by David Wells
Ilona smiled. “Chloe will give you the guidance you need. As for joining the fight, there may be a few things we can do to help. I will think on the matter. I must admit, seeing a beast from the dark so close again has reminded me of the stark choice the Reishi have given the world. Farewell, Alexander. Love my daughter well.”
She turned to Chloe and smiled sadly. They both spun into brightly glowing orbs of light and passed through each other, and then Ilona was gone.
They made their way through the crevice and reached the maze of giant boulders by midday. Alexander talked silently with Chloe as they traveled. She asked a thousand questions about his life. He answered every one honestly and without hesitation. She wanted to know about his childhood, his friends, his family, even his favorite color. He spent the time happily feeding her childlike curiosity with details about himself.
He asked questions as well. He was shocked to discover that Chloe was over seven thousand years old. She had a general knowledge of the history of humanity, but she’d spent most of her years living in seclusion deep in the mountains with other fairies. She’d had little contact with those in the outside world and knew humanity mostly through the druids who lived among the fairies.
He also gave her some reassurances. She was committed to him and put on a brave face, but Alexander could sense that she was afraid of leaving the safety of her home of so many years and even more frightened by the idea of war. In many ways she was like a child in her innocent belief in the power of love above all things. Yet that innocence was tempered by a deep wisdom earned through the experience of living for over seven millennia.
Chapter 31
Now that he had Chloe’s assistance, time was the enemy. He needed to get to the Reishi Isle as quickly as possible. There was no telling what Phane was up to and Alexander didn’t want to risk looking in on him again. He still didn’t know if the Reishi Arch Mage could do worse than scattering his consciousness.
Just after they passed through the illusion that guarded the entrance to the valley, they stopped for lunch. Alexander noticed a marked drop in temperature. It was as though the entire Valley of the Fairy Queen was spelled to create an endless spring.
Once they finished eating, Alexander decided they needed to set their course to reach the Reishi Isle as quickly as possible.
“Clarissa, what’s the fastest way to get out of the Pinnacles and to the west?”
She thought about it for a moment. “It would be best to return to Highlake City and then take the western road. It winds through the mountains into the Great Forest and finally to Highlands Reach.”
Marla chimed in, “I agree. Going back to the north would take much longer. The road to the west is a more direct route.”
“Good, it’s decided then. We’ll return to Highlake City and hope Commander P’Tal is lost in this maze for good.”
Not an hour later, Isabel stopped them. “The Reishi are just up ahead around that bend. It looks like more than a dozen men with P’Tal and his giant friend. Truss is with them, too. He looks much better with a hook for a hand,” she said with grim satisfaction.
Clarissa frowned. “They’re in our path. We cannot get to Highlake City except by that route.”
Before Alexander could decide what to do, a half dozen ravens floated into view overhead and started squawking. He knew at a glance that they were spelled. Apparently, the wizard working with P’Tal was able to find another flock of birds to press into service as spies.
He turned to Clarissa. “We have to flee. Is there another way out of this maze that will lead us out of the Pinnacles?”
She frowned in thought but it was Marla who answered, “The cataracts. If we can get the aid of the ashrays, they can guide you down to the sea.”
Alexander frowned. “What’s an ashray?”
“They’re another of the great powers of the Pinnacles,” Marla said. “They’re sentient beings made of water. With their help and guidance you can take canoes down the river to the ocean. Without their assistance, the journey through the cataracts is certain death.”
Alexander heard shouting in the distance and turned to see a soldier pointing toward them and yelling, “There they are!”
A moment later an arrow drove through the soldier’s breastplate and into his heart. He looked down in surprise before slumping to his knees and falling over.
Abigail calmly nocked another arrow.
“Nice shot,” Alexander said.
A moment later, Jataan P’Tal came around the corner. Abigail loosed her arrow at him, but he slipped aside and caught the shaft in midflight. He set his sights on Alexander and started running toward him. Alexander felt a thrill of fear; he wasn’t sure if he could beat the battle mage. Chloe spun into a glowing orb of light, probably in reaction to his fear.
“Run!” Alexander commanded, drawing the Thinblade. They fled around a corner, following Clarissa as she guided them toward the south exit of the maze. Alexander brought up the rear with Anatoly right beside him. When they rounded another corner, Alexander saw a stone pillar jutting off the side of one of the boulders and smiled with relief.
With two strokes of his ancient magical sword, he cut a wedge out of the thirty-foot-tall, five-foot-diameter menhir. The chunk of rock slipped out slowly and crashed to the ground, followed by a cracking noise that reverberated in the stark and barren maze. Then the pillar of stone toppled over and crashed into the opposite wall, shattering into a dozen boulders and blocking the path, giving them a few precious minutes to get distance on their enemies.
They fled through the maze. Clarissa moved quickly and with certainty, even though there were many different paths to choose from.
Every so often Isabel stopped and looked through Slyder’s eyes. She reported that the enemy had gotten over the jumble of rocks in their path and were quickly pursuing with the aid of the ravens. At each turn a jet black bird stopped and waited for the Reishi to arrive. At each turn the enemy took the proper path after their wizard consulted the bird.
