by Chuck Black
“Give me courage, my Prince,” she whispered, then entered the nest area.
Carliss held the bow with her right hand, her forefinger pressing tightly against the shaft of the arrow to hold it in place. With her left hand she held the torch and searched the nesting area, unnerved by how quickly the light of the torch seemed to be swallowed by the darkness of this place. Her heart was pounding, and she felt the rush of blood in her cheeks and ears. It was a constant battle to keep her fear under control as she went.
She carefully made her way to the center of the area. Something scurried just to her left, and she snapped her head to look. The shadows danced from the flickering torch, but that was all she saw. She found a niche in one of the larger nests in which to set the torch; then she drew her sword and thrust the tip into the ground beside her. She grabbed the string of her bow and drew some comfort from having her hand ready to draw and release in an instant.
Carliss hoped the light of the torch would be enough to keep the mother lizard away and yet help her see to the fringes of the nest area to spot the beast. She studied every tree trunk and vine that fell within the circle of light cast by the torch, but she could not make out the mother lizard. Carliss wondered if the nocturnal creature was hunting or perhaps had joined the rest of the lizards at the pit.
After a long, anxious, and fruitless wait, she decided to venture a few paces away from the torch, hoping to get a closer look at the periphery of the nest area. She took two steps, knelt down, peered into the darkness, and then froze. Tingles ran up the base of her neck as she sensed the presence of great evil only inches away. She slowly turned to her left and glimpsed the horror of the night unfold in an instant.
The mother lizard’s mouth was wide open, revealing rows of sharp teeth against a pink-white fleshy throat. It lunged, clamped down on Carliss’s left arm, and began to drag her off into the darkness. Carliss screamed against the severe pain, but her chain mail and vambrace held. She dropped her bow and beat against the animal’s thick leathery hide, but to no avail.
Thud! Carliss felt one of the barbed antennae smash into the spaulder on her left shoulder while the other just skimmed past her face. She grabbed a loose vine as she passed by one of the nests and pulled with all her might against the giant lizard, but she was no match for its strength. She knew another strike was imminent and that she probably would not be as fortunate a second time. The torch and her sword were now ten paces away, and she wondered if there was any hope of surviving at all.
Carliss reached for her long knife and plunged the blade into the neck of the lizard with all her might. It hardly penetrated, for it hit the bone of the creature’s jaw. The lizard snapped its head to the left without releasing its grip on Carliss, and the force of the movement nearly broke her arm. She screamed against the pain but rallied to try once more.
The antennae struck again, this time passing just to the left and right of her shoulder and impacting the ground. Carliss held tightly to the knife and pulled herself in closer to the creature as she plunged the blade once more into the lizard. This time it penetrated behind the jawbone and into the soft tissue of the neck.
The giant lizard immediately released its grip on Carliss’s arm and shrieked so loudly that Carliss could not bear the sound. The beast spun in a circle, trying to dislodge the knife. Carliss rolled away, regained her feet, and sprinted toward the torch. She recovered her bow and quickly set the arrow back in the string. She aimed at the writhing mass just ten paces away and let loose the arrow. It penetrated the shoulder of the middle leg, and the creature shrieked again.
Carliss had to cover her ears, for the shrill sound seemed to penetrate clear through her skull. The lizard’s bulging yellow eyes locked onto Carliss, and she knew she had but a fraction of a moment. She dropped the bow and yanked Morning Star from the ground. She knew that if she waited until she saw the creature move, it would be too late. She listened to that sense that always told her where to aim her arrow to hit a moving target, then initiated a powerful horizontal slice at the perfect instant in time. It would be her one and only chance.
Giving her full strength to the cut, Carliss closed her eyes at the last moment, getting a glimpse of a blurred mass crashing down on her from the darkness. She felt her arms arcing through the cut and beyond, feeling no hindrance in the sword’s path.
