Empyreal

by Helsel, Spencer

  “Well, he has it out for you.”

  They got to the forest floor again; no more rocks to keep them protected. They headed off overland. Chase kept behind her.

  “So your aerie just left you to the centaurs?” she asked. “And then you ran into the trees?”

  “Right.”

  “Not a great strategy.”

  He shrugged. Dani glanced over her shoulder. She hadn’t really been looking at him. And for the first time, she saw something. It was almost the blink of an eye, but she saw it. His sideways glance, the nervous expression on his face, the fake nonchalance…

  Trap.

  She reached down towards her knife, feeling stupid for letting him stand behind her. Mastema taught her better. “Seems like a bad idea to split up.”

  “I guess.”

  She slowed her walk, trying to get him closer. She shuffled through what Mastema taught her about attacking behind herself. She knew knife verse sword was a bad fight any way you sliced it, but if she could get close, a knife was better than a sword.

  “What aerie did you say you were from?” she asked.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid. She focused too much on her surroundings. She didn’t notice he wasn’t walking anymore. She turned, knife about to draw, but he was out of reach. And with whoops and cheers, five Novices jumped from hiding.

  At the lead, Michael beamed proudly and clapped Chase on the shoulder. “Good job.”

  She was surrounded.

  “You’re outnumbered.” Michael chuckled, pointing the sword towards her. “Don’t try to escape.”

  “Because you always need to outnumber me to take one little ol’ me, don’t you?” she sneered. “What is it Michael? Scared?”

  His face tinged red, his sword grip tightening. “Keep talking. I’m going to take it out of you. Believe me.”

  She did believe him. For all the bravado, Dani was terrified. Six guys and only one of her.

  “It was kind of a gamble,” Michael joked. “We stayed back, hoping you’d show up. Of course, they got separated. But it all worked out.”

  “Chancing to fail your Trial so you could get at me? Are you insane?” Did he hate her that much?

  “I say we have some fun.” Michael joked to his friends. “Now, what can we do with one girl that will entertain six guys?”

  “I got more than a few ideas.” Chase chuckled.

  “I’d stay back if I were you.” Dani warned. “I’m not about to forget the kind of weasel you turned out to be.”

  Chase’s smile slipped. “You think you scare me? I could have taken you back there.”

  “Yeah? Then why walk me into a trap?”

  “Because it’s more fun when you share.”

  He disgusted her. Andreas and Lester? They at least kept their hatred out in the open. But Chase was a whole new kind of low.

  Michael licked his lips. “I’m going to enjoy this. Last time you took me off guard. Ain’t no way that’s happening now.”

  “Trust me, big boy, whatever you think is about to happen, isn’t.”

  “Really? You’re unarmed.” He came within arm’s reach. “You can’t fly. There’s no fire and you’re not that good at Erthe. Face it: giving up will make this a lot easier.”

  Unarmed? She hadn’t drawn her knife. He hadn’t seen it; only Chase. And he hadn’t said anything.

  But she heard him. “Wait, Michael, she—!”

  Too late. Mastema drilled it into her: Take the advantage when you have it. Her right fist shot out, tagging him hard in the side. He grunted, moving to block. She didn’t care. That wasn’t the point. Her left drew the knife and she brought her arm up, wrapping around him and pressing the edge of the blade against his throat, spinning the bigger man against her front.

  The others moved in, but she barked, “Stop!” The froze. Dani pinned Michael by the blade. “Move another step and he’s a dead man.”

  “She won’t.” Chase said, but didn’t move. “She won’t kill one of us.”

  “Really? Six guys verses one me and you think I won’t? Are you delusional or just stupid?”

  “You won’t.” Michael tried to pull down on her arm, but she dug the blade in a little; not breaking the skin, but letting him know not to try it. He eased up. “You wouldn’t kill one of us. The Elders would sentence you to death.”

  That she didn’t doubt. They could attack her and she could see the Elder Council dismissing it. She kills one of them and there’d be consequences. But she didn’t let him go.

  “You’ve got nowhere to go.” Chase reminded her. “Think about it.”

