by WB McKay
"Ava," I said, hoping her small feet and the added protection of Patricia whispering in her ear would protect her. "It's your turn. Pause after each step."
The same door appeared in front of her that Owen had dealt with. Ava worked quickly and quietly through the obstacle with only a few words from me. Patricia gave Ava a huge advantage. Still, it was slower than my patience could handle.
"Walk slowly through the door," I said, gritting my teeth. "Patricia, keep an eye on my friend," I muttered under my breath. The door banged shut behind her the same way it had for Owen. "That's just the door closing," I said when she startled.
When she was just about to the area that contained the spikes, there was a sound of stone grinding against stone. "Ava stop," I called.
The sound had come from Owen's lane. A few feet in front of where he stood, stones on both sides of his walls had slid away. Tucked into the new gap on his left was a curved piece of bronze metal about two feet in diameter. Beyond that, arrows began firing from small holes in the wall. When they hit the opposite wall, they disappeared. There wasn't a discernible pattern to when the arrows fired, but they did protrude from the wall for a brief moment beforehand. Not much warning, but it was something. If you could see it, anyway. My gaze went back to the small circle of metal. A shield. Coverage. Bad idea. Guiding a blind Owen through that gauntlet with nothing more than a small shield wasn't an option. No, sir.
"Ava, back up a few steps, please." The gauntlet in front of Owen disappeared.
I directed Enid and Art through the same puzzle with the door, determined to find the safest path for every member of my team. Both of them made fairly quick work of the door puzzle with basic instructions from me. I wondered why that was, and settled on them requiring more spatial awareness because of their lives in the sea where there were many large predators who might try to eat them. Owen was a dragon. He was used to being the predator. He didn't need to be as aware of his surroundings. Either that, or Owen was just terrible at taking instructions without his sight. I really hoped it was the former, because his life depended on the latter.
When Enid's path triggered the arrows in Owen's lane, rocks fell in my gut. When it happened with Art's lane as well, the dread was the only thing I could feel. More than anything, I didn't want to do this. It wasn't like I didn't have a choice. I had a choice, all right. I could choose to walk three people through a maze of spikes, or guide Owen past firing arrows. Risk one person, or three.
I tried again to see a way around it. The patterns of the spikes were predictable, but it wouldn't be hard for one of them to move too slow, too fast, or move the wrong distance. It would certainly result in injuries, and likely deaths. If Owen was hit by an arrow or two, he could still probably live through it. Unless the arrows are poisoned, or it hit his heart or… No. That wasn't helpful. When I inventoried my thoughts, I didn't have anything helpful left. There wasn't any magic at my team's disposal that would make any of this go away, or give them an advantage.
I returned Enid to her neutral position and focused back on Owen.
I debated having Owen shift to dragon, if the course would let him, but discarded the idea. He would definitely get hit by several arrows, and poison was still a legitimate concern. I needed to get him through without getting hit. I guided Owen to the shield. "We need to practice. Stand there and follow my instructions."
I devised a system of six different positions, based on the height of the arrows. Low, middle, and high on each side. Owen put the shield on his right arm, so blocking on the left was difficult. Thankfully, that was the side I could see best from my platform.
"What am I facing?" asked Owen, when our practice session was over.
"Arrows," I said, figuring it was best for him to know, so he wouldn't panic when one hit his shield. "They are shooting out of the walls on both sides."
Owen nodded. "I thought it was some form of mechanical beast." I could tell from the set of his shoulders that he was smiling. "Let's get this done."
I took a minute to appreciate the position my team was in. They had no idea what was going on around them, with the likely exception of Ava. They had nothing to hold on to but trust in me. I couldn't imagine being in their position. Owen's smile made no sense in that context. "Take a large step to your right," I instructed. "One more small step." He was in the center. It was time. "Walk forward at a steady pace."
Arrows ricocheted off the shield with a metallic clang. I shouted shield placements one after another, and Owen responded without hesitation. He moved like a machine designed for the task. Every step was measured and methodical. Each time he moved the shield, it went to the exact same place. He may not have been good at locating and placing puzzle pieces while blind, but with repeated motion, he was amazing to watch. Top left: clang. Bottom right: clang. Over and over it went.
The passage was about thirty feet long, and he was flying through it. He would have made it through unscathed if my voice weren't such a mess. It was the second to the last arrow when I shouted, "Bottom left," and my voice cut off halfway through the first word.
Owen hesitated, unsure what to do, then he spasmed, his shoulders eventually hunching. He didn't scream or show any other sign that he'd been hit with an arrow, though the blood on his pants indicated it had happened.
"Center right," I called, this time not trying to be so loud, and my voice worked. Owen blocked the arrow and stepped out of the gauntlet. "Stop!" I heaved a couple of breaths to steady myself and asked, "Are you all right?"
"It grazed my calf!" he hollered back. "I'm fine!"
I wanted to question him further, but it wouldn't be a good use of my voice, or our time, so I had to take what he'd given me. He was fine. I had to ignore that the phrase "I'm fine" was totally open to interpretation.
