Bluestone

by C E Johnson

  I have a feeling we’re going to miss this place, Xena said wistfully. She padded silently at Emily’s side out of the great hall. Emily wore her leather pack of supplies, quiver and bow, sword, dagger, and her added treasures. They left the stronghold as secure as they had found it and set off through the dense trees along a barely-visible path with Xena leading the way.

  After several hours, a strong fetid smell caught their attention. The rotting rancid stench was accompanied by a shredding noise as if a sword was finding purchase. They cautiously approached and crouched on a ridge overlooking a large dead animal that looked like a mixture of a wolf and a bear. It was a sarchus. Emily wasn’t sure how it had died, but the sandy brown fur was now being ripped apart by keleks, animals she had read about in Dr. D’s library. They were gray and black flightless scavengers that grew up to eight feet tall and looked like a cross between a vulture and ostrich.

  There’s movement in the distance, Xena alerted Emily. Emily could see five gray-scaled creatures moving toward the scavengers below. Dropping to lay prone and flattening herself on the rock, Emily studied their stealthy approach. As they came closer, she realized what they were—corsairs, savage beasts between five and eight feet tall, looking like deinocheirus or velociraptors from ancient Earth. They moved in a lurking group, like a pack of wolves with heads close together, appearing to communicate with each other, before they split apart, evenly spaced, to surround their prey. One emitted a harsh rasping cry, and they attacked as one, with widely spaced teeth with serrated edges tearing into the keleks, and curved sickle-shaped claws ripping into the birds like sword blades. Not one kelek escaped the killing field.

  We need to put a great distance between us and these creatures, Xena advised. Together, they inched away from the ravine and used their heightened speed to race away.

  We would never survive an attack by such brutes, Emily worried. It took some time to put their minds at ease, but eventually they let down their guard and relaxed again. Xena roamed far and wide during their journey, exploring new smells and chasing small and furry creatures through the underbrush. They were both comforted by the strength of their link that kept them in constant contact no matter the distance between them. They ate in peaceful silence each night using either food that Emily had brought from the caves or animals that Xena killed. Xena was becoming more precise and lethal in her attacks that Emily didn’t want to witness, and thankfully she didn’t have to put her bow to use just yet. Together they scouted out plants recommended by Dr. D’s books to put together tasty meals.

  In the evenings when they grew tired from the miles they had traveled, Emily perfected her sleep routine. Finding as level of ground as possible, clearing out any potentially irritating stones, and leaving only pine needles and grass for a small cushion, she brought out her sleeping blankets from her pack. She changed into a pair of soft clothes from the cave, something fresh without the smell of the fire or dirt from the day’s travel to keep her blankets clean and made a suitable pillow out of her other clothing. Then, when her mind was tired and focusing on dangers, and when her heart was full of lonely melancholy with tears threatening to seep from the corners of her eyes, Xena would arrive. Her great dog heater regularly snuggled under the blanket to calm Emily and keep her comfortable and warm.

  The mornings were the best time to travel, and the two settled into another pattern of starting their day early to make good time on their trek toward Haran. Over halfway along their journey, on a warm, cloudless afternoon, Emily approached a dense patch of forest. Xena was far off chasing a small animal, and all at once she felt very alone. The path dipped down a rolling hill with several flat rocky outcroppings surrounded by thick trees. The air had become still, and Emily felt as if eyes were upon her. A growing tension began to form as she slowed her pace. The forest has become silent, she whispered in her mind to her bondsmate.

  No noises? Xena asked cautiously, fear forming plainly in her question.

  None, Emily answered, feeling more anxious with Xena’s worried response. She alerted Xena of her perceptions through their mind-link, while warily descending down the slope. Concern began clouding her mind.

  Get out of there! Xena roared, picking up clues through their mind-link that Emily didn’t perceive. Something’s wrong. Heart stuck in her throat, Emily sped backwards, retreating from the thicket as fast as she could. At that moment, a drum began to beat with a resonating boom.

