by B. T. Narro
“Marie?” Zoke shouted. “Marie?”
She was making a choking sound.
Zoke cursed Sawdar in Kreppen and drew his wooden sword—the only weapon he had with him. “Move, so I can get Marie the help she needs.”
“She’s going to die, and so are you.”
The two other men Zoke had seen with Sawdar now came through the door. Each of them was wielding a sword—a real sword.
The first one stopped over Marie to drive his weapon down into her body. She uttered a faint cry of pain as the metal blade pierced her. Then she was silent.
The second man stepped over her lifeless body, the three of them now facing Zoke.
If he hadn’t fought with the warriors, Zoke might’ve believed he could win this battle—his wooden sword against their two steel swords and Sawdar’s dagger. But he knew how skilled they were in numbers. His only chance of living was to run.
As he glanced for another exit besides the door behind his attackers, he suddenly realized what this really was. “You’re traitors. You deserve to die for this.”
“You’re the traitor,” Sawdar retorted, slowly moving closer to Zoke with the two other men now on either side of him. “I was told you were divulging secrets of Doe and Haemon.”
Zoke slashed his wooden sword in their direction to keep them back. He found the window then. It was behind him and already open. He just needed to turn and get himself through it—only, it wasn’t an easy fit. My shoulders might be too wide. And he knew the moment he showed his enemies his back, he was dead.
Zoke backed behind the round kitchen table, swinging his wooden sword whenever one of the Humans came too close.
“Hurry,” Sawdar said. “He needs to die now, so we have time to leave.”
The two men with real swords split, going in opposite directions around the table. Zoke chose a direction—left—and prodded his attacker in the stomach. Then he turned and slashed at the man coming behind him. It was a lucky strike, connecting with the Human’s wrist as he was lunging toward Zoke.
The man blurted a word Zoke didn’t recognize and dropped his weapon. Zoke kicked him in the face as he knelt to retrieve it, the sharp claws on Zoke’s foot cutting him open. Before Zoke could grab the sword for himself, Sawdar had jumped on the table and begun to swipe his dagger at Zoke’s neck.
Ducking, Zoke got under the table and threw it as hard as he could. He heard Sawdar grunt as he smacked against the floor.
The man Zoke had prodded in the stomach had come around behind him. Zoke sidestepped an overhead swing and wrapped his toes around the other man’s fallen sword. With a quick flick of his ankle, Zoke swiped at the three of them indiscriminately, using his wooden sword to fend them off as well.
He brought the metal sword from his foot to his free hand and ran for the door, jumping over Marie’s sprawled body with a silent curse that he hadn’t saved her.
Just outside, Zoke turned and swung his wooden sword at the men chasing him. One jumped back, but the other was too slow. Zoke took him off his feet with a hard blow to his chest. Sawdar came out last, and Zoke threw the wooden sword at him. It clunked against his knee, causing the Human to grunt and lose his balance.
Only one man was still standing for the moment, his face bloody from being kicked earlier. Zoke knew he had to take advantage of this opportunity. He rushed at the Human, who blocked Zoke’s first two attacks but not his third, which resulted in a deep cut along the man’s stomach.
Zoke ran before he had to face the two men getting up. He was faster than the Humans, and soon they’d given up, turning south instead.
He found himself running toward the dining hall to the east, only realizing why a few steps later. Someone needed to know about the traitors, because there could be more of them. He had to find the Humans who’d come with him to the Slugari colony. They were the only ones he knew he could trust.
But the dining hall was smoking, half the building ablaze. Looking around him, he noticed many more buildings were on fire as well.
The traitors are everywhere, and they’re burning down the Academy.
Zoke continued running toward the dining hall, believing it was the most likely place to find his comrades.
Students were flooding out, some slamming into Zoke’s shoulders as he tried to maneuver his way in.
“Effie? Reela? Alex?” he shouted. “Steffen?”