The beast slammed into her body. She flew backward across the nest she was near and into the torch. Sparks flew in a thousand directions, leaving only a glowing ember to illumine the night. Near darkness enveloped Carliss as she lay still, struggling to recover from the painful impact. She wondered how she could still be alive as she lifted herself to one knee and blinked to adjust her vision.
Morning Star was still firmly in her grip, and she quickly brought the magnificent weapon before her as she looked around. Beside her lay the motionless form of the mother lizard. Carliss scooted away from the creature and recovered the fading torch. Only then did she cautiously approach the beast, wondering if she dared touch it. Had she really killed it? She listened closely for any signs that the mother lizard might still be alive, and then heard something else that filled her heart with dread.
From the borders of the nest area, the sound of thousands of hissing lizards filled the air, and they were closing in quickly. Carliss listened, trying to decide which way to go, but they seemed to be everywhere. She blew on the torch in an effort to relight it, but it would not catch.
Her skin began to crawl as the darkness folded in and became a moving mass of hideous poisonous lizards. She swiped in the dark with Morning Star, but there were simply too many.
Carliss dared not take one step in any direction. The entire ground about her writhed two and three deep in lizards for as far into the darkness as she could see. They massed upon the dead form of the mother lizard and began to shriek, every esca lizard of the swamp joining in the maddening rebuke against what Carliss had done. In the flood of sound she heard Malco screaming at her… the Shadow Warriors screaming at her… the Vinceros screaming at her… and thousands of people who had come to love the Waters of Moorue screaming at her. She tried to cover her ears, but it continued on and on.
She finally could take it no more and fell to her knees. She thought she would go mad from the noise. Even if she were able to avoid being bit or stung, and even if the swamp lily protected her from the poison, morning was still hours away, and she knew she could not endure until then.
The closest lizards began to strike their antennae barbs all around her, each one getting closer and closer. Carliss lifted her eyes beyond them and thought she saw a light through the thick walls of the nest haven.
“Help!” she screamed, but she could not even hear her own voice over the shrieks of thousands of esca lizards. The light grew brighter, and she could now see that it was composed of many lights. She determined they were coming her way and slumped in relief, then realized that more than likely the light came from a contingent of Malco’s warriors. This time she would surely die.
The lights grew brighter until they penetrated the walls of the nest haven. Eight burning torches illumined the entire nest area, and Carliss shuddered at the sight. The entire floor was a writhing mass of six-legged lizards, all wanting to tear Carliss apart.
The men carrying the torches were large, and she knew they were warriors. The lizards gave way to the brightness of the torches, clearing a path as they came. Within a few moments, the warriors encircled Carliss, and one of them knelt down.
“Come with us,” Branton said as he helped Carliss to her feet.
She gazed up at the bruised and bloodied face of her friend from across the Great Sea, then nodded and grabbed his thick arm for support.
Carliss stood, and the Silent Warriors protected her as they exited the nest area. The lizards followed until they neared the edge of the swamp, then slowly disappeared into the darkness of the inner swamp. The warriors brought her near to the place where Si Kon and the others had temporarily camped for
the night.
Carliss turned to face Branton. She looked into the eyes of the mighty warrior, then reached up and touched the bruised cut on his forehead.
“I’m—,” Carliss began but Branton held up his hand.
“I consider it an honor to bear that scar,” he said.
“Thank you, Branton… Thank you all,” Carliss said, beholding the faces of eight powerful vessels of the King.
The eight Silent Warriors all saluted Carliss, and she was humbled by the gesture.
“Your courage has opened the gate to a great battle, one for which we have waited for a long time,” Branton replied. “It is we who must thank you.”
Carliss lowered her head for a moment and then looked back up at them, her jaw set. “I will continue the fight with you,” she said.
Branton nodded. “Of that we have no doubt, Lady Carliss.”
They all turned to leave, but Branton turned back.
“The King reigns,” he said with a smile.
“The King reigns indeed,” Carliss replied.
“And His Son,” they said in unison, then parted ways.
