As Adam readied himself, he saw the air ripple behind him followed by an invisible force shooting past him to strike the monster between the eyes. It let out a loud roar and shook its head about in pain. Dee moved to Adam’s side and called out the spell again to launch another burst at the boar. The second blast seemed to only anger it more and it charged at Adam and Dee.
Adam jammed his sword into the ground and commanded a series of rocky spikes to launch out from under the boar as it ran at them. The beast howled in pain as the spikes pierced it, but the momentum it had built up propelled it forward to complete its charge. Adam got out of the way but Dee stood defiant in its path, holding her wand out.
“Luminarium!” she shouted, generating a ball of light at the tip of her wand that exploded out and hit the boar in its left eye. The added sting of the magic attack disoriented the boar and caused it to trip in its footing. It landed hard and slid across the forest floor, just missing Dee as she jumped backward. While it was down, Adam saw his chance and leapt at the monster, burying his sword into the base of its skull. The thick fat of its neck prevented the sword from delivering a fatal blow, but when combined with a surge of electricity that Adam channeled through it like a lightning rod it was enough to keep the beast from rising again. With a loud squeal it tightened its body and fell limp and still.
Adam tugged the sword loose from the monster’s neck and caught his breath. On the other side of the body, Dee stood in awe of the creature. It had been many years since she had dealt with a beast like this one, and never had she done so alone. She was thankful that Adam was still with her, just in case her skills were not as polished as she had hoped they would be.
“Are you alright, Dee?” Adam called.
“I’m okay!” she shouted back.
“I was starting to wonder if we’d ever find an animal in this forest,” said Adam. “I never expected anything like this. We should hurry and go before more of them show up.”
“Black Forest Boars are not that common and because of their size they tend to travel alone,” Dee said, moving around the monster’s head to where Adam stood wiping black blood off of his sword. “We aren’t likely to find another one, but the commotion might attract more unwanted attention.”
“You know what this thing is?” Adam asked.
“I’ve seen them before,” Dee said, taking Adam’s wrist in her hand. “Now come on, we have to go.”
“Alright, that’s enough, Dee,” Adam said, breaking his hand away from her grip. “I’m not an idiot. I can tell you know more about this place than what you’re letting on. Why are you hiding it from me?”
“Please, I’ll explain later, but right now we really need to get out of he—”
Dee’s sentence was cut short by a flash of light that exploded behind them, spraying debris that was littered on the forest floor into the air. Adam pulled Dee close and shielded her, holding his sword in the direction that the blast had come from. Without warning a second attack came and struck him in the back. He gasped in pain and toppled over, taking Dee with him. She pulled herself out of his arms and covered him with her body. Adam struggled to regain control as he felt his limbs constricting and turning hard as timber. From the ground he saw someone step out of the trees and make his way closer. The crunch of footsteps behind him signaled that there was a second figure approaching.
Still crouching over Adam, Dee hid her wand behind her back as the two strangers surrounded them. With her free hand, she pulled her bandana down further to try to cover her face as much as possible. The first of the strangers, a well built man in tan and violet colored robes, stepped closer to Dee. He stuck the end of a long staff into the ground, staring down at her with contempt.
“You must be bold to trespass in these woods, girl,” he said. “You should know that this is not a safe place for travelers.”
“I’m sorry, we’re lost,” Dee said, keeping her head down. “Please just let us go and we’ll be on our way.”
The man scoffed. “Do you expect me to believe that you got this far into the forest just by getting lost? You’re a long way from civilization.”
The second man used the ornate staff he carried to jab at the head of the fallen boar. “It takes some talent to bring down a Black Forest Boar. It’s not something just anyone could do, but it’s not beyond the means of a Fatusian sorcerer.”
Dee shrunk back as the first man crouched down and got in her face. “We saw the spells, girl. We know at least one of you has some magic in you. Now the question becomes whether you’ll surrender quietly or will we have to put you down by force?”
Adam pushed Dee off of him and leapt up to deliver an uppercut to the stranger. As he staggered back, the second man pointed his staff at Adam and chanted a spell. A crackling blue bolt surged through the tip of the staff and struck Adam in the back. He howled in pain and fell to his knees as the first stranger recovered and caught Adam by the throat with his forked staff.
“Stop! Let him go!” Dee screamed.
Adam’s body went numb from the surprise magic attack. It would recover soon, but for the moment he was at the mercy of the spellcaster in front of him. Dee stood up and caught the attention of the man behind her, ready to take her out with a similar blast of lightning.
“Let him go this instant,” Dee said, her tone shifting to a more commanding one that Adam had not heard from her before.
“And why should I do that?” the first spellcaster asked.
Dee sighed. With great reluctance she undid her bandana, letting her long hair spill out and revealing her face. “Because I said so, Osric.”
The one called Osric gave Dee a curious look, trying to recall where he had seen the girl before. It was clear to Dee that he didn’t recognize her, so she made it clear for both of them. “As granddaughter of Baraluneska Repaltia and heir to Erebia, I demand that you release him this instant.”
