The Map Maker's Choice

by Matthew J. Krengel

  “Jackie,” Carvin started slowly. He stared at her, thinking how beautiful she was and how badly he wanted to forget the problems going on around them and just hold her.

  “Yes,” Jackie replied softly.

  “I wanted the next couple of days to be so perfect for you,” Carvin said. He could feel a bit of moisture building up in his eyes. Instead of fighting it, he poured his heart into his words. “I love you, Jackie, and I wanted us to have the perfect wedding. That looks like it may be a ways off now.” He paused a moment. “I want to get married right now, before all this starts again. If something happens to me, I want to make sure you are the woman I promised the rest of my life to.”

  Jackie was crying by now, and she could not have stopped the tears even if she wanted to. That she could find someone so dedicated to her astonished and humbled her all at the same time.

  “We can have a small ceremony now and a full wedding later, but I want to make sure the whole world knows that Carvin and Jackie Timbrill are one,” Carvin said solemnly. He slipped off the end of the bed and went down on one knee in front of her. “Jackie Timbrill, will you marry me today?” Carvin knew the answer even before Jackie even opened her mouth.

  “Yes,” Jackie replied. She held out her hands to Carvin, and he took them in his own. He held her hands gently and tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks as they stared into each other’s eyes.

  Finally Carvin stood and led her to the door. “I spoke with Captain Argiilla, and she agreed to perform the ceremony in the square in front of the temple.” They walked out of Tasker’s house. To her astonishment, Jackie saw a double line of citizens and soldiers forming a path. She could not even hope to contain her tears as they walked down the steps and followed the path of smiling faces to where the temple stood about a block away. Captain Argiilla was a human, from a small village near Everest Mountain. Her skin was deeply tanned and weathered, and there was a running debate on her age among the younger rebels. Despite the deep lines on her face, she could outfight and outrun almost every other person in Duluth.

  “Dear friends and fellow freedom fighters . . .”

  Jackie turned and reached out to hold both of Carvin’s hands as Captain Argiilla started talking. She said, “I do” when prompted, but her eyes never left Carvin’s face. She saw tears of joy and deep love held there, and they cemented her own love into a place where she knew no one could ever break it. When the ceremony was complete, she and Carvin exchanged simple gold bands, each with a beautiful scroll of letters rolling around the outside. The rings glowed slightly when held in the direct sunlight, and Jackie wondered what marvels the bands held.

  “They’ll glow as long as both of us are alive,” Carvin explained. He held his band close to her. The glow intensified. “They’ll glow no matter how far apart we are, but when we’re closest, the glow is brightest.” Carvin adjusted the ring on Jackie’s finger and brought his right next to it. With a spark of power, the words glowed brilliantly. Jackie tried to see what the words said, but they glowed so brightly she couldn’t make them out.

  “What do they say?” Jackie asked. She put her other hand near the ring but found it gave off no heat, just a brilliant light.

  “‘And these two are now one,’” Carvin said. “It is an elven saying. The rings were brought by Eriunia from her homeland. Few are ever given such an honor to have elven marriage rings.”

  “Are they valuable?” Jackie asked.

  “Up until we were wed, they were very valuable,” Carvin replied. “Now they’re bound to us. If anyone were to steal them, they’d go dark and fade away into dust.” He smiled at her and kissed her once lightly on the lips and then passionately again. A thunderous cheer rose up as the crowd yelled and clapped wildly.

  Jackie and Carvin stayed for a time with the party that erupted after the wedding. Despite the looming darkness, the citizens of free Duluth stayed in the square and celebrated. They knew that dark times were coming and decided to make this celebration one that would be remembered even after Carvin and Jackie slipped away.

  * * * * *

  The next morning, Carvin and Jackie emerged from the ship’s cabin and went back to shore. Atop the hill near Lookout Tower the curtain of darkness had extended thirty feet into the air, and the blackness had consumed at least a hundred feet of hillside. A long line of rebels had formed and they were moving supplies out of the city, loading as much as they could onto the four Ironships still in port.

