Kings of Ghumai- The Complete series Box Set

by D N Meinster

  Azzer turned this one to stone before he could do any more damage, and then sliced the newly created statue in two.

  Both Rikki and Azzer blew the cloud away, revealing that Yim had fled and most of the mages in the area were already dead.

  "If he gets another club," Rikki worried, her voice inadvertently quivering.

  "Go," Azzer instructed. "I'll do what I can for them." He shrugged toward the remaining mages.

  Rikki nodded and sped out of the dungeon. She hopped up the stairs, her eyes stinging as they adjusted to the increasing amount of light.

  The first floor was well lit, but Yim was nowhere in sight. Valiant Keep was a labyrinth that would be difficult to navigate. She might spend hours searching but fail to find him, just as she hadn't been able to find Kahar when she first arrived.

  "Point me true," she quietly prayed to the Goddess.

  Rikki closed her eyes and hoped for some guidance, but the increasing patter of footsteps caused her to open them back up.

  Yim seemed shocked to find himself in Rikki's path. He was still club-less, with only one arm.

  "No!" Yim cried, and he spun back around.

  But Rikki loosed a burst of air that caused Yim to fall on his face.

  "I don't want to kill you," Rikki spoke honestly. She debated whether she had a choice, but then realized exactly what she'd do with him.

  His black threads transformed into binding chains, and without even touching him, she dragged his body across the floor and back to the dungeons.

  She flung him down the stairs, and with a thought, summoned a light from her staff and lit the entirety of the dungeons.

  She guided Yim through the entrance to Azzer's feet. The blue mage had collected the few mages that were still alive and had yet to lose their minds and wills. The others he had tied back to the dungeon walls.

  "What do you intend to do with him?" Azzer asked.

  "Send a message," Rikki replied.

  The chains around Yim's body shot into the ceiling and gradually lifted him higher and higher.

  All the mages watched at Yim ascended, his body flopping and sputtering against the bindings that refused to budge.

  The mages at Azzer's side raised their arms and pointed, and the chains tightened around Yim until he was unable to breathe.

  His face turned a nasty shade of purple before he succumbed and was left hanging lifeless from the dungeon's ceiling.

  "That'll send a message," one of the freed mages spoke.

  Rikki refused to judge their actions too harshly. She'd only been there a day and she was on the verge of doing what they'd just done. And she hadn't even been tortured like they had.

  "He deserved worse," Azzer spat before turning to Rikki. "We owe you a great debt."

  "Nonsense. I wouldn't have defeated him without you."

  "We'd be worse than dead without you," Azzer replied. "You are Amelia's blood. I have seen so few manipulate time with such ease. I only know how because she taught me. And the way you healed me? Only Amelia could've done that so quickly."

  For so much of her life, Rikki felt like she'd let down Amelia and her legacy. To hear what Azzer had said from someone that had likely known her personally was such a compliment, Rikki wasn't sure how to reply.

  Azzer spoke again before she could think of anything to say. "Some remain loyal to Kahar. Not even you can heal them. We can either leave them or kill them. And I think enough have died today."

  The dungeon floor was stained in blood, with some bodies still leaking the red liquid as their faces drowned beneath it.

  "Agreed," Rikki replied. "So how much time do you think we lost?"

  "Unless you have a clock, I'm afraid I can't say. Could be hours. Could be days."

  Rikki pondered what she might have missed during her captivity. What state would her friends be in? The Roamers? The Revolutionaries?

  "Shall we shift?" Azzer asked, interrupting the potentially dark thoughts.

  Rikki glanced upward at Yim's body one last time before nodding. Both mages held out their staffs so the former captives could grab on.

  "Where to?" Azzer asked.

  Rikki knew exactly where she wanted to go, and she smiled thinking about what was about to transpire. There was a boy out there that was about to hear a lot of bragging.

  Chapter Twenty

  Silent

  While Kyer and Yayne searched through burnt timber for bodies, Aros stood on the outskirts of Fusion Forest, accompanied by Loraya and M'dalla. Neither would desert Aros while he continued to tremble and his face grew paler, even though they didn't know the exact cause for his worsened state.