  “Trust me, I am thinking.”

  “Let him go.”

  “Fat chance.”

  “What’s your plan? Hold him the entire trip down river?”

  She knew she couldn’t. One way or another, this would end badly. She had no back up; no one help her. What was the plan?

  And then: “Hey sister.”

  A rush of relief washed through her. Dani heard the voice over her shoulder, as if she spoke directly into her ear.

  “Don’t look up.” The caladrius warned. “ Just whisper. Are you okay?”

  It was hard not to look for her friend. Instead she hissed softly so they couldn’t hear. “I’m fine. Where are you? How can you hear me?”

  “I’m a hawk, sweet cheeks. We hear amazingly. I see you have some company. Want help?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I’m on it. I brought a friend.”

  “A friend?”

  “You might want to push that dirtbag away.”

  “When?”

  “Now.”

  Dani shoved Michael into them. As she did, Caesar broke through the canopy of the trees above them, her hawk cry deafening. Dani’s ears rung. Her snow-white wings spread, breaking, and as they did a powerful blast of air collided like a solid wall with Chase. Thrown off his feet, he launched through the air and struck the nearest tree.

  The others closed in but someone burst out of the tree line. A horse and rider—no, a centaur—galloped into the open, swinging his massive longsword left and right. His blade batted aside weapons, knocked down two Novices and sliced open Michael’s shoulder. No killing blows, but disabling them all in quick succession. He skidded to a stop, pommel of his weapon hammering Michael across the top of the head.

  The remaining Corona Novice fled, but Caesar whipped past Dani and descended on his back. He screamed as her claws dug in and lifted him off the ground. He thrashed as she soared up into the trees and unceremoniously dropped him flailing through the air. The boy hit the ground with a grunt and didn’t move.

  Caesar made a sharp turn, plummeting downward to rest atop a fallen log. She chirped, flapping her wings victoriously. “Take that ya’ harpies!”

  Dani threw her arms around the large hawk. “Oh my God! Caesar! What are you doing here?”

  “Think I was gonna let my girl go it alone? Sheesh. You have no faith in your friends.”

  “How’d you know where to find me?”

  “Ask him.” She nodded towards the centaur. “He seems to know a lot about you.”

  Dani rose to her feet and bowed, fingers to her forehead. “Nessus.”

  Her centaur friend smiled and bowed back. “M’lady. I came upon your friend while scouting for Novices. She is quite fond of you.”

  “You and Caesar can talk to one another?”

  “Of course. Centaurs have always spoken the language of the avian races.”

  “Well, thank you for helping me, but why did you? You’re supposed to stop me.”

  “True enough, but this exercise is about testing your abilities, not letting these heathens act in such a disrespectful manner.” He quickly chained up the fallen Novices. “There is also honor amongst my people. You spared me when I was at your mercy. I am honored-bound to return it.” He flashed a smile. “And I gladly return it.”

  Caesar leaned in and whispered to Dani, “He is so hot.”

  “Eww Caesar!”
But she stroked the bird’s feathers. “Thank you for coming. I don’t know what they would have done.”

  “I do. And they got off better than they deserved.”

  Someone groaned. Next to the tree where Caesar threw him, Chase stirred. Her friend shifted to take off, but Dani waved her down. “I got this one.” She hefted her knife and stalked towards him.

  He was almost on his knees when he saw her. He went for his sword but Dani closed the distance and kicked. Her heel connected with his nose. He grunted, falling back in a small spray of nasal blood.

  “Ugh! You broke my nose!” Dani landed on him, pinning him against the ground, knife at his throat. “I’ll do more than that you pathetic little worm!” she grabbed his collar, pulling his neck against the knife-tip. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t gut you like a fish!”

  “Please!” he begged, coughing on his own blood. “It wasn’t my idea!” “And I care?” she pressed the blade in a little harder, breaking the skin.

  “I swear to God! I didn’t know what they were planning!”

  “Even if I believed that, you went along with it.”

  “I’ll do anything!” he begged. “Just don’t kill me!”

