“Oh, back off!” She pushed him back. “Finally, we are getting some reaction from you. This is the most I’ve heard out of you since the ‘dragon.’” Snow turned her back on her brother and headed to the nearest chair.
“Well, at least I didn’t let my friend get kidnapped by a psycho!” Dante shouted.
Snow turned around violently, pain and anger in her eyes. “I did all I could!” She screamed back and then burst into tears. She covered her face with her hands.
Dante stood there awkwardly, looking ashamed.
Hambone tried to comfort Snow.
“No.” She pushed him away.
After a moment, Hambone said determinedly, “We need to do something.” He pounded his fist into his hand. Snow’s crying lessened.
“But what can we do?” Snow asked. “There is no way we can follow Katrena to the human side. We have no magic now that Grace…” She choked on the sprite’s name. “…Grace is gone. So how?” Snow had told them about the crossbow and that she hadn’t gone back to look for Grace. But if Grace hadn’t returned here on her own, then….
“Hambone’s right. Sitting here is doing us no good. I’m sorry, Snowball…bell. I was being a jerk because you laughed at how stupid I was.” Dante approached his sister and put his hand on her shoulder.
She uncovered her face and looked up at his half-cockeyed grin. “Yeah, you were pretty stupid. Imagine mistaking a crow for a dragon. What were you thinking?” Snow giggled.
Hambone screwed up his face to hold back a guffaw but finally gave up and roared with laughter.
Dante looked insulted for a moment but then spread his hands. “It was an honest mistake. You had to be there to understand.”
“Well, I was there,” said Hambone. “And I still don’t understand. You screamed like a girl.”
This time Dante did laugh with the others. “Yeah, I was kind of a dope. I’ll do better next time I’m scared. I’ll keep my wits about me.”
Snow rolled her eyes. “That’ll be the day.” She took a deep breath. The laugh had made her feel better, more energized and in control. “So…what can we do?” she asked.
Hambone and Dante stared at one another and then at Snow. They both shrugged.
“Not back here again.” Snow sighed.
“Well, I have a suggestion.”
All three jumped, as the voice seemed to come out of nowhere. Their heads turned toward the door, which remained closed. Snow ran to the window and looked out. A green ball of light floated next to the Wizard Ynob.
“Grace!” Snow threw open the door and ran toward the sprite. Dante and Hambone cheered, and Grace flew around them as well.
“And no one wants to greet the wizard?” Ynob said, stretching out his hands. The three looked at him, but said nothing.
“Um, you threw us out of your house rather rudely. Why should we greet you?” Snow said.
Grace twittered excitedly.
“Well, I did patch up this little glowball.” Ynob pointed at Grace who flew around the room to show she was unharmed.
“Thanks for healing our friend, but we have bigger matters to attend to. So you can just run along.” Snow flipped her hand at the wizard and turned toward Grace.
“Katrena took Kara.”
The sprite stopped. She glowed a bit red, before she uttered a low chirp.
“Yeah, you can say that again,” Dante huffed.
Ynob came farther into the room interrupting. “The human was kidnapped?”
Snow turned to the man and stared at him. “Like I said, bigger matters. Thank you. Goodbye.”
“Katrena…I don’t think I know that name. Why did she take the human?”
“Excuse me, but the human has a name. It’s Kara,” Snow snapped at Ynob.
Hambone pushed Snow aside before things got too heated. He addressed the wizard. “Our best guess is because of the necklace. Kara accidentally took it from Katrena’s booth at Aladedas.”
“This Katrena had that magical artifact for sale at the common market?” Ynob sounded so flabbergasted that everybody looked at him again.
“What the heck is so important about that necklace? No.” Snow held up her hand and cut off the wizard before he answered. “Tell me straight. You were scared stiff when you found out that thing was active. So now that you are in my house, you will go by my rules. Have a seat and tell us.”
