Fire and Fantasy: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban and Epic Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  Lorcan shrugged. “All right then. I won’t swim up there. Not without your help. The floating object there, I think it’s the same as the carriage we’re using now.”

  She shook her head. “Not possible. The transport dolphins only release their carriages if they’re dead. I haven’t seen a report of an accident.”

  He felt guilty for lying to her, but he pressed on. “So nurses at the hospital process traffic information as well?”

  She smiled. The sadness in her smile intensified his pangs of guilt. He looked again and asked no more questions.

  Eight

  Lorcan bolted up, hitting his head on the ceiling of the carriage. He didn’t realize he had fallen asleep.

  Faye smiled. “The drugs are still having an effect on you. You passed out for a bit.”

  He grunted a response but didn’t think it possible he’d passed out at the crucial point when he’d seen the shallow surface, a way to escape the deep water. But he said nothing.

  He glanced out the window. The architecture of the buildings was beyond anything he’d ever imagined. Every building had holes where doors and windows should be, and the merfolk swam in and out of them. The structures themselves seemed delicate and in danger of collapsing. The water made it the rock more buoyant, and that had to be what was keeping the buildings up.

  “Is this Nepolymbus?”

  “No, we’re on the outskirts. You can see it’s still underwater. In the city, there’s both land and air. Like what you have on Earth.”

  “Have you been anywhere above the water?”

  Faye turned and looked him in the eye. “I don’t want to lie to you. So don’t ask.”

  Shortly, they entered an area where the water was clearer. Lorcan could see the city from the outside, and it seemed the water simply stopped at the magnificent stone arch, as if banking up against a glass wall. It looked like the water he’d seen from the inside of the hospital room.

  The city was magnificent—light, bright, and bursting with activity. It seemed like he was entering a modern version of Rome, Greece, or even New York. Lorcan shook his head and chuckled to himself. He should have been able to come up with more places to compare it to, but those were the places he’d visited. Perhaps he should travel more when he went back to Earth.

  The dolphins, as they had done before, swung the carriage around so that it parked inside the air area.

  Lorcan opened the door and jumped out. He couldn’t help but gawk at the magnificence around him.

  Nobody seemed to pay attention to the new arrivals. A few more carriages arrived, and the passengers disembarked just as they had. Lorcan sighed. This was, apparently, an everyday activity. The people were beautiful. They seemed human in shape and size with a few slight differences, such as their angelic figures, porcelain skin, and striking blue eyes.

  A few more had just arrived on foot—well, kind of. They actually swam up from the water and then simply walked into the air dimension without benefit of a carriage.

  Reading his mind, Faye smiled. “It’s much more efficient to travel between sections yourself than by carriage if you’re not carrying too much.”

  “Plus, Miracle and Flipper need to get paid, right? They’re like cab drivers on Earth.”

  Faye laughed and nodded. He got the impression she hadn’t laughed for a long time, and he was pleased.

  “What if the sharks find us?”

  She shook her head. “No need to worry. They don’t come near Nepolymbus. If they didn’t get us out there, their master will kill them.”

  “But we killed the doctor. Isn’t he their master?”

  “No, the doctor and the shark-elves were somebody’s pets.”

  “P-pets? You mean, like domestic animals that people cuddle with on their laps?”

  Faye looked at him, her eyes as cold as steel. “A pet is a trained creature that a master can use for whatever he wants. I know humans separate human beings and animals into different classes. But in our world, we’re all creatures.”

  “So what differentiates the species?”

  “Power,” she said bluntly and turned and walked away.

  “Look out!” He pushed Faye to the ground. His spy instincts had kicked in. A shadow rolled around a large arena that looked surprisingly like the Roman Coliseum.

  A steel arrow hit the statue behind them, collapsing it.

  Lorcan stood up and reached his hand behind him to pull out an arrow.

  “Don’t!” Faye pulled him back so hard he almost fell over.

  The arrow exploded, shattering the statue into thousands of pieces. There was no pressure created by the explosion, but he inhaled some of the dust before Faye could pull him away far enough that she could speak with a hand covering her mouth.

  “Don’t breathe the dust in,” she told him.

  But it was too late. He felt dizzy, and he could feel his throat closing up. He couldn’t breathe.

  Other bystanders were now paying attention because of the commotion the attack had caused. They rushed over as Lorcan collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. He heard the buzz of strange voices he couldn’t understand. The people spoke a language he didn’t understand.

  He heard Faye’s voice, speaking the strange language. Then he was lifted. There were sounds of a struggle. His body was shoved and then pulled. He heard Faye shouting. She must be angry, he thought.

  Someone sat him up, and his head lolled in the familiar crook of Faye’s neck. She turned and whispered into his ear.

  “I know your name is Lorcan Brodie, and you’re a citizen of Earth. You were on a job for a client when an accident happened. You aren’t here by chance. The sea creatures are now out to get you. You have no choice but to trust me, Lorcan. Give me a sign that you understand what I’m saying.”

  He wanted to respond, but his body wouldn’t obey.