Carliss watched as the mighty warriors of the King disappeared into the murky darkness of the swamp… back to the battle for the souls of men, women, and children. She held Morning Star before her and was thankful for the great victory she had been given by its power. And yet, though she had prevailed in one battle, she had lost another. The sun would soon rise on the ninth day since Dalton had begun his dreaming journey, and she had no hope now of reaching him in time.
She trudged toward Si Kon’s camp, the defeat of the day robbing her of any joy she might have felt. Weariness hung from her bones like rags, and she welcomed any reprieve she could find from her torment, even if only for a few short hours.
DAY NINE … A HOPELESS MISSION
Before the light of a rising sun had broken the horizon, Carliss was preparing Rindy for the long ride home.
Tomorrow he dies, she thought.
Her hands paused in the act of checking the bridle as she considered the hopelessness of her actions. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. Even the Silent Warriors couldn’t cover the distance between here and Pembrook in time to help Dalton. Part of her wanted to ride away in the opposite direction, not wanting to witness the irrefutable consequences of her decision to stay and fight in Moorue.
She felt a hand on her shoulder.
“What you have paid for all of us here is a price beyond measure,” Si Kon said sadly.
Carliss turned to face her courageous friend and could not help the tear that escaped her eye. She quickly wiped it away as Takara came to stand beside Si Kon. Her eyes conveyed her immense gratitude and her deep sorrow without uttering a single word. She put her arms around Carliss and hugged her tightly.
“His strength be with you,” she whispered into her ear, then released her embrace.
Kei and Mariko took turns giving hugs to Carliss, both wiping away tears as they did. Then Si Kon handed Carliss a single swamp lily.
“Three knights fell to the lizards. There is only this one left.”
Carliss took the lily and gazed at it; then she placed it in her pack on Rindy. She mounted up and looked south, past Moorue. “I will tell the knights at Brimwick Downs you are coming. I’m sure they will send help to meet you along the way.” She saluted, then kicked Rindy and embarked on a mission she could not succeed in to save the life of a friend she could not love.
Just a few strides out of the camp, she heard a small voice call her name.
“Lady Carliss! Lady Carliss!”
She looked behind her and saw young Akiyma running to catch up with her. She halted Rindy and dismounted, feeling bad that in her own despair she had forgotten to say good-bye to the young knight who had been instrumental in helping her free the people. Akiyma ran without slowing, colliding with Carliss and simultaneously wrapping his arms around her waist. Carliss hugged him back and looked deeply into his eyes.
“You are a brave young knight, Akiyma. The Prince has great adventures in store for you. Be strong for Him!”
Akiyma’s eyes lit up as he blinked away the sleep. “You’re going to save Sir Dalton now, right?”
Carliss’s smile faded. “I will try, Akiyma, but I’m afraid it’s too late. I cannot get the swamp lily to him in time.”
Akiyma’s smile faded too. Then he looked at Carliss with the gleam of the Prince in his eyes. “Spirit can.”
Carliss looked at Akiyma, dazed by the thought. She looked about.
“Is he here…now?”
“He’s always been with you, Lady Carliss. I think he belongs to you now.” Akiyma pointed to a tall tree near the camp.
The magnificent bird basked in the first beams of sunlight and screeched as if he knew he was the subject of their talk. Carliss’s mind began to race wildly with all of the possible reasons why Akiyma’s idea would and would not work. She grabbed Akiyma’s hand and Rindy’s reins and ran back to the camp.
“Si Kon!” she shouted.
Si Kon and his family gathered around to hear Akiyma’s idea.
“But how will the bird know where Petolemew’s hut is?” Si Kon asked.
Carliss thought. “That is where I first saw Spirit. He has been there, but I’m unsure as to how to tell him to return.”
She turned away and began pacing, then stopped suddenly and turned to Si Kon.
“Do you have any of the black powder left?”
