction we had been going. “What do you see?”
“Nothing?” I said, still half asleep, but knowing that she was about to say something that all of us should have realized—and long before even she had.
“Exactly. The mountains are gone, so why do we still feel their presence? Or is it another similar to theirs?”
“Someone—or thing—is following us.” Balendin spoke the words we all realized were true. I wondered who it could possibly be; the mountains had not seemed very habitable to me and I could not understand why anyone would have chosen to follow us all the way across the desert, when they could just spring an ambush on us when we returned to the harbor.
“More meir cats, perhaps?” No one agreed with my suggestion and no others were put forth so I let it go.
We had been keeping the horses at a fast walk that quickly ate up the miles, though once Izar had voiced her realization, the riders all dismounted and started running alongside the horses, which most of us could still have outrun. Because Koldobika could not keep up with any of the runners, he sprouted dragonwings from his back and took to the air.
~ ~ ~
It was almost two hours before dawn when we reached the sand dunes. At first I was disoriented because I did not recognize their pattern, then I recalled that the winds continually moved them around, smoldering and then rebuilding them into different forms.
We were all tired from our long run across the sand so I left Aitor with the others and ran to the top of the nearest dune, my enhanced vision giving me perfect detail of my surroundings. Beyond the next large dune I could see the corner of a large chunk of stone, slightly darker than the desert sands. I motioned to those below that they should follow and waited for my horse as they all walked wearily up the dune to where I stood. Koldobika landed next to me as Sendoa handed me Aitor’s reigns. I turned away from them and pointed. “There is the archway.” The wizard dismissed his wings, and then he solemnly led the rest of us toward the roughhewn stone structure.
~ ~ ~
A faint green glow, the color that nearly seemed a signature of magic, emanated from the center of the archway and I could feel the presence of Lietha very strongly. It was even stronger there than at the ends of the tunnels—where Arrats, Ekaitz, and I had hunted nook rats in days that seemed almost a lifetime ago—stronger than the sea, and stronger than the call of the siren. “What is this place?” I whispered. “The magic is so strong here that it seems I could hold it in my hand.” I was too caught up in the feel of the magic that I did not notice that my eyes were closed and I was smiling, holding my hand out in invitation toward the portal.
A firm hand on my shoulder, and the sound of a blade being drawn, whisked my senses back to the present. It was Sendoa standing protectively at my back, and before me stood a woman who carried a staff with blades protruding from the ends. One of the blades was poised inches from my neck. “Argiñe Bakar.” I did not know how I knew the name, but I said it before I could stop myself.
“Who art thou?” The woman asked, in a voice almost a whisper and yet strong as an ogre’s blow. Koldobika started to say something, but Argiñe held her hand up to him as a gesture of silence, her eyes trained on my face the entire time.
Sendoa’s hand slipped from my shoulder as I took a step forward, and the woman took a step back. “I am Itzal Izotz, and these are my companions from Baso Argi.” I waved my hand in the general direction of those with me. “We are here to find Alaia, the dragonlady.” A look I could not recognize flashed quickly across Argiñe’s face and was gone. “You know where she is, do you not?”
The woman looked me over critically, studying my eyes so long that my legs started to tingle from the lack of movement. It took all of my will to keep from asking her again concerning Alaia, but I knew it would have been a very unwise choice. While she studied my face I took the opportunity to study her in return; she wore a long, sun bleached robe of sorts, which had been a desert-tan color. The robe had slits on the sides, rising to the hips for the ease of taking a good fighting stance, but she wore tight pants beneath, to cover her legs. She had flawless dark skin, black eyes and brows; from the color of the hair that I could see, I guessed that the hair on her head would also be black, but it made no difference because it was shaved completely off. Even with her head shaven I thought she was rather beautiful, but the stern and battle-hardened look in her face made me doubt anyone had ever had the guts to tell her so.
“Yes.” That was all she said as she pushed a hidden switch on her staff and the wicked looking blades retracted with a sinister hiss. She turned and walked away. I followed and heard the quiet footsteps of my companions following behind me.
21 EXTRA BAGGAGE
“Why?”
Alaia and I sat alone at the top of a sand dune, overlooking the arch and the haphazard camp below. “Why did you not just request that I come, rather than bewitching the directions you had given me?”
“It was the best chance I had of getting you here. Argiñe is a great warrior and I believe that we could use her help in the war, but no matter my words I could not convince her that our cause was a worthwhile endeavor. She needed to meet you, to see you, to realize that you are real.”
I chuckled. She had been rather successful in getting me there. The remaining step was to convince the desert woman to return and devote her time to a cause that would not necessarily benefit her. “How do you expect me to win her over?” I asked calmly. “Am I to make magic tricks and pray that I do not turn to a Lietha stone? Or should I meet her in combat?” She gave no reply for a moment so I added humorously, “If you expect me to win her over with pretty words and a witty tongue then I am afraid the battle has already been lost.” The dragonlady laughed at that, but otherwise continued her contemplative silence.