  He wanted to tell them while they were each clutched to one of his arms, but the fear of what they'd think was overwhelming. What if they thought he was insane? What if they abandoned him? With Rikki and Doren off on their own, these were the only people he had left. If he lost them, he'd be completely alone in Terrastream, left vulnerable to Hunters, spiders, and whatever else lurked in the kingdom.

  It would've been easier to impart information about the voice before it started speaking again. Now that it was, he couldn't get the words to form on his tongue. In fact, he couldn't get any words out. He'd occasionally sputter and gag, with his female companions probably suspecting he was about to get sick again.

  Why now? The Goddess had been silent since he'd left Kytheras. Did it have to do with the dreams he'd been having? Did it have to do with Leidess? He wanted to ask Her himself, but even trying to scream at Her brought out only raspy gargles from his throat.

  "This one doesn't look well," Kyer said as he emerged from the forest with his brother.

  "Maybe those berries you fed us weren't so good," M'dalla retorted with a suspicious glance.

  Yayne grabbed his stomach and raised an eyebrow toward his brother. "I haven't gotten sick yet."

  "She's joking," Kyer said before adding, "right?"

  M'dalla finally let go of Aros before crossing her arms. If she was kidding him, she was hiding it well.

  Aros let out a faint squeak. He couldn't tell them it hadn't been the food. Why couldn't he speak? He remembered Leidess’ apparition mentioning inadvertent effects when the Goddess tried contacting him. Was this such an effect?

  "Kwee!" Mr. Kwee imitated Aros.

  Loraya let go of Aros and moved closer to her brothers. "How many did you find?"

  "Eight," Yayne told her.

  "Can't tell who's who," Kyer elaborated. "Could be all us. Could be some of them."

  Loraya bowed her head and took in the news.

  "How many were you?" M'dalla asked.

  "Twenty strong after the last revolt," Kyer said. "Might be half that now."

  They all stood in a silent respect, contemplating the deaths of their allies and family. Kahar continued to have the upper hand in the kingdom. The Revolutionaries had become little more than a nuisance and would likely be extinct in the near future.

  Aros could've asked the Goddess who was left, but he still couldn't talk, and She wasn't volunteering any information.

  "They haven't come back," Loraya observed, "which means they might be tracking the survivors."

  All eyes turned to Aros.

  "Malaise Tracks," M'dalla stated. "I guess Slythe can wait."

  Aros pointed to his throat to try and let them know he couldn't respond.

  "Something wrong with his voice?" Kyer asked.

  Aros nodded in response.

  "We have nowhere else to go," Yayne noted.

  There was an excess of sighs before they all retrieved whatever weapons and supplies they'd discarded and prepared to get on the move. Loraya slung her bow over one shoulder and checked the quiver on her waist. She’d relied on hidden stashes and gathering loose arrows up until now, but she’d hoped to maximize her stock when they'd returned home. Instead, she was stuck with what she had. If there'd been time, she would've crafted some more, but everyone was in a hurry to get to Malaise Tracks.

  Loraya st
uck by Aros as they started marching toward the unseen lands. She found it challenging to leave his side, even with her brothers nearby. She wanted to engage him, to find out why he'd suggested Malaise Tracks. But his voice wouldn't work. She figured he'd damaged it when he puked earlier. It'd come back, in time.

  When Aros tripped over himself and nearly tumbled sideways minutes later, Loraya tightened her arm around his and didn't let go. He needed someone steady to guide him, and she was more than willing to be that person. He also probably needed a proper meal, but it wouldn't be prudent to force it down when he might just regurgitate it.

  She glanced at Aros, whose eyes were directed on his feet as he walked forward. Was he trying to make sure he didn't trip again? She could handle that. What if he was thinking about Leidess?

  A twinge of jealousy coursed through Loraya. But she quickly pushed the sour feelings away and thought only of the sympathy she had for Aros having lost someone. She'd lost someone, too. She may have even lost more than one someone. It all depended on whose bodies they'd left in Fusion Forest.