  Drums, Emily thought in shock. She came to a stop and spun to look back, nervous. Without warning, a hairy creature bounded into view far before her. It was running on all fours in a jerky motion, snarling with a growl of menace as it shattered the silence. A yapok, Emily realized in confusion and horror, trembling with dread.

  I’m coming, Xena thundered. Emily could feel Xena racing toward her position, but she was so far away. Deep in her heart she knew Xena would be too late.

  The yapok was a nightmarish combination of a bear, ape, and human. Coarse, inky black hair grew from its head and patches of fur peeked from unadorned dusky leather armor. The beast came crashing through the woods toward Emily, and she barely registered a battle-axe clutched in one hand. The yapok paused, banging its weapon on a wooden shield while howling fiendishly. The drums thundered louder, rattling the air with a more rapid beat. More of the creatures in similar black and brown leather armor flooded into view like a dark river. They came from every direction of the compass, preventing escape. Some were carrying long crescent-shaped blades on medium-sized colorful wooden handles, while others were holding small bows with black arrows. The beasts ran both upright and, on all fours, their faces dark with anger. The yapoks were around five feet tall, had dark brown eyes, and claw-like hands with long dagger-like nails.

  The first creature was upon Emily before she could gather her wits. The brute slashed its axe at her, attempting to connect with her lower legs, but she back flipped in an adrenaline-surged trembling mass of terror. She landed on a rocky bank several feet up along the path above the lead creature’s head. Amazement reflecting in their eyes, the entire group of savages paused for a moment to howl in unison. The lead yapok hesitated, glancing back toward the rest of his pack. The bristling mob let out an eerie cacophony that rang in her ears, serving as reassurance for the lead beast who restarted its ferocious advance. It climbed with a renewed intensity. More and more yapoks swarmed toward Emily in a seething mass.

  Emily’s mind scrambled through a variety of options, but none would work. I can’t run away because the beasts are coming from all sides.

  Can you climb a tree? Xena panted.

  That wouldn’t work, Emily stammered as she realized many were even descending from the trees themselves. She felt conflicted because even though they appeared intent on her destruction, she didn’t really want to hurt them.

  An arrow landed near her foot, and she gasped, staring at it in dread as a wave of nausea washed over her. She darted to the back of the rock upon which she stood. Shuddering, she pushed back against the cold, solid stone wall behind her. She was unable to move. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she closed her eyes as tightly as she could, wishing she would somehow wake up from this nightmare. A dark hole began to form in the center of her mind, and everything began to go black.

  While in the darkest pit of her despair, Xena sparked a fire in Emily’s heart from afar, feeding the flames with added energy and advice. Prepare for battle! Xena thundered, refusing to let Emily go down without a fight.

  A fire blazed in Emily’s mind in a deafening roar. Liquid wildfire burned through her veins and a calm descended upon her mind. She exalted in the new sensation as her fear of hurting others retreated and Xena’s primal instincts took over. I will fight, she vowed. Urging her sprinting bondsmate to come faster, Emily opened her eyes and performed a tai chi motion that stretched her muscles. She could sense Xena was approaching through the forest in a frenzy, eating up the leagues between them, but she was still a good distance away.

  Shiel
d! Xena roared.

  “Thyreos o,” Emily murmured decisively, watching a royal blue flare around her for a millisecond in a shimmering protective shell that glowed intensely before falling away into the background of her mind.

  Schwaffft. Her head reeled backwards as an arrow landed in front of her face dissolving in a blue flash. If not for her shield, she realized, this would have been a killing shot. Luckily, she felt only a small twinge of pain, like the bite of a horsefly—annoying but not debilitating. Emily dismissed the small shock quickly, discovering the minimal level of energy drain associated with battle, but she knew that even with her shields she couldn’t flee. I’d run out of energy well before I’m off this battlefield.

  Your bow! Xena bellowed.