  “Many of the soldiers and civilians will march north along the coast until they’re closer to Isle Royale,” Captain Argiilla reported to Carvin and Jackie, who were standing about fifty yards from the wall of darkness, watching it. “We’re sending almost three hundred more soldiers and their families to Madeline Island to help defend the fortress there. The rest will arrive at Isle Royale within the week. Then they can be ferried across the lake to the city.”

  “Sounds like everything is in order,” Carvin replied. He took one last look at the wall of darkness and started to turn away. Suddenly there was a roar as a shock wave of sound rolled across the hilltop. “Look out!” Carvin shouted.

  A city bus came roaring out of the darkness and bore down on them at fifty miles an hour. The front and sides of the bus were scorched and dented and billows of smoke flowed off the tires. Carvin grabbed Jackie and leaped to the side, throwing them both clear of the steel behemoth. He looked back as the bus passed. He could see it was completely empty.

  The city bus rolled down the dirt path until the wheels on the left side struck a boulder and bounced the bus into the air. It had so much momentum that it flipped and began rolling down the side of the hill, crushing small trees and cottages until it slammed to a halt. The middle of the bus caught a thick oak tree that had stood for centuries. The mighty oak shuddered under the strike, but its roots held strong. The front and back of the vehicle bent violently forward around the tree and slammed into each other, crumpling metal. Bits of tires scattered in a wide circle.

  “All right, it’s time to get out of the city,” Jackie said, breathless. Carvin reached out to her and helped her stand. Together, they looked down to where several people had gathered to look into the smoldering wreck. Rolling down the hill until it passed out of sight was a single hubcap off of one of the bus’s tires.

  “I think I agree,” Carvin replied. “This is only going to get worse until we stop whoever is doing this.” He dusted his pants off and picked up the pistol that had fallen out of its holster, brushing the dirt off the weapon. When he had returned the weapon to its home, he and Jackie headed off down the hillside to where the ship waited to take them to Isle Royale.

  12: The Outpost

  Jane, Jacob, and Bella sat at the edge of the Pool of Sacrifice and listened as Coronia explained where the barriers were that kept her from leaving.

  “Out on the river near the docks is an underwater channel that connects to this pool,” Coronia explained. “Katar the satyr had his men place an iron grate over the opening just inside the channel. I can’t leave until the grate is removed or we find some way around it. If you can help free me, I will do my best to help you find the Lady of Woods Lake.”

  “There’s no other way out?” Eriunia asked. She had never known a mermaid to stay trapped for long. If water ran underground, a mermaid or merman could normally find a passage leading away. She walked around the edge of the room and looked at each and every painting and carving. The building was the work of a master, and the attention to detail was amazing.

  “There was only one passage I could not check,” Coronia admitted. “It led to a place that gave me another idea on how to escape, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  They were all shocked when a shout of surprise erupted from near the entrance to the building. Jane whirled around to see a tall, thickly built satyr standing near the ruined entrance. On either side of him
were several warriors. Near the back, Jane saw the lizard man who had been standing guard and the dwarf they had stunned. Two rough-looking humans carrying bows and a creature that looked like a cross ­between a lion and a scorpion—a manticore, Jane figured—all stared at them, and the looks they were giving them were not friendly.

  “Duck,” Jacob shouted. He and Eriunia acted almost at the same time. He leveled the pistol at the group and pulled the trigger. He knew the chances of hitting anyone at this range were slim, but he fired anyway. Eriunia’s hands were a blur next to him as she drew an arrow from her quiver and notched it to her bow. Jacob had his shield on his left arm, and he raised it as he watched one of the ruffians with a bow pull back and fire. He stepped in front of Jane and used his shield to protect her and Coronia, the impact of the arrow on the shield causing him to grunt.

  “Stop!” the satyr shouted, his voice echoing through the ruins. “Now what have we here? I come to check on my prize possession, and I find intruders speaking with it.”

  “She’s a person, not a possession. You have no right to keep Coronia locked up,” Jane retorted angrily.