  She wanted to. She really did. She felt a murderous rage so intense she could visualize slitting his throat. But that wasn’t her. Even as she thought it, she dismissed it. It wasn’t her style to kill anyone, especially anyone at her mercy.

  “Are there any more of you?” Dani asked.

  “No! I swear!” Chase groveled earnestly.

  She let him go and stood, sheathing her knife. She left him crying where he lay.

  Nessus folded his arms across his broad chest. “I would have slew him.”

  “I’m not slewing anyone today.” She wiped her hands. “I don’t need that on my conscience.”

  “Want me to take him?”

  “Yeah. He’s not really any good to me.” She looked up at him. “Talking to Caesar: you called it the language of birds. Is that something special?”

  “Quite special. Very few human or Numen can speak to the avian races. It is quite an advantage over your peers.”

  She glanced at Caesar, who looked on approvingly. “We make a great team, sister.”

  “We do. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

  “Anytime honey. So what’s the plan?”

  “You should continue.” Nessus advised. “The other centaurs will come to collect these heathens when I call.”

  “Any chance of getting by them without being seen?”

  “They have secured land, air and water. The veil can help you, if you can, but a centaur’s keen eye will not be tricked for long.”

  “Then how do I get by an entire herd of centaurs?”

  Nessus glared at Chase, who still held his bloody nose. “I may have a way.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven Chase ran; blood streaming down his face, stumbling and falling. Behind him, Nessus pursued. Swinging his sword in wide arcs, he herded him into the open, the smile on Nessus’s face visible even under his helm. He enjoyed himself.

  Other centaurs joined in, riding after what they thought was their brother pursuing a Novice. Meanwhile, Caesar and Dani headed in the other direction; caladrius overhead as a scout, her on foot. She used the rocks for cover and pretty soon, the sound of Chase’s frantic screams faded into the background.

  She made pretty good time. The last few weeks conditioned her to run in exhaustion and her Numen side allowed her to go longer than regular human girls her age.

  She didn’t run into any other Novices. Halfway down the river she found a cutover. It wasn’t the same bridge as last time, but there were a few rocks that provided her a crossing when she used her Water arc to push aside the rapids. Caesar kept close watch overhead for anything coming after her.

  The river flattened out further down. The same place she ran into the Tigris was empty, save for the occasional keresh or elemental. More than once she spotted what looked like a little man made of earth, with a large nose and big eyes, that ran when Dani came near. Gnomes.

  As they entered the lower valley, it got warmer. The air smelled sweet. A fog rolled in.

  From above, Caesar asked. “How you doing down there, honey?”

  “Fine. How much further to the bridge?”

  “Not far.”

  “See anything?”

  “Nothing, but the fog is pretty thick.”

  It was. Dani came to a stop at a fallen log, taking a seat to catch a rest. She laid her head against another tree next to it. “Jeez. You’d think this Trial would be faster. I feel like I’ve been walking for hours.”

  Caesar circled overhead. “You’re almost to the bridge. Then it’s the home stretch.”

  Dani yawned. “I’ll just rest a bit, then keep going. Can you keep a lookout for me?”

  “Don’t wait too long.”

  “Sure thing.” She closed her eyes, inhaling the wonderful perfume of the valley. All she needed to do was rest up. A couple minutes tops and she’d be right as rain.

  Her eyes were only closed a second before Caesar asked, “ You getting up any time soon?”

  “Hm?” she shook her head.

  “You need to get going.”

  She murmured. “Caesar, come on, give me a few.”

  “You’ve been there fifteen minutes.”

  “No I haven’t.” she shifted comfortably against the tree. “It’s been, like, two.”

  “No, it’s been fifteen.”

  “Well then give me fifteen more you stupid bird!” she barked irritably.

  She could almost feel Caesar’s hurt feelings. It was like a wave crashing on her. “What did I do to you?”

  “Nothing. Leave me alone.” She irked her. Why was she here anyway?

  “Dani, come on, you got to get up.”

  “What if I don’t want to?” she just wanted to relax!