  Yet she was unable to get too depressed about it because of Aros. She wanted to be sad and concerned and full of worry. Instead, she had to force herself to think about it. It was more of a distraction from how she was truly feeling inside.

  "I can carry him if you're getting tired of holding onto him," M'dalla said. After a moment passed, she added, "Oh wait, you've made it blatantly obvious that won't happen." She let out a sharp laugh.

  Loraya glared back at M'dalla, who was only some feet in front of Yayne. She wanted to come up with a clever response, but there was too much going on in her head to think of anything. So instead she stuck out her tongue and then returned her eyes to Kyer, who had taken the lead.

  "So juvenile," M'dalla stated.

  Did M’dalla have feelings for Aros? The yellow-cloaked Roamer had a boyfriend, but some of the things she said definitely made Loraya question what was going on within her heart. She and Aros had already spent time together in Belliore. Maybe she wanted more one-on-one time with him here in Terrastream.

  Loraya could feel that jealousy bubbling up within, so she clutched on tighter to Aros. M’dalla appeared to notice.

  “You can hold onto him as tight as you want,” she said. “I don’t see him holding on back.”

  Aros rotated half his head toward M’dalla and gave her a questioning glance. What exactly was she talking about? Right now, he was grateful that Loraya was keeping him steady. One wrong footstep or one whispered word and he’d likely fall over again. So he affixed his arm more securely with Loraya’s, and though it wasn’t pain-free, he felt it was necessary.

  Loraya and Aros locked eyes for a moment, paying no attention to what was in front of them. Their ignorance caused M’dalla to storm past them.

  “If someone was to attack right now, you two would be dead,” she barked.

  They both moved their eyes onto her, but M’dalla was no longer interested in paying them any attention. She moved with an increased ferocity next to Kyer.

  “We should’ve told her to go after Slythe,” Loraya whispered to Aros.

  Aros was unable to reply. Instead, he coughed slightly and his legs nearly gave out. Loraya held him up, though, and kept him moving.

  By midday, they finally took a break and Aros ate an elongated yellow fruit they plucked from nearby trees. Though he was able to keep the food down, he still wasn’t able to get any words out.

  “If we keep with this pace, we might make it to Malaise Tracks by high moon,” Kyer informed them. “That is, if we want to keep going through the night.” His eyes bounced around, looking to see if they’d be up to it.

  “I should just shift there,” M’dalla mumbled to herself.

  “Go ahead,” Loraya shot back. She and her brothers could take on whoever they encountered.

  M’dalla scowled. “Some thanks for helping cover your ass.”

  “We are grateful,” Yayne interjected. “And I’m with you, brother.”

  Aros nodded his agreement.

  “Then let’s get moving.”

  Aros felt a bit stronger as they went along, shuffling through high grass or stomping on dirt patches. He eventually loosened his hold on Loraya, though he was slightly reluctant to for some unexplainable reason. They marched around swamps and took a pause to allow a pack of horses to make their way by.

  It was warm inside Aros’ armor, but his thoughts were so distracted that he hardly noticed. When he wasn’t thinking of Rikki or Doren, he was wondering about Leidess and Magenine. And sometimes it was the girl standing next to him that completely enraptured his mind.

  They didn’t encounter a soul during their entire trip. Streamers had always valued nature above all else, and now it seemed that they’d surrendered to it. Their kingdom was left to the wild animals and plants. The humans had almost entirely abandoned it.

  It was only when they neared Malaise Tracks that there were signs of other people. Flames housed within the ancient structured signified the life that had settled there. Aros was given more than one peculiar look, like they couldn’t believe that he had correctly guessed where the Revolutionaries had run off to. He couldn’t tell them it wasn’t a guess. It was the Goddess.

  Only Loraya appeared more relieved than curious to learn the accuracy of Aros’ revelation. Instead of questioning him as they closed in on their destination, she chose to give Aros a history lesson.

