by B. T. Narro
As I came down into the fortress with Michael on my back, he gasped in what I thought to be alarm, startling me.
“What is it?” I asked as I looked around for a threat.
“They finished the ballista! Look.” He pointed at the eastern-facing wall where the massive weapon peeked over the pointed wooden ends
“Oh, that’s it?”
“It’s a ballista, Jon! I’m going to fire it. Put us down there.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Ah, you’re no fun.”
I landed instead near the center of the camp, beside Leon and Byron. I could hear Leon updating Byron as to what had happened. Michael hurried off to the ballista. I decided that worrying about him wasn’t my problem as I greeted Byron with a slight bow.
He had concern wrinkled across his face. “I never would’ve sent you over there if I knew this would happen,” he said apologetically, as if the danger was his fault somehow.
“It was for the best,” Leon spoke for us. “Drayer will serve us well, as we them. I suggest choosing Jennava to be the one you send over as we wait for someone more suited to act as lord of the town. I’ll do just fine without her here in the meantime, seeing as how most of these men are archers picked out of villages with little experience of a real fight. Just make sure she has a callring.”
I looked closer at the men here who I would most likely be fighting beside. None of them looked particularly strong in combat, or perhaps that was just because none held a weapon. Most everyone busied themselves by hauling tree trunks into the encampment and breaking them down. Others cooked, some cleaned their garbs, and a few more tended to the small farm stationed in one corner. There were no women here, which came as a bit of a surprise. Even the female sorcerers of my group were not within view, except for Remi, I soon realized.
She approached me while holding her bloody hand. I took my leave to tend to her.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I hurt myself trying to chop down a sapling. It was much stronger than it looked. Can you heal me?”
“Sure.” I put my hands around her gash and closed it up in a matter of seconds.
She gritted her teeth during the short process but smiled when it was done. “So that’s what it feels like. Thank you, Jon. I take it everything went well in the nearby town?”
I noticed Michael near the ballista. He was attempting to load a huge bolt onto the device, but a man put himself in front of Michael and gestured for him to stop.
“All is well,” I said. “Though it would be better if we had managed to kill the metal mage.”
“What happened?”
I briefly went through the events. When I was done, I said, “We need a way to call Souriff or Failina like our enemies called Valinox.”
She nodded silently. Her eyes fell to the ground. “So you’re available right now?”
“I believe so. What is it?”
“Jon,” Byron called to me.
“Perhaps not,” I told Remi and headed over to Byron with Remi close behind. Leon seemed to be on his way out of the fortress, most likely to fetch Jennava.
Byron told me, “We need to send word to the king of what transpired. Better than sending a messenger, I think it’s best if you go yourself. There’s only the small matter of Valinox possibly seeing you.”
“He can’t do much to me on his own now that he’s no longer invisible,” I interrupted. “I should always be able to flee.”
“That’s what Leon and I discussed. The king may wish to discuss the situation with you while you’re there and might even ask you to pick up the new lord of Drayer to bring with you on your way back. It’s best if you leave now so you can return before dark.”
I was hoping to see Hadley first, even for just a moment, but there was something even more pressing. “I can after I have a bite to eat, sir.”
“Yes, of course.”
*****
Remi and Michael ate with me. Michael and I asked her about their trip here, but it turned out to be uneventful. I was burning to see Hadley and share the events of Drayer with her. She always had an interesting perspective on these sorts of things, but it didn’t seem as if there would be time.
I suddenly remembered that Remi wanted to ask me something. I hoped she wouldn’t be too shy to tell me in front of Michael.
“Remi, earlier you made it seem like I could help you with something.”
She looked down once more. “I’m hoping you might be able to take me to Granlo. Maybe you can set me down there on your way to the castle?”
Michael asked, “Granlo…is that the place where you’re from?”
She nodded.
I wasn’t sure if Michael was aware of what had transpired there. It was the last town I’d visited before arriving in Kataleya’s hometown of Livea, where I met her father and then watched his cousin murder him with the help of Valinox.
“Remi…” Michael said with a sly smile. “What exactly are you going to do there? Maybe pay a visit to your ex-husband and make him regret his actions?”
Her pale cheeks blushed. “I would like to make sure he is not hurting his new wife.”
“How do you know he married again?”
“Because of Jon.”
“I met Gerald when I went there,” I told Michael.
Michael seemed shocked. “And…?”
“And I told him to stop abusing his new wife. He didn’t take kindly to it, so I tossed him into the air and broke his leg in front of most of the town. That was after he drove his mining pick into my shoulder, by the way. He promised he would behave after I was done with him. I think I might’ve scared him so badly that his promise was real.”
“Good god, Jon.”
“What would you do, Remi, if he’s gone against his word?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to figure that out. I was the one who asked you to see him in the first place. It would be wrong for me to ask you to finish what I started.”
“I don’t mind being there with you so long as I have time.”
She looked right into my eyes. “No, I want to do it alone. Because…I also want to speak to my parents, alone.”
