The boy was dead. Zo cast a long searching look at his hollow cheeks, his open staring eyes and turned. She’d seen enough.
Ibad stood behind her. Grabbing her by the elbow, he pulled her out of the crowd. “See that he’s buried and his mother taken care of until she recovers sufficiently,” he barked out an order, his voice clipped.
“He was her only child,” one of the mages standing in the crowd whispered. Tears ran down her cheeks.
Zo followed Ibad as he led her back to her tent. “What happened to the boy?” She muttered, not wanting Leo who was trailing behind them to know what had transpired. That boy had been not much older than him, and she felt sorry for the heart-breaking grief of the young mother who’d lost her only child.
“His father was forcefully recruited in the army, and when the wife and her young son tried to protest, the mages beat him and tortured the boy until the father agreed to accompany them. He was a blacksmith, and they need skilled people," Ibad said. "The army doesn't only require mages. They need soldiers, cooks, cobblers, tailors, and all manners of craftsmen. Those who don't want to join are forced to do so."
Zo read the hidden grief in his voice. Walking inside the tent, she sat on the mat. The food was still hot, but she’d lost her appetite. The image of that young forlorn boy embedded itself in her mind, and would not let go. How many lives and families were already destroyed by the king’s greed for domination, and how many more young boys would die before he was satisfied? Just how many women would find themselves without husbands or children before his quest for supremacy over the entire mainland was over?
Dropping her head on her knees, she took a few deep breaths to clear her mind. This was not her fight, she reminded herself. Her mission was clear, and so close to it, she could not afford to lose track of what was at stake. The lives of her siblings hung in balance. At this point, she couldn’t falter, or get distracted.
“If you’re packed, my son and his friend will take you to the mountain. It’s not far from here. Someone will await your return for three days and nights. They will lead you back out of the forest, away from the army to the other side of the chasm,” Ibad told her, emotionless, almost as if he had not witnessed that young child’s death a moment ago. “Any later than three days, and we’ll assume you’re…”
“We’ll be back.” She stood. “Thank you for your hospitality. It’s far more than I expected.” Although she felt as she was abandoning them to their fate, Zo didn't know what she could do. Suddenly, an idea struck her. Why hadn’t she thought to do so before? “Ibad, why don’t you bring the refuges to Iram? My kin and I will welcome all of you with open arms.” She thrust her hand out at him, glad she could give them some support.
Ibad shook her hand, his grasp firm and strong. He smiled. “Thank you, but this is our land. None of us are prepared to give up our right to it. Also, princess, you’ll find that Iram would not remain a safe haven for long.”
Zo nodded. Perhaps he was right; Iram could not afford to stay on the fringes of this war indefinitely. “We’ll meet again,” she said.
Ibad let go of her hand. “I’ll look forward to it.” Abruptly he left the tent. Zo, Arkon and Leo picked up their packs, once again made heavy by the abundant food and other supplies they were given.
Stepping out, Zo cast a glance at the tent where she’d seen the dead boy. Soft wailing noises still eschewed from its grief-stricken depths. A few people stood outside. It was almost as if they couldn’t bear to tear themselves away from the heart-wrenching angst of the mother.
“Come.” Isa joined them, a pack strung across his broad shoulders. A female mage stood behind him, her hair tied in a tight bun, her face a picture of seriousness. “We should get going.”
The five made their way across the camp, past the cooking fires, the pots of boiling water, and the clothing lines on which hung wet clothes flapping in the slight breeze. It was a picture of domesticity but Zo knew now, each tent held a tragic tale, a broken family, crushed dreams, and an uncertain future.
As they entered the hushed canopy of the forest, a few beams of sunlight penetrated the masses of vines that clung to the tree tops. A thin mist clung to the trunks, enveloping them in a cold fist. Zo drew her cloak about her, feeling the chill deep in her bones. Swiftly they moved through the undergrowth and past mist-shrouded trees, making their way through a path only Isa seemed to know. They all followed him in a single file. Arkon was at the rear, his sword held at the ready.
