by T. Z. Leigh
Jamie was reluctant to answer, but she had to say something. "To be honest, she never explained in as much detail, but I think more because she didn't want to remember how hurt she was, rather than that she didn't feel the same." She hoped what she had said wouldn't cause him any further grief.
"Could be," he replied, unconvinced as he looked at the flowers above him for a few seconds. "Listen, you cannot tell a soul what I have disclosed here. I have never spoken about this before. It is tremendously shameful, having feelings for someone of another race."
"Of course we won't," Jamie assured him.
"Your story is safe with us," Zachery affirmed.
"Thank you. It pleases me that the four of you will be happy with each other. We must all persevere until the Summer Solstice is over, and then…"
He was interrupted as the tunnel shook, dust falling from above like rain, followed by a shrill cry.
Jamie ducked a little and looked around at the walls, preparing for a cave-in, but without even a flinch, Qayto spun around, looking in the direction they had come from.
"Sam..."
Sam struggled to hold up the rock that was set on flattening them. All he knew was that the creeping plants, suspended from the roof and tangled in a huge ball as they entered a cross-section, had fallen in front of Teselda. Then all hell broke loose. The creepers had risen, a distinct form taking shape, a ferocious and dense, yet ornate creature with numerous whip-like limbs standing tall, before lashing out and knocking them to the ground. He had attempted to attack the conscious flora when it flogged him with vines that had been dragging on the floor, making him fly backwards. Then, it whipped at the walls around them, causing rocks to crumble and block the four tunnel entrances that led off the cross-section, sealing them in. And finally, it thrashed at the surface above in multiple places, causing the roof to crack, threatening to collapse in on them. The roof had fallen twenty seconds later and would have crushed them to death, if he hadn't jumped up and caught it in the last moment. Vines were now curling around his arms, squeezing firmly, forcing his strength to weaken, his elbows to bend. The rock inched closer and closer to their heads and he let out a hopeless scream.
"Gramma, what can we do?" April cried.
"I don't know!" she shouted desperately. "I've never seen anything like this before. My illusions don't have any effect on it!"
April raised her hands, trying to lift the rock with Sam, although clearly it was pointless. The creature wrapped a vine around April's leg and threw her effortlessly to the side like a rag doll. She lay on the floor, suddenly still.
"April!" Teselda shouted, running to her.
A vine shot out of nowhere, speedily twirling around and encasing Teselda's head until it was covered entirely, before smashing her against the wall. She fell into a bizarre, crumpled position on the floor.
Come on, Sam, come on, think!
It was hard to do with the grotesque, glow-in-the-dark entity moving towards him, giving him its undivided attention. He shook his head, standing up straight in a show of determination, before taking his eyes off the creature to swiftly study his options, if there were any. A quick glance at the surroundings didn't provide much hope. The rock he was propping up covered the entire area of the cross-section. If he let it drop, it would kill them all…even the plant.
But that wouldn't really make sense, would it? There had to be a way for the creature to escape before the rock had fallen. He slowly turned, alternate shoulders screaming as the load wobbled while he was trying to balance it. He ignored the vine that rose in the air, ready to strike, and saw the tunnel entrance that was previously behind him, but now to his right, had been cleared. There was a pile of rubble on the floor preceding a dark passage. He heard Qayto's dampened shout through the rock blocking the entrance currently behind him.
"Sam!"
It had distracted the plant, and its attention was now locked onto where the voice had come from. A split-second comfort surrounded Sam, a moment of relief, giving him time to mentally prepare to perform the craziest stunt he ever pulled. If it worked, he would be the slickest guy on the planet. If it didn't…well, it was probably best not to think about that.
"Sam! I'm coming!" Qayto yelled again.
"No! Stay where you are! Just trust me, no matter what you hear, don't come any further!"
He glanced to his left at April and Teselda on the floor, both still unmoving…he couldn't allow himself to get distracted now. He punched the rock lightly with his right hand, a cracking sound instantly following the connection, before he held it firmly with both hands again.
"Hey!" he shouted to the creeper.
With adrenaline flowing through his body and confidence powering every muscle, a smile tugged at his mouth, quickly replaced by a grave expression.
"You might wanna get out of here before this completely breaks and squashes you to death…I can't hold it much longer!"
The creeper paid no heed to his advice and started slowly towards him, although the rocks splintering made it stop and look up. There was a thin and shallow crevice running across the rock and the right side was now threaded with veins.
Come on, come on, just go!
A series of successive clicks alerted the creeper to the imminent danger and it made for the exit. In two deft movements, Sam threw the rock to his right, his left arm straining to propel it hard enough to the side, then slammed his hands onto the ground and flipped his legs in the air, smashing his heels against the rock with enough force to make it crumble into pieces, trapping the creeper underneath the rock pile. He flipped away and onto his feet, waiting, heart pounding.
Nothing.
"Dada!" he screamed, as he ran to April.