A thick layer of smoke was pushing against the roof. Flames licked the walls, reaching in through crevices. The fire was set from outside. He didn’t know how much longer the walls would hold.
Zoke spotted some students on the opposite corner. He recognized Reela right away. She was fighting off two others. One of them was a mage desperately trying to lift her wand as she screamed in pain, the other was a warrior—holding his head while on his knees, trying to retrieve the sword near him.
Reela spotted Zoke and ran toward him, but the warrior grabbed her leg as she passed by, causing her to trip. The mage stood upright and aimed her wand at Reela, but the psychic flipped onto her back and held her palms out at them. They both screamed and dropped to the floor once more.
Others didn’t seem to notice, some nearly colliding with Zoke on their way out of the burning building. There was a scream. Zoke turned quickly as he ran toward Reela to find an older Human, who must’ve been an instructor, getting cut, her wand slipping from her hand and hitting the ground as her knees buckled. A male attacker took her life with another swing.
How many are there?
Zoke could hear Reela panting desperately by the time he was close. With their two enemies disabled from painful psyche, Zoke took off the man’s head first, then the woman’s. Reela seemed as if she was about to pass out, staggering forward. She fell, but Zoke got his hands underneath her first.
He threw her over his shoulder and glanced toward the warrior who’d killed the female instructor. He was gone. There was no one else in the dining hall…no one alive, at least.
Outside, Zoke put Reela on her feet so he could face her. She looked to be uninjured, just exhausted.
“Where are the others?” Zoke asked.
“I…don’t know,” Reela sputtered between heavy breaths.
More buildings were on fire by then. Black smoke scattered across the sky with a gust of wind. Reela turned to hide her face as it passed over them. Zoke tasted ash as he did the same.
“We have to find the others,” Zoke said, looking in every direction for more attackers.
He spotted Alex already running toward them from Warrior’s Field.
“Is she hurt?” Alex shouted.
“I’m fine.” Reela had been doubled over, but she stood up straight then.
“I don’t understand,” Alex said, glancing around at the screaming students and burning buildings.
“They’re spies,” Reela said.
“Spies?”
“From Tenred.” Reela glimpsed the dining hall behind her. “They tried to kill me. I’m sure there are others who’ve been targeted as well.”
“They killed Marie Fyremore, tried to kill me too,” Zoke said.
“She’s dead?” Alex yelled.
“No…” Reela’s knees shook as she grabbed onto Zoke’s shoulder for balance.
Both of them had gone white.
Worry flooded into Alex’s expression as color came back. “Effie!” he shouted. “We have to find her and Steffen.”
“Shouldn’t we check the house?” Zoke asked.
“Let’s go.” Alex already had begun to run, Zoke and Reela soon catching up.
On their way there, they passed by several groups of students arguing, Humans claiming that others were spies. Reela stopped in front of three warriors who seemed ready to stab each other with their swords.
“Stop!” Reela shouted. “I’m a psychic. I’ll tell you who’s lying.” She pointed at one. “Are you a spy?”
“I’m no spy.”
“He tells the truth. What about you?” She pointed at the ne
xt.
“I’m not a spy.”
“He’s being honest, too. And you?” She looked at the last man.
“I’m no spy, either.”
“None of you are spies,” Reela told them, her tone urgent. “So stop fighting with each other and help the people who need it.”
“How do we know you’re telling the truth and that you aren’t a spy?” One of them pointed his weapon at her. “You’re with the Krepp. He’s probably a spy as well.”
“He’s right!” Another man lifted his sword at Reela.
“Why would I stop to help if I was a spy?” Reela retorted. “Think about it.” She raised her palms defensively. Alex and Zoke stepped in front of her.
“None of us are spies,” Alex grumbled, his teeth clenched. “Now let us go.”
Reela still had her hands out, but she’d fallen silent.
The three men nodded, each lowering his weapon.
“Come on,” one of them said, running toward another group of warriors who seemed ready to fight.
