Thomas had the gun in his hands, and he had no intention of releasing it. “I’ll answer whatever you want,” he said. “I’ll tell you where each one is—even draw a map—but I demand to get out of here alive.”
Richard stared at him in perplexity, but his shock did not last long; it was expected that he would do something like that. The sermerios laughed out loud, and it was his chance. He did not know who was more dangerous—the sermerios or the dragons. He decided quickly, pulled out his pistol, and shot at the dragon’s head, where the man was positioned. The other dragon threw a flurry of fire as soon as it heard the shot. Thomas threw himself at Richard, and they rolled on the floor as they felt the heat of the fire on their backs. As the fire dissipated, Thomas turned and shot the other dragon; in the meantime, an arrow struck Richard’s right thigh. Upon being hit, the two dragons tensed their bodies and let out grunts of pain. The sermerios were thrown to the ground, and before they fell dead, the two dragons still released random bursts of fire. Thomas and Richard crawled across the floor, not knowing where to go. Before they could see anything in the smoke, the male sermerio threw himself at Thomas. Richard was about to get up when he felt his face burn with pain; the other sermerio had kicked his face, and now she was behind her bow. The sermerio hands clasped Thomas’ throat. The only thing the pirate could see was the sermerio’s necklace. He remembered what happened to Richard; it was best not to touch it. His mind raced, struggling to find a way out. He felt his face warm up; he needed to do something.
“Lorne... Lorne is...” he tried to speak, but it was impossible.
The sermerio loosened his grip a little and brought his face close to his lips; anything about Lorne interested them; the wizard was the only one who could create serious complications. The sermerio did not even have time to react; Thomas stuck his thumbs in his eyes. He continued to sink his fingers—even after the sermerio had already released him. Blood ran down the man’s face; the sermerio screamed. With the rest of his strength, he grabbed Thomas’s hands and pushed him away. Disoriented and blind, the sermerio staggered away. Thomas glanced around and noticed the sermerio’s bow had been thrown to the ground with the arrows scattered. He was harmless now... but why take a chance? Thomas’ smile returned to his face, and he moved slowly toward the bow, but the sermerio heard him and headed toward him like a bullet. The pirate jumped on the bow, took an arrow, and shot. The arrow plunged right into the middle of the sermerio’s chest. However, it was not enough; his opponent’s armor was strong. He shot another arrow at his neck, then another, and another, until the sermerio fell to its knees, still alive.
Thomas walked calmly to him. “You assume you’re very powerful, don’t you?” he asked.
“You will die...” replied the sermerio through his teeth as blood gushed from his mouth.
He fell to the ground, practically dead, but it did not satisfy Thomas. He took a rock and hit the man’s head to make sure he was dead, until he heard Richard shout. Seeing the sermerio coming at him, Richard rushed toward her, and they rolled to the ground amid punches and kicks. The boy reached for the dagger fastened to his belt, and its blade searched for the woman’s back as she dodged. The blade cut a small piece of flesh from her arm. She jumped away from him. He rose immediately, and the two stood to face each other. Richard noticed her smile had faded, and it gave him immense satisfaction—but there it was again.
“What will you do if you get back to your life?” she asked. “Will you flee from death every time it appears? When your spirit’s detached, will you fight the gods to return? Everyone dies, boy—especially the weak. We are justified in this.”
“Justified? You want to make us slaves!” replied Richard, lowering his guard a little.
The sermerio took advantage of his distraction and flew over him, kicking him in the face. He fell away, and his dagger came to lay in her hands.
You should be smarter than that! he thought but did not have time to get up; she was faster than anyone he’d ever fought; in seconds, the tip of her blade was pointed at his throat. Richard could not yell for help. He felt the cold blade pressing against his skin. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thomas. The pirate stopped at some distance.
I’m dead; he will not help me, Richard thought, then saw an arrow flying close to his face, diving into one of the sermerio’s temples. It did not go deep enough to kill her, but the woman rolled to the side, her teeth clenched in pain. Richard got to his feet promptly and kicked her in the stomach. They had already won; he knew, but he continued to kick her. Thomas did not recognize him. He went to the young man and placed his hand gently on his chest. Richard soon realized what he was doing and shuddered. The sermerio was severely hurt, but she was still alive.
“You would turn us in?!” Richard shouted, remembering what Thomas had said before he shot the dragon.
“I was lying,” Thomas replied, as if stating the obvious.
“No! I do not believe you.”
“Then, why would I save you?”
Richard swallowed dryly; he did not have the strength to argue. He looked back at the sermerio. “What are we going to do with her?”
“I’m not into taking prisoners, but since they like it so much, we can do as they do. She’s coming with us.”
Chapter XXV - Despair
Steven’s senses were gradually returning. Before he could open his eyes, he heard the chatter surrounding him.
“What are these things?” said a harsh, grave voice.
“I do not know; I would have to analyze them,” another voice responded, gentle and slow.
“They are not one of us!” cried a third voice.
“Where is that damned wizard when we need him?” added the first voice.
“The woman could not disguise herself! She is the fugitive!” exclaimed the third voice.
“Take her!” said the first voice.
