by L. EE
A vulture-warrior approached the throne and bowed. “My liege, do you need an infusion?”
The seven heads drifted in a nod and the vulture-man waddled from the room. He returned momentarily, followed by a shuffling line of eight bound men, women, and children, their heads slumped in defeat. A host of accompanying vulture-warriors wielding swords reinforced their sense of helplessness.
Andy shivered as he heard their whimpers. What’s he going to do to them?
A vulture-warrior separated the first man from the group and forced him to stand before Abaddon.
“Kneel and pledge allegiance or be turned to stone,” the warrior commanded.
“Never!”
“Fine. Your choice.”
Andy saw a bright flash and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, the man stood unmoving.
“Get him out of here!” the vulture-warrior demanded.
Andy nearly threw up as he saw two bird-men lift the statue and carry it off.
Soldiers next dragged a young woman before Abaddon.
“Kneel and pledge allegiance or be turned to stone,” the warrior commanded.
The lady sobbed and fell at Abaddon’s feet. “Please, don’t do this to me,” she begged.
“Then pledge allegiance to King Abaddon.”
Through a torrent of sobs the woman quaked, “I pledge my allegiance.”
Another blast of light lit the room and the woman, now with long arms, bulging eyes, and beak-like nose, crumpled to the floor.
“Tag her!”
A vulture-warrior scurried over with a circular disc and red hot branding iron, grabbed the woman’s right arm, pushed up her sleeve to expose her bare shoulder, and applied the mark. The woman let out a shriek that pierced Andy’s core. No longer able to control his angst, he puked.
“Not one word to anyone about this, is that clear?” the warrior warned the woman. “You have been tagged and we will know if you say anything. If you do, you’ve seen what will happen to you.”
The woman wobbled upright, clutching her shoulder, and nodded through a stream of tears.
“Get her out of here!” Abaddon demanded.
Andy saw the scene repeat itself, this time with a child.
Andy screamed, but to no effect. Only gritty resolve kept him watching as two more captives were turned to stone and the rest limped off to an existence most fowl. When the horror finally ended, Abaddon sat tall on his throne, his scales again red.
Abaddon looked at the translucent young woman who had watched it all with a pained expression. “If only this treatment lasted longer,” he droned.
“Treatment?!” Andy protested to no effect.
“At this rate I’ll need another infusion by sundown. They don’t last as long as they used to. Find me a lasting cure and we’ll see about defeating the boy.”
“But he’s the one who did this to you! With that sword!”
“His time will come,” Abaddon’s seven heads sang in unison.
Andy woke with a start, soaked in sweat.
Andy recounted the nightmare to the King and Mermin the next morning over breakfast in the tavern. Both men listened in horror. When he’d finished, no one wanted anything more to eat.
After several minutes of contemplative silence, the King said, “While I fear your dream revealed the truth of the situation, we need to verify to be sure. I suggest we split up and question several townsfolk. If everyone refuses to speak with us, we will know.”
Andy and Mermin nodded their agreement, and the three headed out of the Rapscallion into the fog-covered city square. The sun’s glare against the white clouds made seeing any distance painful. Andy squinted and his nose picked up the unmistakable stench of an apothecary.
No doubt someone will seek a cure there.
Gallipot’s Apothecary indicated the sign above the door as he entered. While still early, several folks waited in line to be helped. Most gave him strange looks, which he assumed was because of his T-shirt and jeans. One couple stood protectively near a bird-child who looked to be maybe eight or nine, whispering encouraging sentiments and hugging the girl. Another family lingered by a wall of jars that included fairy dust, weather root, troll hair, spiderwort, wormwood, and other equally disgusting remedies. The wife kept hugging her bird-husband, trying to reassure herself as much as him. Similar situations repeated themselves throughout the shop. The healer looked to be doing the best she could, but she wasn’t used to such demand. She glanced at Andy with an apologetic look.
A whiff of rotten eggs wafted from the back of the establishment and Andy regretted choosing this store to question folks. He wheezed and moved away from the odor, then passed a putrid barrel with a sign declaring its contents to be dragon dung. Are you kidding me? He finally stopped next to a couple in which the wife bore unmistakable fowl tendencies.
Andy lingered uncomfortably, not sure how to start a conversation about such a traumatic event. At last he decided he had nothing to lose and addressed the husband. “I’m not from around these parts. I just arrived in town last night. I’ve got a problem with my arm, nasty mark I can’t seem to get rid of. What are you here for?”
“That’s a little personal, don’t ya think?” grumped the man, turning his back.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.”
“If you must know, my wife was turned into…into…this,” he spat out. “Since you’re not from these parts, you wouldn’t know, but lots of folks are getting turned. My wife’s so upset she won’t talk about it.”
“I’m sorry. How long ago did it happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Andy mumbled.
At a loss for anything else to say that might console the man and his wife, he moved on to a family of three who were clearly here for the same reason. The child, sporting bulging eyes and a beak nose, kept accidentally knocking over colorful containers of weeds and herbal remedies with overly long arms that he had not yet adapted to.