  Faye shouted to the crowd, saying something in Nepolymbian. Then she said to Lorcan, “I can’t wait for your consent. I have to do this, or you’ll die.”

  How? He could hear himself screaming the question in his head.

  He felt the prick of a needle in his neck. Cool liquid streamed into his vein, instantly opening his throat and freeing his muscles. He moved his head away from Faye’s neck, opened his eyes, and saw Faye secretly spit the needle from between her lips down to the ground.

  He sat up, and then stood up. The crowd of about twenty people backed away, observing him with caution.

  Faye said something to them.

  “What did you just say?”

  “I said you’re the keeper of the Key of Pisces. That’s how you survived the poison.”

  “What the heck does that mean? What key?”

  She looked him in the eye, but before she could say anything more, someone in the crowd shouted. The rest of the mob turned to look at Faye.

  “What is it? What do they want now?” Lorcan asked. Faye’s face had turned pale. This is bad, he thought.

  The group of people approached them slowly.

  “Run, Lorcan.”

  “Run where? I’m not going to leave you here. You have to tell me what’s going on.” He pulled her behind him, although he wasn’t quite sure how he would be able to protect her.

  A man charged at them. He didn’t exactly look like the type for combat, so with a couple of mixed martial art movements, Lorcan was able to take him down easily.

  The rest of the men rumbled, prepared to move toward him.

  A man charged past Lorcan and then stood in front of him. He was tall and formidable with long black hair. He wore warrior armor and held a spear in his hand. The formality of the man stopped the attacking crowd in their footsteps.

  He turned and cast a cold glance at Lorcan. No, he glanced at Faye, who was standing behind him.

  “Look out!” Lorcan shouted as he saw a man in the crowd throw a knife.

  Without even looking, the warrior raised a shield in one hand to block the knife. The knife hit the shield and dropped to the ground.r />
  The crowd roared, about to attack.

  “Run this way!” Faye shouted, tugging Lorcan’s hand and withdrawing in another direction.

  He yanked his hand away. “We can’t leave him behind, Faye,” he said.

  “He can handle them.”

  “I said no.”

  He returned to the warrior, pulling out one of the daggers he kept tucked in the small of his back.

  The crowd charged at them with whatever weapons they had—knives, swords, spears, and daggers. There were more than twenty of them. One of them pulled out something that looked like a gun.

  A tall man threw a spear in their direction. Lorcan turned and saw that Faye had returned and stood by his side, and that the spear was heading her way. The warrior darted over and sued his shield to block the spear, leaving his back unguarded.

  The man with the gun aimed at the warrior’s back and pulled the trigger. Lorcan threw a dagger at the gunman. He jerked his hand back, and the bullet hit the warrior’s shoulder.

  The warrior turned and looked at the crowd. He roared and then charged at them. Soon, the crowd was nothing but body parts. He returned to Lorcan and Faye, his body covered in blood.

  He pointed to a small alley and said something in Nepolymbian. Then he slid his arm around Faye’s back and scooted her in that direction. Lorcan followed. Not too long after that, they had settled in a cart, a square, rusted container with an engine of some sort sticking out the back and skis instead of wheels.

  The warrior started the engine, and the machine shuddered to life. It skied up about ten feet in the air and then zoomed around the strange ancient town.

  Nine

  “Don’t ever do that again, Kai!” Faye shouted as she tucked a blanket around Lorcan.

  “Don’t do what? Hit him in the head or stick my neck out to rescue you… again?”

  “Both. I am not your responsibility, and he is not our enemy.”

  Kai looked her in the eye. He was so tall he almost had to bend over when he talked to her. He had tied back his long raven hair, revealing large shoulders that bore many battle scars. But behind his warrior facade, she knew there was a gentle soul.

  “Faye, I’m your guard. Protecting you will always be my responsibility. But whether Lorcan is an adversary here is up to him, not us.”

  “You can’t make decisions about things you don’t know,” she said.

  “Then tell him.”

  She shook her head.

  “You can’t, or you won’t? Faye, he blew your cover and almost cost you your life.”

  “Everyone dies sometime…”

  “You’re not just anyone. You’re our only hope. And if you lose your faith, our generation will go awry.”

  “I’m tired, Kai. It’s been so many years.”

  He touched her face gently. “Please don’t say that. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you back to where you belong.”

  “I don’t belong anywhere, or with anyone. I don’t even have a real home.”

  He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She could feel his body vibrating with emotions, emotions she didn’t think a warrior like him would possess. Then he released her suddenly and stepped back.

  “I apologize. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  She sighed. “So now I don’t even have a friend?”

  He shook his head. “We’re not friends. We’re not equals. And you are not a commoner. You never will be. I need you to remember that. It was reckless for you to use the antidote in the middle of the city to save Lorcan. I know he holds the key to many important things. But you weren’t saving him for the greater good.”

  “What do you think I saved him for then? Why do you think I slaved in the hospital, even when there was barely a chance he would recover from the explosion?”

  “You know what I mean, Faye. I don’t read minds. I can’t manipulate them the way you do. But I do understand feelings.”