“I see.”
“Are you sure it’s safe to ride on your back over such a long distance? Even with a harness, I’m a bit worried.”
“Charlie did it,” I said.
“Yeah, but Charlie can be a little wild in his decision-making.”
Michael smirked. “Wild, eh, Remi? Jon and I weren’t aware.”
“Oh, quiet.” She pinched his arm and twisted.
“Ow!” Michael yelped as he leaned away from her.
“It is safe so long as Valinox doesn’t intercept us in the air,” I answered her.
“I will burn him if he does.”
“Good.”
“Sounds like you two are going to have a lot of fun,” Michael commented as he rubbed his arm. He leaned away nervously as Remi looked at him. “Please don’t pinch me again.”
“You had your fun this morning,” Remi said with a little smile.
Michael scoffed. “If that’s your idea of fun, I’m nervous for the people of Granlo.”
“It might be right to be a little nervous for them,” she said in a quiet, dark tone. “They knew Veronica. They haven’t met Remi.”
Michael laughed nervously. “Holy hell, Remi, I was joking before, but now I’m really scared.”
I had to agree with Michael. The petite fire mage looked a little sinister as she glanced at him with the sides of her eyes. But then she laughed and seemed about as threatening as a puppy dog.
“You should see your faces!” she said. “There’s nothing to worry about. I swear.”
I wasn’t so sure, especially later when I noticed her equipping her sword while Michael helped strap the harness to my body.
“I didn’t know you had helped Remi with this earlier,” he said. “It seems like you’re involved in just a
bout everyone’s life.”
“I wouldn’t say that’s accurate. I still don’t feel like I know Remi very well.”
“You know her a lot better than I do. And it’s not just Remi. You were the one who got most involved with Eden and her Induct stone. Also, it seems like you and Aliana had something when all of us first met. Oh, and how could I forget Reuben? The two of you were caught up in each other’s business like begrudging siblings. And let’s not leave out Kataleya. I know you told me nothing happened between the two of you, but I’m still not so sure.”
“First of all, nothing ever happened with Ali. I’ve gotten to know her pretty well, but I still know next to nothing about her father. Is he still imprisoned in the castle?”
“Last I heard.”
“About Kataleya, we’re just friends. We went through a lot together when I visited her in Livea. As for Eden, you know her a lot better than I do, and it might be the same with Remi.”
“All right, there’s no need to get defensive.” Michael put his hand over the back of his neck. “I’m only trying to give you a compliment. We’ve all relied on you, Jon.” He paused for a breath. “I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’m glad I had the chance to help you today, and that, um, I’m here if you need me for anything else.” He glanced down. “You don’t have to wait for something to become life or death before you come to me again.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh look, Remi’s ready,” he said with some relief.
She approached us.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Yes.”
It was always difficult to get someone situated in the harness their first time, but Michael helped make the process as smooth as possible. By the time Remi was strapped to my back, I still hadn’t figured out how to thank Michael.
“This morning in Drayer,” I said. “You, um…”
“I know, Jon. Be safe out there. You too, Remi.” He put his palm on my shoulder and squeezed her hand with his other.
“We’ll be back tonight,” I said. “Will you tell Hadley that, um.”
“I know, Jon,” he repeated. “Go on.”
I trusted Michael did.
With a lurch I was still getting used to, I propelled my body, with Remi attached, out of the fort and all the way above the forest. She gripped me tightly but did not scream.
I felt her hold loosening a bit as the flight became steady high above the trees. I did not fear Valinox, especially with Remi here. I took us toward the road between the kingdoms.
“Why are you going that way?” Remi asked.
“I’m curious if we might be able to see them. Yes, there they are…do you see?” I pointed south as I slowed to a near stop.
“Rohaer,” Remi grumbled.
Thousands of troops marched north. I could see their kingdom far behind, a tall castle poking out from the middle of a grand city surrounded by walls. It reminded me of our capital, Newhaven, except that everything seemed to be bigger. My eyes traced the road from Rohaer to the army and then beyond. There were a few turns, but it was mostly straight even as it passed along the mountains and the forest.
“It won’t be long now before they reach the defile,” I said, gesturing at the stretch of land where the road dipped into a valley.
“That’s where we attack?” Remi asked.
“That’s my understanding, so long as Rohaer doesn’t retreat into the forest to try to get around us. If they do that, we can strike them from the fort. But the rest of our troops need to get here before any plan can work.”
I twisted us around to face north. An army that looked about half the size of Rohaer’s seemed to be just a couple days away from the fort…or perhaps longer? They traveled so slowly that I couldn’t see them moving from here.
“I’m still a little lost about whose army that is,” Remi said.
“It’s our king’s by right, but it’s my understanding that they are commanded by Harold Chespar. What he will decide to do with them is a mystery to me, but Kataleya’s somewhere among them providing clean water. If a sickness does come that the abundance of clean water cannot prevent, I’m sure they will send for me. Hold on.” I hurled us north toward them.