Everyone looked at Snow, who had her hands on her hips. The wizard paused, totally put out, mouth open. He closed it as soon as he came to his senses. “Could I at least have some tea while we discuss how to rescue Kara?”
***
Kara awoke to the bumping and jiving of wagon wheels along a rocky dirt road. She knew the feeling from riding with her father on his bakery runs. Often she would ride in the back, holding the bread steady as the horses made their way along a rocky trail. A smile appeared on her face as she remembered, but then quickly faded as her thoughts synced with the present.
First, she found she could not move. Kara didn’t know if her bindings were rope or some sort of magic. The cart she rode in was covered and smaller than her father’s. An opening toward the front revealed a driver and some of the horse ahead. Memories came flooding back from the kidnapping. Kara assumed the driver was Katrena.
“I know you’re awake. Sit still. No use struggling,” a woman’s voice called from the driver’s side.
“Why…?” Kara squawked. She sounded pathetic.
Katrena did not answer at first. After a few minutes, she said, “It is all about money. Really nothing personal. Not revenge. Even though your friends led to my Skrag’s demise. Good little helper. A bit creepy, but still he was a fine servant.”
The road started to even out some, for there were less bumps against the wheels.
“Who…?” Again it wasn’t much, but the one word conveyed her meaning.
The driver laughed. “That is the question. I don’t know why the crown wants a little girl. You will learn about this world when you grow up. Well, then again, you might, if you live through your interview with the captain of the Witch Guard.”
Instantly, a memory of her father and her home burning flashed through her mind. With all that had been going on, she had forgotten he could still be alive. Would she see him today?
She began to cry. The necklace glowed faintly and warmed against her skin. It seemed to soften her sadness somehow.
Katrena turned to look over her shoulder. “Oh, that reminds me. The necklace. Don’t be shocked. Sometimes I can pick up thoughts from humans. Not mind reading, but sort of selective hearing, if you want to call it that. I will be taking back my property before I deliver you. Naughty girl, stealing stuff from Katrena.”
The horses clopped onward shuffling the cart along. The vibrations set her mind askew with questions again. Why did the king want her father? What did he do that warranted their home set aflame? And why would he want her?
Would she have an explanation soon? Did she really want to know the answers?
***
“Guard! Guard!” Jesset yelled through the bars. His shoulder still ached, but his strength had come back enough for him to stand. No one heeded his plea. His whole escape plan hinged on him getting out of the jail cell. If only a guard or somebody would come along. He could antagonize whomever enough to deserve a beating. And once his cell door was open….
He called out again. Jesset heard the clank of armor moving down the corridor. Witch Guard were coming. Jesset waited and watched as they came closer, and slowly he backed away from the bars.
“I see you recognize me.” Taylon stood in front of the cell, with two others slightly behind him. His face held a bemused look. Jesset watched them intently, unsure how to reply. His escape plan vanished. His mind went blank.
“Capturing you was a little harder than we expected. I lost two valuable men to your tricks.” While he talked, Taylon intertwined his hands, cracking his knuckles. His cohorts’ faces held simple sneers.
One came forw
ard and unlocked the door. Jesset inched his way back against the wall. These men had come for retribution, had been granted the privilege of revenge. And there was no way to stop what they would do.
The door swung with a creak, a fast whining noise. It sounded like a prisoner in pain farther down the hall. Soon, he would be sounding like that too, if he still made any racket at all.
Taylon motioned his men to go in first and then he entered. He pushed the door to its full open position and stepped aside. “Your chance to escape.” His hand motioned out as if revealing a vanishing doorway in a Mordock show. His men laughed in low grunts.
All stared at one another, no one moving, no one hardly even blinking.
“Well,” Taylon took a few steps closer on Jesset’s left. “Don’t say I didn’t give you the chance.”
His fist flew lightning fast. Jesset felt the blow before seeing it. A tooth broke loose in his mouth. It spewed forth as his whole body did a slow rotation with the hit. His knees gave out and the rest of him crumpled to the floor. One hand saved his face from hitting the ground.