“Expecting trouble?” Isa turned to ask him, his voice echoing in the silence of the forest.
A grim smile appeared across Arkon’s weathered face. “The akachimas?”
“They won’t come here. This is our land, and they well know the fact. Also, my scouts followed them right back to their mounds at night.” He glanced at Leo who was trudging ahead of Arkon with a determined stance to his shoulders. In his right hand, he clutched a short, silver knife he must have acquired from the camp. “The boy is safe now.”
“We don’t want to take any chances.”
“Why not just leave him with us? He can join you later if he wishes.”
“He won’t leave us.” She’d discussed it with her companions the night before. Although Arkon wanted to leave Leo in the camp, thinking it would be as safe a place as they could ever find for him, one glance from Leo ended the discussion. He was determined to follow them to the end of their journey. The boy had chosen them as his guardians, and he wasn’t going to settle for another option.
Isa held a branch that was blocking their path, and moved it out of their way as they passed underneath. He was carrying a sheathed sword on his back, as well as a quiver of arrows and a crossbow.
“Are you going hunting after showing us the path?” Arkon said.
“Of a sort.” He snorted as he let go of the branch and followed them. “We’ve had enough of hiding in the forest. Two weeks ago, we started raids on the army. We cloud our people in a magical illusion, making the army think we’re a part of them and steal supplies, set off explosions, spoil their food, and set fires in the tents.”
Zo brushed past a mossy vine. “What’s the purpose to that? There are too many of them. These small attacks won't even matter to any army of that size.”
“Every little bit helps. It slows and confuses them, and it would be cowardly to stand aside and wait for them to march across the entire mainland,” he said.
The rebuke in his words was clear to all. Isa didn’t have his father’s diplomacy and said what he believed. Perhaps the resistance movement expected Iram to come to their aid in this war? It was something to think about but only when she was back at home with her siblings.
As they walked onwards, the trees began to thin and the forest opened, allowing the sun’s beams to cast patches of light on the dewy grass. Birds twittered overhead, and Zo saw a startled group of deer as they gazed at the human intruders with frightened eyes. Soon, they reached the end of the forest and gazed at the pebbly clearing where the battle with the akachimas had taken place.
The path to the plateau was directly ahead of them, a winding trail that led up the mountainside.
“Two of my men will wait here for you tomorrow morning. It will take you at least that long to climb up and come back. They will wait for three days and night, and no more. Best of luck!”
“Thank you,” said Arkon as he joined Zo and Leo. Isa and his partner turned and disappeared into the trees once more.
“The women are not here,” said Leo as Zo peeked cautiously out from behind the tree to see if the clearing was indeed clear of all danger.
Arkon ruffled the boy’s hair. “How do you know?”
“Saw it. Know it,” he said. “They have gone back to their place, but they will find me later.” There was no fear in the boy’s voice, but a trust that that his companions would keep him safe.
“If ever they come for you, I’ll be there to protect you.” Arkon assured him.
Leo touched Zo on the arm.
“I know, and so will she. I saw it.”
Kneeling, Zo stared into the boy’s eyes. “What else did you see, Leo?”
A strange expression crossed his face. “Lots of things. Sometimes I see you die, but sometimes I see you standing with your brother and sister in your island. There is a wedding.”
Zo exchanged a startled glance with Arkon. “A wedding?”
“And there’s a war,” he whispered, his eyes haunted with the images that plagued him. “So many people die. I hear their screams and see their dead bodies. Sometimes I see myself on your island, but sometimes I am somewhere else, locked in those mounds with the women.” He shook as if to free his mind from the lingering imagery.
Those were visions, Zo knew. He was indeed a prophet, but right now he was too young to know that his visions were all possibilities of what could be. As he grew, so would his ability to peer into the future and understand the odds of the various possible outcomes. The gift of sight was an immense burden, and it would certainly not be easy – but he would learn. He would have to.