Osric’s eyes widened as a realization that was lost on Adam sunk in. He stepped back, pulling his staff away from Adam’s neck in time for the feeling to return to Adam’s body. Adam felt his throat and caught his breath while the spellcasters looked at Dee in awe.
“It can’t be,” the second one said in total shock.
“It’s true,” said Osric. “This is Diatyallah Gatti.”
Adam looked back at Dee, whose defiance had now shrunk back as her face reddened. “Dee, what’s going on?”
“This is wonderful news!” the second mage shouted. “The heiress has returned home!”
“Heiress?” Adam asked, getting to his feet. Dee remained silent, avoiding his gaze.
“Please, Diatyallah, let us escort you back to the village. They will be overjoyed to know that you’ve returned home safely.”
Adam looked at Dee and saw her cringe as she heard the word “home”. It was starting to become clear to him why she had been so insistent on moving away from this part of the woods. It wasn’t because of a differing sense of direction, nor for practical survival purposes. She knew where they were all along: near the boundaries of Dee’s home village. Yet she had been avoiding it as best as she could. Why would she try so hard to get away from a resting place, especially one where she held such a status? He didn’t expect to draw any answers from her, but now she wasn’t able to escape. These two wizards would take her back home, where she and Adam could at least rest for the night. What they would do from there would be determined by the reception that awaited them in the mage village of Erebia.
Chapter 10
Homecoming
Adam and Dee walked single file while the two mages guarded the group at the front and the rear. They had become much friendlier after Dee revealed herself and were quick to warn that the commotion caused by the boar would soon draw more dangerous creatures. So the four of them made their way farther up the mountain and away from impending danger, as much as Dee had been opposed to the idea while she and Adam were alone. Adam had picked up on Dee’s drop in mood. It was clear to him now that she had been
avoiding this part of the forest on purpose so that they wouldn’t have arrived at her village, but he couldn’t imagine why. After being away for four years searching for her master, he would have thought she’d be excited to see her old friends and family.
He stopped walking as his poor common sense caught up and hit him like a figurative smack to the back of his head. The wizard behind him almost ran into him, but Adam kept walking as he cursed himself for being so slow. How could he forget about Dee’s master? It all made sense to him now. Dee had sworn not to return home until she had found her master and brought him back safely. Now she had found herself home without her master after having not even looked for him for the last two years of her time away. If she had only mentioned the truth to him when they had first arrived in the forest, he would have avoided the mountain. He was sure Dee was beating herself up now for failing to do so while also preparing to tell the bad news to everyone who was waiting for her.
As the group continued their way up the mountain, Adam noticed that the trees were finally starting to thin out. Soon they had emerged from the forest onto a rocky plain that followed the curve of the mountain up higher. With the trees gone, Adam got a better glimpse of the scene around him. All around for miles was the dense forest they had spent the afternoon moving through. More mountains rose up from the forest like the bent knees of sleeping giants. Some broke through the gathering clouds above and showed signs of snow along their cragged peaks. Dee had not been exaggerating about snow this early in the season, especially at that altitude.
The mountain they were moving up didn’t have any snow, but it was chilly above the forest and all of the long grass of the plains lay close to the ground and was faded and crisp. He spied a few wild long-horned goats standing on the rocks grazing on the dry grassland. They seemed bored, unaware that they were so close to a forest inhabited by dangerous monsters. Based on their indifference, it seemed like they weren’t bothered by the creatures this high up. There appeared to be benefits to having a village roosted on the edge of the sky.
“Do the creatures living in the forest bother the village much?” Adam asked.
“For the most part, no,” said the mage in the rear, who had introduced himself earlier as Eben. “We have spell guards around the villages that keep them at bay, plus a few mages who keep watch just in case. It’s usually the mages who are the ones going into the forest.”
“For hunting, I gather,” said Adam. Before they had been on their way, Osric explained that creatures like the Black Forest Boar provided a large part of the village’s food supply. When asked how the mages could bring back such a large animal by themselves, they demonstrated their magic by shrinking the dead boar to the size of a mouse. Now the animal sat in Osric’s pocket until they returned home when it would be returned to full size and butchered. It was a shame such magic couldn’t be more widespread in parts of the world where some people went without food or drink.
“Hunting and for practice,” said Eben. “There are more than just boars in the forest, especially on the eastern side of the mountain. Some of them have magic of their own and apprentice mages often fight them to improve on their own skills.”
“I bet you found a lot of strange creatures to fight against during your travels, Diatyallah,” said Osric.
“Yeah,” Dee said, half interested.
“I’m sure you must have a million stories to tell everyone,” he went on. “It’s been nearly four years since you’ve been gone, hasn’t it?”
“Mhm,” Dee muttered.