If I didn't do something about my voice, there were bound to be a lot more injuries, so I walked down the stairs, prepared to run into an invisible barrier. There wasn't one. I was able to walk to the basin and take a long drink of water and return to my perch. We had to take this slow, pirates be damned. I wasn't about to get any of my team--my friends--killed just so we could beat the pirates to the Fleece. I'd recover the object from the pirates directly if I had to.
Time to see what would happen next. "Owen, move forward."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next obstacle appeared in all four lanes when Owen advanced. Just to make sure, I had all the others step forward one at a time, but nothing changed. Looming in front of each of them was a wall of water filled with jellyfish and other strange-looking sea creatures. I had no doubt they were lethal. There was no ladder, so I was fairly certain the water was held in place magically, rather than using something as simple as glass. All that much easier for someone rushing through the course to stumble into death rather than just busting their nose. It was probably above the floor for my benefit.
Fortunately, I was pretty confident we had this one task in the bag.
"Enid, you're up." The nereid straightened and gave me a salute that pointed perfectly at me, then turned back toward the wall of sea creatures in front of her. "Can you put out a call for all animals in water to move in one direction?"
"Absolutely!" she said, raising her head.
"Do it."
Enid's voice was mesmerizing. I considered the possibility that it wasn't magic allowing her to communicate with the sea life, but perhaps that every living being wanted to honor a sound so lovely by granting whatever it wished. It was often difficult to discern the difference between talent and magic.
Somehow, despite only Enid singing, there were beautiful harmonies and a counter melody. I was smiling dreamily and about as happy as I'd ever been by the time she stopped.
"Did it do what you were hoping?" she asked.
Snapping out of my dreamy state, I looked at the four walls of water and the creatures contained within. Every animal had gathered along the right side of their enclosures. "Yes, it did. How long will it last?"
"A couple minutes, unless I continue singing."
"Everyone, listen up. I'm going to have you all move at the same time. There is a wall of water in front of you. It's ten feet thick." There was a round of thumbs up. "Move to the left wall of your lane and then forward until you touch the water. Wait for me to say when."
They all moved quickly into position, making me proud. "Stay against the wall and move on my signal." Another set of thumbs. "Go!"
It was strange watching them plunge into water from the side. Art and Enid shifted, making their trips much faster than Owen and Ava. All in all, the obstacle was cleared without injury, in no time at all. Score one for having the right magic. "Beat that, you pirate bastards," I said to myself.
Once all four of them exited the water, it disappeared, clearing my view. Since it had worked so far, I had Owen move forward first. A wall of fire appeared in Art and Ava's lanes. Water, then fire. Classic.
Owen retreated at my command. I moved Art forward and he triggered writhing vines in Owen and Enid's lanes. The vines immediately reached for them. "Move back, Art!"
He backpedaled with surprising agility and speed. He stopped back on the spot where he'd originally started. I had Ava and Enid try their lanes, to the same two results.
I knew from personal experience that vines like those could crush the life out of you if they wrapped around your body. The vines wouldn't be a problem for Owen. He could burn his way through. Enid would have to fight them blindly with my sword.
The fire, on the other hand, might not be a problem at all. "Owen, step forward." Flames roared to life. "Can you sense the fire, Owen?"
"Yes," he replied, holding his hand in front of him. "I'll see what I can do." He closed his hand into a fist, his usual method for quashing flames. Dragons were as good at putting out fires as they were at starting them. Unfortunately, all magic could be countered. The flames in Art and Ava's lanes only sputtered for an instant before surging even higher. Owen hung his head. "Not going to work. They are being fed magically. I can knock them out but they come right back."
"Appreciate the try. Step back."
Art might be able to make it through the flames by making a water shield, assuming it didn't turn him into a boil-in-a-bag dinner. Ava had no such protection. There was no way she could survive that wall of flame. Owen and Enid would have to take on the vines. The biggest problem was having them face it at the same time. There was no way to have them take turns. The vines started reaching as soon as they were activated.
"Owen, this obstacle is vines that grab you. Similar to what dryads do. It is happening in both your lane, and Enid's." I thought about how to phrase this without sounding like I was too worried about either of them. "You can burn them down, so I'm going to focus on Enid."
"Sounds like a plan," said Owen. His expression was almost excited. He'd been hit by an arrow, and it had only served to turn his confidence up a few notches. Cockiness had a slew of dangers, but I'd take it over fear. As scared as I was up on that perch, there was something comforting in the ridiculousness of his excitement at the danger.
"Be careful," I told him. "Enid, did you hear all that?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm ready to slice, dice, and julienne."
I had Art and Ava move past the inactive flame wall at the same time, triggering the vines. The game was on. Green vines immediately advanced on Owen and Enid. "Owen, it's barbecue time. Aim for the walls."
Both of Owen's hands lit with orange flames. He held his arms out at an angle toward the wall and shot thick arcs of fire. There was an inhuman screech, and the vines withered and turned to ash. It wasn't clear whether the noise came from a creature, or if it had been superheated liquids escaping the plants. More vines replaced the burned ones as Owen stalked forward.