Her heart melted. He was just a boy, too young to know of the great gift that was bestowed upon him. A gift or a curse? Only time would tell.
“Listen to me, Leo.” Zo gripped his shoulders. “No matter what happens, Arkon and I will keep you safe, away from those women and you’ll never be alone.”
“I know.” He touched her cheek. “You’re my hero.”
Zo laughed as she straightened. “Well, I don’t know about that, but we’re certainly stuck with each other.” She glanced at Arkon, and for a moment, something passed between them; an understanding, a recollection of all that had transpired and everything that led them to this place and this particular moment. Zo knew that like it or not, the three of them were bound to each other with more than just the memories of an epic journey.
They were a unit. Together. Forever.
Surprised by the unexpected feelings, Zo looked away. She pulled Leo and made him stand next to Arkon. “Now, I’m going to give you both a more permanent protection shield. There is never enough time to raise a strong shield when there is a sudden attack. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”
As she raised her hands, Arkon gripped her arm. “I don’t need a shield.”
“It will not stop you from coming to my aid, or his, should we need it,” she assured him. “Your movements will not be hampered, but it will save you from a magical attack to a certain degree, and will even offer some protection from knives and swords. It will not hold forever though. Hack at any magic shield enough times, and it will break.”
He hesitated. “It will take away your energy.”
Zo was touched by his concern. “Last night I thought of a way to sustain your shields without depleting my own energy. I’ll bind it to the magic in the air. It’s the same thing I did with Seve. It requires more of my power to set, but once in place, it will be independent of me. That way, even if we separate, you’ll still be protected.”
“Why would we separate?”
Zo shrugged. “I’m just trying to be careful. That’s all. We’ve come this far together. We’ll return to Iram, all of us together also.”
Arkon let go of her arm. “Fine.”
Zo raised her hands, palm up. She muttered the incantation and felt the power leave her body, forming an invisible wall of protection around her companions. Once she was sure the shield was in place, she muttered another incantation, binding it to the element of air. She swayed on her feet and let go. Beads of sweat appeared on her face. It took immense power to make two shields simultaneously. Also, invisible shields were invariably more complicated, but now, at least for the remainder of the journey, she need not worry incessantly about the safety of her companions. They were protected as best as she could manage.
Arkon’s arm slipped around her waist. For a moment, Zo placed her head on his shoulder, feeling his strength ebb into her. When the world stopped revolving, she moved away. “I’m fine now.” She cleared her throat, feeling embarrassed by her display of weakness.
“Told you…you shouldn’t have done it,” he said in a gruff voice and peered into her eyes.
Zo slapped him on the arm. “I’m fine. Stop fussing.”
“If you say so.” Moving away, he glanced out in the still clearing. “We should go.”
Zo held Leo’s hand and they followed Arkon. Nothing happened. No one attacked them. Had the akachimas really gone? With increasingly confident strides, they walked to the path that led up the mountain and began climbing. The path was narrow and steep. It was barely a path, more of a rough goat trail through the thick underbrush and rocky slopes. Zo detected several goat droppings along the way.
Soon, the morning breeze gave away to a still afternoon. The hot sun beat down on the slopes, and, in places where the trail meandered under the trees, they were able to escape from its merciless heat. They were perspiring heavily, and Zo took off her cloak and stuffed it inside her pack. Around noon, they stopped for a quick meal but resumed their climb immediately afterwards. There was no energy left for a conversation. They plodded on, buoyed by the realization that this marked the half-way point of their journey. From here, they could look forward to returning home. The trail twisted and turned, often turning back on itself and more than once becoming so steep they had to use their hands to pull themselves up.