  “Jane,” Jacob started, then realized his mistake immediately.

  “Oh, is this the famed map maker I’ve heard so much about?” Katar said with an evil smile. “Katar is my name, and I’m pleased to meet you.”

  Jacob mentally kicked himself for cluing in the creature, but there was nothing he could do now. “Let Coronia go,” he demanded.

  The satyr took a step closer and looked at them like he was examining an earring or a piece of food. “No, that will not happen,” Katar replied. “It is the only thing that can reach the bottom of the pool, and it is making me a lot of money at the moment. When it has completed its task, I’ll find another way it can make me money.”

  Eriunia still had her arrow notched but held her fire, not sure why the satyr was leaving himself open for such an easy shot. Finally she decided to see if it was just arrogance or if he truly had a way to protect himself. In one quick motion she finished raising her bow and fired an arrow straight for his chest. She was rewarded with a solid thud as the arrow plunged deep into Katar, who seemed to stagger for a moment. A triumphant smile erupted on her face but then faded as the satyr righted himself and glared at her. Eriunia’s smile was replaced with a look of shock as Katar reached up, grasped the arrow, and started to slowly pull it from his chest until it was completely free. He then broke it in two and dropped it to the ground at his hooves.

  “Now, that was not very nice,” Katar said with a snarl. He motioned the manticore forward, several nastier-looking creatures crowding in behind them.

  Eriunia loosed an arrow at the manticore, but it whipped its horned tail around and used it to block the missile. Jacob held his shield ready and tossed the pistol over to Jane, who was arming the only musket they’d brought. He pulled his sword from its sheath and met the first of Katar’s warriors. Thankfully, the area was crowded with fallen stones, so only three were able to come at them at once.

  Jacob angled his shield to intercept the human’s first blow and turned it off to the side easily. The man was dirty, and his face was streaked with four wicked-looking tattoos that formed what looked like a jagged slash across his face. The effect was disconcerting, and Jacob forced his eyes to focus on the man’s sword as it lifted again. This time he swung his sword up to intercept the attack and smiled in triumph as his sword shattered his attacker’s. A look of surprise crossed the man’s face, but it vanished as Jacob used his shield to bash him as hard as he could. With a grunt and a groan, the man slipped to the ground minus three teeth.

  Eriunia fired another arrow at the advancing warriors and had a moment of grim satisfaction as a bug-like creature with razor claws stumbled to a halt, then fell to the ground. Then the manticore was before her, and she drew her sword and dagger. The creature’s tail flashed forward as it tried to poison her, but she was too quick for that and turned the attack away with her sword. A swipe of the creature’s claws made her jump to the side, and she answered with a lightning-fast slash at its face that made it leap back.

  “Oh, very good,” Katar roared. He laughed as his soldiers circled around the three.

  “There’s a way out through the tunnels, but I cannot do it alone,” Coronia shouted at them. She didn’t want to lose this one opportunity to escape this prison. Already more of the ruffians were crowding into the chamber, drawn by the sound of a battle. Most came with weapons drawn, eager to enter the fight.

  Jane wondered for a moment where Bella had gone, hoping the little fairy would stay above the fray. She spotted Bella out of the corner of her eye just as she dropped the nearest archer with a blast of energy that sent both her target and one other slipping to the ground unconscious. Then she leveled the pistol at the manticore and shot it straight in the face. To her surprise, the creature’s only reaction was to blink once, as if it had been slapped.

  Eriunia used the slight hesitation to stick her dagger into the shoulder of the manticore’s lion body and was rewarded with a roar of pain. That momentary attack nearly cost her everything, however, as the poison-dripping tail of the beast struck out wildly, trying to skewer her and everything else around it. The thing limped back slowly until it was out of range, and a score of others crowded forward in its place.

  “This is pointless, Eriunia. We can’t beat them all,” Jacob shouted as he stuck his sword through the leg of a warrior holding a massive shield. Whatever the shield was made of, it dampened the ability of his sword. Each time he struck the shield, it only sank in about an inch. A strike at the warrior’s leg, however, had drawn blood.