  “Dani,” Caesar swooped down, coming to rest next to her, “get up. We got to go.”

  “I said leave me alone!” She shoved the caladrius off the log. “Get lost!”

  She flapped, scampering to another perch. The bird glowered. “Don’t be rude!”

  “Go away!” she closed her eyes again. “Leave me alone!”

  “What the hell…?” her voice trailed off. Her head cocked to the side, pausing. “Oh no! Fellbloom!”

  “Hm?” she couldn’t have cared less.

  “Dani, we have to go! Now!”

  “You go. Leave me alone.”

  “Oh no! Oh no!” Caesar flapped over to her. “We got to get you out of this fog!” She landed on Dani’s arm, flapping hard to pull her up. Dani tried to fight her off, but Caesar was strong. She pulled Dani to her feet even as she tried yank her arm free. “It’s not fog! Come on! Get out of it! Get to the water!”

  “What’re you doing?” Dani shrieked. She tried to shove her off, but the bird kept pulling, dragging her on her heels. “Leave me alone!”

  “ No! The more of this stuff you inhale, the less chance of you getting out!”

  “Get off!” she thrashed at the bird.

  “No! This isn’t you talking! It’s the fellbloom! Come on!”

  “Fellbloom? What the hell are you talking about?” Caesar dragged Dani towards the river’s edge. “Let me go Caesar! You’re not making sense!”

  “I am making sense, girl! And I know you only think I’m not because of the fog!”

  “Fog? You’re crazy!” she was almost to the edge of the water.

  “You’ll thank me for this later!”

  “Caesar! No—!”

  Dani’s feet slipped over the edge of the embankment and she dumped face first into the clear, crystal water. The cold was like a slap in the face. Instantly, Dani was awake. It was like coming out of a coma. She broke the surface, sputtering.

  Caesar flapped around her to a branch over the water’s edge. “You okay?”

  Dani coughed, shaking her head. “What the hell? Wha—What was that?” She felt l
ike she’d been sleeping for days. She treaded water, staring at the fog as it curled away from the river as if alive. “What’s in the fog?”

  “I told you: fellbloom.”

  “Fellbloom?”

  “Lotus-blossoms.” Caesar told her. “Except this was in fog form. Stuff makes you sleepy and lazy and turns you into a slug. I smelled it in the fog.”

  Dani coughed. “Alchemists. They must have made some sort of airborne elixir.” The fog moved as if under the power of Aer. The scent was sickly-sweet.

  “Lotus plants don’t grow here in the Vale,” Caesar said, “I’m guessing you’re right.”

  Dani burned with shame. She hit Caesar; called her names, yelled at her. “Thanks. You saved me again.”

  “No problem. I knew it was the drug.”

  “Still,” she treaded towards the river’s edge, “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Well, the only way you get through the fog is on foot.” Caesar said. “And the moment you go back in there, it’s going to happen all over again.”

  She reached the river’s sharp embankment and climbed out, just to the edge of the fog. Already she felt slightly drowsy. “I’m screwed.” “Unless you can cause a little wind.” Her friend suggested. Dani shook her head. “Controlling Aer hasn’t been a talent of mine.” “Try.”

  Dani extended her hand. Closing her eyes, she focused. Aer was like breathing and visualizing how you wanted it to happen. She visualized a tunnel in the mist. Stretching her fingers, she pushed outward with her mind.

  Your passion can be your strength, Mastema told her once. Do not let it control you. Control it.

  She opened her eyes. The fog curled backward. A tunnel formed through it.

  Caesar beamed. “I knew you could do it.”

  She climbed out of the river, soaked. “Let’s go.”

  “I’m so with you, sister.” Caesar took off.

  “You know I am not going to forget about you dumping me in a river.” Dani called after her.

  “Tell you what: you ever catch me and I’ll let you pay me back!”

  She started off through the fog again.

  ______________________

  Dani kept going. She wasn’t sure if any other Novices would make the same mistake of walking into that fog, but she didn’t want to stick around to find out. No cynocephali waited by the supports and the moment she crossed under them, the fog slid back. She was free.