The two soldiers in the corner laughed again. Taylon stepped in a circle, ready to deliver more. “How’d that feel? Nothing like the hoof to the head Filo received, but maybe we can come close.” He lifted his boot to stomp on Jesset’s leg. A squeak interrupted him.
Taylon stopped midair. A rat crawled by his other foot. He switched targets from Jesset to the rat out of habit. It scurried away as his foot came down.
“No bother. Just some animals wanting to taste your….” Taylon stopped mid-sentence. A knowing look came over his eyes. The second in command looked towards Jesset, who besides the pain in his watery eyes, also had a laugh of his own.
The rat sank its teeth deep into Taylon’s ankle.
“Ahhh!”
Before his men could come to his aid, they too screamed. More rats had come to the battle.
One of the soldiers panicked immediately, flailing his arms and legs. “Rats!” he screamed.
Taylon kicked out with his foot and the rat attached to his heel skidded across the ground toward Jesset. The Mordock gathered himself up, trying to stand.
“Not this time!” Taylon made a move toward the Mordock. Jesset grabbed a nearby rat and threw it at his attacker. The rat caught on Taylon’s face. Muffled by rat fur, the captain roared in outrage.
Jesset scampered out the cell door. A few steps later, whispers in his mind told him to lock the door behind him. Quickly, he swung the door and it slammed into place. The key popped out of the lock.
Taylon ripped the rat from his face, taking some of his flesh with its claws. He saw the door slam and the Mordock scrambling for the opener.
Jesset’s hand snagged the key. Taylon collided with the door forcing it open an inch and then an inch more. Strength slowly left the Mordock. He was slipping backward and the door was opening.
Hold on mate.
A rat jumped and climbed up Taylon. It perched itself above the soldier’s neck and bit down.
“Ahhh!”
Taylon’s scream made the whole dungeon quake. The pressure on the door slackened and Jesset’s weight slammed it closed. After a moment of disorientation, he had the key in the lock. With a quick turn, the cell door was secure.
Taylon screamed again. Jesset scooted back from the door, exhausted.
Rat fur tickled his hands. Jesset looked down.
This way! the rat said, and headed deeper into the dungeon.
He pulled himself up and hurried after the rodent.
Another scream came from the cell, but it sounded like one of frustration and not one of pain.
In the Mordock’s wake, other prisoners were noticing his escape. Some cheered, some laughed, some called out angrily to be let out. He heeded none of their cries.
Except one.
“Jesset?”
The voice stopped him in his path. All plans of escape vanished for the moment, as Jesset skidded to a halt.
“Kirt?”
Brothers stared at each other, hands clasping through the bars. “But I thought you were dead?” Jesset was first to speak.
“Barely alive, but still here. What about Kara?”
“She’s…alive.” Jesset didn’t have time to explain. He saw the pale look on his brother’s face and added. “She’s not here. The Witch Guard didn’t get her.”
Relief washed over Kirt. “They wanted that shard I gave you. I thought they were after you. That’s why….”
“We don’t have time. I need to get you out of there.” Jesset had the key in his hand and was just about to unlock the cell door when a massive hand clamped down on his shoulder. As he spun around, the small piece of metal fell to the floor.
The huge dark form of Tyr, La’ard’s dungeon master stood hulking before him. “And what do we have here?” he said.
***
The wizard sipped tea and a munched loudly on the biscuit Snow gave to him. She gave a disapproving grunt. Again, he slurped his tea noisily and biscuit crumbs went everywhere with each bite.
“Okay, you got your tea and something to eat. Now, tell us what we need to know.” The wizard opened his mouth to speak, but Snow cut him off again. “And about the necklace. No long life story about you.”
The wizard closed his mouth again, giving her a dirty look but decided to go along with the rabbit for now. “The stone is called Hevinis, or as Guillaud referred to it, midnight core. Cultivated out of the Lake of Harad, before the land swallowed it up.”