“Could I take care of her first?” said the second voice serenely.
“No! We do not take care of disgraced humans. She will soon be dead.”
Steven wanted to scream and move, but he could not.
“What shall we do with the other?” asked the third voice.
“He’s coming with me,” said the first voice.
Steven felt someone pick him up violently. He had the urge to open his eyes but restrained himself; it was better to wait. He raised his eyelids enough to see where he was; beneath his lashes, he saw a beautiful hallway with a pearly floor.
What will I do? he wondered. Where did they take Virginia?
It was hard to identify where the city ended, and the mountain began. Corridors with large arches surrounded the rocks. They passed a bridge made of arches. On the right side, the arches offered the view of the city, and on the left side, the mountainous rocks loomed. The place was immersed in silence. The only noises he could hear were the waterfall and the river that crossed the place. For a moment, he thought he might try to overpower the sermerio—it was only one, after all, and he saw no one else nearby—but he would not know where to run, and he could not leave Virginia. They arrive at a large circular staircase; in the center, water fell like a great stream. They went up two floors and in front of them appeared a large marble door. The sermerio opened it, dragging Steven with his other arm. All the furniture was made of wood with shelves embedded in the stones that led to the top. They were in a library. The sermerio threw him into a corner and stopped in front of a shelf.
Steven opened his eyes, glancing around, thinking maybe it was his chance, but he ended up observing the sermerio instead. What is he doing? he thought. Why did he bring me to a library?
The sermerio took an old, thick book off the shelf; Steven saw the title, The Misfortune of the Seven Seas. The sermerio flipped through the pages and found a key in the binding, inside a hole carved into the pages. He closed the book and put it back on the shelf very precisely. He inserted the key into the letter “E” of the word “Misfortune”, then turned once, then twice, and the t
hird time, the shelf moved. The doctor closed his eyes. The vision of the king coming out of the hiding place was already in his head, but nobody came. The sermerio took one chandelier from the library and lit the candles, then lifted Steven again, and they stepped into the darkness. The doctor felt the heat of the fire pass near him. A ring of fire circled the room, filled with objects.
They have many artifacts. Steven could not recall who had said it—whether it was Lorne or Azura—but it did not matter; this should be the room where they kept all the objects.
“Your Highness,” the sermerio said, “we captured one of them, and the fugitive; I thought you should know immediately.”
With much effort, Steven kept his eyes closed. He could sense the king observing him.
“Where’s the other one?” the king asked.
“In the dungeon.”
“I want to talk to her, too.”
I have nothing to lose. It was Steven’s last thought before he elbowed the sermerio in the stomach. He doubled over in pain. The doctor jumped on the king with his hands ready to squeeze his neck. In the darkness of that place, the bright eyes of the king were even livelier. Seconds later, Steven felt as though his head were cracking. Something had hit his head; he got dizzy; feeling the blood dripping down his forehead, he let go of the king’s neck and dropped to the ground. The last thing he saw was the sermerio’s feet, and his mind became shadowy once more.
Chapter XXVI - Grail’s Spear
Lorne and Azura were seated in a clearing in the forest that bordered the Beach of Rocks. Sweat dripped down their faces, and they were in pain all over their bodies. Hubert, Kyla, and Theo were checking out the surroundings.
“They have been there for half a day, and I have not seen that branch change one bit,” Theo said, glancing at the branch between the two wizards.
“Do you think Habel is okay?” Kyla asked, ignoring Theo’s comment. She could not stop thinking about her friend, and how she had treated her. The other two also wondered about this all the time, but they didn’t know how to answer, so they kept quiet.
Lorne and Azura had not moved all day. They went without food or drink, and they had the appearance of someone ill.
“They said we should not touch them for anything; otherwise, they would have to start all over again,” Hubert said as he saw Kyla walking toward them.
“Look! It’s shifting,” she said.
The branch was smooth, as though someone had trimmed all the imperfections and then polished it, but it was still wood and looked nothing like a spear.
“It will take too long!” said Theo. “Lorne said it would; maybe was a bad idea.”
The temperament of the group was not the best. It frustrated them that they were just standing there. They had already changed the plan so many times, they did not know what to expect; imagining their friends on the other side was even more disconcerting.
Are they still alive? It was the question that did not leave Hubert’s head.
The next morning, the first thing they did was check the condition of the branch. It was thinner, and, at one point, they could perceive something that should have been the tip of the spear.
“You can eat something; I’ll be the lookout,” Kyla said.
There was not much to eat, but it was good to sit and relax for a few minutes. They ate fruits, roots, and nuts. In the middle of the afternoon, the scene repeated itself. After the accident with her wings, Kyla preferred to be alone, so she left Hubert and Theo together. Theo was trying to toss a nut into Hubert’s mouth, seeking to alleviate the gravity of the situation, when Kyla came running up to them.
“They found us!” she cried.
The instructions were that they should draw them away from Lorne and Azura, but one of them should stay to defend them, if needed.
“I’ll stay,” Theo said. “Run!”
“You will fight alone?” Hubert protested, but Theo shouted louder for them to go.
