“Great,” Milo said, throwing his suitcase down. “I knew I should have packed a tent.”
“I’ll start a fire,” Harlan said. “Anyone want to help me gather some wood?”
“I will,” Eckard said. Olivia raised an eyebrow as she watched her boy toy walk off.
“Well, that’s surprising,” Olivia said, sitting down in the crunchy grass. She fidgeted in her seat, rubbing her butt against some dirt and twigs.
“What?” Remi laughed, sitting down beside her. “It’s weird to see that your little man has a brain?”
“Yeah, I guess it is,” Olivia laughed. “Usually he would ask me first if he could go.”
“He’s growing up.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“So…how long do you think it will take for us to get there?”
“I don’t even know where there is,” Olivia said, picking up a twig and throwing it in front of her. “And I would be shocked if it ends up being this easy. A simple marker. Trust me, we’ll come up against something terrible.”
“Like the Langorans?”
“No one’s scared of them, though I’m sure they’re around.”
Remi let the tip of her eidolon stick out of her shoulder and she scanned the area. “Nah. They’re nowhere close.”
“You know that thing you do looks absolutely disgusting?”
“Not as bad as seeing Eckard’s naked self running around.”
“You got me there…hey, what’s the deal with you and Ian?”
“Ian?” she asked, glancing up and seeing Ian looking right at her. He had been picking up some berries nearby when he heard his name. They stared at each awkwardly for a few seconds and then he went back to foraging, pretending as if he wasn’t listening.
“Well, that was awkward,” Remi whispered.
Olivia chortled. “It’s not going to get any better with you talking so low.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know. Just answer the question.”
“What question?”
“What’s the deal with you and berry picker over there?”
“We’re friends,” Remi replied and Olivia slapped a hand on her forehead.
“You know he likes you, right?”
“Yeah…but what does that have to do with anything?”
“You’re not going to try him out and see where it leads?”
“Try him out? Ew. You make it sound he’s a pair of pants.”
“Listen, you’re inexperienced. You might want to see what a relationship with him is like. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll have some memories under your belt, and then you’ll have a better idea of what you’d want in the future.”
“I don’t know. I mean, breaking it off with Kace was bad enough.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You broke it off with Kace? When?”
“When I left Paragon that day.”
“You’ve got more balls than I thought.”
“Um…thanks I guess?”
“I’m just surprised.”
“What about you?” Remi asked. “You and Eckard. Isn’t he the first and only boyfriend you’ve ever had? What about you playing the field?”
“Oh I have,” she said, her voice getting lower.
“While you’ve been with Eckard?” Remi asked in shock.
“No,” she said solemnly. “Back in our hometown.”
“Oh,” Remi said. She turned away from Olivia and stared at the dirt at her feet. “You know that kind of stuff doesn’t define you, right?”
“Who are you talking to?” Olivia snapped, giving her a look of disgust. “No, seriously? Do you realize who you’re talking to? I’m fine, Remi. You’re the one that needs help.” She pointed at Remi’s face and Remi nearly slapped her. What was she trying to say? That she wasn’t beautiful?
“It’s your face,” Olivia reiterated. “There’s blood coming from your nose.”
“Oh!” Remi replied, reaching up and dabbing her left nostril. A thin drop of blood sat on the tip of her artificial finger. “Geez, what’s that all about?”
“Who knows?” Olivia said, rising to her feet. “You stay here and take care of that, okay? I’ll be back.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“I’ll be right back.”
Remi growled and began dabbing at her nose over and over. It looked like the outpour was getting worse, but thankfully Ian came to her rescue. He handed her a handkerchief and she put it under her nostrils.
“Lift your head,” he said and she tilted her head back. The sensation of the blood sliding back into her nasal cavity nearly made her gag.
“At least I’m good for something,” he chuckled. “You okay?”
“Don’t know where that came from,” Remi muttered. “But I’ll be okay.”
“You told me that on Terra you were sick all the time. Do you feel any different?”
“No,” she said, scowling. “And don’t you start thinking otherwise.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he laughed. “By the way, you can keep that. My first gift to you.”
“And I have nothing for you,” she said through her nasally voice. “I’m terrible.”
“You can pay me back later. A kiss would suffice.”
“I’m bleeding out of my nose and you’re thinking of kisses?”
“I can’t help myself.”
“You’re sick.”
“Then we’re more alike than I thought.”
Remi laughed and shook her head. He was so freaking weird, but at least he made her laugh. Still, laughter wasn’t going to be enough for what was to come. Not by a long shot. And after the lavish life Ian had lived back in Paragon, there was no guarantee that he would stay so chipper. It was part of the reason why she didn’t feel right leading Ian on. He was cute, funny and sweet, but she had a lot more to worry about, and besides, Kace was still in Cimmerian, most likely being tortured while she giggled with the boy next door. The thought made her sick to her stomach.
“I want to be alone,” she said, and Ian bowed and took his leave. He didn’t question why, and she was happy for it. She had to stay focused.