Alexander looked for the ravens, but he could only catch fleeting glimpses of them. It seemed that the wizard controlling the birds had learned his lesson when Alexander brought down one of his spies a few days earlier.
Within the maze they had cover and could avoid a confrontation, but once they were out of the jumble of giant boulders, Alexander worried that they wouldn’t be able to stay far enough ahead. He knew they could handle the majority of those following them, but the battle mage still gave him pause. He remembered the last time he’d faced P’Tal and how fast he moved and how hard he’d thrown the spear that would have killed Alexander if it weren’t for the dragon-steel shirt he wore under his tunic.
They reached the south exit of the maze late in the afternoon. A raven was floating high overhead watching their progress.
“How far to the river?” Alexander asked Marla.
“If I remember correctly, it’s about a day’s travel on foot.”
Alexander checked the position of the setting sun. “We’ll have to press on through the night.”
They set a fast pace. By the time darkness fell, everyone was tired but they kept moving with the light of the night-wisp dust and the glowing orbs bobbing around Clarissa’s head. The trail wound through another sparse, high-mountain forest with narrow little trees and low, thick ground cover.
The forest was alive with the sounds of bugs and night predators but nothing big enough to pose a threat. Alexander knew the enemy wouldn’t slow their pace for darkness; they were too close to their prey and they had the scent of blood. Every now and then, Chloe spun into a ball of light. Alexander silently offered his assurances that all would be well, but the threat of attack was something she had not faced for a very long time. He could feel her nervousness at being out in the world away from the safety of her valley home and her fear that he might be harmed.
They traveled through the night, setting as fast a pace as they dared. Occasionally, the light of the enemy’s torches
could be seen in the distance through the sparse mountain forest. Each time Alexander caught a glimpse of their torches, it refocused his need for haste. They arrived at the little forest boathouse just before dawn. When they approached, they saw a druid kneeling at the edge of the mountain river, praying to her patron. She stood quickly with alarm when she heard them coming but relaxed when she saw the telltale brown robes of Marla and Clarissa.
“Good morning and welcome. I am Priestess Ilsey.”
“Good morning, Priestess, we have urgent need of your assistance,” Clarissa said, withdrawing her High Priestess medallion from her robe to identify herself. “Our friends are being pursued by an enemy of great power. Can you call on the ashrays to guide them down the cataracts to the ocean? There is no other path that will guarantee their safety and they are on a mission of surpassing importance.”
Chloe spun into a ball of light, drawing attention to herself. Priestess Ilsey blinked in wonder and surprise at seeing a fairy.
“High Priestess, your need must be great indeed if you are accompanied by a fairy,” Ilsey said. “I have lived in the Pinnacles for my whole life and I’ve never before seen a child of your patron.”
Alexander stepped forward and smiled. “Priestess Ilsey, I’d like to introduce Chloe. We were just recently bonded,” Alexander said proudly.
Chloe buzzed in an orbit around his head and then floated up and hovered just a foot or so in front of Ilsey.
“Hello, Priestess,” Chloe said. “My mother has long believed that seclusion was our greatest defense, but now that the ancient enemy is awake, she has permitted me to bond with Lord Alexander Ruatha to help him protect the world from Phane. The enemy soldiers are not an hour behind us. Will you help us, please?”
Priestess Ilsey nodded. “Of course, Chloe. It’s a privilege and an honor to meet you.” Ilsey turned from Chloe to Alexander and said, “Quickly, get into the boats. Once you start down the cataracts, don’t try to steer; just let the ashrays guide you and hang on for dear life. It’s a harrowing journey, even with the water guiding you.”
Alexander nodded and they headed to the boats.
“Clarissa, Marla, you are welcome to come with us but I certainly don’t expect you to. This is your home and I hope that you will stay here and protect it.”
Marla stepped up and kissed Alexander on the cheek and then gave Isabel a hug. “You will always have a friend in the Pinnacles. Be safe and know that I will pray for your success.”
Clarissa smiled warmly and bowed to Alexander. “You are always welcome here, Alexander. I hope that I will see you again, under less urgent circumstances.”
“Once we’re on our way, you must flee from the soldiers,” Alexander said. “They won’t follow you, but I don’t know what they might do if they catch you here. Thank you both for everything, your help has been invaluable. Clarissa, please tell Ilona that I will take good care of Chloe.”
Alexander climbed into a canoe with Isabel. Abigail and Jack paired up and Anatoly and Lucky took the final little boat. The river was moving steadily but not too fast. Alexander noticed the line that was stretched across the river to help boaters stop and guide them into the little boathouse.
Ilsey began the incantation to summon the ashrays. She spoke in the same lilting and softly musical way that Clarissa and Marla did when they cast spells. Not long passed before the water in the middle of the river rose up into three pillars two feet in diameter and six feet above the surface. Each of the three pillars of water formed a face and looked quizzically at Priestess Ilsey.
She bowed deeply. “Thank you for hearing my call. Will you guide these canoes safely to the ocean?”
The three ashrays looked at each other and nodded their agreement, then one turned to Chloe. It spoke with a voice that sounded like a gurgle. “You are a long way from home, Little One,” it said.