The scorching heat of the afternoon abated and a light breeze ruffled through the leaves and shrubs. Abruptly, the trail ended and they stepped on to a flat land. The plateau was a wide meadow, overpopulated by wild flowers of different colors, shapes, and sizes. As far as the eye could see, a rich, gorgeous carpet of flowers stretched on. In the far corner, a lone tree, twisted and bent, grew as a silent sentinel to the beauty of this place.
Leo dropped his pack and flopped down on the ground, exhausted by the uphill journey. Arkon and Zo put their bags next to him and trudged on towards the tree. As they walked towards the lone tree, Zo kept a sharp eye out for the flower of rosem. The sketch Alicia had drawn for her was fresh in her mind.
If Ria were here, she would not have worried. But after coming so far, she didn’t want to make a mistake. Just to be safe, she took out the crumpled paper from her tunic pocket and glanced at it. It was a slender plant with a main stalk that divided into a multitude of branches. The flower
itself was a delicate pale pink, with twenty one petals each. No more, and no less, Alicia had said. Each flower had the exact same number of petals.
She saw different hues and colors on the wild flowers that burst across the landscape, dancing in the lazy breeze, but the flower of rosem was nowhere to be seen. What if she wasn’t in time for the blooming? Didn’t the flower bloom for a few weeks only once in a year? Her heart sank as she scanned the area in different directions. Panic licked at her insides. What if it wasn’t here? What would she do? Where would they go next to find it?
Arkon placed his hand on her shoulder, almost as if he sensed her thoughts. “We’ll find it. Princess Alicia has never been wrong about herbs and plants before.”
Zo forced herself to calm down. “Yes. She is always right.”
She breathed in the fresh air, forcing herself to relax. Only then she would be able to concentrate on the job at hand. The sweet scent of the flowers filled her nostrils, giving her hope. The flower of rosem was here, she knew it. All they had to do was to find it.
Arkon wiped a hand across his brow. “It has been an interesting past few weeks. When I started on this journey, or rather when princess Alicia ordered me to accompany you, I wasn’t expecting such an adventurous trip.”
Zo laughed. It was a relief to finally be so close to acquiring what they had come so far for. “What were you expecting?”
“Ahh...” Arkon rolled his eyes. “Temper tantrums. Complaints.”
“What? From me?” She shrugged. “I’m the soul of amicability.”
“Instead I found that I was in the company of a brave, talented mage who put duty, love and loyal
ty above all. She never complained even if the food was barely edible, and didn’t rest or care for her own comfort because those she loved matter most to her.” Stopping, he turned to face her. “I’m honored to have come this far with you, princess. It has been an incredible journey.”
Zo cleared her throat. She didn’t know what to say. There was a look in his eyes. Sometimes she’d seen it before, when he thought she wasn’t paying any attention. It was disconcerting to know that what she felt for him was unlike anything she had felt before. Did he struggle with the same feelings?
“Thank you, Arkon. It’s been an honor to have you as my protector.”
He snorted. “A fat lot of good I did. What with the mages popping here and there to take off my head. You’ve been protecting Leo and me.”
“Not when we were in the chasm.” She shook her head. “You could’ve left us, saved yourself. You held your own with the akachimas.”
“It was my duty…” He trailed off, his eyes intent on her face.
Zo stared back. There was something more, something beyond duty that bound them. Did she like Arkon? Love him? She wasn’t sure. What did he feel for her? Was this as hard, and alien, for him as it was for her?
Or did he feel nothing?
Raising his hand, he touched her lightly on the cheek. “Zo, I think…”
A white-hot lance of lightening hit near their feet. It burned the wildflowers that bloomed around them.
“What the hell?” Zo jumped back, her own magical fire burning at the tips of her fingers as she tried to find their attacker.
At first, no enemy was visible. The plateau appeared deserted. Then she noticed a small child…no, person sitting on one of the branches of the tree. Partially hidden behind the leaves, only his browned arm and part of his face was visible as he glared at them from the safety of his high perch.
The Demon Mages (The Power of Three Book 1) Page 19