The object of our conversation appeared over a dune on the far side of the camp, one of the elf guards followed behind her, obviously clumsier than she on the foreign sands. The two practically ran down the near side of the mound and I could hear the murmur of her voice asking questions of everyone she passed until she entered the one-sided tent and found Koldobika. “What is going on down there?” Alaia said, voicing my own curiosity; her words startled me since she had seemed so engrossed in her thoughts. Argiñe reappeared from the tent and caught sight of us on the dune, her gaze meeting Alaia’s. We stood and made a hasty descent, meeting her in the tent’s shade.
“Magic eaters,” she stated, simply and sharply. Looking at Koldobika she said, “They followed thy company from the mountains.”
“What?” I asked hesitantly and everyone turned to look at me. “What is following us exactly?” Argiñe and Alaia both had incredulous looks on their faces.
“Are you serious?” Alaia demanded. Then to Koldobika, “You have not even told him of the magic eaters?” I wondered how on earth something could eat magic, since such a thing was implied by their name.
“There was no need to add unnecessary worry to his burden,” the
wizard said simply. I snorted. My burden—hah.
“Unnecessary?” Alaia roared. “They are almost at the doorstep and you say he has no need to know of them?” I felt like yelling at her for silence and then to tell me what was going on, but with her that angry it would only have made matters worse. I pulled the magic—which was thick in the area—toward me and let loose a shroud of calm and peace, centering it on Alaia. It took a minute for my spell to take effect, but it worked more efficiently than I had hoped and Alaia suddenly slumped to the floor, fast asleep. I opened my eyes, abruptly severing the connection.
“Oops,” I mumbled. Everyone looked at me with bleary eyes, wondering what had just happened. I stepped over to the dragonlady to make sure she was still breathing; she was so I picked up her feather-light form and turned to the wizard. “Something is coming and from the way Alaia reacted, I can only guess is that it is not good.” I looked around at the room’s occupants, the dark-skinned warrior last. “This place is not defensible without more mages than we have, so it would be wise to leave now.” Everyone filed out of the tent ahead of me, all but Argiñe. “You are coming too,” I said.
She inclined her head, a disapproving look on her face. “Thou dost not control mine fate,” she said, stubbornly.
“Nor do I want to,” I argued. “I am only offering you a home and revenge on those who banished you.” It was easy to assume that she had been sent there in abandonment, because it was obvious that she was not a slave trader and I highly doubted that anyone of their own desire would choose to live in the forsaken desert lands. “You will also have a better chance of getting away from whatever pursues my companions and me.”
“Wouldst I be expected to join thee and thy rebellion once we had arrived at the mainland?”
“No. After we reach the mainland your fate will be yours to decide.” She was indecisive and I knew we were short on time, so I added solemnly, “I give you my word.”
“Then I shalt go with thee.” She followed me out into the open, where the others were all waiting, mounted on their respective steeds. I asked Erlantz to let Argiñe ride with him and he agreed, then lent her a hand up. I could tell she disapproved of having help, but she took it without comment. I managed to get onto Aitor’s back without dropping Alaia and turned to see what Alesander or Koldobika had planned next.
“‘Til we reach the edge of the desert I couldst speed us across the sands,” Argiñe said, knowing as well as the rest of us that neither the horses nor anyone else could easily survive the entire day crossing the simmering desert.
“But?” Izar asked, hearing the edge to the woman’s words.
“I wilt require one of ye who wieldest magic to vent it into me, for I am no longer able to call upon it.”
“I can do it,” my sister spoke up before anyone else could and Koldobika nodded in consent. I was unsure how she did it, but not long after Izar closed her eyes, Argiñe took control of the desert sands which our horses stood on. The grains of sand held together, as if they had been melded, formed into a hard surface strong enough to hold the horses and their riders. The solid circle of sand slid smoothly across the loose sands beneath, at an incredible speed. Soon as the mountains appeared on the horizon, Argiñe steered us further to the left, since they were now on our right, so that we would not pass too close to them.
“How fast are magic eaters able to travel?” I tried to ask Koldobika, but the wind whipped away my words before they even had the chance to leave my mouth. My question went unanswered.
The speed of the wind made it hard for any of us to breath and I noticed that the others had their heads curled forward with their arms wrapped in front of them, to create a small cavern of air which was whisked away a little slower than the rest. The thought that they resembled mutilated swans crossed my mind before I remembered that Alaia was likely unable to breath. I pulled her head toward my chest, and then pulled her hood over both our heads to create a windbreaker large enough for the both of us.