  She jabbed a finger into his chest. “Is that so? Prove to me you understand what it feels like to have my family locked up in the Heating Ducts.” She strode out of the room.

  He followed her, saying, “I’m working on it. We’ll get them out.”

  “Yeah, when? After they’ve rotted? After they’ve become nothing but burned flesh and bones at the bottom of the dungeon of this ruined society? You know what? Now that my cover has been blown, the sharks will arrive soon. I’m going to organize a rescue. We get out now…or never.”

  “Faye, it’s too rushed—”

  “You don’t have to do this, Kai. It’s not your war. You’ve said it before—you’re my guard, and we’re not equal. That means you don’t have to give your life for my family.”

  She pushed open the door to the back alley. Their transport awaited. The rusty box shuddered to life as she approached. Ordinary mer-citizens would have to use a key to turn the ignition. But she was no ordinary mer-creature. The energy projecting from her could start any machine of this primitive scale without her even touching it.

  “Faye, please think about this. We need a plan.”

  “I have it figured out.”

  “You don’t. Your judgment is clouded—”

  She wagged her finger at him. “One more mention of my feelings for Lorcan, and I will never speak to you again.”

  He backed away. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

  Seeing the pain in his eyes, she calmed down a bit. “I have a responsibility to my people. So yes, I will be careful. Will you?”

  He nodded and let go of the handle of the vehicle’s door. From the rearview mirror, she saw him standing there, looking out for her. He had always been there for her and her family, through all the ups and downs.

  He had been a constant in her life.

  She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he hadn’t pulled her out of the burning ruins and fled with her to this town. She promised herself to keep that in mind and knew she would be forever in his debt.

  Ten

  It had been quiet for a while. Lorcan was pretty sure Faye and the warrior had left the premises, so he opened his eyes and surveyed the room they’d put him in. High ceilings supported by large stone columns. Round shape. No windows. He figured the door was most likely locked from the outside.

  He sat up. The quick, hard hit to the head from Kai had knocked him out because he hadn’t expected it. But he’d recovered shortly. He had kept his eyes closed and pretended to be unconscious to gather information. It had surprised him that Faye and Kai had conversed in English. He realized now that that although Kai had a slight accent, Faye spoke perfect English.

  This wasn’t Earth, so who were they? And why did Faye refer to him as the keeper of the Key of Pisces?

  He didn’t know much about this place and had no intention of spying on them. He knew for sure that he wasn’t on Earth, and he figured he was holding some information he wasn’t aware of. It seemed they all wanted him for that information.

  He needed to get out of here.

  He approached the door, and as he had thought, it was locked. He chuckled. It would be insulting if it took him more than five seconds to unlock it. He shouldn’t be too haughty, though, because he could tell this was only a residential house. The lock wasn’t designed to keep anyone inside.

  He glanced around the room. Light pierced the small holes scattered about the wall. He approached them and peeked through one of the holes. He could see the landscape of the city, the same as before, vibrant and strange. He smiled to himself. It was land and air. Meaning, he could escape.

  He picked the lock in four seconds and stepped out into a grand hallway flanked by white columns made of what looked like polished coral. A similar pattern was repeated in the large floor tiles. A million stars sparkled on the walls, creating a scene of the cosmos.

  Lorcan shook his head in disbelief. The cosmos undersea? The resplendence confirmed what Kai had said—Faye wasn’t a commoner. Regardless of what world this was, this wasn’t an ordinary
residence.

  When he approached the end of the hallway, he saw the thin silvery fabric from the hem of Faye’s dress, the one she had worn at the hospital, in the gap under the door to a side room. The fabric moved in and out and sideways as if someone wearing the dress was moving around behind the door, not realizing part of it was visible from the hallway.

  He glanced at the empty end of the corridor and inched forward, making a move to escape. Then he stopped at the door. He wasn’t going to sneak out. Faye had helped him and rescued him. She had put herself in danger by doing so. If he had doubts, he would ask Faye about them to her face.

  He inhaled, left the door, and turned back to the side room.

  Before he knocked, the door swung open. The couple who walked out hadn’t anticipated running into Lorcan. By all appearances and by the looks on their faces, they hadn’t expected to see anyone at all. The man’s shirt was undone, and his trousers hadn’t yet been zipped up.

  The woman was wearing Faye’s dress. Her hair was tousled, and her face still blushed. Her lips were slightly swollen, obviously from recent sexual activity.

  The woman yelped. The man hissed audibly and pulled out a short handgun that Lorcan had only seen in steampunk movies. He raised the gun at Lorcan and said something in Nepolymbian.

  Eleven

  Faye sauntered into a stupendous square room, tracing her fingertips along the silhouettes of the marble statues. It would have cost the owner a fortune to obtain such an art collection on Earth, she thought. She loved art but had never had the heart to spend her funds on things other than her life mission—which was not pretty in any way.

  Pexami, the most notorious gang leader in the outskirts of the submarine dimension, entered the room abruptly and walked straight toward her. “We agreed never to meet in public!”

  She smiled and gestured widely at the room. “I consider this location private. Don’t you?”

  He shrugged.

  “Is this how you usually treat guests?” she asked.