  “The SteedWhips used to congregate here,” she said. “They ran horse races for spectators from all five kingdoms. So many came that they eventually made a deal to have those stands built. It was the only construction in Terrastream for hundreds of years, and most Streamers hated it. They callously called this blight on our land Malaise Tracks, but the SteedWhips embraced the name. When the lands separated, that place was abandoned and the SteedWhips disappeared. Some stayed in other kingdoms. Others joined another tribe. They left Malaise Tracks standing, though, as a reminder that Terrastream wasn’t alone in the world. There were other kingdoms beyond the darkness.”

  “It was the only construction in our land,” Yayne added, “until Kahar.”

  Malaise Tracks eerie visage towered over the entire party as they advanced. The steel frame of the curved stands was rusted over, and the glass that formed the rest of it was severely cracked. The finer details were lost behind both the night and the reflection of the flames that the Revolutionaries kept lit.

  “Go no further!” a voice shouted at them.

  “It’s Kyer!” he replied. “I’ve got Yayne and Loraya with me.”

  Jemmy Lette emerged from behind Malaise Tracks. He looked at them all with disbelief, and then hurried forth and embraced his brother and sister. “Nott is dead,” he told them. “So are Tyet and Chona.”

  Loraya nearly fell over, and this time it was Aros that helped her stay upright.

  She’d lost another brother. She couldn’t take it. “Why do they help him!” she screamed and squirmed free of Aros’ grip. How could all of Terrastream allow this monster to rule over them? They all gave in and forced those who truly remembered what it was to be a Streamer to pay a price.

  Loraya dropped to her knees and was lost in a storm of wails and tears. Her brothers kept sacrificing themselves for a cause no one else seemed to believe in. She only had three left and she didn’t want to lose another. Maybe it’d be better to leave Terrastream. Their new friends could show them the way out of this kingdom.

  Aros plopped down next to Loraya, and, quite unexpectedly, grabbed hold of her hand.

  Loraya was so taken aback that her tears dried up almost instantly.

  “Who was it?” Kyer asked.

  “Fash and Tonna,” Jemmy replied. “We expect they’ll find us here soon. Get some sleep while you can.”

  The rest of their party moved to the other side of Malaise Tracks, but Loraya refused to get up. Her face was blank, a hurricane of emotions going off inside her.

  Jemmy eventually asked Ar
os to assist him, and they both lifted her up and took her to a more secure location.

  By the time Aros woke the next morning, he was able to speak again. Though he immediately wanted to start putting questions to the Goddess, starting with why She hadn’t said anything else to him, there were too many others around for him to feel comfortable doing so.

  The Revolutionaries were in a somber mood, with many eyes reflecting hollow looks as they consumed their breakfasts. They kept their weapons near as they ate, some even refusing to put theirs down. Most had at least one burned limb. Some of their wounds were still bleeding. And their outfits were either stained red or black.

  “You’re on the wrong side of this war,” M’dalla said, taking a knee next to Aros.

  “So are you,” Aros responded.

  “Because of you,” she rejoined. “This bunch won’t survive another assault.”

  Aros didn’t say anything, but he somewhat agreed. These Streamers were not in a prime condition for battle. As he studied them, his eyes got caught on Malaise Tracks. In the daylight, he could see how poorly the structure had held up over time. Many of the stands had collapsed. And those that hadn’t looked like they were about to. There were so many cracks and so much corrosion, it was hard to imagine they’d ever been safe to occupy.

  “I remember this place from a long time ago,” M’dalla stated. “There weren’t just horse races here. There were Pegasus Races. The King presided over them, and whichever horse won would be granted temporary wings by a mage. Eventually, they even had velizards competing. It’s depressing to see what’s become of it.”

  Aros didn’t quite understand what M’dalla was getting at. Was she hinting that she was really old? Or that she’d skipped through time like Rikki had done?

  Before he could ask, M’dalla pulled her weapon out of her sleeve. The headless flail hung limply, the chain tossing about in the light breeze. “It’s a shame they don’t have a blacksmith here. I might actually be able to save a few of their lives.”

  “I’m a blacksmith,” Aros blurted out. “Actually, more of an apprentice.”

  “Really? So, what can you do with this, here?” M’dalla asked, holding out her broken flail.