Zachery remained in the tunnel, counting down the seconds. Each thump or crash from behind the pile of rock blocking the way made his heart beat out of rhythm. When all was quiet, they heard Sam scream for Qayto and within a few seconds, the path was cleared for them to go through. The rocks tumbled down and as he entered, Zachery saw Sam hovering over April and calling her name while Teselda lay on the floor in a heap. Sam faced them, his face panicked.
"Zachery, check Teselda! I think she's injured."
He ran to her and placed his hands on her back to check for any injuries. Her energy flowed smoothly under his hands and he followed it, seeing the multi-coloured current travelling around her body in his mind. However, it darkened as it reached her knee.
"Her leg is broken, just above her ankle."
"Can you fix it?" Qayto asked, kneeling next to him.
"I can try, but I've only done it once. I could do her more damage."
"Then we must move quickly to reach the other healers as soon as possible." He stood and carefully lifted Teselda, putting her over his shoulder. "Sam and Zachery, you bring April. And hurry."
"Should I kirosko and get a healer to meet us along the way?" Jamie suggested.
"No, we can't have any more injuries, and we're staying together."
They rushed along the passage, Sam carrying April on his back while Zachery supported her from behind in case she toppled over. They came to another blockage and Qayto ran his hand along the rocks, giving one a high-five. A single rock fell to the other side and Qayto looked through.
"It's another cave-in…looks safe, but exercise caution."
He knocked on the rocks and they fell to the floor. They waited before stepping over the pile, scanning the tunnel for any further threats. All was quiet and they continued running.
April groaned as she woke up. "What happened?"
"Don't worry," Jamie told her, "we're almost out of here."
A faint light appeared in the distance.
"There's the exit!" Qayto yelled.
Hope propelled them faster to the presumably safe exit up ahead, although bangs and explosions shattered it as quickly as it had come.
"Oh no," Zachery murmured.
As they came closer to the light, they saw Sven and Fyzer running towards them.
"We were just about to come and search for you," Sven said, his voice full of worry. "What happened?"
"Find a healer, and quickly. Teselda's leg is broken," Qayto ordered as he lay her carefully on the ground.
Fyzer instantly turned around and sprinted outside.
"What's happening out there?" Jamie asked.
"Most of us made it through fine before we were attacked by a…" Sven's eyes slowly found Qayto's. "…dirataygon."
"Out here?" Qayto's voice was cynical.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"What is that?" Zachery directed at Sven.
"A beast, an extremely territorial one, although finding one out here is unusual."
"So, what does that mean?" Sam queried.
"It could mean…" Sven started, but Qayto silenced him with a wave of his hand.
"It means Irisena knew we were coming."
Chapter Thirty-Three
"How could they have known?" Jamie questioned.
"Well, obviously there would have been an attempted rescue sooner or later," Zachery suggested. However, he doubted that Irisena expecting them was just a coincidence.
"No," Qayto's voice tight and certain, "they wouldn't send the dirataygon out this far and leave their headquarters vulnerable unless they were sure. Someone told them we were coming."
"Qayto…" someone whispered quietly. Teselda.
He turned around and crouched on the floor at her side. "Teselda, are you alright?"
"My leg," she uttered, dipping in and out of consciousness.
"Don't worry, a healer is on the way," Qayto told her.
"Where's April…and Sam?"
"Here, Gramma," April whispered, standing, although still holding onto Sam for support. "We're both here, we're okay."
"Qayto, your grandson is…just as amazing as y…agh!... it hurts."
Qayto took her in his arms. "Shh, don't worry, someone will be here soon."
"Listen, a creature attacked us…animated vines. Did that happen to anyone else?"
"No, Your Highness," Sven answered.
"Then, I fear that we were targeted specifically. Find out why. We need to know. Keep Sam and April safe, keep them close."
"Gramma!" April cried when Teselda's eyes closed.
"She's going to be okay. She's just in a lot of pain," Sven assured her.
"We can't wait much longer," Zachery said firmly. "I'm going to try. Her leg is broken anyway."
He knelt beside her and laid his hands gently on her leg, just below her knee. The break was worse than before. Her bones were now beginning to pierce through her inner layers of skin.
"I have to fix it, and now."
The bright and lively colour that flowed steadily through her was now a raging, black whirlpool from her knee all the way to her toes. He placed his left hand under her back, keeping the right one on her leg. This would be risky. Bombs were still exploding and the beast's shriek outside ripped through his skull, but he had to focus. Increasing her oxygen level to make the pain more bearable would be easy. Attempting to heal her bones at the same time, not so much.
"April, hold her hand, so she knows someone is with her," Zachery ordered.
Teselda's pale face relaxed a little as Zachery controlled her oxygen levels. April, Jamie and Sam probably assumed that he was healing her, that her pain was finally subsiding. Sven and Qayto obviously knew what was about to happen. Zachery had seen them look away from the corner of his eye. Zachery imposed his will on her bones, which shook slightly before moving very slowly back into place. Teselda groaned in pain, gripping April's hand tightly, then screamed as the bones connected…crick, crick, crick, crick. The other three winced as they turned their faces as well while Zachery's stomach churned, though his stare was impassive.
