by Aaron Ehasz
Ezran approached the creature.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. The monster seemed like a cross between a lion and a rodent, but it was about the size of an elephant. “And look at those circles on its fur. They remind me of a target. What a strange birthmark.” Ezran pointed at a circular pattern on the beast’s abdomen and reached out to put his hand on its side.
“Don’t touch it!” Callum yelled. “I don’t think that’s a birthmark. It’s a bite mark.”
Ezran examined the creature again. His brother had a point. This poor creature was the prey, which meant somewhere out there, an even bigger predator lurked.
“You’re right,” Rayla said to Callum. She gestured to the creature’s unnaturally pale skin. “Something drained all its blood.”
Sluuuuurrrp.
Callum froze. The noise had come from behind the dead monster.
“Guys,” Ellis said, “I see a much huger, scarier monster. And this one’s alive.”
She pointed to a huge shadow rising through the mist, and suddenly, a colossal leech appeared. The faceless, fifty-foot bloodsucker reared up over them, teeth bared.
“Okay, I’m not feeling bored anymore,” Ezran said.
The leech screeched at a painful pitch and everyone covered their ears.
“The plan! The plan,” Callum called out. “Time for the plan. Ezran—go!”
“Okay, okay,” Ezran said. He looked in his arms, where Bait had been sitting seconds ago. “Wait, where’s Bait?”
Bait’s ears perked up at the sound of his name. He’d been trying to catch the cricket. But if it was time for the plan, he’d have to abandon his snack aspirations; he had a duty to fulfill. He gathered up all his glow and let it flash free.
Everyone else tried to cover their eyes but it was too late; they were momentarily blinded.
“Too soon, too soon,” Callum cried as he stumbled around.
Thwap! The colossal leech smacked down near Ava and Ellis. Ava took off but ran right into Ezran, who was on his knees, patting the ground in a blind search for Bait.
Callum’s sight was starting to come back, but everything was still fuzzy. “What about the rest of the plan?” he shouted. “I probably shouldn’t do lightning if I can’t see, right?”
“Don’t do the lightning,” Rayla ordered.
“Maybe a new plan?” Ezran suggested.
“Scatter! Run!” Callum yelled as his vision finally recovered. He took off behind Ellis and Ava, the leech nipping at his heels.
“This way, Callum,” Ellis said, reaching her hand down to him. “Ava will get us out of here.”
Callum grabbed hold of Ellis’s arm and lurched onto Ava’s back. The wolf bounded through the trees, but the leech was surprisingly agile for its size and stayed right on their tail.
Callum had just about lost hope when Ava scrambled up a pile of rocks, leaving the leech below. It roared after them in frustration, then slithered off toward Rayla and Ezran.
Rayla used her good arm to snatch Ezran and Bait out of the way of the coming leech. “You can climb trees, right?” Rayla asked. Without waiting for a response, she pushed Ezran and Bait up onto the nearest branch and they scrambled to safety. Rayla used her good hand to stick her blade into the bark of the tree and flung herself into the leaves, coming up beside Ezran and Bait. From their perch high above, they stared down at the monster.
“What do we do now?” Rayla asked. “I think that thing is waiting for us at the bottom of the tree.”
“We don’t even have that much blood,” Ezran noted.
“I know,” Rayla said. Then she shouted at the monster, “We would be a very unsatisfying snack!”
The leech roared.
“I guess an unsatisfying snack is still a snack,” she said.
Callum’s voice suddenly rang out from the hillside. “We don’t have a choice. We’ll just have to wait it out. I’m sorry my plan was a mess.”
“Nah, your plan was fine,” Rayla called back. “Our execution was a little off.”
Runaan did not know exactly how much time had passed since the high mage’s last appearance in the dungeon, but it was not much; Viren was one of the most impatient humans the elf had ever encountered. The high mage entered the dungeon straining to push a covered object. He brought it to a stop in front of Runaan.
