Kings of Ghumai- The Complete series Box Set

by D N Meinster

  "And you two," she turned to the Roamers. "Stop fighting with my boyfriend. And when I come back with Azzer, we're all gonna have a long chat."

  "May the Goddess' light point you true," Yayne called out.

  "And you," Rikki replied with a nod of her head.

  "He will not show you mercy," Loraya warned. "If you make it into his presence, kill him."

  Rikki didn't acknowledge the warning. Instead, she gazed at Doren one last time before she began to fade away.

  "So anyone else concerned that we just lost our best weapon against the stone spiders?" Kyer asked.

  "She's not a weapon," Doren replied.

  "We'll make camp at the end of the pass," Loraya said, and she grabbed Aros' arm and led him forward.

  "Good, so we know where to find you in the morning," Slythe stated. He and M'dalla spun and shifted away.

  "If they don't come back..." Yayne grumbled.

  "They will," Aros asserted. M'dalla was not going to abandon him. And Rikki had ensured that Slythe wouldn't either.

  Chapter Nine

  Insomnia

  All the lights were extinguished, including those from above. The clouds left the area pitch black, with Doren unable to even see the outline of his friend and their fellow travelers. Only their sounds indicated he was not alone. Snore after snore broke into the quiet, and even the denhare nestled in his lap let off the occasional whistle.

  "Make camp" was not the proper expression for what they'd done once they reached the end of the pass. Instead of setting up a shelter or a proper place to sleep, as they'd done in Faunli, these Streamers propped themselves against the side of the mountain and fell asleep. Somehow Aros had made himself comfortable enough to join them in dreamland, but Doren couldn't do it.

  He knew it wasn't simply the hard rock digging into his back that prevented him from resting. From the moment they stopped moving, he'd thought of nothing else but Rikki. Usually, thinking of her warmed his insides and occasionally made him blush. But this was different. Now, he was concerned and scared for her. And he was also furious. The curious mix of emotions continually bubbled up and prevented him from even feeling tired.

  Why would she leave in the middle of the night? She could've waited until daybreak and seen them out of the pass. They were all on their own now, and there was no telling if the stone spiders were sneaking up on them in the dark. She didn't leave because she suddenly had faith that they'd be able to handle another attack themselves. They needed her. He needed her.

  Why would she leave him? They'd just started being honest with each other about how they felt. Why did she have to go and run off? She was putting herself at risk for people she didn't even know. So what if they were mages? That didn't mean they were allies. There was nothing urgent about the situation. She could've waited!

  Was it the Goddess inside of her stirring up such a response? Had Rikki had no choice because Magenine willed it?

  Doren wasn't on this mission to aid a goddess. He was in Terrastream to prevent Neanthal's release. That's why Aros and Rikki had left Kytheras with him initially. That had to be more important than a few imprisoned mages. So why would she so suddenly change course?

  "Dammit, Rikki," Doren uttered to himself.

  No one responded to him, not even Ji-Ji.

  And she'd had the gall to call him Dorenculous like his father used to do to him. He only did that to express disappointment and to further annoy his son. King Halstrom knew he hated that name. So did Rikki.

  Doren was the one that had reason to be disappointed. She called him her boyfriend and then left him. That was not how a relationship was supposed to work.

  If she'd had a longer name, he would have damn sure used it.

  Rikki Nasem. Grand Mage of Kytheras. Descendant of Amelia. Abandoner of Friends.

  They'd heard nothing but horror stories about King Kahar since they'd arrived. Why would she go face him herself? Everyone around her was willing to join her. She only needed to have patience. The Roamers and the Revolutionaries would have helped rescue the imprisoned mages. Why didn't she wait?

  Now, she was at the mercy of a king who had no mercy. Did she have a plan? Was she going to follow Loraya's advice and simply murder him? He doubted it. Rikki wouldn't take a life unless it was a last resort. Was she going to try and bargain with him? Somehow, that sounded worse than murder.