“I overheard you talking to them folks over there,” the father leaned over and remarked to Andy. “My son was out playing yesterday morning, and next thing I know, he’s missin’. We searched everywhere for him. Imagine how relieved I was when he finally turned up late last night, even though he looks like this now.”
The bird-boy looked up at Andy and large tears welled in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Andy choked out. “Did he say what happened?”
“Nope. Every time we try to broach the subject he clams up and starts crying. When I get my hands on the one who did this to him, they’ll wish they’d never set foot in these parts,” the man growled.
Andy patted the man on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
He had seen and heard enough, maybe too much. He left the apothecary and returned to the Rapscallion, where he found the King waiting.
After Mermin rejoined them, they compared conversations, quickly concluding Andy’s dream was, in fact, reality.
“Abaddon’s declared war on us. We must answer,” the King affirmed.
“I’m going after him!” Andy resolved.
“Andy, you’ll be turned like everyone else,” cautioned the King. “We’ll need to take troops, but I don’t want them turned in the process.”
Andy paced and thought, thought and paced, around and around the table as the King and Mermin conferred. There has to be a way to stop him. There has to.
Suddenly Andy exclaimed, “Wait a minute!”
Mermin and the King glanced over.
“Remember when Abaddon took over the castle during my first trip here? He turned everyone in the cavalry who was outside, but he couldn’t touch the staff inside. That’s it, sir! How much you want to bet the Stone of Athanasia protected everyone from being turned?”
“I don’t know, Andy,” Mermin flagged. “I think you are making a big leap. You don’t know it was the stone that pwotected us.”
“No, but I’d be willing to bet that’s what saved everyone.”
&n
bsp; “It does make sense,” the King replied, stroking his chin.
Undeterred, Andy continued, “Since you have the stone, we can go together and defeat Abaddon when he’s weak. He won’t be able to turn anyone.”
A grin took root and spread across the King’s face. “Your idea is just crazy enough to work, Andy.”
Mermin shook his head.
Andy, the King, and Mermin adjourned to their respective rooms to pack. While there, Andy pulled his holster from his backpack, buckled it on, and extracted Methuselah’s hilt. As expected, the silver blade immediately extended and he took several practice swings. Yes!
Even though he had practiced swordplay with a video game as well as with Methuselah’s hilt in the garage while no one else was home, the weight of the sword fully extended felt different.
I hope I can still win a fight with it, he thought, his mind calculating the probability of meeting the bellicose.
Andy rejoined the others and the King joked, “What, no dragon to ride?”
“I can call Daisy if you really want me to,” Andy joshed back.
The King laughed. “No, that won’t be necessary. It’s not far. It’s a fine day and the walk will do us all good.”
And with that they headed toward home, accompanied by a contingent of armed soldiers numbering no less than fifty.
Not long into the walk, however, a large beast with onyx fur covering its torso, a cat-like nose, piercing yellow eyes, the hands of a man, and hindquarters like a panther stumbled out from between two buildings.
I guess the probability of meeting the bellicose is 100 percent!
CHAPTER FIVE
Just the Facts
“No, you fool! You’re in no condition!” screamed a shrill disembodied voice.
Andy, the King, Mermin, and the soldiers froze and looked about.
Like a cat after too much catnip, the bellicose staggered toward Andy, its eyes swirling randomly. It bumped a warrior as it wobbled erratically. The man dropped his sword and grabbed his arm, yelping in pain.
No one in the party knew quite what to make of it, but Andy instinctively grabbed for Methuselah and took his ready position. What’s happened to it? I’ve never seen it behave this way.
The King rushed forward. “Stop that thing!” he commanded his troops, snapping them from the spell the sight had cast. The soldiers hastened to comply and rushed the bellicose. Despite its weakened condition, the beast managed to thrust out one palm and create a force field that the warriors crashed into, forming a mound of squirming flesh as they fell.
Andy braced as the beast drew closer. This could be a trick, he warned himself. Stay focused!
The creature stopped three yards away, dagger in hand, and assumed a position confirming its lack of readiness. Its arms vacillated, and Andy watched it twitch its cheeks and squint its eyes, trying desperately to focus.
Despite its vulnerability, Andy waited for the bellicose to make the first move, determined not to get caught off-guard. Several soldiers untangled themselves from the pile and rushed again.
“Stop! You’ll get hurt. I’ve got this,” Andy warned the men as the beast lunged forward. Andy easily sidestepped and the creature teetered past, ending in a lump on the ground, its back toward him.
“Kill it!” several men roared.
I’m no coward. I can’t kill it when its back is toward me.
Andy waited for the creature to stand, turn, and face him. When it finally did, it thrust its knife above its head, exposing its midsection, and swayed forward.
Andy let the bellicose get within four feet before he slashed Methuselah’s blade horizontally through its midsection. Instantly, the beast crumpled to the ground and transformed into a pile of black dirt. Without warning, a fierce wind arose, stirring up dust and scattering the mound. Everyone drew an arm up to cover their eyes.
“Imbecile!” the high-pitched voice screeched. “Kaysan, you are no rightful king! The boy will pay with his life and it will be on your head. Call it a small repayment for what you’ve done to me. Mark my words!”