The cooled desert air and the warm sunshine were a welcome mixture and I eventually began to doze off. Somehow, through it all, I kept Alaia from slipping out of my arms and being stranded in the middle of the desert. With the sudden and unexpected cessation of movement I jolted into wakefulness. I guessed that everyone except Argiñe had just gone through the same rude awakening as I, for we all looked around with groggy and startled eyes.
“How do I wake Alaia?”
“Kiss her,” Sendoa joked and I looked away, embarrassed.
Izar rolled her eyes at the comment. “Just pour a little water on her face.” I followed her instruction and the cool water woke the dragonlady’s senses and her eyes flew open. Alaia easily flipped me off the horse and pulled me into a headlock. For a second or two I thought she was actually going to kill me.
“What has happened?” she asked.
“Izotz put you to sleep with magic and then we rode the sands back to here,” Izar said, shrugging.
“Would you let go of me? Please,” I said.
“Do you swear never to render my unconscious again?”
“No.” Alaia chuckled and let me go. We remounted Aitor and continued on toward the port. It was a short trip back to the dirt track leading through the ring of vegetation and on to the settlement.
I rode to Koldobika’s left as he led us toward the docks and Wavewing. Harkaitz and his men had just finished preparing the ship for departure when we arrived there; I turned to the wizard and said, “Did you…?” He knew what I meant and nodded, though to any passersby he would have seemed to have all of his attention directed on the crowds around us. The Captain would never have expected us to return so soon and it would have been impossible for them to be completing preparations just as we were arriving, without Koldobika having warned them. When we boarded the ship, Harkaitz’ crew acted as if Alaia and Argiñe had been with us the entire time. The horses were all led below deck where they were taken care of and then we departed, the winds speeding us on our way home.
~ ~ ~
Koldobika and Argiñe fell sick throughout the course of the day, which was most curious since the weather was fair and the man had not suffered from seasickness during the storm that carried us to Eguzki. Two days later they both were still sick and unable to keep down their meals. Alaia and Izar had been trying to help them get well, but they had not made any progress.
My sister sat down beside me and leaned her head against the ship’s railing behind her. “Why can we not just get back to Baso Argi now?” she asked, even though she knew I did not have an answer for her. At least not one she wanted to hear. I closed my eyes, basking in the light warmth of the sun, which was welcome after the simmering desert heat. “This almost seems cold after the desert,” I murmured.
“Hmmm,” was the only form of agreement I got from Izar, who was also soaking up the sunlight, her eyes closed.
A high-pitched whistling started on the port—or left—side of the ship, at about the height of the top of Wavewing’s mast, though it was too far from the ship to have been made by anyone onboard. A sudden, chilling blast of cold air then came from the same direction.
I stood and leaned over the ship’s side, trying to discern what the cause of the commotion was. About twenty feet off to port was a black smudge in the air and it was coalescing into the center of itself; as it did so, the smog slowly became a more solid form. Once the smoke had turned into an elongated sphere of blackness it began again to change, though that time it took on a slightly more humanoid form. The being’s head looked somewhat like a ram’s though its long fur was black and it had milky-white fangs protruding from below a snarling upper lip. Its body was wraithlike and covered by a thin, gauzy, black robe. The creature’s haunches rippled with muscle and ended in sharp cloven hooves; what should have been the front hooves were skinny, gnarled hands that ended with long, piercing nails that looked as if they had been used to tear apart one of the beast’s helpless victims about a month ago and had not been cleaned since.
Where the eyes would have been were sockets that housed glowing, red spheres. It felt as if the creature’s gaze would burn through my skin to the flesh beneath. I looked up into its face, feeling I would fall over backward from how far back I had to crane my neck, the beast was so huge.
As the creature’s gaze aligned with mine the entire world seemed to go silent; the snapping of the sails in the whistling wind, the clapping of waves against the creaking ship, the hissing of the wind blowing the peaks of waves into spray, the moaning of my two seasick companions, the surprised yelling of the sailors and the sound of my own breathing seemed stuck in an entirely different plane of existence. Suddenly I was deafened by the throbbing of my blood through my veins and then with an unheard crack, like the splitting of something only sensed through magic, the noises rushed back over me like a drowning tide and I almost collapsed under the unexpected tumult of it.
22 DEMON LORD
Koldobika and Argiñe began moaning with renewed vigor the moment the creature’s gaze fell upon them and their pleading for relief became steadily more fervent. I looked to my sister, hoping that she would know how to rid us of the beast. My best guess was that it was a magic eater (concerning which I still knew nothing). Izar’s gaze was trained on the beast; she held her sword out, though the tip of the blade was lowered toward the deck of the ship, in hesitation to attack. Her eyes met mine and I knew that she was just as unsure about the situation as I was. “What is it?” I asked.