Adam frowned. Could she make it a little more obvious that she didn’t want to be here? He knew it was going to be difficult explaining to everyone what she’d been doing all those years, but he imagined she would have had to do so one day anyway. After all, he knew that Dee would never find her master alive. No amount of searching would allow her to keep her promise, and one day she would have had to accept that and return home empty handed. After believing all of the Creator’s lies, it sounded like she had already accepted that reality.
Still, Adam found something peculiar about their current circumstances. Dee had made it clear that everyone in her village knew she was leaving to find her master and would not return until she had found him. Yet upon discovering that she had returned without him, neither Osric nor Eben brought up that fact or even mentioned her master. Adam would have imagined if someone as important to the village as Dee would partake on such a significant task that it would be a big deal. He decided to keep the thought in mind and reserve judgment until Dee was surrounded by her peers once again.
They came to a crude wooden fence constructed of thick carved tree pieces that spanned across the field. Ahead of the fence was more wide open field that rose up to the rounded top of the mountain several hundred feet above them. Adam stared at the sight ahead, unsure of how to proceed.
“Where’s the village?” he asked. He soon realized that he was the only one in the group who didn’t know the secret of Erebia’s entrance. Osric walked up to the vacant gate of the fence and touched his staff to the empty space.
“Redimus,” he said. The tip of the staff glowed and a sigil appeared from nowhere and burned red in the air. The empty space between the fence posts was filled with a wooden door that stood taller than the fence itself. A metal latch clacked as it opened from the opposite side and the door swung open. Osric turned and grinned at Adam, who by the look on his face was impressed by the rather mundane magical feat.
“Right this way,” Osric said, extending his hand through the door. Adam and Dee stepped through and Adam’s eyes grew large. The empty hillside on the other side of the fence was a mere illusion. In truth, the mountain went up even higher and was lined with earthen walls and wooden longhouses as far as he could see. Smoke rose up from chimneys as the villagers prepared their evening meals and the smells of the rustic little town reminded Adam of days gone by when he had frequented such places in his travels. He saw that Dee’s attitude had improved slightly at the sight of her home. Even with the burden she bore and her reservations about being back, it was clear that she had missed her home and she was showing it now.
There was a path worn in the grass that led up the hill to the main part of the village. In the field where they stood, a few children ran around playing. They used their wands to cast spells that crackled and popped, spitting light like tiny fireworks out at each other. As Adam and Dee walked ahead on the path the children stopped their game and took note of the strangers with cautious eyes. It wasn’t often that anyone new appeared in their secluded mountain village, and even with Osric and Eben present they were alert but curious. They stood frozen until one boy no more than seven or eight took a step closer, staring at Adam in awe.
“No need to be afraid, children,” Osric called out to them. “Come here, there’s someone you should all meet.”
Adam noted that most of these children would have been very young when Dee left the village and probably didn’t know her. The opposite seemed true for Dee, who finally let a smile come back to her face as she recognized more than one of the children.
“Kids, this is Diatyallah Gatti,” Osric said as the children stepped closer. “She’s Baraluneska’s granddaughter. She’s been away on a trip for a long time, but now she’s finally come home.”
Dee gave the children a sheepish wave. “Hello, everyone. It’s been a while so I don’t think any of you remember me very well, but I recognize a few of you. It’s nice to see you all again.”
The children continued to gawk. As they oohed and aahed, Adam glanced up at the village further ahead. A few mages had stopped to see what was so interesting near the gate and seemed to turn white as a sheet when they spotted Dee. Some of them ran into the village while others stood in place as if unable to look away. It looked like their presence in the village had already been made known. It was proven so moments later when what seemed like the entire population of Erebia came running from the village proper down the path into the field.
“It’s true!” an old woman shouted. “Diatyallah has returned!”
“Someone alert Baraluneska!” another called.
“She’s on her way!” said another.
“Welcome home, Diatyallah!”
“Welcome home, dear!”
One after another, people clamored about and professed their joy of having Dee return home. It was what Dee had expected, but she wasn’t prepared for it. The sudden wash of attention overwhelmed her and before she could mutter a single word for anyone, her knees gave out and she fainted on the spot. The crowd gasped in horror as she fell, but Adam was quick to catch her in his arms. She was out cold, and Adam sighed and shook his head. Given her situation, he couldn’t have imagined she would end up doing anything else.
Higher up on the path, the crowd began to split in two like a zipper being undone. At last the villagers in front parted and made room for an old woman who had come down from the village. Short and stocky in her long navy robes with a bit of a hunch, she used a thick wooden cane to support herself as she stared at Adam and the unconscious Dee. She had a round face like a bullfrog with sagging, wrinkled skin. Her gray hair was tied in a neat bun behind her head while a few strands hung down over her forehead. The most striking thing Adam saw in her was the woman’s eyes, which were clear and piercing as she furrowed her brow and glared at him with an energy he wouldn’t expect from someone her age.
Fallout (Tales of the Other Universe Book 2) Page 12