  Emily set her sword at her side and began to unlatch her bow. The sheer number of the masses flooding toward her was like a dark tsunami, and she steadied herself to face the hurtling black horde that looked like an army of ants drawn from their horrendous mound. Taking a deep breath, Emily clenched her hand on her longbow and nocked her first arrow, sighting as she had trained. Only after letting the arrow fly at the nearest climbing beast did she breathe again. The arrow flew with such speed with her heightened strength that it went through the creature’s chest and embedded itself into the next approaching yapok’s head. Both erupted in a dark smoke, which hung in the air by the patch of ground where they once stood before lazily beginning to stretch upward like writhing black snakes of death.

  Emily wanted to scream in horror at what she witnessed, at what she had done. I haven’t seen anything more than horror movies on TV, and now I’m a stone-cold killer?

  You are not the monster! Xena tried to drown out Emily’s doubts.

  All the hunting she had performed couldn’t have prepared Emily for killing something intelligent enough to wield a bow and sword against her. I never wanted to kill, she moaned to Xena. She reeled for a moment on her rock.

  Xena was in her mind again. You will persevere! Dominating Emily’s consciousness, Xena reinstilled the will to fight, infusing her with a carnal, animalistic ferocity.

  I will survive, Emily vowed with icy certainty, allowing Xena’s instincts to overtake her. Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, Emily shoved aside her nausea. Xena dampened her emotions, but Emily couldn’t slow the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks. She took another large breath to steady her nerves before emptying her quiver of its arrows, unleashing the power of her black weapon. She paused for a split second to catch her breath and set aside her bow, whispering to it, “I will name you Storm.”

  Her hand curled around the grip of her sword and she drew forth her blade. Sliding into a fighting stance, years of fencing instruction snapped into place as she was enveloped in the oncoming chaos. A yapok charged her position, dark sword flashing through the air. Steel met steel, and the ring of metal rang across the valley. She ducked away from the next blow and slammed her blade upward. Emily closed her eyes for a split second as her sword pierced straight through the yapok’s breast, biting through leather, fur and bone, and she coughed at the sulphurous cloud of smoke that erupted. The foul stench made her gag, and she staggered a step as her stomach roiled while she decreased her sense of smell.

  Maddening howls spilling from fanged mouths, the yapoks took advantage of her delay, and four axes slashed as one at her head. The axes bounced off the blue brilliance of her shield, which sprang into view, deflecting the steel. Emily winced this time. Cuts formed on her arm, and blood dripped slowly from new lacerations. If injuries to my shield are substantial, they result in cuts and injuries on my body. Disgust welled up inside her as she studied these frenzied ape-men that wanted to destroy her.

  The tree that never had to fight, Xena roared.

  Emily swallowed hard and continued to battle. Her moves and parries occurred in rapid fire, guided by her years of training, and her sword became a blur of gray flashing steel. There was no longer any restraint, no hesitation. Leg sweep, jump, parry, flip, round off. Commands were flowing through her mind so fast that even with her heightened motions she was barely able to follow their guidance. The yapoks were evaporating around her, and slowly the cloud of black smoke increased in size. The thick, greasy, sulfurous black fumes generated a type of camouflage with the clouds of foggy acrid smoke blurring her exact location to the attacking fiends, making their arrows less forthcoming.

  Help, she screamed through her link, urging her Doberman to even greater speeds. Although Xena was getting closer, she chastised herself for her foolishness. Why in the world did I allow myself to become so separated from my bondsmate?

  It’s my fault, Xena conveyed, her words filled with guilt, but I’m coming. The smoke steadily rose through the air, blotting out the sun, and an eerie dark luminosity fell upon the land. Emily thought grimly on the difference a few days made. At the lake and in the cave field, she was in paradise, and now she had descended into a strange cloudy hell. Apparitions continued to rush at her through the smog, but she kept them at bay and attacked where she could, even as more poured from the forest. The cuts on her body were deepening and her blood was flowing more freely.