  The warrior cried out in pain and slipped to the ground clutching his wounded leg. Jacob decided the man probably wouldn’t walk normally ever again. He stepped back as a short minotaur with only one horn swung a big hammer at him. The blow shattered rocks and sent splinters of stone flying everywhere. A hunk of the shattered stone made it past Jacob’s shield and drew a line of blood on his cheek.

  “Jane, Bella,” Eriunia shouted. “Go with Coronia into the pool.” She hoped they would go immediately, but she couldn’t afford to look and see. Two more fighters scrambled forward with great smiles on their faces. One of the warriors she recognized as a being from Egypt, with a head like an eagle’s. He wielded a staff with a blade on one side and a hammer on the other. She dared not try to trade blows with the hammer side, and the sword side moved so quickly she could barely counter his blows.

  Jane backed up to the pool and finished priming the musket. “Eriunia, drop!” she shouted. Hoping the elf would listen, she leveled the pistol first and pulled the trigger. A sizzling ball of energy took the eagle-headed warrior directly in the face, dropping him to one knee. Knowing that the pistol wouldn’t survive the upcoming trip through the water, she leaned back and dipped it into the water. Then she heaved it out over the advancing warrior’s heads and watched in satisfaction as the pistol exploded. The power crystal in the pistol was not shielded from water, and the explosion sent a small ball of fire rolling out in all directions. Jane then fired the musket into the nearest soldier. She dropped the spent musket and dove into the pool with Coronia, Bella close on her heels.

  “Go,” Eriunia shouted to Jacob. She watched as he scrambled back from the confused and dazed ranks of the attackers and dove into the water. In a swift motion she grabbed the musket and ripped the waterproofing off the much larger power supply. Dipping the musket into the water once, she spun it around twice, gathering momentum. When she released the long weapon, it was already sparking wildly and ready to explode.

  Eriunia dove into the fountain as a massive roll of fire lit up the water. She immediately tried to block her ears from the shockwave she knew would be coming. Her hands had nearly made it to her ears when the blast struck her and sent her flailing through the water. The rock that struck her came out of nowhere, and darkness cl
osed in. Her last thoughts were that she would never see any of her family ever again and that she had failed to help Jane and Jacob.

  * * * * *

  Cough. Cough.

  Eriunia awoke with a start, and her arms flailed around wildly until Jane’s face appeared above her and told her to calm down. Her head throbbed each time she blinked. Slowly she reached up and found a massive lump on her forehead. Her fingers came away covered with a filmy layer of blood.

  “Don’t touch it,” Jane ordered. She pushed Eriunia’s hand away and shook a finger at her. “That explosion nearly did us in. I’m glad I wasn’t up top for it. I wonder if Katar survived.” The shock waves had collapsed the tunnel leading down, and the falling debris had almost crushed her and Jacob. Poor Bella was shaken and soaked so badly that her wings would not even hold her weight.

  “I hope not,” Jacob muttered. “He was pure evil.” In his mind he could still see the satyr pulling the arrow out and laughing at them.

  “Coronia went looking for an underwater plant she said would help your head heal quickly,” Jane explained. “You almost drowned, but she pulled you from the water just in time.” They were sitting in an underground cavern with pools of water on three sides. A small amount of light came from a collection of round stones that glowed softly and provided just enough illumination for them to see. The walls were natural, but in places it looked like someone had chiseled into them to expand sections of the cave. A thin waterfall trickled in through the roof.

  “How long have we been here?” Eriunia managed to ask. She felt horribly weak and hard coughs shook her body as she tried to expel the last of the water from her lungs. If this was what it felt like to drown, Eriunia decided she would do her best to avoid that end. Give me something quick, she thought. Like a sword to the heart.

  “Several hours,” Jane admitted. She looked down and checked her Timex. It was waterproof, but the surface was scratched from being bounced along the walls of the underwater tunnel. “Well, five hours now. We didn’t want to move you until we knew you would survive.”