  And why had she left her necklace behind? And why had she given it to Aros and not him? She should've let Aros watch after the denhare. He didn't have any qualms about keeping him around. Doren didn't think Ji-Ji belonged with them. There was an angry man trapped inside the cute outer shell. It'd have been better to set him free.

  So what if that meant Aros had two pets to look after? Now, he had two necklaces. Did she trust him more? Was it because he held both keys?

  Doren shuffled his back against the mountain, trying to make himself more comfortable. But that was going to be impossible, as there was no way leaning against stone was ever going to be agreeable.

  Ji-Ji nudged his stomach as Doren dragged himself back and forth, and Doren hissed at him after the denhare let out a whistle.

  No matter what position he put himself in, Doren was unable to fall asleep. So his mind raced, and the questions kept flowing while his anger grew. Had Rikki stayed, they'd probably still be arguing about whether she should go off on her own. Maybe that's why she'd left so suddenly.

  Doren watched as the clouds passed and the sky began to lighten. As dawn broke, he watched his fellow companions sleeping so soundly. He was jealous that they'd somehow gotten a full night's rest in their awkward positions.

  Sunlight crept in on their site. The Revolutionaries were the first to wake. Loraya's eyes opened and she caught Doren staring at him.

  "Couldn't sleep?" she asked.

  Doren didn't answer.

  Loraya kicked at her brothers' legs, who each awoke with a yelp. When she did the same to Aros, he remained asleep. "How do you get him up?"

  Doren shrugged before he came up with a suggestion. "Try shouting in his ear."

  Loraya gave him a funny look before she leaned in close to Aros' ear. "Aros!"

  "Leidess?" Aros mumbled without opening his eyes.

  "Leidess?" Loraya repeated with a twinge.

  "Aros!" Doren shouted, and this time his friend's eyes opened.

  "Morning," Aros said as he rubbed his fists into his eyes.

  Loraya walked away without another word, but Doren got the distinct impression that she was jealous.

  "Is Rikki back?" Aros asked as he carefully got on his feet.

  "No," Doren answered bluntly. She was probably with the other mages now; a prisoner.

  Aros rubbed at his back and his sides before he started complaining about how awful the sleeping conditions were.

  Doren ignored him. At least Aros had gotten some sleep. Doren could feel his eyelids were heavy and his body more cumbersome than usual. This was not how he wanted to start the day.

  "How long until your Roamer friends arrive?" Yayne asked as he lurched over.

  Doren was going to let Aros answer that. He was the one that had made friends with one of them.

  "They'll be here," Aros said, nodding in agreement with himself.

  "Are we going to have to go back that way?" Doren asked, pointing to the pass where they'd encountered the stone spiders.

  "Yeah, but the spiders only come out after dusk," Yayne replied.

  "And your friend's not here to wake them early," Loraya harshly added. "Or should I say girlfriend?"

  Doren bit his lip but said nothing.

  "What about you, Aros?" Loraya asked. "Got a girlfriend?"

  Aros looked away without supplying an answer. That clearly got to Loraya, as she walked away from him again.

  Doren knew that Loraya was trying to get more information on who this Leidess was. But instead of revealing her identity to Loraya, he thought only of what he would do if Rikki never came back. He didn't think he coul
d handle what Aros had been through. In fact, he felt even more guilty for how he'd treated Aros in Faunli as he was grieving. If Rikki died, not only would he react in a similar way, but he was pretty sure he'd never be able to let go of his rage. Doren unexpectedly began to admire his friend.

  What if that was going to happen to him soon? Aros had two friends to help him get over his girlfriend, along with a goddess. What would Doren have? One friend? He wasn't about to count the Roamers or Revolutionaries among them. And little faith? He doubted Magenine would send Rikki back to Ghumai to provide some closure.

  Doren felt a hard tap on the shoulder.

  "Why so glum?" Aros asked.

  Doren couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He should've figured his friend wouldn't have a clue.

  "What did I say?" Aros asked, staring at Doren with a dumbfounded look.

  "Something stupid, I'm sure," M'dalla said, materializing with her partner. "You tend to do that a lot."

  "M'dalla!" Aros shouted, just as happy to see her today as he'd been yesterday.