  As she fought, she noticed a distinct yapok strut into view. Over six feet tall with a head more grotesque than the others. He dominated the battlefield. “Their chief,” she murmured aloud. The leader was hulking and supremely apelike with curved fangs and a red aura. Emily assessed his aura to the best of her ability, he was an intermediate-level magician. Through the haze, she could see the chieftain had an amulet around his neck and he was clad in a dark armor covered by a long black and red cloak. There was an enormous black raven riding on his shoulder.

  A bondsmate, Xena whispered in amazement. Focus on their chief! Xena growled.

  The head of the snake. Emily remembered Mr. Henry’s advice. She concentrated on their leader’s position and began to advance towards the magician step by step.

  Seeming to realize Emily’s intent, the yapoks grew more frenzied. They strove to prevent her advance. Attempting to throw their bodies upon her, many dropped their weapons and began sprinting unarmed in her direction with furious motions, maniacal in their determination and demented in their actions. Emily dodged their motions, but every movement was draining her. Blood began to trickle into her eyes obscuring her vision, and her arm began to feel heavy with the growing weight of her sword. Her magical shield was beginning to cost her more than she had in reserve, and she began to wonder if there was any way she would escape her first battle with her life.

  Cut off the head of the snake! Xena thundered, trying to keep Emily focused. Emily continued her progression toward their leader. From his back he unstrapped a battle-axe with a double blade, twice the size of any other axe held by his minions. Above the center of the blades rose a spear point, cruel and deadly. A confident grimace of anticipation formed on his face and he took up a defiant position. His raven took to the sky, circling overhead with raspy croaks.

  He’s strong, Emily whispered in despair. Another axe struck her shield and she staggered, slipped, dropped her sword, and almost fell to the ground barely maintaining her balance. The yapoks let out a gruesome, hoarse cheer.

  Never surrender! Xena bellowed. Fight hand-to-hand!

  Emily switched to a martial art fighting stance. Her ki began calling out positions and attacks as her mind went numb. She lost all track of time, fighting mechanically without regard to the slaughter and carnage around her. The words sounded like a list of the deadliest strikes in martial arts, but she performed each in robotic form without question, Side kick, roundhouse, scorpion kick, tiger claw, tornado kick, knee drop, jumping axe kick, eagle strike, push kick. Every motion sliced through the yapoks, and they erupted to contribute to the ever-growing black cloud of destruction. The pain from her wounds and the energy drain was building to a crescendo of agony, almost more than she could bear, lancing through her body with icy electric talons in an unrelenting torment. Emily felt a strange inner desperatio
n, I’m going to faint soon. Is this the end?

  Be strong! Xena barked encouragement.

  A yapok threw a razor-sharp battle-axe that would have lodged in Emily’s skull if not for her protective barrier, and she fell to her knees in throbbing pain. Her shield dissolved the axe in a weak blue blush, but a deep ache developed in her lungs. Her breathing became labored. The remaining yapoks appeared to realize the contest was almost over. They stopped fighting and surrounded Emily.

  “Let me see the witch!” roared a harsh voice. The circle parted, and the brutes let their muscle-bound leader forward. He set down his double-bladed axe and picked up some dirt. The mighty beast deliberately rubbed the soil through his hands and then blew it off his palms, speaking in a deep grunting-type rumble, “And so you shall return to the mist from whence you came. From smoke to smoke.”

  One of his minions handed him a steel axe with a jewel encrusted handle. He hefted it easily in his fist before launching it in a mighty arc at her head. The axe was deflected by the blue glow of her fading shield, but pain again erupted in Emily’s lungs, more sharply than before, and she fell to her side on the ground. She coughed and was shocked to see flecks of blood falling upon the grass just before her eyes. She couldn’t help but focus on the bright red, such a vivid color in a hue she had never fully appreciated before. The surrounding yapok mob erupted in cheers, savoring their victory. They began a strange dance, flowing, twisting and gyrating around her. Emitting more rasping calls, the chieftain’s raven glided lazily just above the gruesome scene.

  Emily summoned up a last ball of magus-energy in her mind. I’ll send Dr. D a dream-link … to tell him I’m sorry I’ve failed him. I have to try.