Maiden's Saber

by Marion Faith St. James

  “Not to worry.” Gareth says while patting the sword at his side. “I have the key.”

  The tunnel is higher than Gareth and wide enough that he and Natsha can walk abreast of each other with crossbows at the ready. Behind them is Amari, with her hand on Natsha’s shoulder as the Maiden with eyes closed is searching far ahead. Every so often, she says in a whisper. “The way is clear.”

  Following is Truk and Mimna. Dian has brought the water sword to life, just as they enter the passage. She is the last in the line and protects the rear. The light orb which follows shows a clear traversed tunnel.

  The elf jumps from Gareth’s shoulder and makes his way through the long legs of Natsha. “I will go ahead and look for any snares or traps. My size and weight should not be enough to spring the mechanism if I were to discover any lying in wait.”

  “Worthy thought.” Amari says. “Still, mind your steps little one?”

  They have been only walking for a span of an hour when Fin yells back. “I have found something and it is not good!”

  We catch up to the elf and find him on one knee inspecting some pattern cloth on the tunnel floor. Only as we get closer do we realize that it is not cloth, but skin; the flaked and discarded skin of a great serpent.

  “Tresster,” mouths Natsha as he looks down at what may be the tail.

  “What in this sunless land is a Tresster?” Gareth asks. “I have never heard of it. I fear something that large shedding its casing cannot be a good thing. I am hoping it only likes vegetables?”

  “Hardly,” Natsha says, as she pushes the dried covering around with her toe. “At one time these slithering things were considered myths until a farmer’s livestock was taken.

  Several field workers witnessed two of these things pop out of the ground, swallow a goat and pig, whole, and disappeared below the dirt. The farmer and his adult son went down the hole armed with lances, but they never came back out. Eventually, the pit was filled in with stones by neighbors, and a marker placed there.

  The field is now overgrown, as no one will work the land. It happened near another village not far away, but that was years ago when I was a young lass on my father’s knee.

  My uncle had the skin of one of these hanging in the rafters of his house. Said he found it in a cave. He would not talk any further about it. I had a sense it scared him greatly, and he only kept it around reminding him to be ever on guard. You would have to know my kin. I have never known him to fear anything. What little I know of these serpents came years later while pouring over my father’s tomes.

  “This seems old.” Gareth says, as he pokes at it with his foot like Natsha. “If any still exist, a sharp blade will shorten its life. I have eaten snake meat before. I wonder if these are also good to eat.”

  Natsha wipes her brow as it suddenly hot in here for her. “Still thinking with your stomach, eh Gareth?”

  Gareth rubs his belly and smiles.

  She continues. “The problem is not that it is a great snake, but that they travel and hunt in packs. From what I read; mind you, I do not know who has actually seen the culture of these serpents long enough to put to parchment; these things coordinate their attacks as if of one mind.”

  “Pray to the gods all of them have died out!” Dian utters and swallows hard.

  “Wizard, I think our doppelgangers are too far ahead.” Amari says to him.

  Holl-tu looks down the tunnel. He waves his hand in the air, and those ghosts of the warriors stop. They catch up to them quickly.

  No other snake skins are encountered. The passage widens, and the once stale air seems to be fresher. In the distance, they can hear the sound of moving water.

  “Could that be the Golden River we seek?” Mimna asks.

  “Maybe,” returns Amari.

  All at once, the passage ends and they step out on a sandy shore. Above them is a rock ceiling. Gareth reaches up and with stretching his fingers can just about touch it.

  The visions of Holl-tu are now walking out over the water. Another wave of the wizard’s hand and the enchantments return to stand next to their counterparts.

  Fin looks at his replica standing near and says. “Next time, can you give this one, less of an ugly face?”

  Natsha reaches down and cups his chin in her hand. “I think you have a cute face—almost boyish. I bet the females in your village, are lining up just to be noticed by you?”

  He pats her hand. “If only that were true, but alas it is not.”

  “I bet they will when word is spread of your valor.”