When the zephyr finally blew itself out several minutes later, everyone stood in stunned silence. Where the creature had fallen, the ground was now bleached as if the evil exuding from its form had forced all color from the ground.
“I can’t believe it’s gone,” Andy broke the quiet, replaying the contest in his mind. That was too easy.
“Don’t overthink this. You were skillful with your sword,” Mermin rationalized.
“I’ve never seen it act so out of control. It’s always been quick and I’ve had all I can do to defend myself. I don’t get it.”
“Perhaps it was weakened from the injuries you inflicted during past fights. Like Mermin said, I wouldn’t overthink it, Andy. It’s gone.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Andy replied, giving the King a weak smile. I’m not buying it, Andy told himself and began inventing scenarios concerning what might have happened to the bellicose and what he might anticipate in the future, none of which cheered him.
“Men,” the King called his soldiers to attention, feeling the need to explain the disembodied voice. “Many have skeletons in their closets. I have a ghost.”
Andy noticed the eyes of several soldiers grow large, despite their discipline that kept them at attention.
The King held up his hands. “Please do not be alarmed. This is an issue between myself and the ghost and does not concern any of you. You need not be afraid, for I can assure you, it will not harm you.”
Andy watched several men exhale.
“The kingdom is already on edge with all that is going on. It does not need more fuel added. I ask each of you, on your honor as men and warriors, not to speak of these events.”
The man closest turned toward the King, fell to one knee, and bowed his head. The rest of the soldiers followed.
“Thank you all!”
They reached the castle an hour later and entered to a raucous fanfare, for the King had been away three weeks and everyone celebrated his return. When the welcome party discovered Andy in their midst, the merrymaking grew louder still. Marta threw her arms around Andy and kissed him repeatedly, causing his face to turn beet red. Hans, Hannah, and Alden raced over and hugged him as well. He spotted Razen across the dining hall and locked eyes with him for a second. Well, he didn’t scowl. That’s progress. Still, what’s he up to?
The castle staff knew what he, Alden, and Hannah had done for the King and Mermin, and Andy noticed the staff greeted him respectfully, nodding their heads. Cadfael and the rest of the Oscray team, of course, gave him playful grief for abandoning the season unfinished, and Merk, ever the practical joker, grabbed him around his upper arms and drew him close, making as if to kiss him on the lips with loud smooching sounds. Andy fought with all his might to avoid contact, to the amusement of everyone.
“You’re just in time for tonight’s match, Andy,” Ox chimed in. “Score’s seven matches for castle staff and ten for cavalry so far this season. You game?”
“I’d love to!”
A cheer went up from all.
When the revelry finally died down and the staff headed back to work, the King caught Andy’s attention. “We still need to finish our conversation from yesterday. I’ve got several matters I need to address, but after that, let’s you and me have a talk. It’ll probably be late this afternoon.”
“That sounds good, sir—” Andy stopped himself before saying more, but the King noticed and smiled, although he refrained from comment.
“I’ll send for you when I’m available.”
At that, the King, Mermin, and Razen convened a meeting at the long communal table used for meals.
Andy suggested to Alden and Hannah, “Let’s go someplace quieter. How about my quarters? I can drop my stuff off and we can catch up.”
As they climbed the stairs, Andy noticed Alden and Hannah kept stealing glances at each other. Hannah straightened her blue skirt and tucked a few stray blonde hairs bac
k in her kerchief.
Andy opened the door to his room and glanced around. Yep, everything exactly as I left it. He dropped his pack, then ran over, jumped, and landed stretched out on his back among the soft billowy covers. Foggy sunlight wafted through the window next to the bed. “Ah, home sweet home!”
Hannah sat down next to Alden on the bed.
“It’s great to see you both again! I’m glad we can at least write when I’m not here.”
Andy looked at Alden when he received no reply. Alden’s hand was close to Hannah’s and creeping closer.
“So, Alden,” Andy broke the silence. Alden’s eyes rocketed up at Andy and he jerked his hand back to his lap.
Alden tried to cover his embarrassment. “Do you like my scar? I haven’t showed it to you yet, have I?” He thrust his arm toward Andy to examine.
Andy discerned two marks, each two to three inches long and set about six inches apart in Alden’s forearm.
“Pretty cool, huh, Andy?”
“Yeah, it’s great.”
“Boys!” Hannah declared, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “There’s nothing cool about those marks, Alden. You could have been killed!”
“But I wasn’t,” Alden replied with a grin.
“So, Alden,” Andy tried again, now with his friend’s full attention. “You said Razen’s been studying books about healing Abaddon? How do you know that’s what he’s up to?”
“The last time I went snooping around his office, he had two thick books open. One marked a recipe called “Festering Wound Elixir,” and the other was open to the chapter “Regaining Your Perfect Shape.” What was I supposed to think?”
“Did you read any of it?”
“Didn’t have time. Hannah gave me the signal Razen was coming. Yeah, she’s been helping.”
Hannah smiled.
“I see.”
Andy was getting the picture, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about Hannah and Alden…well, together. Something inside him felt unsettled.
“I’d like to see it. Do you suppose he’s still got the books?”