“In a moment, I will remove this cover and you will tell me what you know. Understood?” Viren said. He knelt down in front of Runaan and pulled out a pouch filled with coins, jingling it in his palm. “I’ve brought something I hope you will find motivating,” he said.
Runaan scoffed at the leather pouch. “You’re more foolish than I thought,” he said. “Don’t you know only humans can be bribed?”
“Oh, this isn’t a bribe,” Viren said, a single corner of his mouth turning upward. “It’s more of a threat.” He dumped two coins out and flicked them toward Runaan. “Go on, take a closer look.”
Runaan glanced at the coins and then did a double-take. These were no ordinary coins. They were powerful, magical, and cursed. Runaan’s heart twisted in pain when he saw the anguished faces captured on the surfaces of the coins, the faces of people he knew and loved. Brave elves whose disappearances had made no sense to him, until now. “You’re a monster,” he said to Viren.
“You’re mistaken,” the high mage said, his mouth twitching. “I’m a pragmatist.” He ripped the cloth from the object he had wheeled in and revealed a large mirror with runes around its edges. “Tell me what you know about this relic or I will seal your fate.”
Runaan shook his head in disbelief. This relic had one purpose—to protect the world from an ancient and mysterious threat. The high mage clearly didn’t know what he had in his possession. “You have succeeded,” Runaan said.
Viren brightened a little. “Oh, have I?” he asked.
“That mirror?” Runaan said. “You have found something worse than death.”
“Then tell me,” Viren said. He seemed barely able to contain himself. “What. Is. It?”
Runaan knew the human’s threats were not idle, and the fate he was now facing was horrifying. For an instant, a tiny crack appeared in his sense of resolve. Runaan could endure any pain, but his beloved husband, Ethari … Runaan’s disappearance would cause him immense anguish.
But when Runaan imagined Ethari’s face, the cracks in his resolve were filled with hope and true courage. “I will never help you,” Runaan said to Viren.
“Then you’re of no use to me,” the high mage replied. He picked up his staff and removed a black candle from his robes. Then he began to chant, his voice becoming breathy and otherworldly. “Erusaert ym si luos ruoy …”
Runaan steadied himself for his fate, though he would not go without a fight.
As the high mage’s chants grew faster and more intense, blue vapors trickled off Runaan’s body toward Viren’s staff. Runaan strained at his chains and let out a guttural roar.
Louder and louder Viren chanted, his spell seeming to vaporize Runaan’s body from the inside out, sucking it toward the staff.
Runaan strained once more, a terrified scream escaping his mouth, but he was powerless against Viren’s dark magic.
In the adjacent chamber, Gren could hear Viren chanting, soft and slow at first, then faster. At the same time, he heard the elf leader’s throaty protests transform into shrill screams that wracked the dungeon walls. A purple light started to pulsate from the cell. Then all at once, the elf’s yells went silent and the purple glow disappeared.
Gren’s eyes went wide. Was this standard protocol for all the high mage’s prisoners, or just elven assassins?
A moment later, Viren emerged from the elf’s chamber. His eyes were black and hollow, and his skin was pale and ghastly. He looked almost demonic. Gren shivered.
The high mage stopped just inside Gren’s chamber, still in his own world. He held up something small and shiny and examined it, an arrogant look on his face. Gren craned his neck to
see what the object was, but the light in the dungeon was dim, and his chains only reached so far. Was it a button, perhaps, or a coin? The high mage rarely concerned himself with such ordinary things …
Viren had planned to hold off admiring his work until he was in his office, but patience was not his strong suit these days. He stared at the elf leader’s tortured face, now engraved on the golden coin. It screamed and writhed silently from within, as if the elf were trying to push his way out. Viren chuckled, finding the melodramatic gestures amusing. In other circumstances, they would have been a valiant effort in a game of charades in which the clue had been terrified.
“I always seem to capture the same expression,” Viren said to himself. “Defiance, giving way to absolute fear.”
He slipped the coin into his cloak and ascended the dungeon stairs.
Up high in the tree, Ezran stroked the dimly glowing egg. Rayla walked over to him, her injured arm dangling by her side.