  "Calm down, kid," M'dalla replied, though she gave him a wide grin.

  Slythe appeared to notice how friendly the two were and stepped in front of M'dalla. "I hope you all have a plan."

  "It's simple, really," Loraya said, coming back to Aros' side. "Regroup, overthrow Kahar, and give Aros here the third Key."

  "There's plenty of assumptions in that plan," Slythe said, eyeing her with unease. "You’re down your only mage while Kahar has a dungeon full. You have no idea where exactly the Key is. And you haven't factored in Hatswick getting here first and taking it. He won't need a small army to storm Valiant Keep."

  "Rikki will be back," Doren stammered, unable to sound convincing.

  "And what would your plan be?" Yayne asked as he strutted closer to Slythe. "Continue hiding in these mountains while a trio of Kytherans does your work for you?"

  Slythe was clearly annoyed. "We were being hunted!"

  "Enough," Aros said before he repeated himself even louder. "Enough!"

  All heads turned to Aros.

  "Loraya already told us the plan, so let's get to it."

  "Kwee!" Mr. Kwee squawked in agreement.

  Aros gave Loraya an admiring look as he waited for her to speak up.

  "Right," she said. "Back to Fusion Forest we go."

  There were no further arguments as they began trekking back through the mountain pass. Loraya kept intentionally close to Aros at the front of the pack, while Kyer stayed a few paces behind them. Doren was alone in the middle, his back to the two Roamers. And leading from behind was Yayne, as his girth prevented anyone from walking at his side.

  The rising sun revealed the leftover carcasses of stone spiders from Rikki's massacre. Though they appeared as little more than rock debris, every member of their group stared at the remains as they passed. What Rikki had managed to do was impressive if also terrible, and they ogled in silence.

  Doren felt so helpless without her as they stumbled through, and he worried that the sunlight wouldn't prevent the stone spiders from seeking revenge on them. Rikki wasn't there to protect them. What if they knew that? What if they came out now?

  He held his breath for most of their journey through the pass, and only felt slightly relieved when they made it to the other side without harm.

  "Be on the lookout for Kahar's men," Loraya told them as they continued onward. "If you see one, let out a whistle."

  Ji-Ji subsequently whistled in response.

  "Exactly like that," Loraya replied, winking at the denhare.

  Doren rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to toss the poor creature away. He only held onto it because he knew how upset Rikki would get if she returned and found it missing.

  "There were once magnificent things in these mountains," Kyer lamented. "Birds bigger than horses nested in some of these peaks. Waterfalls that the Bed Cairns had discovered hiding in caves."

  "Where'd they all go?" Slythe inquired.

  "One guess," Yayne grumbled from behind them.

  "Kahar!" Aros shouted with undue excitement.

  Loraya shot him an annoyed look.

  Doren figured their companions didn't realize how rare it was for Aros to be right about something. His temporary jubilance may have bothered them, but it was justified.

  "Everything wrong in Terrastream can be traced to Kahar," M'dalla stated.

  "It was when Kahar stormed the mountains," Loraya explained. "The Bed Cairns tried to use the birds against them, so Kahar had them all killed. And once he'd conquered the mountains, he had his mages dry up the waterfalls so no one could live out here again."

  "Why did Rikki go by herself?" Doren whined. The thought of her confronting this king alone was nauseating.

  "She can handle herself," M'dalla assured him.

  "Are we friends?" Doren harshly responded.

  M'dalla looked like he'd smacked her. "I guess they bred the kindness out of the Tunsev line."

  Slythe locked his eyes onto his fellow Roamer. "M'dalla."

  "Or maybe they never had it to begin with." M'dalla fell back closer to Yayne.

  There was less conversation as they approached the edge of the mountains. All of them were temporarily transfixed by the clear view out into the kingdom. Terrastream had never appeared more green in the light of the late morn. Nor had such a facade completely contrasted with the mood of the travelers beholding it. Doren secretly wished Rikki would conjure up a storm from wherever she was. Only the rain and darkness could reflect how he was feeling inside.