“I’ve never heard of it before,” Hambone said.
“Of course, you haven’t. Lake of Harad disappeared almost two centuries ago, and most of the midnight core was destroyed or gathered up by Guillaud.” Ynob took another slurp of his drink.
“Wait a minute, what was that name?” Snow asked.
“Guillaud? You couldn’t possibly have….”
“That’s the name Kara mentioned from her dream, the one with Rose and Miranda.” Snow said, looking at the wizard with a ‘see-told-you-so’ smirk.
The wizard looked a bit stunned. “So it is true,” he said.
“What?”
“Many years ago—”
“Wizard, I warned—”
“This is about the necklace. I am here to help, but this rudeness of yours I won’t tolerate much longer.” Ynob and Snow gave each other a hard look, before he continued. “I took a certain book from the castle library before I left. The tome had been hidden away from the other texts. As far as all my research can tell, it is the only source of information on this necklace.”
“So, what was it?” Dante said. Unlike his sister, the fox appeared to be delighted talking to the wizard.
“Guillaud’s journal.”
“Okay. Start at the beginning. Who is this ‘Guillaud’?” Snow waved a hand trying to get the man to continue.
“Guillaud was a great wizard, probably the greatest in the land of his time. The king he served under was a great warrior who conquered and claimed vast quantities of land. It is believed that he even wiped out entire races in his campaign to expand his kingdom.”
“So, not much different than other human kings,” Snow jeered.
“There you are wrong. He was not a money-hungry power monger. This king, for he is named by many monikers… the Serpent is the one I prefer, saw an expanding population. He did his conquest for his people. Guillaud helped him.”
“In the journal, Guillaud refers to this necklace, a gift to his wife Rose. There was even a picture he drew of it. Anything magical that came across his table that he didn’t understand, Guillaud made a sketch of it to master every detail of the piece. The necklace was foreign to him, but exquisitely beautiful.”
“It is pretty.” Dante said. Snow shot a look of contempt at her brother.
“Later on he found that the properties of the midnight core were sophisticated in their magical makeup. But this he found out much later after his wife’s soul was stolen by the necklace.”
&nbs
p; Hambone reacted first. “What!”
“That necklace is stealing Kara’s soul?” Snow was on her feet.
Grace twittered something and Ynob turned to answer her. “Yes, sprite. Midnight core is also referred to as the Soul Snatching stone.”
“We have to get to Kara quick! Before that thing—”
“Rabbit! Be still.” Ynob waved a hand in front of Snow. A dreamy, peaceful look appeared on her face. She calmly sat down while Hambone and Dante watched, their mouths open.
“You got to show me how to do that trick.” Dante sounded very impressed.
“Later.” Ynob dismissed him and continued. “This stone’s makeup—”
“Umm, is she going to be okay?” Hambone asked. Snow’s face held a crooked grin and her eyes looked semi-unfocused.
“She will hear and understand everything we say. It is as if she is in a state of total bliss.”
“And she won’t be furious when she comes out of it?” Hambone asked.
“Well…” The wizard took that moment to slurp the rest of his tea.
Grace twittered for him to continue. “Guillaud told of how the necklace slowly took his wife’s soul. She turned evil as the necklace took the life out of her. When living things start to become soulless, demons and other unwanted spirits have a way of taking roost.”
“Devils?” Dante shuddered.
“May I have some more tea?” Wizard Ynob extended his cup in the general direction of everyone. Eventually, Hambone stood and refilled his cup.
“Now where were we?”
“Demons?” Dante repeated.
The wizard took another biscuit in hand before confirming Dante’s suspicions. “Yes, the worst kind.”
“You see, a wraith saw the soulless, living corpse of Rose. And it was only able to gain full control when she committed an evil act. In this case, killing one of her closest friends, Miranda.”
Hambone blinked. “You mean that wasn’t a dream Kara was having. That actually happened?”
Kara Page 15