She spun up into a ball of light for a moment and then went to the ashray and kissed it on the cheek. The watery surface rippled where she touched it and she giggled.
“It’s been too long since we frolicked together in the waterfalls,” she said as she buzzed around the three water elementals.
“Indeed,” the ashray gurgled. “You have been hidden away in your valley for far too long.”
Chloe stopped and hovered in front of the ashrays and her demeanor changed. “I have bonded to this mortal. Please guide him safely to the sea.”
The watery face looked surprised for a moment as it looked from Chloe to Alexander and back to the fairy. “We will not fail you, Chloe.”
She buzzed into a ball of light and then floated back to Alexander and landed on his shoulder.
In the growing light of dawn, Alexander could just make out the flicker of torchlight through the forest. The enemy was near. When he looked up, he saw the black silhouettes of six ravens circling overhead.
“You haven’t much time,” Alexander said to the three druids. “Thank you for everything. Now flee before the enemy arrives and go safely.”
The druids waved their last goodbye and faded into the forest, moving quickly upriver away from the boathouse. Alexander and his friends cut their boats loose and drifted out into the center of the river. The current carried them gently downstream. When he looked back, Jataan P’Tal was standing on the dock watching them. They rounded a bend in the river before his soldiers could attack with their crossbows. For a mile or so, they drifted at a good pace. Then the sound of rushing water came to them from up ahead.
Around the next bend, Alexander saw the cataracts—a stretch of river that wasn’t quite a waterfall but where it moved with terrifying speed and furious energy as it flowed down a steep and narrow channel.
He yelled, “Hang on!”
And then all sound was drowned out by the deafening torrent.
The speed would have been exhilarating if it wasn’t so terrifying. They careened down the narrow channel, hanging on with all their strength. Alexander lost count of the number of times he thought his fragile little boat would shatter against the rock wall where the channel turned, but each time they negotiated the passage as if the water itself was guiding them.
They covered miles and miles in such a short time that Slyder was actually straining to keep up with their breakneck pace. Alexander felt his ears pop as they descended from the jagged mountains of the Pinnacles toward the ocean. The journey lasted for over an hour. His forearms burned from the death grip he had on the canoe’s crossbeam. And then it was over just as quickly as it began. They came out of a rapids and the river widened and leveled out. Alexander could smell the salt of sea air. They slowed to a gentle yet steady pace and everyone took a deep breath.
The three ashrays rose up out of the water. “Safe journey,” they gurgled. Chloe flitted over to them and gave each a kiss on the cheek. They each smiled at her attentions, then melted back into the river and were gone.
Chapter 32
By late morning they were floating out into the ocean, rowing slowly along the shore toward Kai’Gorn. Their canoes rolled gently on the waves out beyond the surf that lapped up against the steeply rising coastline. It was a beautiful day, but everyone was too exhausted to enjoy it. They rowed until the sun began to dip toward the western horizon, then turned their canoes toward shore and made landfall on a deserted little beach.
They camped in the secluded cove and built a big fire with driftwood before laying out their bedrolls and making a simple stew. Everyone slept well that night. They were all weary from the long day of rowing and the previous night’s flight from the enemy. Were it not for the ravens circling high overhead as they rowed down the coastline, Alexander would have thought they had lost their pursuers.
They set out at dawn the next morning, feeling much better for having a full night’s sleep. The day was clear and the wind was calm. Alexander gave thanks for that. He didn’t like the idea of trying to row a canoe down the coastline during a storm. They would have to stay in the canoes until the rocky coastline gave way to gen
tler beaches where they could go ashore and set out on foot, but there was no telling how long that might be. He’d never been to the southern coast of Ruatha and only knew of it from stories and the maps he’d seen in old books.
They rowed along the rocky coastline for the entire day. Alexander frequently looked up to find the ravens still flying high overhead. He wished there was something he could do about the enemy’s spies, but they were well out of the range of any bow—even Abigail’s.
That night they camped in another secluded cove surrounded by high rocky cliffs. Alexander used his clairvoyance to look in on Commander P’Tal. His party was moving through the high mountain forest even as darkness fell. The commander of the Reishi Protectorate was clearly driven to make up lost time and find a way to get back within striking range.
As Alexander watched the enemy soldiers moving by torchlight through the forest, he suddenly saw something that made his fear spike. One of the soldiers in Jataan P’Tal’s detail was possessed by a shade. It was apparent that no one knew they were traveling in the company of one of the most feared demons to ever walk in the light of the world. Alexander didn’t know why the shade had chosen one of P’Tal’s soldiers to possess, but he suspected it had something to do with him. He came back to his body gently and opened his eyes to see Chloe floating a foot in front of his face and looking at him with a curious look.
“You were gone, My Love. I was worried.”
Alexander smiled at her genuine concern for his well-being. Isabel smiled as well.
“I was looking in on the enemy.”
Chloe frowned. “I know you have survived the mana fast, but I do not understand how you could see so far with your mind. You were not in the aether, I checked, yet your essence was far away from here.”
He shrugged. “In truth, I don’t understand either. My magic doesn’t work like other wizards’ and I haven’t met anyone who can tell me why or how to make better use of it.”