Remi laughed with excitement. “The feeling never gets old, does it?”
A smile grew on my face. “Not yet, at least.”
It was mere minutes before we flew over our army on the road. We saw many heads tilt back as we zoomed over them. I would’ve liked to stop and greet Kataleya, but the number of people was in the thousands. It might take over an hour to find her, and we didn’t have the time.
“So, you and Hadley?” Remi asked near my ear after it was empty road beneath us again.
“Yes,” I answered definitively.
“That’s good. She’s been gushing about you ever since you brought her to the castle, and I always thought she was far too beautiful for the young men making passes at her while she was a grocer in the capital.”
“This happened a lot?”
“I wasn’t around her all the time, but I did see it. Girls blessed like her are usually mean to me, so I was surprised to find out she was not only nice but smart as a whip.”
Remi fell silent. I found myself smiling as I listened to things about Hadley. I wanted to know more.
“So that’s how you two became friends?”
“Yeah, she taught me many things. First was how to have a good time in the city. We would drink and dance. I’d only known her for a short while, but…then something happened.” Remi paused for a moment. “Afterward, we knew we could trust each other.”
“What was it?”
“We had some fun in a tavern, drinking with a couple young men. They seemed nice. They wanted us to go home with them, which we politely declined. Things took a turn after we left. I hadn’t realized they were following us, but Hadley realized right away and had been prepared. She’d rustled their hair a few times in jest and must’ve snagged a couple hairs. I thought it was a little weird for her to touch both of their heads, but it just seemed like one of her quirks. I mean, she was always fairly touchy with people I thought she should keep more distance from. Only later that night, when I found out she was a witch, did it make more sense.”
“What did she do?”
“While they were following us, she turned around and told them to stop. They said they would, but they stayed even closer behind us. Eventually she took my hand and told me to run and not look back. But I wasn’t prepared to run from any man ever again after I fled from my ex-husband. Hadley didn’t know I had some skill with fire. Even if it was difficult to control back then, I was prepared to hurt myself if it meant hurting these boys as well. It turned out I didn’t need to. They both suddenly looked like they were having trouble standing straight. They staggered around for a bit before they fell and looked like they would retch. We took off after that. When we were a few streets away, she told me we should be safe now. I wasn’t going to leave it at that, though. I knew she had cursed them. Even though I had never met a witch before, I just knew, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with not admitting it to me. That’s when she took me to her home and explained that she was a good witch, not one who had lost her mind to dteria. She showed me some of the ingredients she had while we stayed up all night and spoke about sorcery and shared secrets. I told her things of my past I had never told anyone else. Everyone knows now that I was abused by Josef Webb, don’t they, Jon?”
“I think we all assumed it after the way you spoke about him in the forest a while ago. I hope you don’t have any shame about it.”
“I don’t anymore, but I did when I told Hadley about it. She said I could come to her with one of his hairs if I ever got one. She would make sure he couldn’t do the same thing to another girl. I didn’t know the curse would be temporary, though. She told me later that she had left out that part because she wanted me to feel better, and that might ruin it.”
“But then how come you paid her when y
ou left one of his hairs at her place? I thought you were close friends.”
“Hadley was more of a mentor than a friend to me. She instructed me to leave a payment with one of his hairs to show me how serious I was about the curse. I’m sure she planned to return the payment when the curse was done. She only used it as a way to ensure I was certain. I left her a gold coin to show how much I wanted it to happen. Josef got what he deserved, though. He’s been removed from the life he cultivated in the capital, which I know meant everything to him. It’s Hadley who has had it rough since all this began, not me. But she’s strong, you know. I don’t think she’s ever had to rely on anyone but herself. Kind of like me. I guess that’s why we learned to trust each other. Hey, you’re the same way, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I’m not. I relied on my father for everything. We were each other’s world. Sometimes I still can’t believe he’s gone for good.” It pained me every time I thought about how I now had the power that would’ve saved his life.
“I didn’t know,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
With her already wrapped up around my back, it just took a little squeeze and lean of her head on my shoulder for her to embrace me.
“There’s too much pain in this world, even if there wasn’t dteria,” she said. “I’m very glad we’re in a position to make it better.”
I put my hand on her arm. “I couldn’t agree more.”
We chatted about lighter topics for a while, such as the castle food, Rick and Randy—who Remi had also met—and of course about our peers. Eventually, however, I became too tired from the long journey to keep up the conversation, and Remi fell quiet to let me concentrate.
I was sweaty and exhausted by the time we reached Granlo. Remi instructed me to set her down within the city. She wanted to turn as many heads as she could. Needless to say, there were dozens of people upon us before we could finish unstrapping her from the harness.
I recognized a few of them, namely the sheriff who had taken me in for the night and introduced me to his daughter. She was also with him, and she appeared very nervous to see Remi.
I could hear Veronica’s name buzzing around the gathering crowd. Remi smiled confidently back at everyone.