  Meanwhile, the Maiden creates another three illumination orbs and sends them left and right along the shore, and one across the river. It almost disappears before coming to a rock wall and another sandy looking shore on the other side. At her unspoken command, the orbs of light travel right along the opposite shore, than comes back to Amari.

  “Nothing over there.” she says while passing her hand over the globe. We need to split up from here. Some going left, the others right. Only search the span of three-hundred steps and then come back here.

  Without another word to each other, Amari, Mimna, Truk and Fin go left…while Gareth, Natsha, Dian and Holl-tu to the right.

  A short time later, they gather back at the entrance of the passage.

  As he draws near to the group, Holl-tu dismisses the ghosts he created. “No need for them right now.”

  “We cannot go that way.” Gareth says. “After a short distance, the ceiling over the river slants down and touches the water. This river appears to travel further underground.”

  “It is the same for the other way.” Returns Amari.

  “Now what would be our course of action?” Natsha asks.

  The Maiden looks out over the flowing water and then back to the passage that brought them here. “My vision will tell me if danger is beyond, but not what may be there.”

  Fin is bending over looking into the river. He gazes to the left and then to the right. “Warriors, I have a plan. Natsha—do you still have that cord about your middle?”

  “Yes, I have it wound about my waist, after you untied it while you were in the twisted tree. Why?”

  The elf dips his fingers into the cool water. “The river flows to the right. My guess is one must go underwater and swim with the current to reach the next open space.

  “Why not left?” Dian asks while looking in that direction.

  Fin stands and looks up at Dian. “Going left would mean fighting the swift current. Right, the flow will carry us quickly.”

  She shakes her head at him. “We have seen in our journeys…the easy path is not always the best way. Besides, we are not sure there is another open space. We could perish for lack of life-giving air.”

  Fin stands and faces the others. “I am new to your quest and have not truly proven my worthiness. Yes, I brought down a few men who threatened us, but I feel the need to share my thoughts as well. All I ask, is you consider my words as a possible plan. Either way, we must do something or return to the surface.”

  Dian weighs the feisty elf’s words. “I for one want to find the Wind Sword and complete our quest to restore peace to the lands. I do not want riddles and the lack of a path to stop or hold us. Fin, what is your plan?”

  “We use Natsha’s rope; tie one end around me. I enter the water where the river goes under. With Gareth’s great strength and my little weight, he should be able to pull me back quickly if the way is not true.” The littlest warrior looks at Amari waiting for a nod.

  “There could be many unavoidable dangers little one.” Gareth says. “You could become entangled in any underwater growth or impaled on sharp rocks. The rope, although sturdy, could part and carry you out of our reach.”

  “It is a worthy chance to take for this quest—is it not?”

  “I have a better idea.” Dian says. “I go!”

  “No!” Amari speaks up. “You hold one of the Kcaj and are the only one who can bring it to life. I do not want to lose you my sister,
or Fin either?”

  “Yes, I wish to be with you all to the end, but we need to contribute for the good of the whole. You forget. I have lived years as a Nix and know the ways above and below the water. True, I no longer have the breath to stay under for hours, but I am the most logical one to do this. I am sure my time under would far exceed the brave little one.”

  Amari pulls at her long white hair. She turns several strands around her fingers as she often does while she weighs a decision and thinks on it. “Alright Dian, fair enough; your words hold wisdom and make the most sense. Natsha, show us the length of your cord.”

  Natsha raises her tunic to reveal turn after turn of a thin braided rope about her middle. She unwinds the coiled rope from her waist and drops it on the ground. The tightness of her middle is there for all to see.

  Gareth stoops to look at her stomach. “That is a relief.”

  Natsha quickly pulls her tunic back into place. “Be careful of the next words issuing from your mouth.”

  “No sister, nothing so bad.” Gareth says cursing his quick mouth not always connected to a brain. “I had forgotten about the rope and thought you were losing your thinness.”

  Natsha jabs her finger into his stomach. “Ah, no rope there…all this is you!”