“It seems to be hanging in there,” she said, pointing to the egg. “Barely.”
“I’m really sorry I messed up the plan,” Ezran said with a sigh. He rubbed his cheek against the egg’s shell.
“Eh, you should cut yourself a break. Everybody messes up sometimes,” Rayla said. She sat down next to Ezran and looked out into the forest. “Or in my case … all the times.”
“What are you talking about?” Ezran asked. Rayla was always so surefooted and brave. He suspected she was trying to make him feel better.
“Trust me, if the plan hadn’t gotten messed up when Bait flashed, I’m sure it would have flopped when it was my turn,” Rayla said.
“Are you kidding?” Ezran couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned to look Rayla directly in the eyes. “From what I can tell, you’re awesome at everything.”
“Well, I am pretty awesome at everything,” Rayla said. Her eyes twinkled, but then her shoulders slumped. “Right up until the moment when it really matters.” She hung her head. “And that’s when I just … ‘poof,’ screw things up.”
“Why does that happen to you?” Ezran asked.
“I don’t know. I hesitate, think too much, get confused about the right thing to do. And the next thing I know, I’ve failed.” She rolled onto her back and looked up at the stars. Ezran copied her position, so the two of them were lying head to head.
“Let me tell you a story,” Rayla said. “The morning I came to your castle, my team was discovered by a human guard. It was my job to chase the guard down and stop him. But when I caught him, he looked up at me and he was so afraid. And then I just let him go. I don’t know why.”
“It’s obvious, Rayla,” Ezran said. “You felt for him. That doesn’t sound like a failure to me.”
“But he was a human, my enemy,” Rayla said.
“Sure,” Ezran said. “But he never did anything wrong to you. And when you saw he was scared, you knew he was a person. Just like you.”
Rayla sighed. Ezran was too kind-hearted. He would never understand her weakness, but she tried to explain. “It shouldn’t have mattered that he was a person. I had a job to do. When I allowed that guard to escape, I endangered my whole team, people who trusted me. Then I failed at my mission. Do you realize, I’m an assassin who’s never killed anyone?” she asked.
“Uh, I think that’s a good thing,” Ezran replied. “And by the way, thank you for failing at your mission. I like being alive.”
Rayla smiled a little. “I’m glad you’re alive, Ezran. Knowing you is definitely worth losing a hand.” She dangled her purple hand out in front of her face.
Ezran paused, contemplating her words, then spoke up. “That’s the weirdest, nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“Well, who knows, maybe this is my unlucky hand, so when it falls off my luck will change,” Rayla said. It was an awfully dark attempt at being lighthearted.
“That’s a horrible joke,” Ezran said.
“Funny though?” Rayla wanted to make sure.
“Funny and horrible,” Ezran conceded.
While Ezran and Rayla joked about losing limbs, Callum leaned over the edge of the cliff trying to see through the mist. As far as he could tell, the leech was circling them every minute or so, biding its time.
“I can’t believe you’re a mage,” Ellis suddenly said. “I’ve never met a mage before. You’re not at all what I expected.”
“What were you expecting?” Callum asked, turning toward her. Being called a mage momentarily diverted him from bigger concerns.
“Oh, you know. Taller, long robes, lots of wrinkles. Super smart,” Ellis said.
Callum laughed.
“And, maybe carrying a weird amulet or something?” she added.
“Well, I am in the market for a weird amulet, if you know anybody,” Callum said.
Ellis giggled. “And you’re so confident.”
“It’s funny to hear someone say that,” Callum said. He moved away from his lookout. “I don’t think of myself as confident.”
“Really? You should be,” Ellis said. She spread her arms wide and looked up at the sky. “You have all that incredible power.”
Callum paused. It didn’t feel right to let Ellis believe he was so powerful. “The truth is, it’s not me,” he said. He pulled the primal stone out of his rucksack. “It’s this. All the magic, all the power, all the confidence—it’s just because of this amazing thing: a primal stone.” The blue orb glinted in the moonlight, the storm inside swirling and flashing with electricity.