Almost there now…you got this.
The bones were fully in place; all he had to do was complete the process. The black whirlpool had calmed, replaced by a gushing red river. He pictured her damaged muscle and tissue connecting, oxygen pumping through with force, cells rejuvenating. He exhaled in relief when no injury remained. He removed the hand from her leg while reducing the oxygen levels in her blood. Then he smiled and relaxed the other hand once seeing the liquid rainbow running serenely around her body. She sat up, now fully alert. She found Zachery's soft gaze at her side and embraced him firmly.
"Thank you," she whispered, just before another bomb exploded nearby. She jerked back in shock. "What is happening?"
"A dirataygon is attacking," Qayto informed her.
"And I hate to bring even more bad news," Sven added, "but Fyzer went to bring a healer…yet hasn't returned."
Teselda stood, though she was still weak on her feet and grabbed onto Qayto's arm. "Something must have happened to him. He could be hurt, or worse. We must search for him."
Her face was now grim, but her eyes were determined. She stumbled as she stepped forward.
"Steady," Qayto said, "you need to rest for a little while before trying to walk again."
"Then find him. Sven and the children will stay here with me."
Qayto kept her gaze for a few seconds before turning around. "I'll be back soon," he called out as he walked away.
"Wait!" Sam shouted. "I should come with you, she said to keep us close!"
"It's too dangerous. You are staying here where you will be safe…I hope. Sven, stay here with them, no matter the cost. Their safety takes precedence over everything else."
He moved smoothly towards the exit, staying close to the tunnel wall, getting closer to the ground as he went. He peered out, checking it was clear to go, then made a break for it.
Sam's heart was in his throat as he watched Qayto prepare to leave the tunnel.
He shouldn't be going alone. "Sven, you go with him."
"I am to follow orders and keep you all here."
An ear-piercing shriek echoed around them as they saw talons clamping around Qayto before he was carried upwards by the beast. Sam heard the others speak, but he didn't really hear them. His mind was in a fog. Everything around him was a blur, except the exit, which he was now speeding towards at full pace. He reached the end of the tunnel, taking no notice of Jamie as she appeared out of nowhere beside him and looked skyward. She must have done so, too, because she gasped and grabbed onto his arm.
The ground was suddenly covered in shadow as the beast flew overhead; the sight of which was purely terrifying, its high-pitched growl penetrating their ears. It looked like a gigantic eagle, as black as night but devoid of feathers, instead covered in thick black scales that glistened in the sunlight. Its black beak opened once again, exposing sword-like teeth, but it didn't make a sound, only snapped its beak continually. It began flying haphazardly while growling in annoyance, and Sam felt a glimmer of pride when he saw why. Qayto was still in its grasp, struggling while punching its talons. Bombs went off in the distance between a group of trees.
"I'm going to find…anyone...someone to help. We need to gather together again," Jamie said.
Sam spun around when he heard a voice behind him.
"No, you will not. I mean it!" Sven yelled. "You will stay here as you were told to!"
Sam was so stunned at Sven's outburst that he couldn't move. Only Qayto's shouts took him out of his reverie. Sam turned to see him falling rapidly, picking up speed as he hurtled closer and closer to the ground, arms and legs flailing as he somersaulted downward. Sam was getting ready to rush out when suddenly Qayto remained still, though still falling. He was diving headfirst, arms outstretched towards the ground, fists clenched, biceps taut.
"Don't tell me he's gonna…" April said as she stared dubiously.
"Yes, he is going to," Teselda replied. "I didn't call him amazing without reason…even if that means he's a little crazy."
"But where's the beast gone?" Sam asked, craning his neck as his eyes scanned the sky.
"It flew westward towards the headquarters. I haven't seen it anywhere since," Sven answered.
"I suggest everyone gets down," Zachery said, crouching as Qayto prepared to land.
As Qayto neared the ground, he thought he must have gone mad to try and pull this off, but his hands remained firm, the thought of Zachery was a comfort should he need any healing. And he was sure he would.
A split-second before impact, he regretted ordering Sven to stay in the tunnel with the children. His wings would have definitely come in handy right about then.
Qayto's fists made contact with the terrain. The shockwave vibrated through his body as the rock underneath him displaced, forming a bowl around him. The earth that had been forcefully moved by his hands needed to go somewhere, and in this case, it had chosen to break into pieces, attacking his body like solid rain. A slight mound rose up under him and threw him to the side. He curled into a ball and counted on his back to be his shield.
Staying low to the ground, Zachery watched the land shifting and reshaping, rock flying everywhere, dust rising, partially obscuring his view. Defying a royal order, Sven had flown swiftly to try and catch Qayto. He was a moment too late, and they were both propelled into the air after the impact. Sven batted at the rock that had started to bury Qayto with his wings. He grabbed him and flew through debris that showered from above, the ground continuing to spew rock in anger for the disturbance. Once they were both inside, Zachery touched their backs.