  He grabs her hand and kisses her palm. “Am I forgiven shield mate?”

  She looks into those eyes of a man she has shared many a battle and travels. “No, this will cost you later.”

  “You two stop dancing about each other and stay in the now!” Amari says turning her head and not letting them see her quick smile.

  Holl-tu takes an end of the rope. He walks backwards away from them. Natsha steps on the other end lying there. The wizard is a good measure away and the rope is stretched to its fullest length.

  Gareth goes to Natsha and places his hands on her waist. “I am sorry for my gruffness, but truth be told, I thought you were getting fat.”

  “Would you gaze at me any different if I were?”

  “Never; even after the children you will carry.” He pulls her closer.

  She pulls a small knife from her arm sheaf and puts it at his throat. “What makes you think I will carry your spawn you big oaf? Now let me go!”

  He releases her, but not before kissing her on the forehead. Gareth sees the others watching and says. “She really does like me.”

  Natsha turns away from him. While walking toward Amari and Mimna, she rolls her eyes and then winks.

  Back to the task, Gareth secures one end of the rope around Dian’s slender waist and with the other makes a loop around his massive hand.

  Dian looks into his eyes. “What; no kiss for me Gareth?”

  “Sorry—I am taken!”

  “Ok everyone, let us refrain from this playfulness and be about this serious task.” Amari says to her warriors.

  Gareth walks into the water up to his knees and as close to where the river goes underground as he dares. Planting his feet solid into the soft earth on the bottom, he nods to Dian.

  She wades into the water and past him. Placing her hands on the rock wall above the water, she can feel the current pulling her lower body. The water is surprisingly warm for being underground and away from the sun.

  Gareth says to her. “Go slow and try to grab onto anything that will hold you down there so as not to be swept away. If the channel turns around a corner—come back. This cord may part if the rocks are sharp on the edges of turns.

  There is roughly fifteen meters of rope. I will pay it out at a constant rate. Not too slow or too fast. I need to be mindful of you holding your breath. I will give the line a gentle tug occasionally. Tug back the same to let us know you are ok. If you run into trouble, jerk the line hard and I will pull you to me. You understand?”

  “Yes.”

  On the shore, Amari has created perhaps a dozen light globes. She sends them into the water, and they hover all about Dian.

  “Thank you sister,” Dian says back to the Maiden. “The welcomed lights will greatly reduce the darkness below.”

  Dian then takes several lungful’s of air, inhaling and exhaling fast. She holds her breath and drops below the surface.

  Gareth can feel the pressure of the water on her body through the cord. He slowly releases the rope hand over hand. The drag is constant, but not so strong that he cannot maintain his grip. The lights with Dian have gone under the rock with her.

  On shore, Mimna is counting off the seconds in her mind. “It has been one minute.” She calls out.

  Gareth gives the rope a tug. He is rewarded by a gentle tug back. “She is fine!” He yells over his shoulder.

  “Another minute has passed Gareth.” Mimna yells from the shore. “Should you start drawing her back?”

  He looks to Amari, who nods her head. He gives the line a sharp tug and begins to pull her back. His arms bulge as he fights the flow of the current which seems to have gotten stronger. The rate of pull is longer than he wants.

  Still keeping time, Mimna on the shore yells over to Gareth. “It is over three minutes. How long did she say she could hold her breath?”

  Those on the river bank look at each other. “She did not say,” comes the reply from three of them in unison.

  Truk wades out to help his brother with the pulling of the rope.

  Gareth can feel the current at his knees. It is no stronger than when Dian first went under. “Why is the weight on the line increased? Dian is light, there should only be a little drag.” All of the sudden, the line goes slack. Something brushes by his leg heading upstream. The rope yanks at his hold, spinning him around to face the other way.

  Just then, Amari’s light globes pass below him in the water.

  “The magic spheres of light will stay with Dian until the Maiden breaks their spell,” Gareth tells Truk.