“One pouch,” Si Kon said. “Just as I was about to light it, all of the lizards disappeared at once.” He raced to find it while Carliss retrieved the swamp lily from Rindy’s pack.
Si Kon returned a moment later holding the bag before him. Carliss took the bag. As she looked at the lily in one hand and the black powder pouch in the other, she shook her head.
“This seems impossible,” she said, feeling discouraged and yet hopeful all the same. “I only have one flower. If Spirit doesn’t understand or loses the lily… or if Eunice and Petolemew don’t know what to do with it…”
No one dared to say a word. Once again Carliss knew the risk was great and the responsibility of deciding was hers and hers alone to bear. She took a deep breath, then held her arm up high in the sky as she looked to Spirit.
The hawk left its perch and swooped down to land softly on Carliss’s arm. Takara, Kei, and Mariko stepped back as the bird flapped its great wings and then folded them in.
“I need a flame,” Carliss said as she walked to a nearby log.
By now others were gathering to see what the commotion was about. Akiyma ran to the remnants of the campfire and returned with a glowing stick. Carliss dumped most of the black powder on the ground, but poured a little onto the log. She lifted the empty pouch to Spirit, and the bird grabbed it with its beak.
“Light the powder on the log,” she said to Si Kon.
He touched the stick to the powder and it flashed, causing a small cloud of black smoke to rise up. Spirit flapped his wings in response to the noise but then settled back down. Carliss slowly brought Spirit closer to see and smell the smoke. She then took the empty pouch from Spirit.
“Put the lily in the pouch, and tie it to Spirit’s leg.”
Si Kon carefully did what she instructed. He double-checked the knot to make sure it was secure, then looked at Carliss and nodded. Carliss reached up and stroked Spirit’s feathers.
“Can you find Petolemew, Spirit?” she asked gently.
The hawk seemed to ignore her as he looked somewhere into the distance. Carliss could hardly make herself command the bird to leave. Was she throwing Dalton’s last chance to the wind?
Carliss pointed south. “Go, Spirit. Find Petolemew!” She lifted her arm up, and Spirit took flight. He flew in a circle twice to gain altitude as dozens of people looked upward, hoping for the impossible. Then Spirit set off toward the southwest, and a murmur of concern rose up from the people.
“He is flying the wrong direction,” Akiyma said sadly. �
��I’m sorry, Lady Carliss. It was a bad idea.”
Carliss looked down at her brave young friend. “No, Akiyma, it is a wonderful idea. The road from Moorue goes south because of the mountains, but Spirit is flying southwest, over the mountains—straight for Mister Petolemew’s hut.”
“Dalton will be saved?”
She shook her head. “I just don’t know, Akiyma.”
They stood watching until the hawk had disappeared from view. Carliss knew the chances of this plan working were extremely slim, but at least she had hope, and that hope gave her the strength to carry on. She mounted Rindy once again and could hardly wait to be on her way.
With a final farewell, Carliss journeyed south to the road that led around the mountains, hoping to make it halfway to Brimwick Downs by nightfall.
The next day, Carliss could think of nothing other than Dalton’s fate. Would Spirit make it in time? Would he make it at all? She grew weary of the concern but could not cast it away.
Carliss pushed Rindy as hard as she dared. That evening, Carliss reached Brimwick Downs, and her faithful steed was spent. Sir Norsington, the leader of the Brimwick Downs haven, welcomed her with an enthusiastic hug. He said he was greatly relieved to see her, for news of her disappearance had reached their fellowship. Sir Norsington offered every resource of the haven to help her and the people traveling from Moorue. He also insisted on providing her with a fresh, strong horse and sending two knights to accompany her the rest of the way home.
With a good night’s rest, food, water, and an early start, Carliss and the two knights set off for Pembrook. Carliss pushed this steed even harder, for she could not bear to wait until morning to finish this final leg of the journey. They pressed on into the night and arrived at Petolemew’s hut when the moon was full and high in the black sky.