* * *
With the help of Ian’s foraging and Harlan’s knowledge of outdoor living, they had a relatively easy time making it across the terrain. Though Remi had been inclined to ask about the Sorcerers back in Paragon, now she realized that the more knowledge they kept to themselves, the better. To the outsider, they looked like a band of kids heading toward a new adventure, kind of like the bands of young Quietus that Kace used to tell her about. They weren’t trying to bother anyone. They were just looking for their version of sport.
Of course, this wasn’t true, and there were some that stared at them with suspicion. But they gave them little reason to pursue. Whenever they passed by a city’s walls or a town’s gates, they kept their eyes forward and continued on, as if they had passed by those places a hundred times. It had been Olivia’s suggestion to avoid as many as possible, and since she seemed so confident in her beliefs, they listened attentively.
The days turned into weeks, and the weeks quickly became months as they walked along, wondering if they would arrive at their destination. At times it seemed like the shard was leading them of its own pleasure and volition, as if it had no intention of taking them where they needed to be. But since they hadn’t seen all of Terra, they continued along, having only each other for company.
For most of the journey, they kept to themselves until they sat down for the night, but once the shard’s light made a sudden sharp turn and told them to go west instead of south, it was like all of their spirits had perked up. Remi wasn’t sure if it was because the change in direction felt like new things were ahead or because they would end up back in Paragon if the shard made one more directional shift.
Whatever the reason, the walks became livelier. Milo would entertain them with tales of his sister and all of the crazy schemes and inventions she would come up with. Harlan
would talk about the different creatures that dared to attack his crops, and Ian would speak in detail of the majestic and wonderful things he had seen in the deep countryside of Paragon. After hearing of such wonders, Remi began to hope that they would end up back in Paragon, if only so that she could one day see them.
Eckard actually started to get hyper, asking questions faster than they could be answered until Olivia finally told him to shut up. And as for Olivia herself? She wouldn’t say too much, but Remi could tell that she enjoyed the stories and banter. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hide her smile.
Remi admired Olivia in that moment, though she wouldn’t dare admit it. Though Remi had been deemed the leader, it was Olivia that had taken over the role, usually choosing the appropriate place to camp for the night, or asking if everyone was still feeling well enough to complete the journey. Though they were all hungrier than they cared to be at times, they were all in good health.
Except for Remi.
Sure, she had the nosebleed in the beginning, but then a whole month had gone by without incident and so she chalked up the moment to an isolated occurrence. When the exhaustion began kicking in, she figured it was because of all the walking they had been doing, but when she compared her stride to that of the others, she saw that that wasn’t the case. She was getting slower while they remained the same. Her hair was beginning to lose a bit of its color. Her hands ached occasionally, and in the third month, Olivia had to start waking her up in the mornings. If she hadn’t, Remi suspected that she would have kept sleeping for quite a few hours more.
She wasn’t what she had been, but that girl was slowly returning.
And that only put in her mind a renewed sense of urgency.
Though she was the most tired of them all, she pushed for them to go on a couple hours more. Whenever she could, she took the lead with the shard so that they were forced to follow at her pace. She did whatever she could to make up for her failing body, but it was only a matter of time before someone noticed. Before someone got concerned enough to ask.
And she wanted the journey to be over before then.
Long before.
“Who’s up for a jog?” she shouted with red shard in hand. Olivia rolled her eyes.
“What for?” she asked, but Remi ignored her. She took a deep breath and began sprinting forward.
Milo fumbled with his suitcase. “What kind of jog is that?” he yelled as she laughed maniacally and kept moving. They all caught up to her easily and she found that a bit disconcerting, but she wasn’t about to let them know.
“We’re wasting energy,” Olivia shouted.
“And sunlight,” Remi said.
“What are you talking about? It’s noon.”
“Which means the morning is already gone!”
“What is wrong with her?” Ian said as Harlan bounded in front of Remi and started running backwards.
“You okay, girl?” he asked.
Remi scowled at him. “Never been better. Why?”
“I don’t know. I just want to know what the rush is.”
“I feel like we’re getting closer.”
“I doubt it. There’s not even a light coming from the shard.”
“Of course there—what?” Remi stopped in her tracks and Harlan slowed down so that they wouldn’t crash into each other. As the others gathered around them, Harlan and Remi gave the shard a closer inspection.
“Did you shut it down internally?” he asked but Remi was adamant that she hadn’t.
“No, not at all…you want to try?” she asked, handing him the shard.
He took it in his hands and lifted it high, closing his eyes and willing it to show him the way. The light within it remained dim. “Nothing,” he said, scratching his head.
“I take it as a good thing,” Ian replied. “We all kept talking about how it wouldn’t be this easy, right? Maybe this means we’re in the general area, but it’s up to us to explore from here.”
“That’s kind of exciting,” Remi said.
“Riiiiight,” Olivia said. “I would have chosen a different adjective, but we’re here now so let’s think. Should we keep heading straight?”
“Depends on the terrain,” Ian said, trying to look off in the distance. They were still in the forest. That hadn’t changed, but Remi had to admit that once she gazed ahead, her vision got blurry, as if the world before her was an illusion.