  With the dwarf helping, they continue pulling while at the same time backing toward the shore.

  Hand over hand—they keep pulling for all their worth. It is a warrior sister’s life in Truk and Gareth’s hands.

  Mimna yells out to them. “What is happening? Where is Dian?”

  The Maiden wades into the river as the water comes to her knees. She closes her eyes and tries to see what is below with her mind. With the others yelling, it is hard for her to concentrate. “Please be quiet, all of you!” Amari yells.

  With Katana in her hand, she points it at the bubbling water and the line that goes into it. There is a thrashing underwater. A massive scaled tail rises up and splashes back into the river. It disappears under. Then all is quiet.

  The men now joined by Holl-tu and Natsha pull on the line. A gigantic square scaled head breaks the surface. The other end of the rope disappears into its closed mouth. Bulbous red eyes stare at those standing there.

  “It has Dian!” Natsha screams.

  “Do something,” yells Holl-tu.

  Gareth and Truk keep pulling on the rope as if bringing in a big fish.

  “Kill it Amari,” screams Mimna as she rushes forward drawing her own sword.

  “Wait sister. This beast is already dead, and not by my hand.”

  Mimna points to the sea creature. “Tis not dead! Look there is still movement along its body.”

  “Stay your blade Mimna.” Amari says drawing closer to the monster that her companions continue to pull to the shore. “There is no life in that beast…save for our sister.” Amari returns.

  “What?” Mimna says. She is fearful of what has happened to her sister inside the beast’s belly. “She still lives within and not ground to bruised flesh.”

  Everyone else joins Gareth and pulls a goodly portion of the great serpent ashore. The rope is dropped and swords drawn to hack the scaled beast.

  Before a blade could be raised, the top of the beast’s body bulges up, and a shimmering sword pokes through the thick hide—from the inside! A bloody arm follows the blade up and out. The arm retreats back inside the beast and the blade cuts along the length of the great serpent a full meter
long.

  A head and shoulders poke through, revealing bloody matted hair and slime covered body.

  Mimna crying, climbs upon the beast’s back and helps her out of the cut. Blood, guts and all, she hugs Dian. Twice Dian tries to pull away, but Mimna will not let go.

  “Sister, release her, so we may attend her wounds.”

  “No worries Amari. I am not injured.” She grabs the beast’s bloody entrails from her body. Seaweed is shaken from her hair and tossed away. “This blood and gore belongs to this slimy monster.” She motions to the dead serpent with her Water Saber.

  “What magic allowed you to escape its teeth without a scratch?” Mimna asks.

  Dian continues to remove the remnants of carnage from her body. “The beast does not have any teeth to catch its prey. It literally swallows everything whole.”

  Gareth gives the carcass a vicious kick. “How is it, this monster does not possess razor-sharp ivory to cut the flesh from its prey.”

  All of sudden Gareth steps back and looks at the flat head and narrow eyes of the beast. “Wait, I know this creature. It is a Chaos Serpent. I have seen a few in my travels as a mariner. They usually disappear before we could sail near. I have never seen one this close.”

  He reaches up and takes Dian by the arms to lift her off the serpent. He sets her feet to the shore. Mimna jumps down next to her.

  Mimna is still wiping the blood from Dian’s body, and says. “For this gigantic thing to be here, the river must flow out somewhere along the coast and into the ocean. There must be a waterway under the mountains and out of Aventine. Pray our enemies do not know of its existence?”

  “What Gareth speaks is true.” Dian says. “It is indeed a Chaos Serpent. It does not bite its prey into chunks, but swallows it in one piece. The process of digesting its kill will take several weeks for anything large it finds.

  I was not expecting anything like this here so I was not prepared. I was down its throat in one gulp. With all the thrashing it was doing, I was thrown about its insides unable to bring Hydrosin to life.

  When it went back to swimming, I was able to release the spell for my Water Sword from the river water in its belly. Once I cut myself out of its stomach, I proceeded to slash and cut anything that looked like an organ.”