Hubert and Kyla ran to the beach, each to a different side to disperse them. Soon, the dragons and those who came ashore saw them and pursued them. Zauber launched lightning and blasts of fire at them. Kyla tried to shoot arrows, but she could not get a good look, with all that was happening around her. They ran in a zigzag and sheltered themselves behind the rocks.
Hubert headed for the sea. It worked once, he thought, but when he was near the breaking waves, he found himself enveloped by lightning.
Kyla ran away, but a sermerio’s whip reached her, and she collapsed to the ground. Her bow flew away, and before she could get up, elves, trolls, and sermerios already surrounded her. A dragon carrying Zauber stepped in front of Hubert. Kyla was dragged and thrown in the lightning cage. As she passed through the light, she shuddered.
“What do we have here?” Zauber asked sardonically. “Two wanted criminals. Not bad. Where are the others?”
There was no response.
“I thought you would have regretted not having accepted my proposal, lad,” Zauber chided. “You could be in home right now, but if that’s the way you like it...”
He’d barely finished speaking when one of the lightning bolts struck Kyla, who was already lying on the floor. Hubert knelt next to her. He did not know what to do, and he had never desired the death of someone as badly as he wished for Zauber’s.
“Bring the cage!” Zauber shouted.
Two sermerios on dragons came to them. On the legs of each animal was a chain attached to a cage. Zauber made a gesture with his hands, and the thunder ceased. Hubert looked at Kyla; she had convulsions, and she was in no condition to run away.
“What will they give you?” Hubert asked. He had to distract him.
“They’ll give me an autonomy that no wizard has ever had in this world. I’ll ask one more time: Where are the others? I know Lorne is around; that coward is hiding while sending you to be sacrificed.”
“We parted!” Hubert replied. “I do not know where they are.”
“Are you sure? I took the wings of this girl; I can take other parts, too.” He turned to the soldiers around him. “Put them in the cage.”
One troll grabbed them by their clothes, as though they weighed nothing, and threw them into the cage. It was tight; as soon as they entered, something dropped onto Hubert’s face and burned him. He looked up and saw a grill with burning coals on top.
“I’m telling the truth!” Hubert shouted.
A piece of coal fell on Kyla’s shoulder; she was so dazed that she could only let out a moan.
“That’s your fault, boy,” Zauber replied. “If you had done what I suggested, your friends would never have escaped with Virginia; they would never have found Lorne. He and his little friend would still be in the Oasis, trying to save Azura, but that would not concern you, because you’d be home, and this girl at your feet would not be suffering. You’ve already made a bad decision before; let’s see if you’ll be wiser this time. Where are they?”
“If I tell you something, will you let her go?”
“No!” objected one of the sermerios, before Zauber could reply.
Zauber came down from the dragon, and he and the sermerio moved aside. Hubert took off his coat and threw it on top of Kyla. The wizard came back; his expression suggested that he was almost persuaded that Hubert was speaking the truth. Then, another dragon appeared, bearing Theo and Azura in its talons. An air of gratification crossed Zauber’s face.
“Throw them in there,” he said, pointing to the cage.
Theo was conscious and struggling—though this only made his predicament worse, since the dragon’s talons were sinking into his skin. They had burns all over their bodies, and Azura was passing out. The troll threw them into the cage, and they collapsed on top of Kyla. Hubert was still standing; he tried to help them, but in that narrow space, he could no longer balance himself.
Zauber laughed as loudly as he could. “If she’s here, then Lorne is, too. Now, you will tell me where he is, or the two lasses will suffer.”
&nb
sp; Theo and Hubert looked at each other.
Theo replied, “He was there, with me and Azura... he slipped away. He does not care about us.”
“Bullshit!” Zauber exploded. Lightning flew into the cage, and everyone suffered from the shock. “Try again. Why did you do this, my son? I’ve always treated you so well.”
“You treated me like an experiment,” Theo shot back.
“Where did he go?” Zauber asked, ignoring him.
“I do not know! He…”
Zauber told him to shut up and shifted to the sermerio who had brought them. “Where were they?”
“They were running through the forest,” the sermerio replied. “They fled; the fire caught them, and I captured them.”
“Enter the forest without the dragons,” Zauber commanded. “He’s there; I know he is.” He turned back to the cage. “Then, answer me something else. What are those two jerks doing in the city? Is it a sacrifice to protect you? The sermerios think that’s it, but I do not believe in sacrifices. I suspect they are there on Lorne’s order, and if you confess to me what Lorne wants, I can give you a peaceful death. Trust me; right now, it is the only deal you can make.”
Hubert sank into himself. They’d been captured; everything was lost. Zauber’s words repeated in his head several times; he did not want to believe it would end like this. Then, a spark of hope arose. Zauber had spoken as if they were still alive.
“Do not bother to answer,” Zauber said. “I will ask someone who knows more than you.”
As they looked behind, they saw the sermerio dragging Lorne by his foot. Something was in his other hand, something that radiated like a diamond.
Zauber went to the sermerio with hasty footsteps. “The Grail’s Spear!” he cried. “Where did you find that?”
“It was with him,” the sermerio answered, pulling Lorne closer.
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