“Manifestation?” Remi asked. Olivia squint her eyes too.
“I have no idea,” she said. “If that’s a manifestation, then it’s a big one. That’s a lot of power being emitted.”
“You think it’s a Sorcerer?” Milo asked.
“Could be a weapon.”
“If that’s a weapon,” Remi said, “then he or she is a lot more powerful than I am.”
“Let’s move forward cautiously,” Olivia replied. Taking one step at a time, they moved slowly, unsure of they were about to walk into. As they got closer to the haze before them, Remi felt her heart began to race. This wasn’t a matter of not being able to see now. It was right before them. There was something visibly wrong with the land in front of them, and stepping past the veil might set off a chain of events that she wasn’t sure she was prepared for.
Harlan stuck a finger through the veil and waited. “Well, nothing’s biting it off.”
“Why don’t you go all the way through?” Ian said.
Harlan hesitated. “Perhaps I will.”
“I was joking. We don’t have to—” Before he could finish his sentence, Harlan stepped through the blurry transparent curtain, disappearing from their sight completely.
No one moved.
Until Harlan burst out from the other side with a big smile on his face.
“Guys, you have to come see this.”
They all took a step forward, and onto the other side.
Chapter 12 – Breath of Fire
It was the exact same forest they had been traveling through for the past six months, except on the other side of the veil, it was all covered in snow. Mounds of it. It was so heavy that it fell off the tree branches in clumps. It was so high that they nearly fell over after taking one step forward. The chill in the air was so cold that it made their lungs burn and a few of them started coughing as a result.
Remi bent down and rubbed a hand across the snow’s hardened surface.
“We don’t really have clothes for this,” Olivia said. “Not much, right?”
“I brought a coat,” Remi said. “I think Milo has it.”
“Yep,” Milo said, as he just finished fastening the buttons on her coat over his shoulders. “Yes, that should do nicely.”
“That’s mine, you little imp.”
“You could come catch me if you like.”
“Like that’s going to happen,” Remi muttered. She was afraid to sprint for fear of falling on her face. Olivia took a deep breath and began heating up her body, making the snow melt around her.
“Guess I’m taking lead again,” she sighed.
“What else is new?” Harlan said. Olivia glared at him and then began walking forward slowly, allowing the snow to melt around them. Remi took note of the ground underneath the winter wonderland. There was no grass, no leaves. Nothing but dirt, and it told her that the snow had in fact been there for a very long time. But how was that possible? Did they enter a new world somehow?
“Shush,” Olivia said, putting a finger to her lips. “Did anyone hear that?”
Remi froze in her tracks and began searching her environment meticulously, but the air was still and the woods were dead. Nothing had moved as far as she could tell, but that didn’t mean they weren’t in danger. Remi allowed the tip of her eidolon to stick out of her right shoulder, but after a few seconds passed, she realized that it wasn’t enough. She unsheathed it completely.
“Wait!” Olivia cried out. “Someone might think we’re trying to attack!”
“I have to,” Remi replied as she stuck her eidolon high into t
he air, the purple light emanating from it reflecting off of the shiny silver surfaces of the snow. Remi didn’t sense anything around them. But there was still something strange in the air. It was as if the oxygen had gotten thinner and drier. But it was on such a microscopic level, was it really a cause for concern? Was—
“Get down!” Remi shouted as she leapt onto her belly. Olivia glared at her with wide eyes but she crouched down low. The others obeyed, unsure of why.
“What are we doing?” Ian whispered, but Remi put a finger to her lips. Though the snow was freezing against her thin shirt and pants, she remained still. A second ago she had sensed an entity. It was very real, very angry, and very, very big.
A screech sounded off across the sky like a shockwave, shaking the tree branches above them. More piles of snow rained down on top of them. Remi took a deep breath and kept silent. It was near.
Another screech made Milo shake so hard that he scurried to his feet in a panic. Remi shouted for him to stay still but he was in caught up in a frenzy. He picked up his grey suitcase and started running toward the veil they had come from. But just when he was about to leap past its border, a tsunami of fire cut off his path. It happened so fast, it was as if the ground below had opened up and burst into flames. The wall of fire was so high that there was no way he could get past without being severely burned. Milo fell onto his butt.
“What’s going on?!” he yelled and Remi ran to his side.
“I’m not sure,” she shouted. “But we have to be careful. Whatever that thing is, it’s so powerful that I’m sure we could be killed with one blow.”
“Screw that,” Olivia said, cracking her knuckles. She then reached down and unsheathed her sword. “This blade of mine’s been thirsty. I’m ready to give it drink.”
“Livi, we have to be careful.”
“Now I know we’re in trouble,” she sighed. “You only call me ‘Livi’ when it’s about to get real.”
Remi ‘s eidolon screamed and she snapped her head forward. Another wall of fire was heading straight for them. Remi tackled Harlan and pushed him out of the way as Olivia and Milo grabbed Eckard and Ian respectively. The wall of fire separated them into two groups. Olivia and Eckard were the only two on the left side of the blazing wall.
The Sorcerer's Dragon (Book 2) Page 12