  "Doren," Aros called back to him, interrupting the quiet. "Don't worry. I believe in Rikki."

  Doren glanced at Aros before letting out a heavy sigh. He believed in Rikki, too. But he couldn't help being afraid of what she'd gotten herself into. And that she'd chosen to put herself there only made him angry.

  Loraya and Aros were already standing at the periphery of the cliff when Doren lined up beside them. The two were standing particularly close, and it was only on close inspection that Doren saw that they weren't holding hands.

  Slythe took the spot next to Doren, while Kyer stood next to his sister. Yayne and M'dalla were the last to join them.

  None of Kahar's spies were visible in the area, which meant the only thing they had to fear was the trip down. Before anyone motioned to move on, they all took in the breathtaking view. Terrastream was reminiscent of Faunli, but there was so much less; less people, less buildings, and less activity. The only thing there seemed to be more of were trees.

  Doren took note of the sun's reflection on his armor and suggested they quit dawdling. "Bad for sneaking," he said, tapping on the Bellish metal.

  "We'll meet you down there," Slythe said, and with a spin, he was gone.

  "You can manage, right?" M'dalla asked before shifting away, not even waiting for an answer.

  Doren took a peek down and nearly froze in place. "Did any of you bring rope?"

  Yayne tapped him on the shoulder. "It's better going down than up."

  Meanwhile, Aros was fiddling with the luminous lines on his armor. "They might've put whatever let their AGTs fly in here."

  "What's an AGT?" Loraya asked.

  "I am not the right person to answer that," Aros replied, nodding his head toward Doren.

  Doren couldn't explain the science, but he could decipher the acronym. "Anti-gravity transport."

  "Strange words," Kyer replied before he heaved himself over the cliff and began the climb down.

  Loraya grabbed Aros' hand so he'd stop playing with the armor. "Follow me and you'll be fine." She, too, began the descent.

  Aros grimaced at Doren before he took after her.

  "So that's a no on any rope?" Doren asked Yayne.

  "If you fall, maybe armor prevent you from being killed." Yayne knocked his knuckles against the metal.

  "You want this armor, don't you?" Doren responded.

  "I am jealous," Yayne said with a laugh. "Now get moving."

&n
bsp; Doren took a breath and carefully began the climb down. He made sure he had one foot locked into a crevasse before he even attempted another move. Then, he'd move one hand down, then a foot, until he was once again secure.

  Yayne was nearly on top of him the entire way. Despite his heft, he was able to maneuver quickly down the side of the mountain. Only Doren was slowing his pace.

  The trip back to the bottom was excruciating and felt like it took hours. When Doren finally touched the ground, he let himself collapse into the dirt. His muscles throbbed as he lay, the aches not fading and the exhaustion only getting worse.

  But his companions would only let him stay down for so long. Aros and Slythe worked to get him back on his two feet.

  "I need a nap," Doren moaned.

  "No resting until we make it to the forest," Loraya replied.

  "How far?" Doren asked.

  "Less than a day's walk," Loraya said, pointing in the direction of Fusion Forest. "Let's go."

  As everyone followed Loraya and Aros away from the mountains, Doren dragged his feet forward. It wasn't only that his limbs were reluctant to keep moving. His focus was not ahead of him, but to the side; where they'd seen the lights of Valiant Keep the night before. That is where he should've been going: to Valiant Keep. To Rikki.

  Chapter Ten

  King Kahar

  Rikki was unable to perceive much of Valiant Keep, despite the torches that lit up the front gate. She could tell it was carved into the Enduring Mountains, but the extent of the construction was impossible to ascertain. Enough of it was illuminated though, to determine that it was not only incredibly high, but wide as well. The Streamers didn't have the tools for such a feat, so they'd made their mages do the work for them. Magic had enabled this malformation. She knew that, no matter what the night tried to hide from her.

  The doors to the keep were shut, but the watchers standing in front had their eyes wide open. As one turned his head in Rikki's direction, she realized how easy it'd be for him to spot her. With a swift flick of her staff, her entire body, including the silver armor, became invisible, and her staff followed suit. But had she been fast enough?