Ellis shook her head. “That primal stone needs you to do all that amazing stuff,” she said. “Without you, it’s just a neat glowy ball.”
“I guess so,” Callum said. “But without this, I’m nothing.” He passed the stone from one hand to the other. “I’m just a guy who can draw and make wry comments from time to time. And they’re not even that wry.”
“I’m not convinced,” Ellis said. “I have a feeling you’d be pretty amazing even without your magic ball.”
Callum blushed. “Well, you seem pretty great too.”
Ava barked.
“And Ava’s also great,” Callum said. “Is it okay if I pet her—”
Ava answered by jumping on top of Callum and lapping his face. Callum laughed.
“Hey, guys!” Rayla called out from her treetop. “I think that thing might be gone.”
Sure enough, the coast looked clear, so Callum, Ellis, and Ava climbed down to meet Rayla and Ezran (and Bait) at the base of the tree.
“Haven’t seen it or heard it in a while—seems like it moved on,” Rayla said.
“See ya, sucker,” Ezran called out. “Get it, because it’s a giant leech?”
“So … more of a description than an insult?” Callum asked.
“Little of both,” Ezran said.
Callum nodded, impressed.
“Guys, it’s probably gone but let’s not taunt it, okay?” Rayla said. “There’s a little thing called irony, where just as you say one thing you’re really sure about, that’s when the opposite happens.”
“Nah,” Callum said. “Maybe that’s how things work in stories, but in the real world—”
An earth-shattering screech interrupted Callum. The group turned around to find that the colossal leech had returned and was, once again, towering over them.
The monster reared up and prepared to strike. It lunged at the group, smashing its head into the ground and just missing everyone. Then it chased after the nearest prey, Ellis riding on Ava’s back.
Ava circled around trees, evading the slithering beast, which soon turned its attention to Rayla.
Rayla scrambled up a tree and the leech switched directions again, this time focused on Ezran.
“Hey, guys,” Callum called out. “The plan! The plan! We can do this.” It wasn’t every day Callum got a second chance at defeating the same monster, and he was not about to waste the opportunity. He pointed to Ezran, like a conductor launching a symphony, and yelled, “Ez and Bait, yo
u’re up.”
Ezran hoisted Bait into the air and everyone closed their eyes.
“Flash!” Callum yelled.
The blinding light stunned the leech, which stopped its attack momentarily. Then Callum pointed at Ava and called out, “Woof!”
Ava and Ellis leaped into action, riding around in circles with Ava barking madly. The leech twirled like a monstrous dancer. Here and there Ava would take a nip at the blinded leech, which became increasingly disoriented.
“Perfect,” Callum said. “It’s my turn for Zap.” Holding the primal stone in one hand, Callum traced the lightning rune in the air and an electric charge started to build. “Here goes nothing,” he said to himself, trying the powerful spell for the first time since learning the Draconic trigger word. Callum directed his hand at the leech.
“Fulminis!”
It worked. Lightning crackled out of Callum’s hand, shocking the leech and sending it reeling backward. Callum’s eyes widened and he gawked at his own hand.
“Yeah! Get zapped,” he shouted at the leech, jumping up and down. “Get zapped by The Zapper! The most zappy and zappifying Zap Hand!” He admired his fingers again. “Wow! I can’t believe it worked!”
“Uh, can you be astounded later?” Rayla asked. She gestured to the still-living monster.
“Right … ugh … finishing time,” Callum said. “Rayla, you got this. Slash!”
Rayla leaped toward the disabled leech, approaching it with her blades poised as it thrashed on the ground.
But just as she was about to strike, the leech reared up again and Rayla stumbled, falling backward. She dropped her blades a few feet behind her.
Everyone watched petrified as the leech lunged at her.
Come on, Rayla, she thought. Don’t screw this up. She crab-walked backward and reached for a blade while the leech prepared to lunge again.
“Rayla!” Callum cried out.
The beast dove toward her as Rayla grabbed her blade and sprang up from the ground.