Trusting that Owen was doing fine, I kept my attention on Enid. The vines were growing close to her legs. "Enid, at your knees."
Enid responded by slashing Epic in a broad downward arc. The ends of two vines were lopped off and the stubs retreated. Again, there was a noise, this time sounding like a whimper. Whatever these vines were, they were more aware than the vines dryads and maethes used. That was a good thing, despite the pitiful cries. It meant they wouldn't be as willing to sacrifice themselves in the attack.
From my angle, I missed one of the green tentacles and it wrapped around Enid's left forearm. She hacked it off without a second's hesitation and took a step forward, carving a path in the air like she was used to hacking her way through the jungle with a machete. It worked for a few steps, until she was surrounded.
"Behind you, at your feet," I called.
She effectively destroyed one vine, but the other pulled her down. She fell on her butt with a thump and a grunt. Vines closed in from every direction. Whether it was her training with a sword, or some instinct, she handled the situation beautifully. Enid hacked off the vine that was encasing her leg and then swirled the blade in an arc around herself before standing. She only caught a couple of vines, but the rest withdrew.
Spinning on a heel, she returned to her steady forward march.
"Behind you again. Waist high and feet."
With a graceful twist, Enid worked some rear-facing swipes into her steady jungle-clearing swings. She was getting into a real zone now, gaining confidence. Every couple steps she changed the pattern of her attacks. I pointed out an occasional vine that made it past her defenses, but in no time she was clear of the threat zone, and the vines disappeared.
Owen wasn't faring so well. He was wrapped in vines from the waist down. One of his hands had been captured as well. His attempts to thwart the attacker on his legs were blocked by others. They were using themselves as shields to keep the others safe.
My heart leapt into my throat. I had no idea what to say to help him. The anguish was clear on his face. The vines were constricting.
I took a deep breath. Had to calm down if I was going to be any help. My pulse slowed a fraction. "What would I do in this situation?" Nothing. I would die. No, that was the panic talking. I took another deep breath and pushed it aside. The answer came to me. "Owen, shift!"
Immediately, he was engulfed in an orange burst of flame. For the first time I wished the flames of his shift harmed the things around him, rather than being a magical projection to mask the shift. It made no sense to me why Owen hadn't already shifted. Then his huge head bounced off the underside of the invisible barrier that covered his lane.
Of course he hadn't shifted. I hadn't told him it was safe. And upon seeing the way his huge body was crammed into the space, I wasn't sure it really was. At least he was momentarily free of the vines.
"Burn it down!" I roared.
The rest of the length of his lane was engulfed in flame. While he could throw fire in his human form, nothing compared to what he could do as a dragon. The chorus of shrieks was brief as all the living matter burned to ash.
"You're good," I called to Owen, who was slowly waddling forward. "Shift back."
The flames cut off, leaving curling smoke in their wake. Owen walked the last few feet, crunching over roasted plant matter.
Man, I was glad he was on my side.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
We were nearing the end of the obstacle course. There was only room for one more challenge. Again, I moved Owen forward first. A tall apparatus filled all four lanes. I only had a second to contemplate what it was before huge half-moon shaped blades began swinging from side to side. The world's most deadly set of pendulums. The timing for each of the contraptions was different, so even if I wanted to, I couldn't send every one through at the same time.
Owen backed up, and I tested the others. The trap was triggered every time. There was no avoiding this one.
Before I could decide how to proceed, Ava called out to me. "Patricia and I have got this. Don't worry about me."
"All right," I replied, but she was already on the move.
Ava walked up to the set of swinging blades like she was taking a stroll on the beach
. There were four pendulums in each apparatus, with only two feet between them. The way they were timed, it would be reckless to pass more than one blade without pausing.
With Patricia whispering in her ear, Ava stepped past the first and second blades before stopping. I could see her hair ruffling from the gust of air generated as the heavy hunks of metal flew past. Another step, and she was past the third. The final blade passed by twice, and then she walked out the back end of her lane.
Ava did a giddy little hop and turned around to face me. I couldn't make out her features well enough from my perch, but I was sure her nose was twitching like a bunny's.
"Can you see now?" I asked.
"No, but Patricia and I would like to help the rest of them through."
I didn't immediately respond. Could I seriously let the blind lead the blind through an obstacle that would chop people to pieces if it was done wrong?
I looked down the lanes at the other three standing there, shifting weight from one foot to the other, working to relieve their nerves. They were far enough away that it was hard for me to judge distance. With so little margin for error, it was a toss up whether the delay from Patricia telling Ava what to say was better than my degraded sight. But Ava had made it through without any problem at all. It hadn't even been close.
It was impossible to know how it would turn out if Ava and Patricia walked the others through, and that was the problem. They didn't have any particular expertise like Enid had with the singing challenge. If one of the others died, it would be my fault for letting them handle it. The problem was, I wasn't sure I could do it either. That's when I realized the solution was everyone's least favorite word: compromise.