When their student house was in view, Zoke spotted a man holding his wand against its back wall, fire spewing out.
“Stop!” Zoke yelled.
The man turned and ran, leaving a charred mark, but the wall wasn’t yet ablaze. Zoke didn’t get a good look at the traitor and decided not to waste time chasing after him.
The three of them burst through the door and began shouting for Effie and Steffen. In just a few breaths it was clear neither was home.
“We need to find them,” Alex said. “Reela, you keep looking around the student houses here. I’ll go back north to look around the faculty housing. Zoke, continue south until you reach the wall, then head east. Everyone meet back here when you’re done.”
“I think I should stay with Reela,” Zoke said. “She was attacked earlier.”
“I’ll be fine.” She gestured with a dagger she must’ve grabbed from within the house. “I’ve got this now.”
“Good, stay safe.” Alex was off.
Zoke ran south as instructed. Being on the west side of campus, there was nothing but student houses around. Most were empty, and he’d only seen one that was on fire.
The spies must be targeting specific Humans and buildings.
Running at near full speed and shouting Effie and Steffen’s names, Zoke soon caught the attention of a young man and woman who were embracing each other just outside a student house. At the sight of Zoke, they ran the opposite way.
He came across another man and woman. The man started shouting at Zoke. “Why are you running? Have you been a spy this whole time?”
“No. I’m looking for Effie and Steffen, have you seen them?” Zoke had heard that many within the Academy had learned the names of the Humans who’d gone to the Slugari colony.
“Why, so you can kill them?” The man had his wand in hand and now raised it at Zoke and stepped forward.
“I’m your ally in this war,” Zoke tried, ready to jump the moment he noticed light coming from the wand.
The girl beside the man placed her palm on his forearm. “He’s telling the truth.”
A psychic, good.
The girl came forward. “I saw Effie earlier. She went that way with some man.”
“What did the man look like?” Zoke asked.
“He was kind of tall and muscular. His hair was brown and his eyes were blue. He was wearing a black coat.”
This time Zoke made a conscious decision to say it: “Thank you.” She really had helped, and he was in her debt.
It wasn’t long before he spotted the man that she’d described. He was pushing a wide wheelbarrow covered by a blanket. To his side was a woman, and they were rushing toward the southern gate, which surprisingly was open. Then Zoke noticed the dead Human above the gate. He was clad in armor, as he usually was, but a weapon must’ve gotten through. Zoke figured it was a knife. He probably had been surprised…just like Marie.
I’m going to kill you, Sawdar, Zoke reminded himself. I will not forget.
Zoke was about to shout at the man with the wheelbarrow, asking him where Effie was. But he stopped just as his mouth opened. The man must be a spy if he was leaving—fleeing, Zoke corrected himself. The woman as well, and what did they do to Effie?
With no more houses between him and his new enemies, Zoke ran to close the distance before they turned and saw him. But both looked over their shoulders and spotted Zoke immediately.
He kept running, dearly hoping neither was a mage. Dread enclosed his heart when the girl pulled out a wand and aimed it at him.
Unaware if others were nearby, Zoke still decided it couldn’t hurt to shout, “Traitors! Spies!”
The woman’s wand lit up. Zoke jumped sideways and felt the heat as the fireball flew by, crackling loudly as it burned through the air and exploded into the dirt somewhere behind him.
Zoke’s shouting had worked. Two men with swords were running at the spies yelling, “They’re trying to flee!”
The male spy pulled an apparatus out of the wheelbarrow. It was shaped like a tube, thin and smaller than his arm. With a handle already drawn back, he aimed the tube at the two men running toward him and shoved the handle forward. A red liquid spewed out, some reaching the faces and arms of the oncoming warriors.
It didn’t seem to do anything to them, though. Just like Zoke, they were still pursuing the spies at a sprint. Being much closer than he, the two warriors reached their targets first, swinging their swords frantically as the man jumped away to dodge the attacks. When he let go of the wheelbarrow, it fell over. A small woman spilled out. It was Effie. Zoke was sure of it. She was either dead or unconscious.
The mage in front of him had her wand pointed at the two warriors now as she backed up. They were suddenly having trouble following the movements of the spies, slashing their weapons nowhere close.
It occurred to Zoke that they must’ve been disoriented from the red substance, whatever it was. Soon both had fallen, one to a fireball and the other to a dagger. Neither seemed to realize he was about to be attacked, for both were looking in the wrong direction.
Close enough now to the mage, Zoke jumped on top of her, driving his sword down through her shoulder as she screamed. He finished her quickly with another jab of his weapon, this one into her chest. But he heard breaking glass as he did so. Smoke surrounded him. It was gray and thick, the same as atop the Fjallejon Mountains.
Zoke knew then what he should’ve realized earlier. The remaining enemy was a chemist. Knowing Effie was already on the ground, Zoke didn’t worry about striking her as he indiscriminately swung his weapon from side to side, moving forward as he did so. Hoping he was going south, he knew he needed to hurry to outrun the spreading smoke.
Soon he was outside its reach and had a clear view of the open southern gate. Unable to see the chemist, Zoke ran through the gate and looked in each direction. His enemy was nowhere to be found.
He must still be in the smoke.
Before Zoke even turned around, the smoke had enveloped him once again. He quickly lost his sense of direction and became worried he would trample Effie if he ran. Keeping quiet so as not to alert the chemist of his presence, Zoke sheathed his sword and crawled, sticking to one direction.
Where is the bastard? Zoke began to worry the chemist had run in a different direction, or maybe he’d waited before coming out the southern end of the smoke and now had fled through the gate.
Soon Zoke came across a body. He could tell it was a woman. Moving his arms frantically, he cleared enough smoke for a glimpse. It was Effie.
He figured the chemist was probably long gone and decided to get Effie somewhere safe so he could check her for injuries. He hoped her unconsciousness was just caused by some potion.
Why was he taking her with him? What was he going to do with her once he left the Academy?
With Effie over his shoulder, Zoke didn’t quite come out of the smoke on the correct side. He circled around to head west, checking for the ch
emist in each direction as he walked.
Effie was so light that Zoke knew he could carry for her miles if needed. It was an eerie thought that she could produce a fireball strong enough to kill another Human.
He was careful to avoid others in his path, unsure how they would take it if they saw him carrying an unconscious woman.
“Effie? Effie, can you hear me?” Zoke tried her name a few times as he jogged, but it was no use. He stopped and checked to see if she was breathing, relieved to find that she was.
Reela and Alex were back by the time Zoke got to their student house. Steffen was with them as well, and they all were running toward Zoke.
“Is she alright?” they asked at once.
“She’s unconscious. I’m not sure if she’s injured,” Zoke answered. “Where should I take her?”
“Put her inside on her bed,” Alex said. “We still don’t know if any spies are left. It’s too dangerous to transport her to the medical center. Steffen can take a look at her.”
“I don’t know what to do if I don’t know what’s wrong with her,” Steffen argued.
“But you can try to help,” Alex insisted.
They followed Zoke inside, where he let Effie down on her bed. Steffen looked at her head, brushing her hair out of the way as he checked for injury.
“She hasn’t been struck that I can see,” he said, opening her mouth next and practically sticking his nose inside of it. “There’s a faint aroma, but there’s no way to know what it is. Where did you find her, Zoke?”
“She was being taken out of the southern side of the Academy in a wheelbarrow by two spies, a male chemist and a female mage.”
Zoke went on to describe how he’d found her, telling them about the fight with the spies, providing physical descriptions of the man and woman.
“That sounds like Brady,” Reela said.
“You don’t sound surprised,” Alex commented with an arched eyebrow.
“I had a feeling,” Reela said, letting out a discouraged breath. “But there was something about the way he spoke with me that made me doubt myself. He seemed trustworthy.”